Page 198 of Charming Like Us

Does he even remember we were in a fight? Maybe he’s concussed. “Do you remember what happened?”

He gathers his bearings. “Yeah, of course, I just didn’t see you get hit.” He glances over at my client who’s lifting up his button-down to inspect the deep bruises forming along his ribs. “Charlie, you okay?”

He nods once.

I reach for my radio to call the med team, then I remember it’s mangled.

Good job, Oliveira.Look what my anger got me.

Jack eases forward. “I’m alright.” His lips, kid you not, curve into a smile. “Who would have thought my first fight would end with me knocked out by a pole?”

“Not me,” I say honestly. “You vs. Pole. I’m putting all my money on you.”

He smiles a little wider. “Here’s the thing, Os, you’d put all your money on me no matter what.” He stretches out his legs. “You’re the president of my fan club.”

“True,” I say and eye that smile. “You sure you’re feeling alright?”

He nods strongly. “Yeah.” He rubs the back of his head.

I climb to my feet and hold out my palm. Helping Jack to a stance, I keep a hand on his shoulder, and I wait for a couple seconds. He’s steady. Alert, even. But still, I ask, “Alright?”

“Yeah.” His hand falls into mine and he squeezes before dropping it completely. His attention veers to his broken camera equipment on the ground, and my focus realigns to my client.

I squat next to Charlie. “Can you stand?”

“Maybe.”

I help him up too, and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he careens into the nearest bumper car.Fuck. I support him around the waist before he falls.

I thought his ribs were the worst, but he might have actually fucked his leg again. “Hold on,” he groans as he sits on the hood of a bumper car. “Let me take a breath.” He winces as he inhales.

“What happened?” I ask the question I’ve been avoiding. I’m not sure I’m going to like the answer.

“They said they had weed.” Charlie cringes. “They didn’t. They robbed me.” He nods a chin at a wallet on the ground. The wallet that I made that fucker give me before I let him go.

No. I bend down and pick it up. Immediately, I recognize the leather. Maybe I was too panicked before to comprehend the familiarity. But I flip it open and see Charlie’s license. Fuckingshit,I can’t believe I made this mistake.

No ID of the threats.

They all escaped.

I’m going to get hell for this one. I pocket Charlie’s wallet.

Jack scoops up his broken camera. “Charlie, why would you follow them without a bodyguard?”

“Yeah, Charlie, why would you do that?” I say mockingly, already knowing the answer.

He rolls his eyes. “I took the risk.”

Because he doesn’t give a shit if he gets hurt. Pain, right? It’s greater than the frustration he feels on a daily basis. I don’t know how to help him other than making sure he keeps talking to his dad.

All I can do is try to protect him, even if he doesn’t want it.

I bend down to the graveyard of camera pieces, helping Jack pick up what’s left. “Can it be fixed?” I ask him.

Charlie says, “I’ll pay for it.”

“It’s not about the money,” Jack sighs. “I lost whatever Jesse recorded earlier. But he still has a second cam on him right now, so whatever other footage he’s grabbing at the carnival should still be usable.”