Page 36 of Triumphant Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #3)

Rosie doesn’t work for the club anymore, but she does come to visit a lot.

Since finding her own guys, she likes to come here with them on their downtime.

I still have no idea what she does for work, but the way the guys seem to be afraid of her, I’d say she’s a pretty big deal.

Never felt the need to press for more information, though.

I like Rosie. She’s good people, and we’ve become friends of sorts.

“I’m here to meet the guys.” I laugh. “They’re surprising me for our anniversary.”

“Really?” her brows furrow. “Huh. I haven’t seen them around. Even saw Preston leave like an hour ago.”

“You sure?” I ask. Maybe I should text them.

“Preston is here.” Sherry, one of the new bartenders, says. “Saw him go into your guys’ room just ten minutes ago.”

“Oh.” I grin. “Thanks.”

“He must have been just getting things set up for your big night.” Rosie winks. “Have fun.”

“I plan on it.” I grin.

Weaving my way through the crowd, I head to the back towards the rooms. Using my key card, I unlock the door and slip inside.

“Hello?” I look around the dimly lit room, but I don’t see anyone. My eyes find the bed and I smile. Rose petals are scattered on the bed with a little white note and a blindfold.

Reading the note, it says to put it on and wait in bed for them.

Laughing softly, I quickly do what it says and lie there, waiting, excitement and nerves amping up.

My heart starts to race when I hear the sound of the door click open. Licking my lips, I wait for someone to say something.

“Hello?”

“Shhh.” A voice whispers.

Smiling, I bite my lip as the bed dips. “Mhhm.” The deep husky voice rumbles. “Look at you.”

I’m not sure which one of my guys it is; their voice is almost a whisper.

“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?”

My brows furrow. Something isn’t right here. My gut is screaming danger.

I rip the blind fold off and gasp when I see a man sitting on the bed. A man who isn’t one of mine.

“Who are you?” I hate how much my voice cracks. “And what are you doing here?”

It’s hard to see in here, but I can make out the curve of his creepy smile in the red light.

When he lifts his hand up to pull off his mask, pure terror takes my breath away.

“No.” I shake my head, tears stinging the back of my eyes. “This can’t be real. You're not here.”

“Oh, but I am.” He laughs, moving to crawl on the bed.

“Don’t come any closer!" I scream.

“Or what?” he cocks his head to the side. “Are you going to scream for help? Go for it. You and I both know this room is soundproof.” His laugh makes me want to puke. “And as far as anyone here knows, you're having a night alone with your men. No one’s going to come check on you.”

“You're the one who sent the letter.” It wasn’t my guys. It was so easy to think it was. I fell right into his trap.

“Those stupid men of yours.” He laughs, crawling closer.

“They should be here, with their whore, but instead they’re working.

When will you understand, Sadie? For men like us, the rich and powerful, love means nothing.

Money and power mean everything. I was a god once,” he spits, “until you ruined everything.”

Closing my eyes, I try to keep the contents of my stomach down.

He’s right. I could scream for help, but the club is loud, and these walls are soundproof.

I just need to make it to the button on the wall by the door.

It’s something the guys put in every room in case a session went wrong and someone needed medical help.

“You're supposed to be dead.” My heart thunders in my chest, eyes opening and flicking in the direction of the door. It’s too far away. He’s too close. If I try to make a run for it, he’s going to catch me before I even make it off the bed.

“Dead?” he laughs. “Who told you that? My sons? They would love that, wouldn’t they?

No. I’m not dead. I’ve just been waiting in the shadows for my moment to strike.

Do you really think I’d let you all get away with ruining me?

” he laughs, and the sound sends chills down my spine.

“I refuse to go down until all of you go with me.”

“If it’s money you want, take it. Take it all, then leave. Money means nothing to us.”

He laughs again. “Money is everything,” he growls. “Without money, you’re nothing. And you took mine away from me.”

“I didn’t do anything.” I shake my head.

“You’re the reason I lost him!” he shouts. “He was mine! I was going to take him and go far away from here, where we could live like fucking kings!”

“Who?” My brows furrow together. “Collin?”

“No,” he growls. “Your father.”

“My father... w-what does he have to do with any of this? He’s dead.”

“I know.” He laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “Because I killed him.”

Dread fills my stomach like cement, my eyes welling with tears. “Why? Why would you do that?” Mom had told me I should stay away from Bradly, but I didn’t know he knew them on a personal level. And for him to... he killed my dad? Why?

“Did your mommy tell you he and I used to be the best of friends?” he asks, leaning back on his heels. I breathe just a little bit better knowing he’s put some distance between us.

“N-no.”

“Well, we were. I didn’t care that he was a scholarship student.

He might have been poor, but he was a good guy.

That was until he met your mother,” he spits.

“He fell so head over fucking heels for that bitch and forgot all about me. He chose her. After everything I did for him!” he screams. “I offered him the world, and he chose her!”

Something tells me that this wasn’t just some guy upset he lost his best friend. He sounds like a scorned lover. Was Bradly in love with my dad?

“So you killed him over it?”

“I went to him and gave him a choice. Me or her. He chose wrong. She loved to rub their happiness in my face. Always smiling and laughing, putting her hands on what belonged to me!” He shakes his head.

“He wasn’t going to pick me no matter what I did.

I had two options. Kill her and watch him be in pain for making the wrong choice, or kill him and take away the most important person in her life like she did me! ”

“So you killed your best friend? That’s so fucked up!” I shouldn’t be poking the bear, but holy hell, all of this is so fucked up. I don’t even know what to think.

“It would’ve been more fucked up if I killed her, he would move on with someone else, and I’d be forced to watch him live a happy life without me. So, I killed him. If I couldn’t have him, no one could.”

“You’re crazy.” A sob bubbles free. “You know that, right?”

“And you’re a stupid whore. Another Evans woman who thinks they can take from me.

Who thinks what is mine belongs to them!

No.” He dives forward, making me scream as he traps me on the bed below him.

“I will not let you take from me, like she did. First, I’m going to kill you, sending my sons the message that they chose wrong, just like your dad.

Then I’m going to find your mother and kill her too.

You can all be one big happy little fucked up family together in hell. ”

His hand wraps around my throat. My eyes widen in horror, a scream trapped in my throat as I claw at his arm.

My heart pounds, my lungs scream as tears spill down my cheeks.

No. No, I can’t go down like this. I need to fight, I need to live. There’s a tiny little human inside me that’s depending on me.

But no matter how much I kick, punch, and claw at him, he just tightens his grip, taking what I give him while he stares down at me with his evil eyes, lip peeled back as he breathes heavily.

As I feel the life drain from my body, I think about their smiling faces, the way they make me feel when they hold me tightly. Their kisses. The way they smell. Every little detail brings some sort of comfort.

Just as I’m about to pass out, I hear someone shout, “Oh fuck no!” A moment later, the hand is gone from my throat.

I gasp deeply before breaking into a coughing fit, desperately trying to breathe in more air.

“You stupid bitch!” Bradly roars.

“Aww, that's a cute pet name. I prefer cupcake, though,” a female voice laughs.

“I’m going to kill you,” he growls.

“Not if I kill you firsttttt,” she sings.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m sure as hell happy to still be alive.

“You okay, Dee?”

It takes a moment to shake the fog clogging my mind before I sit up and see Rosie standing in the room, a gun pointed at Bradly, who’s lying on the ground, her heeled foot on his chest.

“I’m okay,” I rasp, my throat raw.

“Good. I was almost too late. Sorry about that, babe. But I’m glad I got here in time.”

“Me too.”

“Take off to Preston’s office and lock the door. Then give them a ring. Let them know to meet me at the warehouse on 90th street off Carvel.”

“Okay... why?” I ask, pretty fucking confused on why she isn’t calling the police.

“Because this guy is about to have one hell of a night, and I thought they would want to watch. Maybe even have a little bit of fun themselves.”

“So we’re not calling the cops?”

“No,” she snorts.

“Call the cops,” Bradly begs me.

“What?” What the fuck? “You just tried to kill me. Why the fuck do you want me to call the cops? They will lock you up for the rest of your life.”

“That's what he wants.” Rosie laughs. “Because at least there, he’d be alive. With me, not so much.”

“Call them,” Bradly snarls. “You're not just going to let her kill someone, are you?”

“Fuck yes,” I find myself responding. “You're joking, right? I might not have any idea who she is or what she can do. But my guys do. And from what I can tell, they’re just as scared of her as you seem to be.”

“Aww.” Rosie puts a hand to her heart. “That’s so sweet.”

It’s the worst time to smile, it really is, but I do anyway. Because this girl is something else.

“Whatever is about to happen, I want to be there.”