Page 23 of Bradford

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, walk."

"No." I stand my ground.

"Pardon me?" he asks incredulously.

"You heard me. I said no. If your boss wants to talk to me, he can come here because I'm not taking another step."

The man moves in front of me, and I glare at him. My heart pounds in my chest, but I refuse to show fear. The only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to him. Well, that's what I'm doing. Hopefully, I won't pee my pants.

To my astonishment, Mustache bursts out laughing. I stare for a moment, then dart to the side and run. I yank open a door to the arena, thinking I'll lose him in the crowd. But he's faster than I anticipated. He enters not too far behind me. As I push my way through the crowd along a row of seats, I think about how to escape him.

I curse my hair coloring because my hair is like a beacon. I see a beanie hat on the ground, bend down, and snatch it up, silently apologizing for borrowing it. I crouch down and move down the steps before continuing along another row of spectators. I pause and quickly tug the hat on, shoving my hair inside. Once I'm sure the beacon is hidden, I straighten and try to look as though I'm watching the game.

My heart continues to race while my brain works overtime, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. I'm disoriented and have no idea where I was sitting with Bradford. I scan the crowd, searching for any familiar faces or landmarks that could lead me back to my seat. Panic sets in as I realize that I might be completely lost in the sea of spectators. Desperation drives me toward the ice. Surely, if one of Bradford's friends sees me, they'll realize something is wrong, especially if the mustache harasses me.

I just don't understand why Daniel is coming after me. I don't have anything of his. I don't even have the cash he stashed at myplace. The cops do. So, what's his problem? I can't get the money back. He was stupid to hide it in my bathroom in the first place. A commotion to my left draws my gaze, and I realize Mustache has found me. I take off in the opposite direction, praying I won't fall as I rush down the steps toward the ice. I reach the boards, smack into them, and turn to see where the guy is. I spot him making his way through the crowd with determination in his eyes.

I turn back to the ice and I’m startled to see Dario pressed up against the Plexiglas. My panicked eyes must give me away because he looks over my shoulder and curses. He points to my right and heads that way. He opens the door and pulls me through the second I reach him. I'm glad he's strong because the second my feet hit the ice, I start flailing. "Use me to keep your balance," he says.

With the door locked, Mustache is stuck on the other side. Dario grabs my arm and pulls me along, my feet skidding out in every direction. Arms come around me and lift me off the floor. "Who the fuck is after you?" Madden asks, joining us.

A whistle blows repeatedly as I grip onto Madden, terrified by the speed at which he skates. I'm jerked to a stop, and then my feet are placed on concrete.

"Florence?" Dario asks. "Where's Bradford?"

"Someone tried to kidnap me, but I got away." I burst into tears.

Madden frowns.

“Does this have something to do with Bradford’s dad?” Nikoli asks.

I shake my head. "No." I furrow my brows. "At least, I don't think so. It was my ex-boyfriend who sent Mustache after me."

"Florence!" Bradford shouts as he tries to run through the tunnel, clutching his side. I move closer to him and hold on tight."I saw you on the cameras," he says. "Are you okay? How did he find you?"

"He got me when you and everyone else were distracted by the fight. It was quick." I bury my face in his chest to give myself time to calm down.

"Security is here," says someone whose voice I don't recognize.

Bradford keeps an arm around my shoulders and says, "They're going to escort us to where Wyatt is. You know he's my boss, right?"

I nod.

He continues, "Dodge and the other guy are up there. They're getting Dad on a conference call to discuss the whole thing. We need to get to the bottom of it tonight.”

"The guy who took me is working for Daniel."

“I thought he was in jail in Vegas.”

Bradford nods to the security guards and leads me down the tunnel to an elevator.

The cool waterfeels good going down my parched throat while the guys talk amongst themselves. I should care about what they're saying, but I don't. I just want to go back to the hotel and sleep. As my eyes rove over Bradford's back, however, I change my mind. I still want a bed, but I'd rather do other things than sleep.

I let out a hefty sigh and stand up. "Can we finish up? I want to leave. I'm tired."

Bradford gently takes hold of my neck and brushes his thumbs along the skin. "The signal is bad in the hospital, so we're about to give up."

"I don't think my issue is the same as your dad's. It's my ex who is causing mine." I glance at the others. "Dodge?" My eyes focus on the man, widening. "Have you been hurt?" I move over to him, refusing to let him put me off. "Who did this?"

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