Page 27 of Notorious Man on Campus

“Stop it,” I say and push away from him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Sam?” Brick’s voice is liquid nitrogen cold but it warms my heart like a roaring bonfire. Sam looks up at Brick and puts his hands in the air as if in surrender, letting go of me abruptly.

“Brick.” He darts a glance between Brick and me. I step back out of the way as Brick takes the big guy by the shirt and flings him onto the lawn as if the guy weighed a hundred pounds. But I’m pretty sure he weighs three times that. Sam stumbles, but doesn’t go down. He looks frightened, and I wonder why he doesn’t fight back, until it dawns on me. He’s on the team. Brick is his quarterback and captain. He’s not afraid of getting beat up.

Brick speaks in a harsh low, voice. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t beat the crap out of you and have you thrown off the team?”

“Brick—I—”

“Shut the fuck up. You had your fucking hands on her and she told you to stop. There’s no explanation in hell to justify that.”

“I wanted to kiss her—”

The growl that explodes from Brick startles me and I see Sam’s eyes go wide. I don’t think either of us saw it coming. Brick is so fast, Sam doesn’t have a chance to duck or move or protect his face as Brick’s fist hurtles toward it, landing with a sickening smash that makes me close my eyes and turn away. Even if the guy deserved it, my stomach revolts when I open my eyes to see the blood gush from his nose through his fingers as he tries to stop the bleeding. But Brick isn’t finished with him and forces him upright.

“You’re shit-faced and a disgrace for touching a girl, forcing yourself on her.”

“I’m sorry, Brick.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to Nyla.” He darts his eyes to mine and nods.

“I’m sorry, Nyla.”

“If you so much as look at Nyla the wrong way, let alone touch her ever again, I will make you pay. If you see her on the street, you cross over to the other side. If you see her in the same place, I don’t care if it’s a classroom or the gym, you leave. Do you hear me?”

“Are you fucking crazy?”

“Yes.” They stare at each other for a full minute. My heart pounds and my whole body shakes in fury and fear, confused about Brick and his intentions.

Sam considers this. Brick squeezes his face and shoves his elbow back under the guy’s chin and he cries uncle, in a manner of speaking.

“Okay, okay man, let me go. Please don’t say anything to Coach. I’ll leave your girlfriend alone, I didn’t know—”

“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s a human being who deserves some respect.” The guy’s eyes widen at that.

“Okay.” He puts up his hands when Brick loosens his grip. Then Brick shoves him in the direction of the street. “Leave. Now. And don’t show your face here ever again.”

“Does this mean you’re not going to tell the coach?” He half stumbles toward the street.

Brick shakes his head. I’m shocked.

He turns away from his teammate and finally looks at me.

“Are you all right?” His voice is a rasp, but he doesn’t make a move in my direction, makes no attempt to console me. His hands are fisted.

I nod. “I thought you were going to beat him up.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. Believe me, I wanted to. But he’s a teammate and I need to work with him.” He contemplates me. “Did you want me to beat him up?”

“No, no. I’m impressed with your restraint. And I think you’re right not to report him. He was drunk and I only needed help to get him to a bed.” His face goes pale for a ghost of a second before he pulls on his mask and I realize what I’ve said. “I mean for him to sleep it off, not that I—”

“I get it, Nyla.” He draws an audible breath, the only sign that he might be in any way affected by the whole scene. “You’re right. He’s a stupid drunk rookie, albeit it a talented one, who needs to learn a lesson. And it’s my responsibility to teach him. The whole team is my responsibility, and we don’t need guys running amok throwing themselves on unsuspecting girls.”

“It’s all about the team and Dean Lassiter’s threat then?”

“Yes.” I sigh. “No. I don’t want girls to worry about being accosted when they come here. I don’t want to run parties where they’re not safe. BMOC House and this party are my responsibility. I take it seriously and I want Dean Lassiter to know it. We don’t throw wild parties and don’t need to get in trouble for nothing. The last thing we need is having him investigating the team for accosting girls at parties. The repercussions would be damaging even if nothing came of it. That would be far more serious.”

“You’re right. Does it happen a lot?”