Fight Dirty (Black Rose Kisses 1)

My heart is racing like I’ve just run a marathon, and my face is flushed as hell. Again.

Fuck. This is getting out of hand.

Just when I’m about to go back to my room and not come out for the rest of the day, Rory’s voice startles me from the other side of the door. “I know you’re still out there.”

“Fuck you,” I mutter and stalk off quickly, trying to put as much distance between myself and his door as humanly possible.

But even when I’m safely ensconced back in my room with two doors between us, it’s not enough distance. It’s nowhere near enough. I’m not sure any amount of space between me and Rory could erase the images of what I just saw from my mind’s eye.

Well, that fucking backfired.

7

The next morning, I get up early. Maybe it’s just because I’m awake before Rory is, but there aren’t any surprise walk-ins, so I can consider that progress, at least. I get dressed and throw my books in my bag, thanking whatever higher power might be out there that it’s Monday and I have a reason to get out of the house.

It’s quiet when I go downstairs into the kitchen, and I breathe a sigh of relief, rummaging around in the cabinets and refrigerator until I come up with some nice bread to make toast with butter and jam.

Taking a chance, I perch on one of the stools at the little breakfast bar and eat my toast, washing it down with some juice, keeping an eye on the time as I munch away. If I’m lucky, maybe I can get out of here before any of the guys are up. And then maybe they’ll all be gone when I get back, and I can avoid interacting with them for an entire day.

No such luck.

Less than a minute after I have that thought, Levi comes walking in, dressed and only a little bleary eyed. He makes a beeline straight for the coffee maker and pops one of the pods in.

“I’m going to be taking you to school.” He shoots a glance over his shoulder at me, then turns to lean against the counter while he waits for the coffee to brew.

“No fucking way,” I say immediately. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

It’s confirmation that they’re going to let me keep going to school though, which is something I was worrying about in the back of my mind. They could have just told me I had to drop out, dangling my dad’s precarious situation over my head until I agreed.

My plan was to just sneak out anyway and see if they tried to stop me, but apparently that’s not necessary because I’m going to have a goddamned escort.

“Look, I’m not thrilled about it either,” Levi says with a sigh. “There are other things I could be doing. But it is what it is, so you’re my baby for as long as this situation lasts, I guess.”

I hate the sound of that, especially the way him calling me his baby makes my skin heat up. Motherfucker. I’ve been doing so well this morning up until now, not letting my thoughts run away from me, but just hearing him say that makes me flash back to the things he said to me when we fucked last year.

I shove the last of my toast in my mouth and drain my glass of juice in one gulp just to have something to distract me.

“Fine.” I bite out the word, making it clear I’m not happy about it even if I don’t have a choice. “We need to leave in five minutes.”

That barely gives him enough time to finish letting his coffee pour into the cup and then transfer it into a travel mug, but I don’t care. If I have to suffer, then so does he.

We get into the same car from when they abducted me, but this time I sit in the front passenger seat. I don’t give him any directions, but once again, he doesn’t need them. I don’t like him and his goons knowing so much about me, but I keep my mouth closed for the moment.

“Not much to look at, is it?” he says when we get to the campus, glancing at me as he slows down to let a group of students pass across the street.

I scowl immediately, hackles up. I go to a community college on the south side of Fairview Heights, and it’s more than fine. It’s not like my dad had the money to send me to some fancy school, and I didn’t have the grades to get scholarships and all that. I’m not ashamed of it, but Levi’s comment gets under my skin.

“Where do you go to school?” I retort, turning my head to give him a look. “Somewhere fancy? Some Ivy League university? Because if not, then maybe you should shut the fuck up.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t go to school. It wasn’t in the cards for me. I’ve got other skills, another life path, you know. I’m fine without it.”

Unless I’m imagining it, there’s a slight sadness to his tone. Maybe something like regret, but it’s hard to tell for sure. I can’t get a good read on his expression as he keeps his gaze straight ahead and doesn’t let go of the steering wheel.

Interesting. Did he want to go to college? Did he have dreams of getting a degree and then going on to make something of himself?

I know that’s all my dad wants for me. For me to have a better, easier life than he had. For opportunities to come my way, and for me to take them and make the most of my life.

But there’s no real way I can ask Levi about his hopes and dreams for the future. It would be too fucking personal, and besides, I don’t want him to know I’m curious about him at all.