Page 6 of Pucking Possessive (Kings of Castlebrook #2)

LILAC

“ I ’m going in,” I say, and I can hear the concern creeping into my own voice. I’m not best friends with Mina by any means whatsoever, but if she’s really hurt or stuck somewhere inside the building, someone needs to go inside to get her.

“No, you’re not.” Callum’s hand closes around my wrist. He’s not hurting me, only applying gentle pressure, but he’s making it clear he’s not going to let me do something dangerous.

He’s being so confusing. Yeah, Callum always pops up, but he’s being borderline affectionate, and I’m not sure why.

He’s never crossed that line with me before, but the way his dark brown eyes are boring down into mine and the way his thumb is stroking over the top of my hand tells me I’m about to find out.

I try to reason with him. “I can tell by the look on your face that you think tonight was a really dumb idea. I agree. We need to leave. I was trying to avoid my brother, but you can see how well that panned out for me.” I huff when Callum stays silent, watching my face like he’s trying to read a book.

“Mina’s still inside. We can’t just leave her. ”

Danny shivers beside me, arms crossed tight.

“She’s just messing with us. Trying to scare everyone.

You know how she is.” He bites his lower lip like he’s nervous, but that’s kinda just how Danny is.

Awkward, but willing to tag along on anything we want to do.

He’s nice, but it weirds me out how he stares at me sometimes.

I feel bad for him though because he has to get ready in the boys locker room, which is always taken over by the hockey crew.

“She screamed.” I look between all of them, voice rising because I’m torn between trying to find Mina and running back to the vehicle we came in. “You all heard it,” I say more quietly.

“She’s playing a part,” Eric says, shrugging. “Drama queen move. Bet she’s gonna jump out and scream boo .” He clears his throat, looking at Ryan. “Where’s your girl?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Ryan snaps, shoving Eric roughly, making him bump into Danny, knocking his slight frame to the ground.

I shake my head and on instinct reach out to help Danny up. His face is red, and he looks angry. “Don’t pity me! I can get up my fucking self,” he screams at me, and I instantly jerk back at his tone.

Callum steps in front of me, keeping a hand behind him to hold on to my arm. “You wanna try that again, asshole?” I take a deep breath, because Danny doesn’t know that Callum will pummel him for talking to me unkindly.

My chest tightens. “Callum?—”

“I’m not negotiating, bambi.” Callum takes a step toward Danny and says “Apologize to Lilac or we can work it out between the two of us, and I don’t think you want that.”

Danny is silent for a moment, but when Callum takes a step forward, he snaps, “I’m sorry!

I’m sorry!” He paces closer toward the large gate we climbed over and he says, “We need to leave. None of this is going the way it’s supposed to.

Mina is fucking with us. Let’s just go!” He doesn’t wait for us to respond, but instead squeezes through the slight gap like he’s done it a million times before and disappears down the lane that leads down to our vehicle.

“You guys are so mean to him,” Tara says to Eric and Ryan, and then turns her attention to Callum. “He doesn’t even want to change in the locker room because your hockey friends bully him.”

Callum twists his face up like he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. “No one bothers with him.”

Before Tara can challenge him, I bring up Mina again. “If it were me, I’d want someone to come looking for me,” I say softly, and when Callum’s eyes meet mine, I add something that I don’t intend to. It just slips out. “I’d want you to come to help me.”

He breathes hard through his nose, and his hand comes up to rest on my ribcage.

His fingers move the heavy fabric of his sweatshirt around like he’s trying to really feel me.

“I wouldn’t have let you out of my sight long enough for it to happen,” he says the words almost reverently, like he’s promising me that he’ll never let anything happen to me.

My heart jerks in my chest because I don’t think I could ever have this connection with anyone else.

“I’ll go in and get Mina and then we’re leaving,” Callum says gently.

“I’m coming with you,” I say, and it’s not for the noble reasons people might think. I’d rather be in danger with Callum than separated from him. I don’t want to be left here with Tara, Eric, and Ryan.

“No, you’re not.” Callum shakes his head, nudging me to stand next to Tara. “It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what’s inside.”

Eric steps closer. “Easy, killer. She’s a big girl, she can make her own decisions. She’s smart, capable. Let her think for herself.”

Callum turns slowly, seething. That was the literal worst thing Eric could have said right now short of calling me a bitch.

Eric lifts his chin. “You’re like a brother to her, right? That’s what everyone says. But, man, you seem more concerned about where she is and what she’s doing than her actual brother.”

My cheeks flush because Eric isn’t wrong.

It’s embarrassing, because people have always asked why Callum is so protective of me. Madi and Winter get it. Their guys are the same. Obsessed. Possessive. The kind that hover. The difference is they don’t have to explain that they’re just friends.

“Callum,” I murmur, but before I can say more, Eric moves closer and reaches out, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward him.

I flinch because I hate being touched. There were no boundaries in my household growing up.

Come here, do this, do that. Everyone was always pinching and prodding me in whatever direction they wanted me to go.

I go out of my way to keep from being pulled around by anyone anymore.

The only person who doesn’t make me feel this way is Callum.

Even when he is bossing me around, his touch is comforting.

And he sees it.

Callum’s eyes laser in on Eric’s hand on my arm. His jaw locks, fists clenched at his sides.

I step back instinctively, shaking Eric’s hand off of me, because I can see what’s coming next.

Eric moves to follow, but Callum’s boot shoots out, hard and fast.

Eric stumbles.

“What the hell, dude?”

Callum doesn’t even blink. “Touch her again and I’ll end your life before you can see it coming. It’s not a threat, I’m just giving you a head’s up. Fuck off, got it?”

Eric straightens, glaring at Callum, but he clearly believes Callum’s threat because he doesn’t say anything in response.

Callum isn’t finished because he stalks closer to the other boy. “She is smart. She is capable. But that doesn’t mean I’ll take a chance on anyone hurting her.” He glowers. “Shut the fuck up about things that aren’t your concern.”

Then he turns to Ryan. “Fucking watch out for her,” Callum snaps. “If one hair on her head is out of place when I get back, I’ll stomp on your throat.”

Ryan blinks, confused, and I don’t want to stay here with him. If he’s letting my brother take his girlfriend off into the woods, I can only imagine what he’d stand by and watch Eric do to me.

Callum’s already stomping toward the front door, and I hesitate for just a second. Ryan’s already distracted because he’s looking at Tara’s finger. She must have broken a nail when we climbed over the fence, and to be honest it looks painful.

Perfect.

I bolt up the stairs and slip inside the front door, expecting to see Callum’s big body standing there.

But there’s no one.