Page 1 of Triumphant Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #3)

Sadie

“ M ark Taylor and his lovely bride, Erin Taylor.”

My head is spinning, and I feel like I’m going to pass out any moment. I can’t believe I’m about to do this.

What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t; that's the only explanation on how I got myself into this situation. All I could think about was Collin being forced to marry someone else, and I panicked. I mean, the idea wasn’t a horrible one if Collin agreed to do it, right?

Licking my lips, I try to focus on my mother. Smiling up at her husband, she takes his outstretched hand in hers and lets him help her down the grand staircase that leads into the party below.

The party that the rest of my boyfriends are currently at, probably wondering where the hell I am.

God, I’m the worst. My stomach rolls, guilt hitting me like a punch in the gut. They don’t know about any of this, and I’m about to force them to find out in front of everyone.

I should have told them. I wanted to, so badly. Collin insisted that the less people who knew, the better.

Warm, strong hands slide down my arms, making me jolt in surprise.

“Breathe.” Collin’s breath fans the side of my neck as he presses a kiss just below my ear. My eyes flutter closed as I lean back into his arms, taking comfort in his touch. I try to do as he says, taking slow, deep breaths, in and out.

Doesn’t do much for the fact that I feel like I’m about to throw up all over the nice marble floors, though.

“Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

“They’re going to hate me,” I whisper, tears pricking the back of my eyes.

“No, they won’t,” he growls the words low in my ear. “Once we explain everything to them, they will understand it was the only option.”

“We’re blindsiding them, Collin.” I spin around in his arms, looking up at him with wide, panicked eyes. “They should have had a say in this. This affects them too. What if they think I don’t care about them equally, that I picked you over them?”

“Hey, hey,” he soothes, cupping my face. “We’re going to explain everything.”

“Collin Killian, formerly known as Collin Jones...” The announcer calls, and fear spikes through my body.

“Oh fuck. I’m going to be sick,” I breathe out in a panic, covering my face with my hands. Stupid, stupid, Sadie.

“No, you’re not.” Collin takes my hands in his, kissing the back of each of them before giving them a squeeze. “I’ve got you, and we’ve got this. Everything is going to be okay.”

He takes a step back, shooting me a wink before moving to stand at the top of the stairs.

He stands proudly, a handsome smile on his face. He looks so good tonight—any night really, but especially tonight—with Dark hair slicked back and a black mask in place to match his suit.

“And his new wife—” Oh hey, that's me.

Yup, my big genius plan was to marry Collin, take his last name, and be his wife, so that his slimy monster of a father can’t touch me.

The wedding was just the other day, in the middle of his office, and I was only dressed in some jeans and a warm red sweater.

Just us and the officiant. Who happened to be his lawyer.

Knowing his father had eyes on us, going to the courthouse would have given us away.

And having anyone outside the normal people who visit his place might have caused suspicion.

Taking a steadying breath, I stand straight and try to look like I have all the confidence in the world despite not having an ounce of it right now, and take Collin’s hand.

He smiles lovingly at me. “I love you,” he mouths before looking out at the growing crowd below.

“Sadie Killian.” Ah, yeah, and he also changed his last name. That one's gonna cause some waves.

We just made two major moves on this fucked up chessboard in the game that my guys are forced to play in.

With every step down the stairs, I try to focus on not tripping over my feet and tumbling down the stairs instead of the fact that I know Preston, Grayson, and Declan are all watching right now, wondering what the hell is going on.

The hurt and betrayal they must feel.

“Sunshine,” Collin whispers so low, only I can hear.

I turn to look at him, trying not to let the tears spill over.

“They love you. Everything will be okay.”

He keeps saying that, and I want to believe him so damn badly, but my damn mind won’t let me.

Have you ever had a dream where you feel like you're walking forever and getting nowhere?

That's how I feel right now as we descend the staircase. It’s like time has slowed, yet not slow enough because when I look down and spot the guys at the bottom, off to the side, the urge to turn around and run back up the stairs is so damn strong.

Declan looks confused, Grayson looks hurt, and Preston looks like he’s ready to rip his brother's head clean off his body.

People are watching, whispers floating around the room.

No one knew. So it’s a surprise to everyone, including our parents. Fuck, that’s another conversation I’m not excited for.

As we reach the bottom of the stairs, all I can hear is the blood pounding in my ears.

In the blink of an eye, Preston is in front of us, a murderous expression on his handsome face.

“What the fuck!?” Preston hisses, baring his teeth at Collin as he fists his suit jacket and gets in his face. “Wanna tell me why the announcer said you’re no longer a Jones? Or maybe why the fuck he just called Sadie your wife?”

I bite the inside of my cheek so hard it bleeds, the copper taste adding to my nausea. I can’t cry. I can’t break down. And I really can’t throw up in front of all these people.

“Sadie.” My gaze finds Declan’s hurt and confused eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later, I promise,” I whisper, the weight of everyone’s stares crawling along my skin like a million little spiders.

I hate the attention. All I want to do is drag the guys out of here and explain everything.

But I can’t. Not yet. We have appearances to keep up. Especially since one of the sets of eyes watching us right now is the very man I wish would just disappear and make all of our lives so much better.

“Or... you could explain right the fuck now,” Preston hisses, giving Collin a hard shake.

Collin reaches up and wraps his hand around Preston’s. “Not here,” he growls back, low and dangerous. “If you care about Sadie, back off. Or he’s going to see.”

Preston’s brows furrow as he thinks about Collin’s words. A moment passes between them, like a silent conversation.

I breathe out a small sigh of relief when Preston releases Collin, giving him a little shove as he takes a step back. “I need a fucking drink if I’m going to get through this night,” he spits before shoulder-checking Collin as he walks past him.

“I’m not sure what's going on, Pretty Girl,” Grayson says, my eyes flicking over to his stormy blue ones. “I’m choosing to trust you. But after this,” he nods his head to the room, “you tell us everything.”

“I promise.” I give him a slight but firm nod.

“Come on, D-man. Let’s go babysit your boy so he doesn’t drink himself into trouble.” Grayson wraps his arm around Declan’s shoulder, leading him away.

Declan looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes still swimming with hurt.

“I love you,” I mouth, trying really hard not to cry right now.

That seems to help, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he lets Grayson guide him away.

“Let’s dance,” Collin suggests, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek. “Everyone is watching,” he whispers in my ear. “Time to sell this.”

My eyes flick up to his, and I give him a sad smile. “Not really going to be hard to sell.” I let him take my hand, guiding me to the center of the dance floor.

People whisper, their attention still on us because apparently we’re the most exciting thing about this damn party. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Collin wraps an arm around my waist, the other going to my hip. He gives it a reassuring squeeze as I wrap my arms around his neck.

We start to move to the music as the band begins playing a slow song. Lying my cheek on Collin’s shoulder, I close my eyes, pressing a kiss to his neck, trying to calm myself down.

“You're doing good, Sunshine,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I’m sorry you have to do this.”

“Don’t be.” I sigh heavily, another wave of guilt because he must think I regret this, or that I felt pressured into it. I didn’t. If anything, I pressured him into doing this. “Marrying you isn’t a bad thing, Collin. I love you. I want to be with you. I just hate how all of this had to happen.”

“I know.” He rubs his thumb against the curve of my back.

“And I know I should have said no and not let you get involved with getting me out of this fucked up situation, but I’m not going to lie, Sadie, the idea of marrying anyone who wasn’t you had me desperate.

Call me selfish, but I’m fucking over the moon that you have my last name. ”

“I’m happy too, but I never wanted to choose. I wasn’t supposed to marry any of you.”

“Ouch,” he chuckles.

I move back so that I’m looking into his eyes. “That’s not what I mean. If I could have it my way, I’d marry all of you. But seeing how that's not legal in this country, that’s not going to happen.”

If I could have things in all the ways my heart aches for, we would be living a very different life.

“I’m not gonna lie, the possessive bastard in me is banging his fist against my chest in triumph.

And I know this doesn’t change anything when it comes to the romantic relationships in your life.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to enjoy the fuck out of calling you my wife.

” He gives me one of those crooked grins that has my stomach twisting into knots, in a good way.

“You're going to call me your husband, too, right?” He raises a brow, the grin still on his face.

“Only when the others aren't around,” I grumble as his smile grows. “Or in public like this.”