Page 33 of Always Red (Chasing Red 2)

“Hold up. He never did. Damon’s not like that.”

“Just tell him.”

“Why are you so hung up about Damon?”

“Red doesn’t hang out with any guys.” Except for me. “But she hangs out with him.”

Kara bit the side of her lip.

I scowled. “What?”

“I guess you didn’t know about Theo.”

I straightened in my seat. “Theo?” I asked quietly.

She waved her hand dismissively. “Just a friend. He belongs to Beth anyway, so stop being all alpha male. She told you about Beatchy-Rose sneaking in your apartment and stealing your key chain?”

I wanted to ask more about this Theo, but the key chain distracted me. “So that’s what Red got me? A key chain? I want it back.”

“Well, Beatch’s got it now. Whatcha gonna do about it?”

I felt a muscle tick in my jaw. “Red doesn’t want me to do anything about it.”

“You gonna do everything she tells you?”

I half snorted and half laughed.

“She told you about Justin too?”

I grabbed the bowl back and shook more cereal into it. “Just that he was with Beatrice-Rose at the café.”

Her face turned grim.

“What is it, Kar?”

“That prick was going to hit her, Caleb.”

I put the spoon down slowly. “What did you say?”

“Justin was going to fucking punch her.”

* * *

I really hated it when I let my anger control me. In my experience, nothing good ever came from letting it take over. But someone threatening to hurt Red, especially when I wasn’t there to protect her—and someone I considered a friend? Unforgivable.

By the time I arrived at school, I was ready to beat Justin’s face to a pulp.

“Hey, man!” Amos came up beside me. “Slow down, will you? I’ve got something important to tell you, bro.”

Not now, I wanted to tell him. But I refused to speak. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would start yelling like a madman.

“Caleb, listen. It’s about your girlfriend.”

That stopped me short. I glared at him. “What about my girlfriend?”

He handed me a crumpled piece of paper. “I found this in the locker room after practice last night.”

It was a picture of her dancing at the club that night I first saw her. Her hair down her back, her red dress hugging every inch of her body. Below the picture was a list of…sexual services with prices beside them. Then a message that said Find me in E Building, signed Veronica Strafford.

---