Page 115 of Mercy & Malice

I feel his body tense against mine before he says, “No.”

My mouth drops open as I turn to face him. “You told me I could use it on whatever I wanted. And the first time I choose to spend it, you tell me no. Is it because of who it’s⁠—”

His finger moves over my mouth, my words dying out as he grins. “The answer is no because I already paid for it.”

“What?” I understood what he said. But still, what?

“He wasn’t happy about it at first. I finally convinced him to take the money.” Micah leans down, his lips feathering over mine as he says, “You wanted us all together. So, I made it happen. Plus, I kind of owed him for being Team Micah.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and hang on tight to him. “You really do have a good heart, Micah.”

He whispers, “Because you fixed it.”

“You did that.” He unquestionably patched mine up. “I just reap the benefits.”

“Benefits, huh?” His hands grip my backside as he lifts me onto the kitchen counter, then settles between my legs. “Tell me how this benefits you, because I feel like the one who’s reaping all the rewards.”

“Well, for starters, this house. I’d be living with my mom or sharing a bathroom with strangers in the dorms.” My breath hitches when his mouth drops to my neck and his rock-hard bulge presses between my thighs. “And that is definitely a big perk.”

“Mm-hmm,” he hums across my skin. “Still think I come out ahead on this topic.”

My words are lost as the doorbell rings. But Micah doesn’t stop.

I laugh, gripping his shoulders. “That’s probably your brother and Ivy.”

“Probably so,” he says before the doorbell echoes through the house again.

“They aren’t going away. We’re coordinating our class schedules with each other.”

He trails his tongue along my collarbone as he murmurs, “To be continued.”

“Very much so.” I scoot off the counter as he groans and adjusts his pants. I’m still smiling when I open the front door.

Ivy announces as they step inside, “We’re here.”

“Yes, great timing,” Micah states as he moves behind me.

Luca laughs as he passes Micah two boxes of pizza. “Cain is running late, but he’ll be here soon.”

“Perfect.” I lead them into the kitchen.

We’re at the table scrolling through classes when Ivy groans, “I’m not looking forward to next week.”

“Why not?” I ask.

“Because it’s school.” She sighs, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I agree with Anthony. It’s better if I have a goal for the future and don’t just hang out around the house with nothing to do. Plus, I’m still trying to set a good example for my little brother.”

“True. Have you decided your major yet?”

“No. I’m going to figure it out later. Hopefully,” she chuckles.

“You will,” I tell her before I reveal to her what I’ve finally decided. “I’m switching to pre-law.”

Her eyes snap to mine. “Really?” Micah was a little shocked when I told him too. But when I explained the reasoning, he understood.

“Yes. I want to handle civil rights cases and DV victims. Basically, be the voice for the person in a bad situation while another abuses their power to get their way.”

The decision felt a little hypocritical since I’ve literally allowed people to get away with murder. But at the end of the day, being an advocate for someone who’s being taken advantage of because a man like my father, Donald, or one of the jerk Keepers thinks he’s above the law matters more than anything else. Perhaps it does make me a hypocrite, but I can live with that.