Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

“She has been through hell and back. She doesn’t need your shit, too,” Daniel spits out, struggling against Aiden and Xander. “If you can’t be man enough for her, then leave her the fuck alone. I’ll find her and you’re no longer welcome near her. I don’t care if you remove me from the team. Actually, I quit. You can take my position and shove it up your arse.”

I stalk towards him until I’m a small distance away. “Go back. What do you mean by you’ll find her?”

“She ran away from school two hours ago and I can’t find her anywhere.”

I push Aiden and Xan out of the way until I’m toe-to-toe with Daniel. “Where the fuck is she?”

“I checked her home, Ally’s, the park, and the school’s art studio, but I couldn’t find her anywhere.”

“You didn’t search hard enough.”

“Those are the only places she frequents.”

“There must be places you’re forgetting.” My voice raises and so does my temper.

“If she wants to run away.” Aiden’s gaze slides from me to Daniel. “She won’t choose a place she can be found in.”

“Ask Ronan to throw a party,” I tell Aiden. “I want the entire school invited.”

I’ll find Astrid and the whole school will know the consequences of fucking with what’s mine.





32





Astrid





He thought he broke me, but he shouldn’t have let me pick up the pieces because what doesn’t kill me, better run.



* * *



My forehead presses against the tombstone as I breathe in the smell of dirt.

I’ve been crying on Mum’s grave for the past hour or so, but the pain inside me feels like a breathing, living being.

It’s so alive.

So heavy.

So real.

"Make it stop, Mum," I cry in a hoarse voice. "Make it all stop, please."

If she were here, she would’ve said the right words to make me feel better.

She would’ve hugged me until I was strong enough to pick up all my broken pieces.

Levi's betrayal dug a deep, black hole in my chest that keeps getting bigger with every breath I take.

It’s all my fault.

I should’ve never let my guard down around him. He’s the king and I’m just the pawn he decided to play with.

Why was I stupid to believe there could be something more?

“Astrid?”

My back snaps into a rigid line at the voice coming from behind me.

I wipe at my eyes with the back of my hand, sitting up. "D-Dad?"

His brows draw as he stares down on me. He’s carrying red tulips. Mum’s favourites.

I’m surprised he remembers that. Hell, I’m taken aback by seeing him in the cemetery in the first place.

In her will, Mum asked to never be visited on the anniversary of her death, but I’m always here on my birthdays.

Technically, I’m not defying her will if I come on the anniversary of her funeral.

In all the three years Mum died, I was the only visitor she had.

Or so I thought.

Is Dad the secret visitor who always leaves red tulips at Mum’s tombstone?

"What are you doing here, Dad?"

He places the flowers at the tombstone and sits beside me, not caring that his pressed Gucci suit wouldn't be good friends with the dirt. "I should be asking you that. Shouldn't you be at school?"

I wince at the reminder of school.

Dad narrows his eyes slightly. "Are you skipping? Do I need to talk to the principal?"

“N-no.” Think, Astrid, think. “I just needed to talk to Mum. I miss her.”

My voice shakes at the end and I realise how much that’s true. Since she left, my life doesn’t feel right.

For a brief moment, when I was with Levi, I thought I could be happy again.

But it was all a freaking joke. He only did all that so he could manipulate me.

Dad places a hand on my shoulder. "I know I'll never be Jasmine, but if you need to talk…”

He trails off as if he doesn’t know how to finish the sentence.

I sniffle on my tears. "Why… why are you against me identifying suspects?"

He lifts an eyebrow. "I see deputy Vans has been telling you things he shouldn’t."

“I heard you talking to the commissioner. You said you didn’t want me to go through what happened in the past again. Why?”

“Eavesdropping, too,” he says with slight amusement.

“Technically, it’s not eavesdropping if I hear you on my way out.”

“You mean when you sneak out.”

Busted. I smile a little. “Semantics, Dad.”

He smiles back.

I forgot how young and carefree Dad looks when he smiles genuinely, not like the one he puts in front of cameras.

I haven’t seen him smiling like this since I was seven.

“Don’t you want me to find justice?” I ask.

“Justice is unimportant in this case.”

“But why, Dad? You closed Mum’s case so quickly, too as if it never happened. You might want to pretend like she never existed, but she did.”

“I know that.” A muscle clenches in his jaw.

“Then why did you shut off the investigation? Why, Dad? Why?”