Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

Chris continues lunging forward like a train losing its course. Zach and Alex, two seniors, try to pull him back, but it’s like he’s on RedBull — or fucking drugs judging from his performance.

I swing my fist and punch him in the chest. He stops with stupefaction written all over his face. The rest of the senior players and the freshmen watch for my reaction, unblinking.

“What the fuck was that for?” Chris spits out.

“For losing your place.”

“It was Coach, he —”

I get in his face. “Did Coach play with your legs? Did he let Aiden score the first and lose the ball to Xander so he can score the second? Did he leave the defence like a pathetic deserted land?”

“Well, no, but —”

“No buts, Chris.” I point a finger at his chest. “You’ve been playing like shit since the quarterfinal game and during summer camp. If you don’t snatch your place back from Ronan, you’re out. For. Fucking. Good. I don’t need half-wits on my team.”

He opens his mouth to say something, but I’m not listening anymore. The rest of the players part as I make my way to the showers.

Christopher and I are friends. Maybe not exactly friends, but colleagues. We both liked the high of alcohol, cigarettes and girls.

We’ve been rebels against our last names and families.

I loathe my uncle and he hates his uptight father who’s the metropolitan police’s deputy commissioner. Chris and I found each other on detention when we were juniors and bonded.

If there’s trouble, we shit all over it. Both of us live for that disapproving look on our guardians’ faces.

We even bet on whether his father or my uncle will pay the largest cheque to the school to cover all the trouble we cause year in and year out.

But Chris has been spiralling out of control. He’s been a knee too deep in the excitement part, he doesn’t even play decently anymore.

Football isn’t only a game for me. It’s not a high of the moment and a pumping of adrenaline. It isn’t the roaring of the crowd or the chants.

It’s a state of mind.

It’s the only fucking thing I own in a life that’s shackled by Uncle’s chains.

Football is the only thing I’m doing for myself and no one will fucking take it away from me.

For that, I need to take care of a certain princess problem that’s two months overdue.





Aiden and his band of thieves walk with me to the car park, all chatting about the upcoming game. Or more like, Ronan and Xander are bickering while Aiden and Cole shake their heads at them.

Chris left without even going into the locker room. Half the reason why I unleashed on him in front of everyone is because I know he holds grudges. Here’s to hoping he’ll release it on the pitch by finally sobering up and snatching his place back.

“I’m telling you, fuckers, I want hookers on my birthday.” Ronan taps his chest. “That’s the least you can do for all the parties I throw you all year round.”

Xander throws a jab to his side. “And what, you want one that comes out from the cake, too?”

“Fuck yeah.” His eyes twinkle. “All in bunny uniform, s’il te plait.”

“Bestiality alert.” Cole deadpans.

“Fuck off, Cole.” Ronan glares. “Don’t kill the fantasy.”

“Okay, hold on. Let me get this straight. So we’re getting hookers sent to… a House of Lords’ member. Like hello, hookers house, can you send some bunny strippers to Earl Astor’s mansion?” Xan laughs. “You realise they might send us the police or… I don’t know some MI6 agents?”

“Chill, arsehole. We’ll do it in the summer house.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Test time. My best friend will hire hookers for me. Raise your hand, but don’t push… I know you all want to.”

He turns in our direction to find all of us staring. Except for Xan and Cole who are laughing.

“Come on, anyone? Cake bunny hookers are my fucking fantasy.”

“And we have to make your fantasies come true because...” Aiden trails off with a poker face.

“Because I would’ve made your fantasies come true in return!” Ronan pauses. “Wait no. That didn’t come out right. I have some disturbing images right now.”

Xan waggles his eyebrows. “Like?”

“Like Cole and Aiden’s kinky shit. I’m not making that rubbish happen.” He pauses. “Back to my fantasy. It’s completely doable. Anyone?”

Aiden shakes his head. “Pass.”

“Besides,” Cole recovers from his fit of laughter. “You do realise that none of us is old enough to hire hookers.”

“Captain is.” Ronan meets my gaze with puppy eyes.

“Stop looking at me like that or you’ll be the only cake bunny hooker on your birthday.”

The guys burst out laughing, both Xander and Cole teasing Ronan who’s sulking and swearing that he’s not throwing any parties for us anymore.

Aiden falls back in step with me, letting his friends trudge ahead. “I heard you punched Vans.”

Except for his friends and me, everyone is a last name to Aiden. He doesn’t even bother to learn people’s names.

“Why?” I ask. “You’re going to tell your daddy about it?”