I whip around, looking at Mike.

He approached them?

When?

Where?

Shit.

I shake my head, and he shrugs, anger making the movement stiff.

“You know how it goes.” Something flickers across Mike’s face but it’s gone just as quick. “Bray Girls are off limits.”

And I’ve been deemed one.

Mike licks his lips, stretching to his full height. “The price is worth it,” he dares, shifting closer.

Captain understands what he’s saying, sees his challenge, and moves an inch in as well.

He narrows his eyes on me, and while I shouldn’t, I can’t resist using this moment in my favor, to bate him, wishing he’d bite as hard as he’s able.

“What all did they give you permission to do?”

Captain’s jaw flexes and he slides forward right as a gargled sound leaves Mike.

I whip around to find a long, tatted arm wrapped around his neck.

Royce grins, tightening his grip as he kicks Mike’s feet from under him, causing him to fall to his knees. “Hiya, VicVee, doin’ stupid shit again, I see.”

Suddenly, I’m gripped around the thighs, my body lifted into the air and I yelp, trying to reach for something to hold on to, but the move has me almost falling forward, so I lock my knees straight and growl, hoping not to fall flat on my face as Captain takes the bleachers two at a time.

“Is this necessary?”

“Shut up, Victoria.”

I’m passed off, now stuck in Maddoc’s hold like a child as Raven laughs near his side.

I flip her off, making her laugh even harder, quickly looking toward Captain as he rushes back where Mike is being held in place by Royce.

Not that he tried to fight free.

Not that he’d get free.

I relax, and Maddoc allows my feet to hit the ground, but spins me so my arms are wrapped around myself, wrists in each of his hands at my sides.

“Nice to be on this side of the grab and go game for once.” Raven grins, sipping on her coffee.

“Shut up.” I roll my eyes and she smiles wider, quickly jolting back as Captain appears again.

I expect him to pause in front of me, yell and scream, but he doesn’t.

He dips, lifting me from the front this time, leaving me no choice but to wrap my legs around him or be a pencil in his arms.

With angry, jerky movements, he carries me across the grass, past the cement and doesn’t pause for a second until we’re entering the side building that leads to the media rooms in the school.

Once inside, his arms fall, and I’m dropped to my feet.

I stumble backward, forced to use the desk to catch my fall, but shove off as quick as I hit it.

“Why the fuck is he so interested in you?”

“Why the hell would you give someone permission to come to me if you didn’t want them to?”

“I’m asking the questions,” he booms.

“Oh,” I mock like an asshole. “All of a sudden you’re about asking what you want to know?”

“God damn it,” he growls.

He grips me and tugs me close, our body’s now flush and heated for more reasons than one.

His heavy glare falls to my lips, his hand flying up in the same second to grip the back of my neck. He drives me backward until my spine meets the cooled wall, but before either of us can speak another word or give in to the heavy, desire-coated tension we’re falling headfirst into, a tearful shriek fills the air and we freeze.

Captain’s eyes grow sharp and he lifts a finger to his lips.

I rush toward the door to gauge the sound better, and Captain’s right there to grip my arm.

He yanks me back, but then a broken plea follows.

“Please, I’m sorry.”

Captain flies out the door, me on his tail.

Right as we round the corner, Jason Rowe’s hand comes down across his girlfriend’s face, in a hard, opened handed slap.

She cries out, but it quickly turns to a shrill scream when Captain suddenly slips in her sight. He has Jason by the neck, lifts and slams him to the marble at our feet in seconds.

Jason’s head bounces against the hard flooring, eyes fluttering as his body fights to stay conscious.

Captain pulls out his phone, lifting it to his ear. After a moment he says, “Get in here.” He shoves it back in his pocket.

Tisha, his girlfriend, tries to run off, but I dart forward, gently gripping her wrist.

She whips her wide eyes to me, tears pouring down her face as she tries to work through her shock.

“It’s okay,” I edge gently, my muscles settling. “This is what they do.”

“He’ll—” she starts, but cuts off, when Captain looks up at her.

She swallows, dropping her eyes to her toes.

Royce and Maddoc come charging around the corner in the next second, and when Maddoc looks over his shoulder, Raven steps to his side.

Royce’s gaze wildly snaps along the scene, and a sheet of rage blankets his entire being. A visible tremor shakes him where he stands and with it the brown of his eyes grows black. It’s as if he leaves his body completely. He opens and closes his right fist at his side, and I can’t help but notice the blood already spread across his knuckles.

Mike’s blood.

Captain takes his knee off Jason’s chest and stands.

He coughs, half rolling on his side, his first sign of consciousness since he was laid on his ass, but Captain doesn’t let him find comfort by shifting his body.

He pulls his leg back, kicking him straight in the side, and Jason gasps, panic in his eyes when he realizes he can’t get air into his lungs.

Royce moves forward as Captain slides back, an eerie, black cloud surrounding him.

He picks up Jason’s foot, hooking it over his shoulder.

Jason’s eyes widen, moisture filling them as Royce begins to walk forward in slow, unnerving steps, Jason’s head scraping against the ground as his body hangs over Royce’s back.

He doesn’t stop until he’s kicking open the door at the very end of the hall and stepping through it, the heavy metal coming back to slam against Jason’s limp body as they exit.

I look to Raven, who stares in the direction Royce went.

Maddoc looks to Captain, and then pins Raven with a stern look that can only mean for her to stay put right before he charges in the direction Royce disappeared.

The girl finally comes out of her shock and begins to cry, her body shaking as she lifts her hands to hide her face.

My pulse races and I step away from her, looking to Raven to find the same uncomfortable expression on her.

She meets my eye and then focuses on Captain.

Captain wipes the sweat from his browline with the hem of his shirt and then steps toward her.

“Tisha,” he calls, a tenderness in his tone that has not only her shoulders falling but mine. He shuffles closer, gently reaching out to wrap his fingers around her hands.

She flinches, hesitating, but slowly allows him to pull her hands down. She can’t bring herself to look at him, though, her eyes are focused on the floor.

“Can you turn your head for me, let me see?”

Slowly she does, and her hair falls to the side.

A thick welt stares back, the perfect shape of a hard hand, as if she didn’t cower away from the slap, but stood there and accepted what she knew was coming.