Page 48 of Up in Flames

“Yeah, we should’ve stayed in your room,” I murmur with a slight giggle.

“We can always go back.” He wiggles his brows insinuatingly as he pulls me to him in an embrace.

“So anyway, when you two are finished, want to go a round with me, cutie?” Rodberg asks quite seriously this time.

Cain grunts with a cold, hard glint as he lets me go and storms over to Rodberg. His nostrils flare, his skin turns red, and a vein pops in his neck as he leans over to pull him up by his ears.You can practically feel Cain’s fury pulsing through the air. It swirls and dances at the edge of reason with no sense of cause other than to wreak chaos and take no prisoners.Cain is furious. Rodberg is the water flowing like an ocean, and Cain is the riptide in this turbulent typhoon unfolding before my eyes.

My body goes rigid, watching as Rodberg screeches while Cain yanks him up. The aggression Cain is exhibiting toward his friend takes me by surprise. Rodberg winces and groans as he is marched over toward me and shoved right in front of me. My breath catches, looking at the sheer terror in Rodberg’s eyes.

Is he scared of Cain?

I know I’m scared right now.

“Apologize!” Cain demands loudly into Rodberg’s ear.

“Okay, okay… geez, dude, don’t get your panties in a twist.” Cain pulls on his ear, yanking it down, causing Roberg’s body to twist. My breathing stops altogether. “Ahh… fuck, man.”

“A…pol…o…gize!” Cain grunts through gritted teeth once more.

“Fuck, man, okay, okay. I’m sorry,” Rodberg snaps. “This must be Makaylie. I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I thought you were trying to forget about her by bringing a whore home, and you know we sometimes share and—”

Cain’s fist draws back, then connects with Rodberg’s jaw, and I gasp, taking a step back, swallowing hard as I wrap my arms around myself for comfort. The punch wasn’t a massive blow, not enough to draw blood, probably not enough to even bring out a bruise, but it was a warning shot for him to shut up.

But Rodberg let slip enough for me to know that Cain is a sexual player, and they like to share girls. Now it makes sense why Rodberg would be asking about me like that.

“Shut up, Rodberg. Makaylie is off-limits. Do. You. Hear. Me?”he demands, dropping his hold on Rodberg’s remaining ear. “And put some fucking clothes on!”

Rodberg slumps his body, looking from Cain to me while rubbing his ears and moving his jaw from side to side. He simply nods, seeming like he’s fine with what just happened, and walks back to the sofa, sits down, and scratches his crotch again.

Letting out the breath I was holding, Cain takes my shaking hands in his and turns me to face him. I’m not sure if I want to slap him, hug him, or run away screaming. He wanted to ensure his friend was respectful toward me, but in doing so, he physically hurt him. Not to a standard of sheer brutality, but still enough for my nerves to be uneasy. I’m not a big fan of physical violence, even if it is deserved.

“Sorry you had to see that,” he tells me, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the kitchen. The cold of the ‘B’ ring on his finger feels like ice against my skin—coldness I have never felt from him before.

Taking a deep breath as I try to gather the strength to talk, I figure it’s best to say what’s on my mind. “You didn’t have to be that hard on him. I can handle a bit of trash talk.”

Cain glares at me. “Makaylie,no oneis allowed to talk to you that way. Do you hear me,no one? Especially a fucking asshole like Rodberg.”

For friends, they seem like damn good enemies to me. I wonder how good of a friendship they truly have.

“What’s his first name?” I ask curiously.

He tilts his head and looks upward like he’s thinking hard. “You know, I have no idea. I’ve known him for four years, and I’ve never asked,” he replies matter-of-factly.

I nod, wondering if their friendship is not a friendship at all. I have no idea if there’s something more to their story that I’ll find out with time, but I’m not pushing that boundary tonight.

“I don’t like the idea of you sharing girls with Rodberg, though, Cain,” I let slip.

He reaches out and grabs my wrists and holds them tight, forcing me to look at him. “I’m not sharing you with anyone, and that…” he exhales, “… that was a guy who wasn’t interested in only having one woman in his life. When I say you’re mine, Makaylie, I mean… you’re mine, just as I am yours. You won’t be shared, and neither will I. You have nothing to worry about.That guy… that’s not me with you.”

I simply nod. I have many more questions to do with that statement, but it might ruin everything if I ask them now. My nerves are already on high alert, and I don’t need to add any more drama.

“The punch… why’d you do that?”

He furrows his brow like he’s confused by my question. “He was talking too much. I didn’t want him to upset you.”

“So you punched him?”

He tilts his head like he’s confused again. “I had to shut him up.”

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