Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

“Sir.” Our butler, Ahmed, stands in his elegance at the doorway. He’s a short man with olive skin and light brown eyes. His forehead has that dark crease due to the five-times-a-day prayer. Even I know better than to disturb him during his prayers’ time. Oh, and on Eid days—Muslim celebrations—he brings us the best kebabs from his family.

But that’s not why he’s the only tolerable presence in our staff. It’s because he practically raised me when neither of my parents found time to.

“Miss Reed is here for her brother,” he says with a slight Middle Eastern accent.

Fuck.

Perfect timing that is, as if she could sense he was going to spill the beans on her.

Kirian’s eyes widen as he stuffs the rest of the brownies in his mouth until it’s full, then hops off the stool.

I wipe the side of his face, and he grins as he runs outside. But first, he stops and stares back at me, placing a finger to his mouth. I make a zipping motion as I follow him.

He was on the verge of unveiling something and I’m sure, next time, with the right brownies bribe, he’ll reveal everything to me. Not because he’s a telltale, but because whatever happened upset him enough to make him stop eating his favourite food in the world.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come here?” Her stern voice filters from the entrance as Ahmed escorts Kir to her.

“But I want to play with Xan.”

“Why do you have to play with him?” She grabs his arm. “Am I not enough?”

“Of course you’re not.” I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest and my legs at the ankles.

Kimberly’s reddening face turns crimson under the late afternoon light. The descending sun catches in her green-ish strands making them appear rebellious. Since the beginning of this year, everything about her has been going out of that normal direction. Her uniform’s skirt rides to above her knees, almost to the middle of her thighs. The jacket is too tight, I’m surprised she can breathe in it.

Fuck that and her spiritual journey and weight loss journey and all the fucked up journeys she’s made.

She’s starting to be as fake as the image Silver has been maintaining for years.

“Let’s go, Kir.” She ushers her brother in front of her, quickly cutting off eye contact with me.

That’s more like it, not whatever the fuck she’s been doing since yesterday.

“Go without her, Superman.” I smile at him, showing him my most charming dimples. “I need to talk to your sister.”

“Okay!” He doesn’t pause before running in the direction of their house, probably ready to steal more chocolate cake from Marian.

“I have nothing to talk to you about.” She starts to follow her brother.

“If you want to be enough for him, maybe you should stop whoring yourself around like a cheap little slut.”

She comes to a screeching halt and whirls around so fast, I’m surprised she doesn’t fall to her face with the force of it.

Her cheeks turn hot red as she stares at me with flaring nostrils. The old Kimberly would’ve turned and walked into her house, punched a pillow, and then watched one of her Korean soap operas while cursing my name.

This time, however, she storms back towards me until her chest nearly grazes my crossed arms and points a finger at me. “Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me that way?”

“Are we really going down that road, Berly?”

Her finger that was being pointed at me drops to her side. The deep green of her eyes widens until it almost swallows her face.

No, she’s not beautiful. She’s fucking disgusting.

D.I.S.G.U.S.T.I.N.G.

Spell it out until you learn it by heart, fucking arsehole.

Thanks for the tip, brain.

“While you were parading around, Kirian was on the verge of crying because the driver picked him up from school. Stop telling him not to call me or you won’t like how I react.”

Fine, so Kirian wasn’t on the verge of crying because she didn’t pick him up, but he was on the verge of crying because of her, so that counts.

“He’s my brother.” She stands her ground.

“And I’m telling you that you’re not doing a good job at being his sister, considering your whorish ways and all.”

“Oh, really?” She folds her arms, mimicking my position. “So I should leave him with you to learn your manwhorish ways?”

“Careful, Berly. Your jealousy is showing.”

“Screw you.”

“Is that what you want to see? Me screwing someone? Me shoving my dick in another girl’s mouth or cunt or arse while you bite your tongue because it’s never going to be you?”

Her lower lip trembles, but she clamps it down and says in a calm voice, “You’re the last person I would ever want.”

Then she turns around and strides to her house, the skirt riding up her thighs with every harsh movement.

I have to spin around and stop watching her.

She better keep her word and never want me.

Lewis Knight might be my worst enemy, but Kimberly Reed is the person I hate the most on the face of this fucking planet.





4





Kimberly





I fly down the stairs, carrying Kir’s coat. I can’t believe he almost tricked me into going out without wearing it.