Page 81

CHAPTER 81

KING

brIGHT PINK SHOT GLASS

It’d been forever since I played a drinking game, even if it was just pickle juice for me. Most of us were big as hell, which made for an interesting circle, sitting together with our knees bumping into each other.

I sat pretty close to Willow, about two people over, and Elijah distributed shot glasses.

"Never have I ever," Elijah announced, passing a bright pink shot glass my way. "If you’re caught in a lie, you have to drink a whole bottle."

Their team captain narrowed his eyes. "I’m not driving anyone to the hospital."

"Never have I ever used a hockey stick during sex," one of the players started.

Half of the guys groaned and reached for the bottle.

"The—the hockey stick?" Willow gagged. " What? "

On her way to the back of the house, June threw the next one over her shoulder. "Never have I ever blown my load in my shorts at Mardi Gras?—"

"What the fuck?!" another player demanded. "Nothing’s sacred!"

Two people downed shots.

"Hey, this is my game." Elijah interrupted. "Never have I ever lied to somebody."

Huh. Not really what I expected Ruthless to come up with, but everyone took a shot.

The pickle juice left a sour taste but that was okay, Willow giggled with her eyes on me. I threw her a smile and she smiled back. This was her last event for dating Elijah Contractor. Sunday was the dinner with Coach and her mom. All I had to do was get through the next couple of days and Willow would be my girlfriend and my girlfriend only.

I tugged out my phone.

Me

Youre so beautiful

My angel

I loooove your look

YUM :3

Me

Thanks my girlfriend picked it out for me

My angel

Ask her if I can borrow you for the evening 3

Me

Ill ask

She said no

My angel

Tell her to stop being so jealous :(

Me

I like her jealous

"Never have I ever eaten grasshoppers—" someone said, but Elijah stopped him.

"Never have I ever broken into someone’s house."

About half of us drank to that, me included.

"Never have I ever gone to jail."

I stopped stealing another look at Willow and my gaze slid to Elijah’s. He was staring at me. I didn’t recognize the look on his face, he looked too serious to be Elijah, his jaw was set with a hard light in his eyes.

I hesitated.

A couple of other guys downed their shots too. It was fine. I wasn’t the only one who’d been handcuffed. I wanted these guys to like me because they were Willow’s friends and getting them to like me didn’t mean pussying out of drinking games.

The next shot tasted worse than the others. I cleared my throat.

"Never have I ever hit someone with a car, and they needed nine stitches."

My eyes snapped to Elijah’s.

"Never have I ever fractured somebody’s ribs with a crowbar."

My throat tightened so quickly, I could feel every muscle contracting. It was like a snake was fastening along my neck, squeezing hard. With jerky movements, I tried to set down the shot glass, but it hit the floor.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Willow jerk up. " Elijah ."

"Elijah, what’s going on?" Denali pushed. "What are you doing?"

"Never have I ever broken a kid’s arm in three places," Elijah finished.

Adrenaline chopped up my seconds until all I knew was I pushed off the ground, but I couldn’t remember doing it. I knew I was making my way to the front door to leave, but I couldn’t remember leaving the living room. I knew Willow was right there and I had to get the fuck out before she saw me touch that shot glass again.

"King?" Willow called to me, panicked.

Fuck, fuck, fuck .

More and more people tried to get my attention, but all of my focus went on pulling the front door open.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Elijah slammed it shut before I could open it all the way. When the hell did he get there? How did he get there so fast? "The Romans might be buying your act?—"

"Stop," I blurted out before I headed to the screen door to leave through the backyard.

"What’s going on?" June asked, coming in from the bedroom.

Willow’s voice cut through. "Elijah, knock it off!"

He popped up before I could open the screen door. "How long did you think you could hide this shit?"

"Stop."

"What kind of sick fuck—a sixteen-year-old? Do you know how much pressure it takes to break a kid’s arm in three places?"

" Stop. "

Hockey players joined in, trying to pull Elijah back, but he twisted out of their grasp. "Now Pruitt knows exactly who you are?—"

Panic punched a hole in my chest.

My fist flew before I knew what the fuck was happening and the two of us crashed into the table. It wasn’t well-coordinated, no one had the upper-hand, the table fell and we hit the ground too.

Tackling him was easy—landing punches was not, I couldn’t focus with the panic at the back of my throat, and I was taking them as much as I was dishing them out. People shouted, trying to drag us apart, but the only thing that really stopped us was the bottle that smashed against my head.

I lurched to the side, glass in me again. It cut deep.