Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

“Just admit it.” Knox jabs Ronan’s shoulder. “We’re stronger than you.”

“Someone should take away your delusional pills because last I checked, we’re winning.”

“We’ll turn the game.”

“And we’ll score one more and win.”

“It’s definitely your weed speaking, Astor.”

“Mais non. It’s your delusional pills.” Ronan’s gaze meets mine. “Isn’t that right, Kimmy?”

Xander motions at him with a dismissive finger. “Finish your game and don’t address her until the end of your life.”

I smile to myself. Someone is jealous. No idea why that makes me so giddy.

“Are you sure you won’t change your mind and marry me?” Ronan counts on his fingers. “I have a title, I’m rich, beautiful and don’t care about wars. I’m like the Switzerland of this world.”

Teal scoffs and says in a mocking tone, “That must be why you’re called Death.”

Cole’s lips lift in a smirk.

“What was that, ma belle?” Ronan grins with no humour.

“She’s calling you Death.” Cole is still leaning on his hand as he stares between Teal and Ronan. “Maybe you should prove it.”

“Yes, prove it,” Aiden speaks for the first time tonight, finally lifting his head from Elsa’s ear.

“We can think of ways.” Cole proposes.

“Or we can make them.” Aiden raises an eyebrow.

“I might have a suggestion.”

“Or two.”

“We can start right now.”

“Yes, let’s make this night a bit more fun.” The smirk on Aiden’s face shines with pure sadism.

Cole, however, remains serene. Unaffected even.

The most boggling thing is that during that back and forth, Aiden and Cole never looked at each other or exchanged glances. They were plotting mayhem without any prior plan.

Talk about team play. Or maybe it’s more than that between those two.

“I agree.” Xan’s voice comes from behind me with mischievousness.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Making Ronan pay by throwing him in front of those two.” He brushes a kiss against the lobe of my ear. “Watch and learn, Green.”

Ronan flips off Xander, who returns it with a huge grin, as if he’s been waiting for this his entire life.

“Being Death is cool.” Knox wraps an arm around Ronan’s shoulder, instantly forgetting about their team-level disagreement. “Everyone is afraid of you on the field.”

“Thank you, Van Doren!” Ronan squeezes him in a bro clutch. “I’m promoting you to my closest friend and firing all these fuckers.”

“I never agreed to being fired,” Cole says.

“You mean you were my friend?” Aiden scratches his chin. “I don’t remember that.”

Cole snaps his fingers as if he recalls something crucial. “But we do remember what you did last week when –”

“Don’t make me go Death all over you, Captain.” Ronan is smiling, but his usual playfulness and warmth are gone.

“Fine.” Cole sighs. “Then let’s play a game.”

“I love games,” Aiden encourages.

“Me, too,” Xander chimes in, but his finger continues caressing my skin underneath my top in a sensual rhythm.

“Bah, merde.” Ronan flops to the sofa opposite everyone else and diagonally from us. “What game?”

“Something simple like…” Cole’s gaze strays to Teal, who remains focused on her phone. “Truth or Dare.”

“Let’s make it more interesting by only doing dares,” Aiden suggests.

Elsa rolls her eyes. “Why am I not surprised you want that?”

“Because I’m going to win and make you do that dare, sweetheart.”

“In your dreams, Aiden.”

“We’ll see about that.” He stares at her for a beat too long. It’s as if he forgets everyone else is here, just like I do when I focus on Xan’s warmth behind my back and his finger wrenching tiny bursts of pleasure from within me.

“Now, where were we?” Aiden addresses everyone else. “Right, dares. Let’s do that.”

“Teal loves dares.” Knox rubs his hands together.

“She does, huh?” Ronan smiles genuinely for the first time since they started ganging up on him.

“Oh.” Cole’s eyes ignite. “That’s a surprise.”

Lie. He knew it all along and is now pretending like he didn’t plot it from the beginning with Aiden.

And Xan’s knowing help.

“She does. They’re her favourite.” Knox falls down beside her. “Aren’t they, T?”

“Shut up, Knox,” she hisses at him without breaking eye contact with her device.

“Why not? The more the merrier, sis.”

“Not interested.” Teal chances a glance at Elsa, but Aiden has already gone back to whispering in her ear, so she might as well not be here.

“Come on. Surely you can give it a go?” Cole asks in a persuasive, gentle tone that I’m certain resembles the devil’s when he’s luring people to sin.

“Afraid of losing, ma belle?” Ronan winks.