Blue steps closer. “Seems to me Charlie may have another option when it comes to boyfriends.”
My eyebrows furrow because I know this guy didn’t just challenge my ass.
The corner of Blue’s mouth jerks up like he’s got a bomb he’s about to drop. “Can you hear me now, liberator?”
Those words ring through my head like a gunshot. “You! You were the one who left that message on my mirror!”
“I don’t mumble anymore, collector.”
“I’m not a collector anymore, pipsqueak.” I can’t help matching Blue’s grin, because even though Blue’s threatening my relationship, I’m happy to see he’s grown a pair.
Blue rolls his shoulders like he’s not sure how to say what’s on his mind. “We’ve got to talk about something.”
I glance back to make sure no one’s there, because whatever he’s about to spill sounds serious. When I turn back around, Blue is rubbing a hand over his jawline, which is crazy, because last I saw he barely had a jawline.
“That Salem guy and his brother, Easton?” Blue says. “I don’t like them.”
Finally, something the two of us agree on that isn’t my girlfriend. “Yes. That! Why hasn’t Val or Max gotten Charlie away from them?” I ask. “By the way, do Red and her bed-buddy even know you’re here?”
Blue nods. “Valery knew I’d be assigned before I did. Max found out right before the trip. So did Charlie. Kind of difficult to sport shadow on a plane.”
I think back to how many times Valery insisted Charlie was safe, that they had everything taken care of. I guess Blue being assigned to watch my girl was what she meant. It creeps me out that Blue’s been following Charlie, watching her, without her even knowing. But it was for her protection, I suppose. This also explains why Charlie called me nine times this morning. She must have found out about Blue and couldn’t wait to tell me. I grin thinking about this, then stop when I realize Blue is staring at me. And that he still hasn’t answered my question about Salem and Easton.
“So why are we letting these skid marks near her?” I ask.
Blue presses his lips together. “At first we thought that the more humans hanging around her, the better. The collectors don’t want to chance hurting anyone else. So if she’s surrounded by humans outside of school hours, all the better, right?”
“And now?” I ask, feeling my fists tighten. Red and Max may have thought these jokers would help their cause, but I never liked the brothers to begin with. The sooner I can get rid of them, the better.
“Now we’re discussing it,” he says, “weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, Charlie’s whole goal on earth is to continue her charity and do good in people’s lives. She likes helping questionable characters, and we can’t run them all off. On the other hand, these guys are dicks.”
I nod my head and turn my palms up as if to say, exactly.
Blue loses his professional composure and sighs. “They keep pressuring her to do crap that…crap that…”
“Crap that most people our age do?” I offer, sharing his frustration.
“Yeah,” he says, meeting my eyes.
I groan. “Who even invited them? Not Charlie.”
“No clue,” he says. “Maybe Annabelle. But why wouldn’t Charlie invite them? Aspen stressed that she should bring whoever she wanted. And doesn’t it just seem like Charlie to extend an invite to new friends?”
“I still don’t understand why we don’t run them off. Surround her with other humans, ones that don’t influence her to do idiotic things.”
“Like rappelling into an underground cave?” Blue offers.
“You better be lying.” My blood burns at my temples.
Blue grits his teeth. “I wish I were. It’s like they’re some adrenaline junkies, and Charlie’s just going along for the ride.”
I spin on my heel, headed toward the house. I don’t care about anything right now but keeping Charlie safe. And if I have to pummel these guys to do that, I will. Blue grabs my arm before I’ve made it three steps and jerks me back, but it barely slows me down. I mean, Blue is bigger than he was, but he’s doesn’t have two hundred pounds of muscle spread over six feet, two inches.
“Calm down,” Blue clips. “We’ll watch them. Tonight, we’ll watch them. And if either of them suggests Charlie do something stupid, we’ll pummel their asses.”
I stop dragging Blue and hesitate. From over my shoulder, I say, “I get to throw the first blow.”
Blue laughs. “I can agree to that. Just lay off the protein shakes, Hulk. They put cow piss in that stuff.”
I turn around and study Blue for a long time. “You really here?”
“In the flesh,” he says.
“You gonna go after my girl?”
“Bet on it.”
I laugh, and a puff of air blooms from my mouth and into the cold afternoon. “Let’s get inside before your needle dick gets hypothermia.”
As Blue and I move toward the house, I catch him looking at me from the corner of his eye. His face is tight with worry, making my stomach flip. I grab his shoulder. “Is there something else you’re not telling me?”
Blue bites his bottom lip. Then he shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Blue?” I say, squeezing his shoulder tighter.
“Dude, stop freaking. If there was anything else to say, I’d say it.” He smiles, and I relax slightly. “Let’s get inside. My needle dick hurts something awful.”
Deciding to trust Blue for now, I follow him inside and immediately seek Charlie out. She’s sitting behind Aspen, braiding her hair. Aspen glances at me like she’s not sure how to handle Charlie being so kind, and I wonder if Charlie isn’t being nice to compensate for how she eyed Aspen when she got here, like she was ready to throw down to keep her man if need be.
Regardless of why she’s being nice, a warm sensation grows in my chest watching Charlie care for Aspen. It almost seems like by caring for Aspen, she’s caring for me, though I have no idea why.
Annabelle, who obviously isn’t pleased at sharing her bestie, glares at Aspen.
I turn my attention to Salem and Easton, who are spread out on the couch. And then I shoot toward them. Blue thinks I shouldn’t confront them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t remind them who’s watching after Charlie now.
I slide in between the pair and turn my head back and forth, grinning just to piss them off.
“Can I help you?” Easton says.
I whip my head away from Salem and stare at Easton. That was not what I expected. Easton glares at me for a long moment, and just as I’m about to pop him in his mouth—vow to Blue be damned—Easton throws his head back and laughs.
“I’m sorry,” he says, dark eyes dancing. “I was just messing around.”
I still want to hit him.
He puts his hand out. “My brother said you caught me looking up at Charlie’s window. Man, I’d probably kill someone if they’d done that to my old girlfriend.” His eyes glaze over and the smile slides from his face. “I get confused sometimes.”
Watching his shoulders droop, I almost feel bad for the guy. But I’m not ready to cut him any slack just yet. “How often do you get confused?”
He winces like I did hit him, and then I do feel bad. “Let’s just say I’m not real popular with the ladies.”
“It’s okay,” Charlie says from across the room, pulling a rubber-band thingy around Aspen’s braid. “It wasn’t a big deal. Right, Dante?” She glares at me, and all I can think is how much I want to kiss her.