Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

The blonde breaks eye contact and takes the first turn around the corner with Kimberly.

Aiden continues watching her even after she completely disappears.

His lips curve in a sadistic smirk before he faces me. “Let me test something about Lev.”

I point at his arm. “Does that include you holding my shoulder.”

He nods. “I would say trust me, but I know you won’t.”

At least he knows that.

A few minutes later, I’m sitting on the bench, watching the practice with Aiden by my side.

I think about shoving his arm away, but his theory about a test stops me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in practice?” I ask.

“I need rest after a minor injury.” He tips his head at a passing player.

Me, on the other hand? I keep watching for Levi to come out of the locker room.

Everyone is on the field — including Dan. He furrows his eyebrows at me as if asking ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ I don’t know myself, but if anyone will force Levi’s hand then it can only be Aiden.

Ronan and Cole stare at us with stupefaction just like the rest of the team. Only Xander laughs and shouts “A hundred that a King will kill a King today.”

I think he even got a few bets from the other team members, Ronan and Dan included.

My breath hitches when Levi steps out with Coach Larson.

Something inside me ignites at seeing him again after the time we spent all tangled around each other.

I should be mad at him, but I can’t help noticing how his athletic body looks in the royal blue jersey and shorts. How his tousled blond hair falls on his forehead and how his pale blue eyes glint under the sun.

Damn how irresistible he is.

He pulls his legs back, stretching while listening to the coach.

He switches to stretching his arm behind his head and turns around. His gaze meets mine.

I swallow, the urge to remove Aiden consumes me, but I resist it.

I want to see Levi’s reaction. I want to see him lose it like he did with Jerry and at the party.

At least that proves it isn’t a game for him.

Levi pauses mid-stretching and my heart thumps so loud, I can’t hear anything past it.

As if a robot took over his body, Levi turns around and continues walking with the coach towards the other players.

Something breaks in my chest.

If he hadn’t meet my gaze, I would assume I’m invisible.

Am I invisible?

“Huh.” Aiden drops his arm. “That failed.”

A sob catches in my throat.

Was everything that happened between us a stupid game?

How… could he?

I stand up and stride to the railings. My temper boils, and I know the moment I clutch the metal railings that I’ll say something stupid.

“Levi!” I call.

He doesn’t turn around or acknowledge me, but the entire team’s attention is on me. Dan shakes his head and Xander elbows Levi.

“King!” I shout. “If you don’t turn around this second, we’re over. Completely over, do you hear me?”

I wish I never said that. I wish he doesn’t turn around.

When he does, his eyes are completely washed out. I don’t recognise this Levi. Not at all.

It’s like an alien sucked his soul and left this person behind.

He smirks in that cruel, sadistic way. His next words undo me.

“We were never something to be over.”





42





Levi





Losing a battle doesn’t mean ending the war.



* * *



The moment Aiden strolls into the locker room, I throw him against the wall with my forearm crushing his trachea.

“What the fuck were you doing?” I snarl in his emotionless face.

Murmurs break out around us from the rest of the team members. I should’ve left it alone until we got home, but the fire inside would’ve consumed me by then.

I was barely able to stop myself from climbing the fence and smashing Aiden’s face to the ground during practice.

He dared touch her.

He put his fucking hands on her.

The corner of his lips curls in a smirk. “It didn’t fail after all.”

I grab his arm — the same fucking arm he had around her shoulder — and twist it. “Do you want a cast?”

“Captain…” Cole approaches slowly. “We can talk it out. No need to break things....or bones.”

“Tell. Me,” I growl in my cousin’s poker face. “What the fuck were you doing?”

He remains silent, meeting my stare with one of his own. My hold tightens around his already twisted arm. I’m going to fucking break it and to hell if Jonathan makes me his slave.

I am, anyway.

Xander kicks Aiden’s leg. “Whatever it is, tell him, you little shit.”

“He’ll really break your arm,” Cole hisses.

Aiden’s expression doesn’t change no matter how much pressure I apply. The fucking psycho has become abnormally resistant to pain since that incident nine years ago.

“Yo, King.” Ronan stares at him with bugged eyes. “Mais tu es fous ou quoi? Do you want your arm broken?”

He doesn’t. But if a broken arm gets him what he wants, he wouldn’t mind.

“Who told you to keep your conversation with my father a secret?” Aiden finally speaks.