“Don’t ever let her near a jock,” Loki snapped. He didn’t appear to have any remorse at seeing the guy run, but then, he ’hadn’t seen his sister’s tears. “No one like us. Because all we are is hockey, and all we do is for the team.”

“I promise.”

“We fuck and leave, and nothing means anything.”

“Loki—”

“Don’t you ever let anyone hurt her.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

The smile slipped from his face when the enormity of what he’d promised sunk into his soul, and for a second he hesitated. He had to go in there and be her brother, be the friend she’d need. Not the idiot man who fancied himself in love with her.

He settled his breathing. And then he opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him before he could second-guess why he was here.

The room was simple: sofas, a coffee table in the middle, a large roof window that would let in light in the daytime. At the moment, the room was lit by a soft lamp in the corner.

Sitting bolt upright in one corner of the largest sofa was Kat.

Ryan took one look at her face and couldn’t help himself; a curse fell from his lips without conscious thought. A vivid scarlet mark ran from her eye socket to her cheekbone, as if someone had deliberately slapped her; bruises ringed her neck and her lip was cut, evidenced by a butterfly bandage just below the left corner. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to see the marks on her soft skin.

She looked up at him, her green eyes bright. He stepped closer and she stared at him. Her lower lip trembled as though she was fighting tears; he wanted to hold her and stop her from crying.

God, all I want is to hold her.

“Take me home, Ryan,” she said, her voice broken. Then she added a much smaller, quieter “Please.”