Basement Level 5: Never Scared by L. R. Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

I’m going to be stuck here dateless because no one with any brains will go up against you.” She smacked him on the shoulder. “Jerk.”
    He barked out a laugh, which infuriated her even more. “Listen, if you’re the player I think you are you can make anyone want to risk going up against me just to get a taste of you.”
    The wheels started turning in her head. She scanned the crowd, looking for Erik.
    “ And trust me,” he continued in a low tone. “If you can get someone to want you even after seeing you with me, nothing will stand in your way.” Slyly, his right hand slipped into her hair and he pressed a tentative kiss to her mouth, prompting a sharp intake of breath.
    Alexa tried to fight her attraction to him, but she knew it was a no-win situation. Making the decision to roll with it, she cradled his head in her hands and pulled him into a quick, but intense kiss.
    “ Okay,” she purred against his lips. “I’ll accept your challenge. But I’ll still see you later.”
     
    ***
     
    Dro admired Alexa for her ability to turn things around in her favor, and he was looking forward to watching her get out of this situation. It was very likely her classmates had witnessed their little interaction. He was pretty sure Erik had already received the news that his date was flirting with someone else.
    Dro dipped his head, ready to capture her lips with his.
    “ Alexa?” a voice called out.
    He knew it was her simpering date, Erik, but he refused to move. Alexa peeked around him.
    “ Alexa, what are you doing?” Erik demanded. “Who the hell is this?”
    Dro straightened to his full height and turned around then smirked at Erik’s mortified expression.
    “ Dro—I—I didn’t know it was you.”
    Dro cracked his knuckles. “What the hell is your problem? And who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
    “ Uh—I thought Alexa was—” Erik stammered. “I didn’t know it was you, but anyway, she’s with me.”
    “ And that makes it okay for you to speak to her like that?” Dro crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s with you so you have the right to disrespect her? Sounds to me like you’re feeling yourself a little too much.”
    A small crowd had gathered around them.
    Erik sighed. “She’s my date. I thought—”
    “ I don’t give a damn what you thought,” Dro snarled. “And I don’t care what you think you are to Alexa. You will never disrespect her like that again. Never talk to her like you’re crazy.”
    “ Dro,” Alexa interjected.
    He ignored her, keeping his eyes on Erik. “Do you understand?”
    Erik bowed his head and nodded slightly.
    Dro enjoyed making the punk squirm. “Good, because I don’t repeat myself, and I don’t make idle threats. If I ever hear that you disrespected her again in any way, I won’t warn or threaten you—I’ll just kill you.”
    Erik dropped his head.
    “ If you insist on staying here,” Dro said, turning back to Alexa. “I’m staying too. Don’t worry, I won’t crowd you.” He glanced back at Erik, who was standing with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Something tells me your date is over anyway unless you can work some of your magic,” he whispered and walked away.
     
    ***
     
    How the hell had he ended up in this mess? Kendrick wondered as he watched Dro storm off. Alexa was probably mad as hell, and a pissed off Alexa didn’t bode well for him. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why Dro had acted the way he did. And since Alexa was never one to shy away from a challenge, this was only going to get worse.
    Kendrick sighed and approached Alexa at the bar. “I’m sorry about that, Erik,” he heard her tell the dummy.
    “ What the hell was that about?” Erik demanded. “Are you with Dro?”
    “ No, we were just talking.”
    Kendrick snorted. Anyone with eyes could see they’d been doing more than just talking, but Erik was a fool. Alexa had once confided to Kendrick that Erik was different than her