Page 5 of Triumphant Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #3)

“You wanna tell them or should I?” Collin asks, brow raised at Preston with amusement.

“Fuck you,” Preston hisses.

“Sorry, bro, not into that kind of thing.” Collin grins.

Preston growls, moving to lunge towards his brother. Jumping to my feet, I step in front of Preston, putting a hand on his chest.

“Stop!” I state firmly.

His chest heaves in anger, eyes looking like he’s ready to kill. But he stays where he is, his eyes snapping down to mine. Like the moment before, we hold one another's gaze, the tension between us thick.

“Here.” I turn back to see Collin hand Larry something. “Tell me if this is legal.”

I watch as Larry reads through whatever's on the paper, his brows rising as they go.

“What is that?” I ask when no one has said anything for way too long for my liking. I want to know what the fuck is going on, and now, before I lose my mind.

“Did you sign this?” Larry asks, handing me the piece of paper, pointing to a spot that shows my signature.

Taking it from him, I look at my signature. Quickly, I start to read what’s on the paper, and my mind grows more and more confused as I go.

“Is this... is this a marriage license?” I ask because it looks a lot like the paper I signed the other day in this same room with the same man who handed it to me.

Only the signature at the bottom next to my name isn’t Collin’s.

It’s Preston’s.

“It is,” Larry says.

“What is this?” I turn to Preston.

“It’s what it looks like.” Preston steps forward. “You can’t be married to Collin, because you're already married to me.”

My eyes go so wide they practically bug out of my head. “I’m sorry.” I laugh out in shock. “What?”

“You are not married,” Collin sighs like he’s said this a million times before. “Clearly, she has no idea that she signed this; therefore, it’s not legal. Right?” He directs the last part to Larry.

Not waiting for him to answer, I look at Preston with confusion. “What is going on? Because I can tell you right now, we never got married.” Unless I got shit faced drunk, and I don’t remember it.

“You know, fuck you,” Preston growls, but not to me, to his brother. “You can’t come in here and take her,” he snaps. “She’s mine. She was mine first, and I’m not going to let you swoop in here and take her from us.”

“Hey.” I press my hand to his heaving chest. “No one is taking me away from anyone.” I cup his face, my heart breaking at the hurt in his eyes. “Preston. Look at me.”

His eyes snap down to mine, and I watch as his body softens.

Placing his hands over mine, he holds me in place.

“I love you, Sadie. So fucking much it hurts. I’m sorry I’ve been a coward and ran.

You and Declan didn’t deserve that. But I’m done running.

I don’t give a fuck about Tina. I’m not waiting anymore.

You’re mine. He’s mine. And I won’t let anyone take you from me. ”

My eyes sting as my heart does a little flip at his words. I want to believe him, but the last time he confessed his feelings, he ran.

“Preston. What are the papers?” I ask softly, needing to know.

His eyes flick between mine, and I see a flash of guilt. Swallowing hard, he lets out a heavy breath. “When I had you sign the NDA’s along with a bunch of other paperwork the first time you came to the club, there was another document in the pile.”

Understanding dawns on me. “A marriage license?” he nods slowly. “Why would you want me to sign that? That doesn’t even make sense. You hated me. Why the hell would you have wanted to be married to me back then? Also, I really don’t think that's legal, seeing how I had no idea I was signing it.”

“She’s right,” Larry chimes in. “It’s not. You also didn’t file it.”

“Fuck you,” Preston growls at Larry.

“Eyes on me.” I turn his head towards me again. “Preston. Talk to me. Please. Why did you put that in there? This makes no sense.”

“I don’t know, okay!” he raises his voice, taking a step back as he runs his hand through his hair aggressively. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I do half the shit I do. Maybe I’m fucked in the head like my dad and wanted something for blackmail.”

“Seeing how you're nothing like your father, want to try again?” I ask, taking a step towards him.

This isn’t the Preston I know. So frazzled and vulnerable.

“Because I’ve been in love with you for years, okay!

?” he shouts, eyes wild. “I wanted you so damn badly that I told the other guys to stay away from you when I saw the way they looked at you. I knew I couldn’t have you because I was cursed to live the miserable fucked up life my dad set in place for me.

But I was selfish and didn’t want them to have you either.

They were in the same situation as me anyways.

They didn’t need to start something with you only to break your heart.

I mean fuck.” He throws his arms in the air.

“I was right. Look at where we are now!” He’s worrying me, I’m watching him start to spiral before my eyes.

“And fuck you!” he shouts in Larry’s face.

“Don’t tell me it’s not legally binding, we both signed it.

She’s mine. She’s my wife, not his. He can’t fucking take her from me. ”

Tears spill down my face as my heart breaks. “Preston,” my voice cracks as I take a step toward him.

“No,” his own voice breaks as he shakes his head.

“I can’t lose you, Sadie. I can’t lose you.

I can’t lose Declan. You're all I have. No one else wants me. I’m no good.

I’m broken and toxic. Everything I touch turns to poison, but I need you.

I’m drowning, Sadie, I’m drowning, and I don’t know what to do.

I need you to save me. Please, save me. I can’t do this without you. ”

He’s breathing so heavily I feel like he might pass out. As he drops to his knees, I follow him to the ground, wrapping my arms around him as everything inside me shatters for the man I love.

“I’m here. I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere. Declan isn’t either. You have us. We’re yours. I promise, okay?”

Preston grabs me, pulling me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me tightly as he buries his face into my neck.

Closing my eyes, I breathe him in, peppering kisses on his neck as I continue to whisper the words.

“Hey,” Collin's voice breaks in, Preston jolting in surprise when he kneels down next to us. “You’re not alone, okay? You say no one wants you, but you’re wrong.

This woman right here loves you. She needs you just as much as she needs everyone else.

That man of yours, he loves you, too. You just need to let him. ”

Preston’s body is stiff, and he says nothing to Collin.

“And they’re not all you have. You have me. I want you to be my brother,” Collin whispers.

The moment Collin puts his hand on Preston’s shoulder, Preston breaks. His shoulders shake as silent sobs wrack his body.

I lose it when Collin wraps his arms around the both of us, telling his brother everything will be okay.

My poor broken boy. He might come off as an asshole, as someone who doesn’t care. But he cares so much more than anyone can ever see or understand.

We stay like this for a while, and when we finally pull apart, we see that Larry left.

He’s not needed because what Preston had me sign isn’t legal. Even I know that.

Is it fucked up that a part of me loves it? Loves that he wanted me so badly that he wanted to marry me and make me his, even when he told me, without words, he couldn’t stand me?

Not only that, but he's wanted me for a lot longer than I ever thought.

I have a feeling there's a lot more to our moments we’ve shared in the tower.

All this time, I thought he didn’t like me, when it was just him denying himself what his heart really wanted.

Preston’s red-rimmed eyes stare up at me.

I give him a soft smile, reaching up to wipe the moisture away.

He grabs my wrists, and for a moment I think he’s going to push me away, but he doesn't. Turning his head, he presses a kiss to the inside of my wrist.

“I’m done running,” he murmurs against my skin, making me shiver. “Once I can get out of this fucked up arranged marriage to Tina, I’m going to come for you.”

“I know you will.” I give him a small smile. “And for now, we can still be together. Sure, we can’t be out in the open like we want to be, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“You deserve better,” he growls, looking away.

“I deserve you.” I duck my head, following his gaze. “Our lives are fucked up and out of our control. But we will always find a way, okay? I’ll wait as long as I need to. But I’m not going anywhere. And neither is Declan.”

“You say that now, but–”

“No.” I grip his cheeks with one hand and squeeze. “Enough. You're mine, Preston Jones. And I’ll cut a bitch who tries to take you from me.”

That has him chuckling, and god, the sound makes my heart soar. “You know,” he says, gripping my hips to grind me down on his cock. “Seeing you all possessive over me is pretty sexy.”

“Yeah?” I smile.

“Yeah.” He nods, leaning in to kiss me.

My body comes to life as I moan against his lips.

“Not that I don’t think this moment is adorable and shit, but please do not fuck on my office floor.

My mother is inside this house, probably wanting to come in here and check on us all to make sure we’re okay and do that motherly thing she does, and we don’t want to make the woman die of a heart attack. ”

“Stop that.” Carol steps into the room. “You act as if I’m some old, fragile lady.”

Biting my lip, I smile up at my mother’s best friend. “Hi,” I say awkwardly, because I’m supposed to be married to her son, but here I am making out with his brother while she also knows I’m dating another man besides these two.

“Hi, Sadie, love.” She crosses her arms, not seeming to be surprised at all with what’s going on. Sometimes I forget she’s a part of this fucked up world too. “Anything else you’ve been keeping from me? Let me guess, you with Grayson too?”

“Ahh, maybe?” I laugh awkwardly.

“Called it.” She nods, smiling widely.

“Was it that obvious?”

“Oh, love.” She gives me a pitying look, making me even more embarrassed. “I saw the way you’ve been looking at these boys for years. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together when you started hanging around with them. I'm the head of the school, I have eyes everywhere.”

My eyes widen in horror. “When you say everywhere...” I squeak.

“Everywhere.” She gives me a knowing look, and I die inside. “No more of that, okay? Now, I’m going to put on a pot of coffee and make you three something to eat.” Spinning around on her heel, she leaves.

“You hungry?” I turn to ask Preston, climbing off his lap and holding out my hand. He looks at me wearily, casting a glance at the door. “Come on.” I laugh. “She doesn’t bite.”

This is new for him. Preston has never had a loving parental figure in his life. And whether he likes it or not, Carol will fill that role for him. It’s just who she is. He’s her son’s brother. Therefore, he’s family.

It’s one of the many reasons why I love that woman.

Without a word, he takes my hand and gets to his feet. We don’t talk about what just happened, giving him time to process everything.

When we sit down at the table, plates of yummy food in front of us, I give him a smile before mouthing ‘I love you’ and digging in.

This is one bizarre start to my day, but what else is new?