Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

It’s like I’ve been pushed out of my own skin.

I know I’ll eventually have to make decisions. I have to go to the doctor and either ask him about the baby’s health or tell him to kill him.

Tears prickle into my eyes at that second option.

I don’t want to kill my own child. I don’t care that I’m eighteen and that the father is my step-freaking-brother. Why does an innocent soul have to pay for that?

Every time Cole is in sight, I act cool, then run away.

He’ll know I’m avoiding him. He always does, the wanker.

Besides, I can’t possibly fall asleep without him reading me one of his boring books now. He’s so snobbish about paperbacks, I gave up trying to make him read to me from my Kindle.

The thought that I’ll lose all of that once the truth of what I’m carrying comes to light makes me sick to my stomach.

Maybe I can crash at Mum’s for a few days until I figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

Unless she finds out and kind of kills me.

And Papa.

He’s so old-fashioned and conservative. He’ll be so disappointed in me if he finds out I haven’t only been fucking my stepbrother under his roof, but I also fell pregnant.

I call it a day as soon as the last class ends. Usually, I’ll linger around the football team’s practice and pretend they bore me out of my mind while I secretly ogle Cole.

What? He looks hot as hell in his football jersey and with that captain band around his thick bicep.

All the girls are head over heels for Aiden and Xander because they’re the strikers who scores the goals. Or Ronan, because he makes a show out of everything he does. But Cole is the secret weapon.

I think only the coach and the players themselves understand how important his position on the team is. Ninety per cent of the assists that lead to goals are made by him. All the possessiveness of the ball in the midfield is also ensured by him. Most of the attacks are orchestrated by him. The defence is literally his bitch.

He’s the only one who gives one hundred per cent in both defence and attack. Ronan might be midfield too, but he goes forwards more. Cole goes forwards and back.

Cole is the strongest player on that team and people are idiots for idolising the other three.

Just because he’s silent and doesn’t brag, doesn’t mean he doesn’t work hard.

But then again, it’s not like I want everyone to idolise him.

I’ll crush every last one of them.

And yes, I learnt all that football rubbish since Cole started to have an interest in the game. I’ve always pretended I didn’t care about it, and I don’t, not really, but I care about how he plays.

How he owns the field and everyone in it without them noticing. He’s the master behind the game because he plots everything to a T.

Today, though, I won’t stay and watch. I need to gather a few things from home and flee to Mum’s before he returns.

I’m about to get into my car when a shadow creeps up behind me. I startle, turning around.

“Hey, Silver.” Adam smiles at me. His eyes are bloodshot and his shoulders seem tense underneath the uniform. A waft of alcohol comes from him.

The hell is he doing here?

I haven’t received a text from him in more than a week, and he’s been keeping his distance at school, so I thought he finally got himself together.

I don’t like the look on his face. Not one bit.

“Hey, Adam.” I try to sound distracted, even though I’m on the verge of a panic attack. “I’m in a hurry so —”

He grips my arm so hard, I smother a squeal. “Why the fuck do you always do that?”

I try to wiggle free, but his hold is like steel, fingers digging into my flesh. “Adam, let me go. You’re hurting me.”

“Hurting you.” He barks out a laugh. “You know how to be hurt, Silver? Because you’ve been stomping on my heart over and over again.”

Shit. Shit.

Swallowing, I watch my surroundings, searching for help. There’s no one here — of course.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Adam.”

“You mean you pretend you don’t know.” His other hand caresses my chin. “You know, I’ve been in love with you for such a long time, but you keep playing hard to get. I’ve done everything for you. When that bitch Kimberly was bothering you, I mock-confessed to her and spilt paint on her head. I’ve done everything to protect you.”

My mouth hangs open.

He’s a psycho. I can’t believe he did that to Kim because of me. She was hurt so badly, it pushed her into a Nazi-style diet that’s been sucking the life out of her.

There’s no telling what he’ll do to me. God, I should’ve told Papa about those texts since I first got them. Why did I have to fill my emotional gap with them? Just how stupid could I be?

“Go out with me, Silver.” He smiles like a maniac. “You and I are meant to be.”

I squirm away from him, pushing back against the car and wrapping a hand around my baby.

“Back off. Don’t mistake my silence for weakness.”

“Do you know how long I’ve dreamt about this?”

My insides are about to liquefy with terror, but I keep the harsh tone I learnt from Mum. “Back off or I swear —”

“Shh, shut up. Shut the fuck up.” He jams his fist at the roof of the car beside my head.