Play Rough (Black Rose Kisses 2)

My stomach tightens, and I try to think of something to say as I smooth down my own wild hair.

But what is there, really?

We keep finding ourselves in this situation, and every time I give in to the connection that burns between us, it feels like I lose a little piece of my fucking soul.

10

After another second or two of just looking and not talking, Sloan turns to leave without a word. I sigh and straighten my clothes before going back to what I came here for in the first place.

The scandalized woman is still inside the convenience store, and I can feel her eyes on me as I walk in and walk right past her, heading for the bathroom.

The man behind the counter doesn’t look like he gives a single shit what happens inside or outside his store, and I lock the door to the bathroom just in case, letting out another slow exhale as I go about my business.

I pee quickly and then use my foot to press down the lever to flush the toilet. I wash my hands and glance at my appearance in the mirror above the sink. The bad lighting isn’t doing me any favors, and I check to make sure Sloan didn’t leave hickeys all over my neck or anything. I run my fingers through my hair to neaten it and then head out, making my way back to the car and everyone else.

Another heat has already started, and the crowd is loud and excited as the two cars tear down the road.

Rory smiles at me when I come back, and Levi nudges me with his elbow when I take my spot between them again. True to fucking form, Sloan doesn’t spare me a glance.

He’s leaning right back in his spot like he never left, arms folded and eyes on the racers, like he wasn’t about to fuck me in a damn alley.

As always, he’s just going to act like nothing happened. Like he doesn’t lose his shit around me all the time, when I do so much as talk to some other guy.

It’s like I’m not even here. He refuses to so much as glance in my direction, but I can still feel that heat burning between us. It’s palpable, and I know he can feel it too. No one’s that good of an actor, not even this asshole.

But I’m going to call him out. After all, I’m playing a fucking role here myself, and getting under Sloan’s skin is part of that. I’ll use the chemistry that burns between us if I have to—if it gets me what I need.

Maybe my dad wouldn’t be proud of the methods I’m using to exact my vengeance, but I can’t let that stop me. The Black Roses don’t play fair, so I can’t afford to either.

I let my attention stay on the road, cheering on the racers as the heats step up to the next level, getting closer to determining who’s going to race for the final win. It’s loud all around us, but the guys are close enough that I can hear them talking, Sloan moving closer to lessen the chance that they’ll be overheard by someone else.

I can’t make out everything they’re saying, but I catch Rory saying something about a church. I remember what Levi told me about the church, too.

It’s what got my dad into trouble in the first place, what feels like ages ago. The Jackals and the Black Roses bet on his fight. The winner would get the church, and my dad was supposed to throw the fight. He didn’t. The Black Roses lost big on that bet.

“They’re not just going to let this stand,” Rory says, and he sounds serious for once. “They want some retaliation. They want blood.”

Levi told me things were getting bad again, and it seems like he’s right. Whate

ver fragile peace has existed between the two biggest gangs in the city seems to be coming to an end.

I stash that information away for later. I’m not sure what I can use it for yet, but every little bit helps. Maybe I can work the tension between the two groups to my advantage in some way? More than I’m trying to already, anyway.

The rest of the race goes by pretty quickly, and I half watch, half listen and plot. The booze I drank has settled in, and I feel hazy and sleepy once everyone starts to disperse.

“Come on,” Levi says with a grin, holding up a hand to help me down from the back of the car. “Let’s get out of here.”

“I think I can manage to climb down by myself,” I tell him, but I take his hand anyway, letting him help me.

He gives me a warm smile for my trouble and then opens the door to the backseat for me. For a split second, I consider trying to claim shotgun, just to really rile Sloan up, but I’m too floaty and tired for that. So I settle into my usual spot and buckle up, getting comfortable.

It’s a quick drive back to the house, and we all clamber out and head inside, going our separate ways. Rory goes upstairs, and Levi heads for the kitchen, leaving Sloan in the living room.

I start to head up to my room, ready for a shower and bed, but as I walk past him, I notice Sloan watching me with an intense look in his eyes.

It reminds me of the way a predator would watch their prey, and I feel my stomach flutter as I keep moving. It’s a little bit from fear, because I have no idea what he knows and no idea what he has planned, and an equal part raw, stupid attraction.

On Sunday, I plan to sleep the fuck in, nursing a little bit of a hangover from going so hard on the whiskey last night. I roll over in bed just in time to see my door opening and Rory poking his head in.