Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5) by Rina Kent

The emptiness of the air on my skin is like being abandoned, being thrown away.

It’s one of my most hated feelings in the world.

“I’m not kidding.” I speak to his back. “I will do it.”

He glances at me over his shoulder. “I’ll do it too.”

And then he’s walking again. Damn it. Damn it.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Why the hell isn’t he stopping me? He should, and I would stop him in return.

Unless the arsehole actually wants to do this?

He can’t…be serious.

“Ronan.” I grind out his name, expecting him to ignore me, but he turns around and faces me.

There’s still that loathsome smile on his face, the one I want to burn to ashes. “What is it, belle?”

“Is this another game?”

“I don’t know. You tell me, because I don’t play fair.”

“Just because you have a dick doesn’t mean you’re the only one who gets to do things.”

“Just because you have a pussy doesn’t mean you’re the only one who gets to do things,” he shoots back without missing a beat.

It’s a challenge. He’s challenging me.

“What do you want?” I snap. “Tell me.”

“I want you to tell me.”

“How the hell would I know what you want?”

“Figure it out. You started this.”

“I started this?” I repeat, incredulous.

“You did. Now, as you fix it, I’ll go get my dose.”

This time, I don’t stop him as he disappears into the class, even though something in my chest shrivels and dies.

Fuck him.

He’s not the only one who doesn’t play fair.





17





Ronan





The best-laid plans start with a scheme. It can be something as simple as planting a seed for trouble.

Like I did yesterday.

Teal has been ignoring me since I announced my threesome plans with Claire and her friend. When she thinks I’m not watching, she glares at my back.

She can’t resist glaring. It’s in her personality and the only way she can purge away her emotions.

Sometimes, her brows will furrow when I’m in her peripheral vision, as if she can’t comprehend what’s going on. She realises something is wrong, but she can’t figure out how to fix it.

What she doesn’t know is that she’ll fall in line sooner or later.

My fucking line.

I spent the entire evening with Knox at their house last night, making sure she didn’t go out for whoever the fuck is on her contacts. I’ll do something about those suckers later. It’ll start with erasing them from her life and end with no future contact with them.

For now, she needs to admit her fault, realise what she’s done, and promise she won’t do it again.

There’s something about Teal aside from how real she is. She also goes bonkers when she doesn’t understand shit. This situation isn’t something Google can answer for her, just like it can’t answer my questions about her. There’s nothing about her and Knox on the internet except the fact that they’re Ethan’s foster children. The whole thing is suspicious as fuck, and while Knox isn’t any help, there’s another family member who is.

I find Elsa right before her track practice, the only time the fucker Aiden leaves her alone.

She’s on her way to the pitch when I wrap an arm around her shoulder and fall in step beside her. “How is my favourite Ellie?”

“You have many Ellies?”

“Just three.” I grin. “And you’re the best out of them all.”

“You’re incorrigible, Ronan.”

“Your compliments warm my heart.”

She looks me up and down. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“It got cancelled. Don’t tell King.”

“Why not?” she whispers, as if this is an elaborate plot.

“He’s a dick all the time, while I only get to be a dick now and again.”

She laughs, poking my side. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

“Our secret. My life depends on it — seriously.”

“If you know that, why do you keep provoking him?”

I lift a shoulder. “Because it’s fun.”

“Fun, huh?”

“Speaking of fun or the lack thereof, I still cry into my pillow every night because you refused to marry me and threw me to your foster sister.” I feign sadness. “I thought I meant more to you than shallow fun, Ellie.”

“Hey, Teal is great.”

“Is she, though?”

“She is. She’s just misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood, really? Surely you heard about the horror story she started at school yesterday?”

She smiles awkwardly. I hit the nail on the head with that one. “She’s just protective and doesn’t like being provoked.”

“Do you think she wants this whole engagement thing?”

“She said she does.”

I don’t miss the way Elsa’s face scrunches as she says those words. She doesn’t believe her.

That’s…interesting.

“Do you think she’s lying?” I feign nonchalance.