Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5) by Rina Kent

And I can’t do that to my mother. I just…can’t.

“Here’s the condensed version of what went down,” Aiden starts in a semi-bored tone. “Nash here was trying to start a battle by spending time with Teal, and Astor brought Silver and started his own war after making us believe wars are beneath him. Astor has been trying to make us think he doesn’t care about his new fiancée who has a tendency towards satanic rituals and sarcasm, but he is actually contemplating the best way to kill Nash and bury him without anyone finding out. Oh, by the way, Nash is contemplating the same while pretending to read that book, because, as I always say though no one believes me, Nash is a petty little bitch.”

“Damn.” Xan throws his ball in the air then catches it. “I can’t believe I missed all of that.”

Cole doesn’t even lift his head from his book, because if he did, he’d show his real emotions, and he’s not the type to do that.

Lucky for me, I have my beloved joint. It erases all emotions whether I like it to or not. My expression must look serene, happy almost.

“So…” Xan pokes me. “New fiancée and stuff, huh? Since when do you take your father’s orders?”

“I don’t.” I drag a long inhalation and check my phone.

Nothing.

Absolute desert. She hasn’t replied to any of my texts.

Yes, she ignores me sometimes, but not to this extent.

On a scale from one to ten, how dangerous is climbing someone’s balcony?

I’d take pointers from Aiden and Xan, but fuck them basically.

“But you’re engaged to her, right?” Xander insists.

“I am, and if some fucker gets in the way of that, I won’t stay still.”

“Do I hear a threat?” Aiden smirks.

Cole lifts his head slowly even though he’s still leaning on his fist. “Is it? A threat, I mean.”

“You tell me, Captain. Play in my half of the field and I’ll crush you.”

“Woah.” Xander chuckles, pointing at me. “Death is coming out. He’s coming out. Hold on to your tits, bitches.”

“Show him, Astor.” Aiden grabs Cole’s shoulder. “He deserves that side of you.”

I glare at Cole, and he glares back before saying, “I thought you didn’t want Teal?”

“I thought it’s none of your business.”

“Of course he wants her,” Aiden scoffs.

My glare snaps to him.

“What?” He feigns innocence. “I’m just saying if you want pointers about chasing and conquering, I can give you pointers from the King household manual of cease and desist.”

“That sounded so fucking wrong,” Xander says. “You know that, right?”

“How do you think my dear cousin Lev got Astrid? We both take those genes from Jonathan. I’m not an alien. My father is only more interested in business. Imagine if he wanted a human being.”

We all pause then shake our heads with distaste.

Jonathan King is better off without any human presence near him.

“See?” Aiden raises a brow as if proving a point. “Now, back to Astor — you want help with your fiancée?”

“I don’t need help. I just need you all to fuck off.”

And for her to answer my texts.

There’s still no reply. She didn’t even see the fucking messages.

Cole stares at me funny for a second before he stands up and heads in the bathroom’s direction.

“Hey, Knight,” Aiden starts. “Give him pointers. I still vote for chase and conquer, but maybe Knight’s pussy ways work.”

“Fuck you, King.” Xander grins. “You’re just jealous because you can never have my connection with Kim.”

“I can live with that.”

“Do any of you have a lighter?” I ask.

“I have Nash’s.” Aiden dangles it in front of me. “Why?”

I stagger to my feet, snatch the lighter, and set the book Nash just left on his chair on fire. A smirk tugs at my lips as the flames eat it up. I heard he had so much trouble getting this book here with all the translation issues and limited editions and blah fucking blah.

He shouldn’t have read it with Teal. He shouldn’t have sat with her and allowed her to palm his cheeks.

I’m the only one whose fucking cheeks she’s allowed to palm.

“He’ll kill you.” Xander chuckles under his breath.

“Way to go, Astor.” Aiden squeezes my shoulder. “You’re fit to be my friend.”

Neither of them tries to stop me.

I throw the burning book and the lighter in the fireplace on my way out. “Give Captain my fucking regards.”

I don’t wait for their replies as I step outside. The cold air seeps under my uniform’s jacket and the shirt.

An arm wraps around my shoulder as soon as I’m in front of the Meet Up.

“Yo.” Xan grins at me. “You okay?”

While Aiden and Cole share sadism and sociopathic tendencies — among other things — Xander and I have always been the closest.

He’s the only one who knows about my secret. I told him a few years ago when he found me hiding at a party – when I never do that. It was so suffocating, and I felt like crashing my car to feel something other than numbness. I blurted it out, not everything, but the part that weighed on me.