Page 25 of The Beautiful Mess

Kerry pushed through the door hard enough to make it slam against the interior wall, cutting off the rest of what Danny had to say. He’d crowded Keegan against the sink but luckily hadn’t put his hands on him. Scared hazel eyes met Kerry’s, then widened in surprise.

Danny had his back to Kerry and hadn’t turned to see who’d entered. “Go away, man. Me and my guy need a minute.”

Kerry had spent a lifetime trying not to make people feel uncomfortable about his size, but he embraced his brawniness with fervor and pushed that strength into his voice. “Step away from him if you want to leave this place alive.”

Keegan had just been about to drive his knee between Danny’s legs when the bathroom door flew open and crashed against the wall with a loudbang.A supersized man in a suit barged into the room with a murderous expression on his face. Wait! Keegan knew those eyes, but he’d never seen them burn with rage. And he’d never seen Kerry all dressed up. What the hell was going on?

Danny pressed closer against Keegan, making a knee to the groin nearly impossible, but it wouldn’t matter. Kerry was there and appeared to be seconds away from removing Danny’s limbs one by one. He’d even said as much when the fool in front of him tried to brush Kerry away like an annoying gnat. Danny had rolled his eyes when Kerry issued his commanding threat.

“Look, pal.” Danny angled his upper body to address his doom face-to-face and froze.

Kerry looked impossibly big in that tiny space. LikeReacherkind of big. And not that lean Tom Cruise, but the other hulking Alan guy from the Amazon Prime show. Kerry looked imposing, but he wasn’t taut. Fighters knew better than to tense up because it slowed their reactions. Owen had taught him that during boxing lessons, which he’d failed to implement when Danny crowded him against the sink. Kerry had relaxed into the moment and was prepared to cause some serious damage on his behalf. Humiliation might come later when he thought of Kerry riding to the rescue like Keegan was a damsel in distress, but right then, he was just so damn grateful.

Danny sidestepped to get away from Keegan and turned his body to keep Kerry in his sights. He put his hands up to show he wasn’t a threat and eased toward the door. “This is just a big misunderstanding.”

Kerry was not appeased in the least. He eased closer to the door, blocking Danny’s path. “When someone tells you no, you stop. Period. Do you fucking hear me?” Kerry’s voice was cold and hard, something Keegan never imagined. “There is no forcing your will on someone else and then justifying your actions afterward. No fucking means no.”

Danny nodded vigorously. “I got it, man. No means no.”

“If I find out you’ve forgotten, I will track you down and make you pay, Danny Rodgers.” The asshole’s eyes widened when he realized Kerry knew his name, and he darted for freedom when Kerry stepped aside to unblock the doorway. “And lose Keegan’s number, asshole!” Kerry yelled after him.

It was just the two of them, and Keegan didn’t know what to say, so he went with the first thing that popped into his mind. “This is a new look.”

Kerry closed his eyes and shook his head. “You’ve been spending too much time with Sven if the first thing you comment on is my outfit.” He muscled the bathroom door shut before closing the gap between them. Kerry paused just outside Keegan’s touching zone and opened his arms in invitation.

Keegan launched himself against Kerry’s chest hard enough to make him stagger back a half step. Muscular arms enfolded him in the biggest, safest hug he’d ever known. Keegan melted into his embrace and pressed his forehead against Kerry’s chest. “I’m so glad to see you.” He closed his eyes and cycled through some breaths to calm his racing heart. Kerry’s nearness made the latter part a challenge. “I want you to know I was about to knee that asshole in the balls when you rode to my rescue.”

A chuckle rumbled through Kerry’s chest. “I have no doubt.”

Keegan lifted his head and met Kerry’s gaze. The rage he’d witnessed earlier was gone, and he was afraid to assign a name to the warmth shimmering there. “You must think I really am desperate and dumb.”

Kerry slowly lifted his hands to cup Keegan’s face but stopped before making contact. “May I?” He wanted to be annoyed by the hesitance and gentle handling, but Keegan had to admit it was exactly what he needed at the moment. He leaned into one warm palm, and Kerry closed in with the other. “I have never thought those things about you. I think you’re—”

The bathroom door banged open again, and the two of them jerked apart and faced the new intruder. A guy wearing slouchy clothes, a ball cap, and black-framed glasses entered the room. He placed one hand on his heart and the other on the wall. He panted like he’d run a mile. “Christ! That asshole nearly ran me over with his eagerness to get away.”

Keegan recognized the voice right away, but it didn’t belong to the dude in the room. “Sven?”Wait a minute. He’d never seen Kerry in business attire, and Sven never wore dull, oversized clothes. He sure as hell wouldn’t wear anything to mess up his hair. All the relief he’d felt from Kerry’s rebuttal faded. What were these two doing there, and why were they dressed weirdly? “What the hell is going on?”

A lull washed over the cramped space for a few seconds. Then Kerry and Sven spoke at once, talking over each other, verbally and physically pointing at each other. Keegan couldn’t make out much of what was said, but the wild gesturing and arguing broke the tightness in his chest. A giggle-snort burst from his mouth, catching the brothers’ attention. They turned and looked at him with matching quizzical expressions that triggered a fit of laughter. Whatever the reason for Kerry’s and Sven’s attire or presence didn’t matter because their actions came from a good place. He’d get the truth out of them, but it didn’t have to be in the sketchy bathroom of a gay bar. Keegan couldn’t imagine taking his pants down to piss in there, let alone bend over and offer his ass. He’d only fled to the bathroom to figure out a way to extricate himself from the disastrous date without causing a scene.

“Way to go,” Sven said to Kerry. “You broke him.”

“I did not,” Kerry argued. “He’s just releasing tension. Ever heard of people laughing at a funeral?”

“Danny came close to needing a funeral a few minutes ago,” Keegan said.

Sven narrowed his eyes. “What the hell did that fucker do? It’s not too late to kill him? We’ll hide the body where no one will find him, and I bet no one reports him missing.”

“Take it down a notch,Dateline,” Keegan said.

“Dude,” Kerry scoffed. “You’re winded just from hustling down a small hallway. You think you’re going to sprint out to the parking lot and catch him before he drives off?”

“To avenge Keegan’s honor? Hell yeah, I could.”

The brothers bumped fists, united once again. Keegan got so caught up in the sweetness that it took him a few seconds to realize they were both watching him with concerned expressions.

“I’m fine, guys.” The date had been a disaster from the jump, but the aftermath was…beautiful.

Kerry held out his hand, and Keegan took it. “Let’s get out of here.”

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