Fight Dirty (Black Rose Kisses 1)

We’ve seen each other on campus over the past week, but only briefly and always with Levi present, so we haven’t had a chance to really talk.

I open my mouth to tell her, but then close it again. Because where do I begin, honestly? It hasn’t been that long since the guys were dragging me out of Sapphire, but it feels like so much has happened. I lick my lips and take another sip of my drink.

“A lot, actually. So. I haven’t exactly been as careful as I should have been.”

It feels weird to admit that out loud, but Scarlett is my best friend and the one person I tell everything to. I can’t keep it from her, and honestly, I want to get it off my chest.

“What do you mean?” she asks, leaning over the table so she’s closer to me. “Have you been…” She waggles her eyebrows, and I don’t need her to elaborate to know what she’s getting at.

“Yeah, I guess so. There have been some… developments.”

Her eyes light up, and she has her fingers in a stranglehold around her cup. “Tell me! I need the details.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, gesturing for her to keep her voice down. “You know I hooked up with Levi, right? A year ago?” She nods. “Well, I thought that was that, but apparently he wanted more. And I know this because he burst into my room after we got back from being out and kissed me.”

“After they dragged you out of the club?”

“Same night, but we went somewhere else after that.” I fill her in about the training gym and the fight I got into and how pissed Sloan got. “He punched out the guy I was fighting in one hit and then stalked me to the locker room where I went to go cool off.”

“Mercy DeLeon, did you fuck him in a locker room?” Scar asks, wide eyed.

“No!” I shake my head vigorously, then bite my bottom lip. “I mean. We didn’t fuck. He just. He ate me out. While I was bent over the sink.”

She squeals, making a couple of people sitting close to us look over curiously. I kick her under the table, and she sighs.

“Sorry, sorry.” She holds up her hands. “I just… I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it was Sloan, of all people, either. He’s so… broody.”

“Yeah.” I snort. “And irritable. Anyway, that happened, and then Levi walked in before we could go any further.”

I still don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed about the interruption, but it’s best not to dwell on it, I figure. I’m not sure I would be happy with what I discovered if I thought too hard about how I feel about that night.

Scar nods, her eyes still wide. “And that’s why he kissed you after you got home? Levi?”

“Yeah. Well. I also kissed Rory after the Sloan thing, but that was just to prove a point.”

“You what?”

“I mean, it wasn’t the first time.”

Her eyebrows shoot up even higher, and she blinks twice, then shakes her head. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, hot stuff, I’m gonna need you to start from the beginning. How many times have you kissed these guys?”

I take another long sip of my coffee and try to get my thoughts in order, starting from the beginning. Levi and I hooked up a year ago, there was the kiss with Rory in the home gym, and then the whole mess with them at the training gym. Kissing Rory after meeting his family too.

By the time I finish laying it all out for her, I want to kick myself for being so fucking reckless, especially considering how I promised Scarlett I would be careful around them.

“Holy shit, Mercy. It’s like you’re building a harem or something,” she says when I stop speaking. “A harem of hot, dangerous men who seem to be especially attracted to you.” She lets out a breath that’s almost a wistful sigh.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I remind her, jamming my straw into the cup and swirling the ice around. “And it’s not a harem. It’s just… I don’t know. Three guys who drive me fucking nuts.”

“In a good way, it sounds like. I know they’re assholes for what they’re doing, but it seems like they like you. And I think you like them more than you want to admit.” Scarlett tips her head to the side. “I guess since you’re a girl, it would be more like a reverse harem.”

“That’s not a thing, Scar,” I tell her, knowing it’s probably pointless to argue about it.

“Sure it is. And if it’s not, then you’re just a pioneer. And I mean, it could be worse. They could be three ugly guys keeping you at their place.”

In spite of myself, I laugh. “Trust you to have your priorities in the right order,” I tease her, shaking my head. She’s right, but in a way it would be easier if they weren’t so damn attractive. At least then I could keep my focus better.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help you see the good spots in all of this. It’s the kind of situation where you could use a silver lining,” Scarlett points out. She props her chin up on her hand and gives me a look. “How’s your dad doing?”