Deviant King (Royal Elite #1) by Rina Kent

A ruler on his throne.

A devil in his hell.

Over the summer, I thankfully hadn’t seen him, he’s bulked up — due to the football camp, no doubt. His uniform’s jacket stretches over well-defined shoulders. The dark blue trousers tighten around his muscular thighs and even his legs have become taller. I’m sure the coach would be so proud of his star player wanker.

His dark hair is between being tousled and slicked. Under the dim classroom light, his dark grey eyes appear black. Everything about him is.

Black mind.

Black heart.

Black soul.

I should’ve listened to Kim that day when she said those little bastards owned the school. Their parents are the biggest shareholders. Everyone in RES, including some teachers, fall to their knees for them.

All of them are sons of ministers or lords.

All except for Aiden.

His father owns those ministers and the rest of the UK’s politicians.

Jonathan King leads the most successful conglomerate, not only in this country, but also worldwide. If he sponsors a politician, they’re sure to win.

If he brings someone down, they’re sure to vanish and never return.

That’s the only reason I haven’t reported the bullying or mentioned it to Aunt and Uncle.

Quinn Engineering is a small fish and their contract with a subsidiary of King Enterprises is the reason they’re flourishing. Losing their company would devastate them.

If I stir up any trouble with Aiden, I have no idea what the devil will do. After all, he’s the heir to his father’s kingdom.

Aunt and Uncle saved me ten years ago, and I’d rather die than hurt them in any way.

Ronan notices us first. He’s the typical teenage boy with messy brown hair and eyes. All he cares about is partying and shagging his way through school. Kim and I are probably the only moving things with a skirt he hasn’t fucked.

That’s probably why he licks his lips suggestively while he looks us up and down. Then he stops abruptly and nudges Xander.

The latter pauses tossing the ball to Cole and freezes. Literally. His easy-going smile falls, the dimples disappear, and his demeanour changes.

Kim’s new appearance shocked him.

In his bloody face.

Aiden’s eyes are on me. The murderous energy is in the air without me having to look at him.

Xander stares at Kim with contempt. “What have you done, Berly?”

Kim’s hand starts shaking. He made her life a living hell like Aiden made mine. The only difference is that her bullying has been going on since the previous school. She doesn’t talk about it, but considering that she knew these arseholes her entire life, I’m sure it’s been going on for even longer than that.

“Ignore him,” I lean in so only she can hear me. “They get off on a reaction. Don’t show it.”

“You think you’re all pretty now?” He strides forward with a barely tucked-in menace.

Kim shrinks into me, biting her lower lip. Even with her courage resolution, I can’t really blame her.

Xander is an intimidating arsehole both because of his stupid football build and his influence as a minister’s son.

Besides, he’s humiliating her in front of a class full of kids who always hated her.

“Once a nobody, always a nobody, Kimberly.” He snarls her name.

Her bottom lip trembles, which means she’s about to cry. The arsehole always makes her cry.

“Xander, p-please,” she whispers.

He slams his hand on the wall, and Kim flinches. “You don’t say my fucking name.”

“That’s enough.” I level him with a hard glare.

“Stay out of it, Frozen.” He’s speaking to me, but his entire attention is on Kim and her bowed head.

I’m about to pull her into a seat when Silver barges through the door, carrying a coffee cup. Her minions follow after, flipping their hair and making a show of their entrance.

Great.

Silver hits my shoulder and spills her cup of coffee on Kim’s front.

I gasp as Kim’s white shirt, jacket, and even the skirt soak in caramel coffee.

Kim closes her eyes and a tear rolls down her cheek.

The rest of the class snickers.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Silver?” I’m about to lunge at her, but Kim digs her nails into my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“Oops.” Silver holds the empty cup. “Go change, Berly. While you’re at it, lose the whorish skirt. It doesn’t suit your fat hips.”

Her minions chuckle and everyone in the class follows suit.

Everyone except for me and the four horsemen.

My gaze snaps to Aiden. He’s twirling the ball on a finger, but he’s not watching the scene.

He’s watching me.

Despite my resolution to not get stuck in his games, I meet his glare with one of my own.

For a moment, it’s as if only the two of us are in the class.

He’s surrounded by his murderous demons while I seethe for what his minions do.

Since that first time he announced he’d destroy me in front of the entire school, I’ve become RES’s outcast.

He doesn’t even have to do anything. He just sits like a king on his throne and watches what his loyal subjects do.

The bullying and the rumours that I slept with professors for my grades never fazed me because I know who I am.