Page 80 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

Caleb lunges forward, his fist snapping out faster than I can follow. Ian’s head whips backward, and blood pours down his face.

“What the fuck?” Ian yells. He swipes his hand under his nose, then dives toward Caleb, swinging wildly.

Caleb uses one hand to push me up against the wall, and he ducks Ian’s attempt to hit him. He rolls his shoulders back. “Come on, Fletcher,” he growls. “I’ve been wanting to hit someone all fucking semester.”

He’s all amped up energy and muscle.

“You’re going to defend her?” Ian howls. “After she—” He jumps away from Caleb’s attack.

The way Caleb moves is brutal. He’s restricted by the jacket, but the fabric stretches across his back as he goes for Ian. Eventually, their little boxing match dissolves into something less human.

Eli’s gaze goes to me, and he raises his eyebrows. “You having fun yet, Margo?”

I shake my head. Blood flies when Caleb gets another hit in on Ian’s face. He suddenly has him pinned to the floor, his elbows coming up before his fist hammers down. I wince at the sound of his knuckles meeting flesh.

And Eli seems perfectly fine with letting it happen.

“Caleb,” I say, stepping away from the wall.

We have an audience once again, but they’re smart enough to stay the hell back. He doesn’t hear me. “Caleb!”

I put my hand on his arm, and suddenly I’m the one pinned. He jumps off Ian and leans into me faster than I can comprehend. His hot breath hits my cheek, and I realize I’ve turned my head away. He smells like blood.

“You’re playing with fire,” he whispers. He bites my earlobe.

Heat floods through me.

“I don’t know if I’m scared of you or impressed that you defended me,” I mumble. His teeth are still in my skin. We have an audience. It’s dead silent besides our breathing and my pulse in my ears. If the music is still playing, I can’t hear it.

“Be both,” he growls. He picks me up, his hands on my ass lifting me higher.

I wrap my legs around his waist.

“I want to drag you into a room and fuck you senseless,” he tells me.

The way he’s holding me, his erection brushes my core. We’re in the perfect position—minus the crowd around us. My body is hot, and butterflies erupt through me.

He trails kisses along my jaw, and I tilt my head to give him better access.

“Enjoy the party, love. Because tonight, you’re fucking mine.”

19

Someone drags Ian off to nurse his wounds.

Theo, Eli, and Liam threaten to kidnap me unless Caleb goes with them to clean the blood off his face. That gets him to relent.

And suddenly, I’m alone.

But not for long.

The music kicks back on louder than it was before. It vibrates in my rib cage.

I grab a cup and pour a healthy dose of vodka into it, topping it off with soda. I’m not one to drink, but tonight calls for a little buzz, I think.

I take a sip and wince at the burn. Fire spreads through me, different than the sort that I feel because of Caleb. Numbness follows it. I take another swallow, eager to wash away the emotional fatigue from the day.

My old home. The disastrous breakup at the game. And now, the fight.

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