Page 32 of Caged in Flames

"She's not your babe." What the hell?

I turn to see Charlie standing right behind the guys. A look on his face that could only be described as pure fury.

"Hey, man. Accident. Sorry about that." The guy stutters out. I think his name is Zane.

Weird. I feel like Zane would be the name of a president of a badass motorcycle club with a tough road name. Not this one. He just looks like an idiot. Shame. Parents really have to think out the name thing. Sometimes people just can't live up to the potential of a name.

I would know.

Charlie stares him down for another minute and I think the guy pees himself a little bit.

"Watch where the fuck you're going. If I see you acting like a dumbass in these halls again, I'll take you to the field and let the team use you as their tackle dummy." Yeah, the Zane who shouldn't be a Zane definitely wets his pants then.

"Get the fuck out of here." Charlie doesn't have to raise his voice for it to be effective. The kid scrambles off with his buddy right behind him.

Looking at Charlie, I raise an eyebrow. "What the fuck was that?"

His demeanor changes instantly. It...softens. It's strange. He stares at me unblinking. "What?"

"What was with the whole hero thing? We both know you're the villain in this story." I think I see a reaction to that, but I can't quite make out what it was.

He rolls his eyes and the corner of his mouth pulls up. Wait a second. Does Charlie have a fucking dimple? The expression is gone before I can confirm.

"Someone was acting like a damn fool. I told them not to." He says it casually, but I'm not letting it go just yet.

I narrow my eyes at him. "No. I could have handled it. We talked about this. You all are supposed to keep your distance. That means even in the hallways."

What is he up to? A thought comes to mind. "Is this like a...brother thing?" Stupid Nix. That's weird. Of course not. Why did I say that? He comes to my defense once and I immediately assume we'll be in matching outfits on the beach for family pictures.

He starts to harden up in front of me and the laugh he huffs out is full of sarcasm. "Don't get it twisted, Daddy's Girl. It's still my hallway. You're reading too much into it."

I start to say something else, but he doesn't let me. Instead, he gives me a wink before walking away.

What the hell?

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