Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

I tap my chest. “I’m the man.”

His eyes glint as he takes me by the arm and drags to the rest of the team.

“No,” I whisper-hiss. “I’m supposed to watch from afar, dummy.”

He chuckles, the sound devious as he winks. “Believe me, love, this will be more fun.”

Xander uses his shoulder to push through the football players before we stop beside Cole and number thirteen.

I giggle.

I forgot the name of the one who threw the party.

“Look who I found!” Xander shouts over the guys hoots. “A competition for Ronan.”

Yup. Ronan. That’s his name.

“Oh, puhleeze, bitch.” Ronan wipes alcohol from his mouth, his cheeks red. “I can drink an entire galloon and still fuck two girls into oblivion.”

“You’re a pig,” I tell him in a semi-slurred tone.

Ooh and Aaah’s erupt around us. Cole clutches Ronan’s shoulder. “You need to prove your worth, little shit.”

“She’s on!” Ronan is in my face. “No one can beat the king.”

“I can beat any king,” I hiss, rolling off my imaginary sleeves.

“Woohoo!” Xander raises my arm. “It’s on, team. Let the bets roll.”

Aiden walks straight to the middle of the scene and pushes both Xander and Ronan off. “Leave, Clifford.”

Determination pumps in my veins as I place a finger on his shoulder and push him away. “No King will tell me what to do.”

“Hashtag burn.” Xander coughs as the others snicker.

I flip my hair back. “Are we doing this or what?”

Ronan offers me his hand. “Yes, my queen.”

I smile at the overdramatic tone he says it with.

Aiden shakes his head at his friends. “It’s your lives.”

In no time, Ronan and I are standing on top of a table with the entire team forming a circle around us.

All of them are chanting “Drink, drink, drink!”

The only rule of the game is that whoever falls is the loser.

My shots supplier is Xander and Cole is Ronan’s reluctant one.

In the beginning, I don’t really know what I’m doing until the buzzing of energy gets into my veins.

During the first shots, almost all the team is on Ronan’s side, chanting his number and his name.

Then, after a few rounds when I keep up with his pace, slamming one glass over the other, many of the team start chanting my name.

There’s something contagious about having so many people shouting my name and cheering me on.

“You’re going down!” Ronan slurs as both of us sway.

“No, you’re going down!” The ceiling is spinning, but I blink, bringing the shot to my lips.

I miss it and break into a fit of giggles when alcohol falls down my neck.

“He’s out!” The entire team yell, catching a falling Ronan.

“Hell yeah!” Xander shouts at a few guys by his side. “Pay up, bitches.”

“I won?”

Cole smiles, shaking his head. “You won.”

“I won!” I scream and jump.

Bad idea.

The ceiling spins round and round as I fall backwards. The cheering and hooting stop altogether.

Strong arms clutch me and I crack my eyes open, looking at the face that’s been torturing me for two weeks.

Pale blue eyes stare down at me as if I’m the most beautiful thing on earth.

And it does shit to me.

That look. Those eyes.

It hurts knowing I don’t have this in my life anymore. Why did he come in if he planned to leave all along?

I slap his cheeks with both my hands. “Oh, you’re real.”

Tears blur my eyes as I giggle. “Is this a dream or a nightmare?”

“Both, princess.”





44





Astrid





Why is it impossible to hurt you?



* * *



When I open my eyes, I have two thoughts.

Where the hell am I?

Why is there someone digging near my head?

I cradle my skull and wince. Apparently, the digging is in my head.

I turn to the side and sit up slowly. On the nightstand, there’s a cup of coffee, a bottle of water and paracetamol pills.

I snatch the water and pills. The water soothes my scratchy throat enough to sip the coffee.

Eww. It’s bitter.

I still sip it anyway because I need to wake up.

Tequila shots — and whatever shots I had afterwards — were a bad idea.

If Dan was going to stop me, he should’ve done it earlier.

I’m adding that to his friendship manual.

I feel like I’m going to topple over and puke all over myself. Oh, and the hangover will last for a week.

My gaze strays to my surroundings. I’m sitting on a king-sized bed with untidy sheets. The open balcony causes curtains to flap inside and into the room.

I’ve never seen this room in Dan’s house before. And since when do they have gold-rimmed ceilings?

I stare down at myself and gasp when I find out I’m only wrapped in a bathroom robe.

With a beating heart, I stare underneath. Shit. I’m completely naked.

I’m not in Dan’s house and I’m naked. Please tell me I didn’t do something I’ll regret.