Page 5 of Caged

“I really hate that the whole world knows my brother treats me like a baby and feels like they need to do the same if he’s not around. I’m twenty-four, Hudson, and your sister just talked to me like a teenager who needs to be told what she’s doing until her daddy comes home.”

“Maddie... First of all, if you’ve got a daddy kink, I’ll be your daddy all day, every day.”

She rolls her lips together, trying to hold back her smile, but eventually gives in to the urge. Her laughter breaks through the heavy weight of the room. “You’re a moron. You know that, right?”

“I do. But Scarlet’s not wrong. I’ll need help for a few days. And maybe you shouldn’t be alone until we know who broke into the gym tonight. He wasn’t going for the cash box, Mads. He was behind you. It might be a win-win if you stay with me for a few days. You know... you scratch my back, I wash yours.” Her smile is infectious when both dimples pop deeply in her cheeks, and something expands in my chest, knowing I made that happen.

Men have killed for lesser things.

“Come on, Maddie. You know you wanna.”

“My goodness, Hudson. Did you take a class on awful lines or something? That was really bad.” She rubs her hands over her bare arms, drawing my attention to the goosebumps covering her creamy skin.

I hadn’t thought about the way we rushed out of the gym. It’s freezing outside and only a few degrees warmer in this hospital room. Maddie’s in a tank top and skintight yoga pants that stop just under her knees.

This woman gets cold in the heat of the summer.

I throw my hoodie her way. “Put that on.”

“Excuse me?” she snaps.

“You’re shivering.” I watch as she shakes her head, mumbling something about men, but she does as she’s told and throws my hoodie over her head. And it swallows her whole.

“Better?” she asks. I nod and ignore how much Idon’thate seeing her in my clothes. “Do you even want me to stay with you?”

“Will you wear one of those little candy-striper uniforms?”

Scarlet picks that moment to walk back into the room. “She’s not a stripper, dipshit.”

“And you’re two weeks out from the fight of your life,” Cade chimes in. “No girls. No drama. No booze. The rules don’t lessen because you’re hurt, dumbass. They get stricter, and you know it. So, show me you can stay off the leg. If I don’t think you can fight for even one second, I’m calling it off.”

Maddie shakes her head like she can’t believe what she’s about to say, but her eyes stay locked on mine. “Fine. I’ll stay with you and make sure you stay off your leg. But I’m doing it on one condition.” She turns to my sister. “I do not want Brandon knowing what happened tonight until the team gets home Monday morning. I want him focused on the game, not arguing with me. You need your center focused.”

Scarlet smiles a predatory smile. “Done.”

“Three days, King. I don’t want to see you at Crucible until Monday. You can work your arms at home. But don’t even think about doing anything with your legs until Monday.” Cade stares hard at me, waiting for my agreement, but I look over at Maddie instead.

“You sure, Mads?” The words trigger the internal battle I’ve had with myself for years. Maddie Dixon is my friend. And while it’s been a bit of a struggle keeping her in that box, I’ve always done it because we’re better off that way. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want more.

She’s the only woman who’s ever tempted me to want more.

To think about what that would look like.

To consider whether I’m capable of giving it to anyone.

The only woman.

Her being so damn close is going to complicate things. But the idea of her going home alone after that guy was so close to her tonight—what could have happened if I hadn’t realized I left my phone at the gym... Yeah, she’s not sleeping alone at her house tonight.

“It’s fine. But the first time you putStepbrotherson, I’m leaving.” Her entire face brightens while everyone in the room laughs.

“It’s a classic, Mads.” I hold back my smile. “What do you have against laughing?”

“It’s a dumb movie, Hud.” She lifts her chin, doubling down on my favorite movie. “It’s either me orStepbrothers.”

Like there’s any fucking chance I wouldn’t choose her.

MADDIE

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