Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

I hit the roof with my foot.

Laughter comes from him as he opens the boot a slit. I squint at the light from the party. People from school buzz all around the car park, laughing and ready to have a good time.

My eyes widen. They can’t see me like this.

“What do you say?” Cole’s eyes gleam as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking about.

I shake my head, mumbling around the ball gag.

“I thought so.” He strokes my cheek again. “Be good.”

And the darkness returns.

The bastard.

I can’t believe he’s leaving me like this to go a party.

It feels like I stay there for hours, if not days. Okay, I’m exaggerating. It’s probably been fifteen minutes, but I’m restless. I move around and I accidently hit the boot a few times before I realise someone might hear.

Shit.

A commotion comes from outside. I can hear Cole’s and Ronan’s voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying.

Soon after, all the voices disappear and the car starts moving.

Thank God.

By the time it stops again, I’m so ready to give Cole a piece of my mind.

He opens the boot and I blink a few times to readjust my vision.

We’re at the park.

The bastard knows where to take me to lessen my anger. He removes the gag and I swallow all the drool that’s gathered in my mouth.

Cole undoes my wrists. I push him away as I try to free my ankles, but I end up making the knots tighter.

A chuckle rips from him as he takes over the task. “Stay still.”

Once I’m no longer tied, I jump out of the boot and punch him in the chest. “What if I was claustrophobic, you arsehole?”

“You aren’t. You hide in your closet every time you write in your journals.”

My lips part. “Y-you know about them?”

“Maybe.”

Oh. My. God.

He’s not supposed to. Why the hell does he even know about them?

“How far did you read?”

“All.”

“You…you…you’re such a pervert!”

“Not as much as your entries about me lately.”

My cheeks heat to a deep shade of red. “Shut up.”

“Why? Are you shy you admitted that night-time is your favourite time of the day?”

“Whatever.” I fold my arms. “If you do that to me again, you’ll read about the black magic and the voodoo doll I’m preparing for you.”

He grabs me by the arm and tugs me close so I end up flush against his front. “If you say you hate me again, this will only keep escalating.”

“Escalating?”

“Uh-huh,” he whispers against the shell of my ear. “And that includes the fucking journal.”

I push away from him, about to get into the passenger seat, but he doesn’t release me.

Cole throws me into the back seat, closes the door, and pulls my dress up.

“S-someone will see,” I breathe out even as my legs wrap around his waist the moment he yanks his trousers down.

“They won’t.”

“What if they do?”

“What if they do, Silver? What if they fucking do?” He thrusts inside me in one long go that tears a moan out of my throat. “That won’t change the fact that I fuck you and sleep with you every night. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine.”

A shudder grips me in its clutches as he owns me in every sense of the word. Lately, it feels as if he’s not only fucking my body, but he’s also screwing my heart and soul.

He’s owning every part of me whether I like it or not.

At first, I thought this would be a fling and would soon end. I thought I’d get bored, tired, or maybe everything would fizzle out.

But it’s been months, whole damn months, and it’s only been fizzling up — not out.

What was I thinking? This is Cole. He’s owned a part of my soul ever since that day in this very park.

He’s always had me. One twisted way or another.

As we fall apart together, the realisation hits me like a thunderstorm. The feelings I have for him were never temporary and they never will be.

None of this will be temporary.

It’s all wishful thinking.

“Fuck,” he murmurs against my neck. “You’re messing me up, Silver. Why can’t I stop thinking about you for even a second?”

“They’re not real.”

“What isn’t real?”

“The feelings. Everything. They only exist because we can’t be together.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He lifts his head from my neck, watching me with disapproval. With anger.

I shove him away, and thankfully, he doesn’t protest as he pulls out of me, his cum dripping between my thighs.

Retrieving a tissue, I clean up, not wanting to meet his imploring gaze. “Take me to Mum.”

If I spend the night with her, surely I’ll clear my head and come up with a better plan for the future.

One that doesn’t destroy both our families.

Because at this pace, we’re heading straight to a cliff where both of us will fall.

Cole’s jaw ticks. He doesn’t say a word as he tucks himself in, gets out, and takes the driver’s seat.

I remain at the back, pretending to stare out the window, when I’m actually stealing looks at him.