If that had been their goal, it had certainly worked. She was more than ready to stop thinking about the whole experience for a while and try to have a bit of normal in her life. On the night before her parents were scheduled to leave, they all had dinner together in the small restaurant on the ground floor. They kept the conversation well away from the one topic looming so large in all their minds. Tomorrow her parents would be leaving and it would be months, maybe even a year before she would see them again.
The only contact she would have with them would be through Michael, who promised to keep them all updated on one another. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing. After her parents had gone to bed, Michael stayed, sensing that Leslie was still unsettled.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow, it can be quite scary to out there after what you’ve been through.” He said, pouring them both a cup of coffee.
“Actually, I’m wondering where things go from here. Starikov is still out there free, I know how dangerous he is, but I can’t just sit around the house all day. I’ll go crazy.”
“Well, I’ve been putting some thought into that. I’m thinking Colorado might be a good place to send you. We’ve got a good set up out there, the city has a lot to offer. Should be easy for you to blend in.”
“Colorado? Well, I’ve never been there but I guess that’s as good of a place as any. Where will you find me a job? You know what I do right?”
“I do, but Leslie you have to understand, I can’t put you into a job anything like your other one. These people are out for your blood. You’re the only thing standing between Starikov and a very long prison sentence.”
“But, it’s my life. I’ve worked too hard to just throw it all away.” Leslie was close to tears again, she’d never imagined that she wouldn’t be able to work as a physical therapist.
They sat in silence for a while, Michael letting her get her emotions under control. “It is your life, Leslie, but these people are serious. Let me show you something, it’s going to upset you, but I think you need to understand what you’re up against.”
He pulled out his phone, and pulled up a video. “We put up some cameras outside your house so we could tell when they figured out your identity.” He said, pushing play.
She watched horrified as three men, stormed into her house, guns drawn. There was no movement on the screen for several long minutes, but then she saw one of her kitchen chairs fly through her picture window, it was quickly followed by various things flying through every other window in the house. She could only imagine what they were doing inside.
The video ended when the men exited the house, looking grim but also a little pleased with the work they’d done. For a long moment, she couldn’t breathe, her shock evident on her face. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I need you to understand that these guys aren’t going to stop.”
“I get it.” She said, quietly. “But I need you to understand that I need my work, it’s a part of me.”
He just nodded his head and said. “I’ll do my best, but no promises.”
“That’s all I can ask, I guess.” She said.
The next day she was moved as soon as her parents were safely on their plane. She sat silently in the back of the car as they once again began a long trip across the country. Their destination was Colorado, she’d kept quiet about her future job, even when Michael started talking about retail or food service, a job where she would be just another face.
Finally, she’d spoken up about her wishes, reminding him that he’d promised to try, but upon questioning she discovered that he hadn’t even tried. He’d all but dismissed the idea, but she wasn’t giving up. It was a long drive to Colorado and she planned to have her way on at least this one thing. There had to be a place where she could do what she loved and still stay invisible.
As they crossed into Colorado, Michael gave her the news she was hoping for. “I’ve found you a job where you can use your skill and stay safe. Have you ever heard of the Tigers football team?”
“I’m not really much of a sports fan.” She said, suddenly wary.
“Well, they had an opening for a physical therapist and I managed to pull some strings and get you the job. You just have to stay out of the stadium when there are cameras around. They even have a private tunnel from the parking garage to the practice field. You won’t have to go outside at all if you don’t want to.”
He seemed so proud of himself that she didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was less than pleased with his solution.
Chapter 3
Two months had passed since that day in the car, she’d moved into the apartment, then spent weeks waiting for football season to start. Now she was trudging down the gray hallway on her way to coddle a bunch of spoiled men. There was no doubt that their injuries were real, but she just didn’t see the point of the game. She’d even tried once, an old boyfriend had been so into the sport she’d been willing, but as soon as the relationship was over she’d stopped watching.
She pushed her way through the door into the training room, breathing in the smell that always seemed to be present in these rooms, no matter where they were located. The only difference was that, here she would have only the best equipment, the best doctors to work with, and a budget that was considerably larger than what she was used to.
She hadn’t met any of the players yet, but she’d looked at all their medical records, making note of any injuries that might need continuing treatment. The list had been long but most of the injuries fit into the same category, problems with a joint of some type.
Repetitive injuries were not something she’d worked with before, it would be a challenge to learn something new. Trying to look on the bright side of things had been the only way she had been able to cope over the last few months. It had been a long summer of hiding in her apartment while the world enjoyed itself. Colorado was a beautiful state, but she hadn’t seen any of it. Instead, she’d spent the summer catching up on her reading and trying to prepare for her new job. She felt as ready as she would ever be as the players began to stream into the training room.
*****
Sebastian hit the disconnect button on his phone, he’d been listening to his cousin Daphne’s latest message. She’d been keeping him updated on what was happening at the ranch since he couldn’t be there this year for the big fall roundup. As always he felt torn between his family ties and the game he loved so much.
Football had long been the most important thing in his life, with only one exception, his family. This time of year was always hard for him, it had been that way since he’d gone to college. The entire family, including his two brothers and three cousins, would all be getting ready to head up to the high pasture for the fall roundup.
It had long been a family tradition that they all go, but since football season always coincided with the roundup, he’d missed far more years than he liked. But it couldn’t be changed, he’d worked hard to get where he was and it was only one of the sacrifices he’d willingly made.
He’d felt it more deeply this year because to all of their amazement, his oldest brother Garrett had invited his son Scott’s teacher and his class to join the roundup. It had come as a huge shock when Garrett had told them the day he’d gone to meet with her. Garrett had tried to make it seem like it had been her idea, but they all knew better.
Daphne had been keeping him updated, making him laugh when she told him about Sabrina’s skill with horses and how she’d managed to get one over on Garrett. Daphne was convinced that they were falling in love, and Sebastian was missing the whole thing. His brother deserved happiness after all he’d been through with his ex-wife, and he was happy for him.
Sebastian himself, was in no hurry to make a commitment, he was only 29 and in his prime. Besides, the women he met were rarely the kind you’d bring home to mom. They were after the spotlight and the notoriety of dating a professional football player, usually shallow and uninvolved in life. He’d grown up with strong women wh
o worked and played hard, never afraid to get dirty.
He was the last to leave the locker room, still trying to make the transition from family to football. He knew that once he was on the field, everything else would melt away and he would be in his element again, but he always found it hard to make that transition. Most of the veteran players were already on their way to the field and he could hear them laughing and joking about something on their way out.
“I’ll let her tape my ankle any day. We should have brought women in sooner.” He heard on of the defensive lineman say.
“Yeah, hope I’m on her roster.” Another said.
The other starting wide receiver on the team was walking behind them, shaking his head. Sebastian sent him a questioning look, they both shared a disdain for men who treated women like toys to be enjoyed and then thrown away. It was a common attitude, perpetuated by the women who hung around them and allowed them to treat them that way.
“You’ll see.” He said, continuing on his way.
As Sebastian walked through the door of the training room, he saw what it was the players were all talking about. There across the room, was a woman dressed in the gear of a trainer. However, no other trainer had ever filled out the sweats and white tee shirts the way she did. That was apparent even though he could only see her from the back.
She was taping an ankle, concentrating on her work, a look of deep concentration on her face. He crossed the room curious, watching as she finished her work and sent the player on his way. She hadn’t said a word, but the player looked as if he’d been fully charmed by her, a big grin on his face as he headed out to the practice field.
He watched as she turned, and began to pack away the supplies she’d been using. She didn’t see him standing there, so he watched her, a sudden burst of desire spreading though his body. He’d never had this kind of immediate reaction to a woman before, it was a bit shocking. Catching his breath, he moved closer, clearing his throat so he didn’t scare her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I though everyone was gone already.” She said. “Do you need me to tape an ankle or something?”
“No, I’m good. I’m Sebastian Terrell.” He said, a big grin on his face. He was surprised when she didn’t immediately recognize his name. Instead of immediately fawning over him, she simply held out her hand in an invitation.
He shook her hand, an immediate flash of electricity flaring between them. “Leslie...Morgan.” She said, stumbling over her last name.
He’d noticed the slight hesitation but didn’t pay it any attention, he was too busy looking at Leslie, who he found had captured his attention. She was petite but curvy, definitely not one of those women who starved herself to stay thin. She was obviously in good shape, but still maintained the figure he thought of as being feminine and very sexy.
He suddenly felt very big and awkward around this petite woman, his mouth had gone dry, and he realized with a shock that he felt like a teenager with his first crush. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say to her and he wanted more than anything else to touch her again. Finally able to find his voice, he managed to form a coherent if idiotic question.
“So, you must be the new trainer.”
“Yep, just started today.”
“Well, it’s good to have you. Guess I better get out to the field.”
“Okay.” She said, watching him walk from the room.
*****
As soon as Sebastian left the room, Leslie sank down onto one of the benches spaced around the room. The man had totally disarmed her, her heart was beating faster and her palms were sweaty. It was not uncommon for her to feel little flashes of electricity when she touched her patients, it was one of the things that made her good at her job. But never had a hand shake made her feel that way.
When their hands met and the flash had occurred it had centered not in her hands as was often the case, but in her core. A warmth that she knew was sexual attraction, at 25 she’d had enough relationships to understand the feeling, but what was shocking was that it had happened after only a slight touch of their hands.
She’d had very little romance in her life over the last few years, getting her Master’s and establishing herself in practice had consumed all her time. Meeting someone had been on the bottom of her list, she’d had a few flings over the years but nothing serious, there just hadn’t been a place in her life for commitment.
Now certainly wasn’t the time for any kind of a romantic entanglement either, even if she wanted to, her life was not a blank slate. She had no desire to create a false past or to try to maintain even the shallowest of relationships while she was hiding from the mob. Besides, the way she felt when they’d touched, it was clear that this was more than a simple crush.
She didn’t even know the man, yet her body had responded to his immediately, not a good thing if she wanted to keep her life simple. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t think about that hard body, which had been perfectly clear in his tight shorts and tee shirt. He was everything a woman could want in a man, if you only wanted a hard body.
Pushing thoughts of Sebastian Terrell out of her mind, she got prepared for the day. Even at this early stage of the season, several players already needed some treatment for chronic injuries. She was relieved to see that Sebastian was not on that list, she wasn’t sure she was ready to see him again.
Attraction to one of her patients was a new thing for her, but she was a professional and she would behave that way. Even if she felt secure in her attraction to Sebastian, which she didn’t, this was her job and personal relationships had no place here. Not to mention that she knew enough about professional football players to know that anything that did happen would only be a fling.
There was no room in her life for a fling, she was hiding from the mob and by no means was she free to live life as she normally would. Romantic involvement was something Michael had warned her against, it only created more problems in the end. She knew that he’d worked hard to get her this job and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin it by sleeping with one of the players.
She didn’t deceive herself that sleeping with him was an attractive thought. He was tall, handsome, and all muscle. Stopping that train of thought immediately, she grabbed her treatment schedule and firmly turned her mind to the day ahead. She’d avoid Sebastian Terrell as much as she could, keep her head down and wait it out.
It wasn’t that hard to avoid him, he wasn’t injured and didn’t use tape as much as some of the other players. She’d caught him looking at her across the room several times, but did nothing more than smile and resume whatever task she’d been working on at the time. He didn’t need to know that each time their eyes met, her heart began to pound and desire began to build deep in her core.
*****
By the end of the first week, she’s had virtually no contact with Sebastian, but that was soon to come to an end. She was just putting together a schedule for the next day, when he came limping into the training room, cussing the artificial turf they practiced on when the weather was either too stormy or too hot to practice outside.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she realized that all the other trainers were gone for the day and she would have to deal with Sebastian. “Hey, looks like you had a fight with the turf and it won. What happened?” She asked, deciding to take control of the situation.
“Damn stuff grabbed my foot. It just not right to play on fake grass, no matter how much they claim it’s like the real thing, it’s just not.” He said, banging his helmet down on a bench then sitting down next to it.
“Well, let’s take a look at that ankle and see what’s up.” She said, taking a deep breath and kneeling down in front of him.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but coach wanted me to have it checked out, tape it up maybe.” He said, trying to help her get his shoe off.
She swatted his hand away, her training taking over, pushing her attraction to the back burner momentarily. Once h
is shoe was off, she could see that he’d only twisted the ankle, there wasn’t any swelling, just a small bruise on the outside of his ankle.
“Looks like your right, just a mild sprain, a little cold therapy and a day off it and you should be good as new.” She said, getting up to fill one of the foot tubs with ice and water.
“Can’t you just tape it up so I can go back out there, this is training camp. I really shouldn’t miss anything.”
“Well, I could do that, but what right now is only a simple bruise, could turn into something more. If you want to go around with a weak ankle that’s your choice, but if you want my advice, stay off it for a day.”
With a big sigh, he crossed the room and shoved his foot into the ice bath, cringing at the cold. “Okay, you’re the expert. At least I assume you are, since you’ve managed to score a prime position with the Tigers.”
Leslie knew she had to be careful, her education was one of the things that Michael had said she needed to hide. It wouldn’t take much to figure out who she was if people found out about her Master’s Degree. “I certainly can’t claim to be an expert, but I do know how to treat a sprained ankle.”
Sebastian was suddenly even more curious about this woman, she’d barely even glanced at his ankle before pronouncing a sprain. It had almost been like she was avoiding touching him which was ridiculous, physical therapists touched their patients all the time.
Leslie had been able to tell just from looking that his ankle injury wasn’t serious, but that hadn’t been why she didn’t touch him. The truth was that she didn’t want to feel that burst of electricity she’d felt before when their hands had met. She could feel it shimmering in the air, making her wary of contact.
She was only putting off the inevitable, she would have to touch him when she wrapped his ankle, which she was going to do once his foot was out of the ice. She gathered her supplies and when his icing time was up, had him sit down in one of the raised chairs that made her job easier.
Be Mine Forever (Brothers From Money #2) Page 3
