Jaded (Jaded #1)(87)

Bryce dodged this one, swiveled underneath his arm, and grabbed him in a headlock.

“Get off me!” Corrigan ducked his shoulder and threw Bryce across the room.

The guys all scattered out of the way. The security men stood cautious and I was even further annoyed when I saw that Becky Lew had already arrived. Mandy stood just behind her, but everyone was captivated by their two kings going at it.

“You’re such a coward,” Corrigan spat out.

“I’m a coward?” Bryce called back in disbelief. “Because I’m taking care of my family? Because I’m leaving you guys and sacrificing…”

Corrigan punched again, but Bryce evaded and rolled on his heels. He waited.

Corrigan taunted, “You’re scared and you’re heeling to your mother. Yeah— that’s a coward to me.”

Anger flared in Bryce and Corrigan knew he’d overstepped the boundaries—at least in public. It was a different matter in private, but Corrigan knew to never call Bryce and myself ‘scared’ or a ‘coward’ in public.

Corrigan choked off, glanced at me, but Bryce caught him with his first punch.

After that—no words were shared, just punches.

“Are you going to stop this?” Becky asked me. Mandy nodded, “They’re trashing your house.”

I shrugged, “Not the first time that’s happened.” Why would I want to keep that pleasure from someone else?

Becky rolled her eyes and griped, “That’s just like you. Your two best friends are going at it, and the only person who could stop it, just stands back and watches. Do you have any feelings at all?”

Mandy sucked in her breath, but remained silent.

I swiveled on my heel to face her squarely and asked, eyebrows arched, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she clipped out, but some of her bravery had dissipated.

“Say it again,” I taunted. Ready.

“I…I don’t know why everyone worships you so much. I get it with Corrigan and Bryce. They’re hot and funny and…loyal, apparently, but god—you’re so cold to everyone.”

“They’re family. We’re all family,” I retorted as Bryce slammed Corrigan against the wall.

“That’s just…of course, you’d say that,” Becky bit out, hands on hips.

I shifted to my hip and asked, “Where’s your lover boy? You know, the one that’s only screwing you because he’s got some serious guilt over Leisha’s death. That’s pretty pathetic, you know. You’re pretty pathetic. The guy’s messed up with guilt.”

“He only called her because of you. Carlos didn’t like Leisha, but he thought that you liked her so he was going to try. Can you believe that? A guy will date a girl if he thinks that’s what you want. I just can’t get over it. Do you have some magical spell that you just weave over these morons?”

And the two biggest morons had just splintered my coffee table.

A sudden thought came to mind and I checked to see where the booze was. I calmed a little when I saw it was safe so I turned back to Becky, “Is this what this really is? Jealousy? How lame can you get?”

Mandy sighed and murmured, “They’re going to break your flat screen.”

I glanced back so I didn’t see Becky’s hand slap across me.

Stunned, I looked back and saw she had balled her hands into fists and was one breath away from pouncing on me.

For the most part, girl fights were lame. The hair was pulled, a few slaps with open palms, and hateful insults were always cursed.

Mandy caught the delight in my face and stepped back, “Oh god.”

The guys sucked in their breaths, a collective gasp, and my hand curled into a fist as I let loose with a roundhouse.

Becky fell back, stunned, and I shifted to the back of my heels.

I could like this, I could like this a lot.

From the floor, Becky looked up, stunned, and with a hand to her jaw before she rushed me.

I easily dodged, caught her hair, and slammed her to the floor.

The guys were delighted, but I was ready for her to swipe at my feet, which she did.

I jumped out of the way and warned her, “You don’t win against me, ever.

You’re not going to win this one either.”

“I am so sick and tired of you—” I saw the open palm coming and nearly rolled my eyes at the tortoise speed, but I caught it and twisted her arm behind her back.

“What are you so tired of? That I don’t care while all you do is care? Maybe you should stop caring so much and just be yourself, Lew. You might find life a lot easier.” I think it was her cry of pain as I twisted her arm again that caught Bryce and Corrigan’s attention. Bryce had a hand to Corrigan’s shirt, but both stopped, looked over, and immediately surged my way.

Bryce lifted me free while Corrigan swooped to keep Becky in place.

I didn’t even fight Bryce’s arm as it circled my waist and lifted me off my feet. I just laughed at Becky and said, “That was fun.”

“Shut up,” she snarled around from Corrigan.

“I’d like you a lot more if you were just honest.”

“I am being honest. I hate you,” she spewed back.

“See,” I grinned. “I kinda like you now.” Bryce had started to carry me upstairs, “I think this fight was good for us.”