Page 51 of King

Nate brushes imaginary crumbs on Christian’s jersey. He straightens it out like a proud parent. “At least you got Beth on your side. That’s worth some respect from the Supremes, even if it isn’t Lea’s but, fuck her.”

I catch Allie looking over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll meet you guys by the car. Gotta use the bathroom.”

She heads down the stairs before we can even respond. That's when it hits me. The whiskey that is. “Shit, I gotta go too.”

“Catch up with Allie.” Nate urges me along and I’m halfway down the steps before he calls out, “I’ll be by the car!”

When I’m back at the main entrance of the building, I’m relieved to see Allie. She's headed outside but I stop in my tracks when I see who’s next to her.

Lea.

Allie looks behind her in the opposite direction before they make their way out the door. Forgetting about my bladder, I’m more concerned with what Allie has to say to ERA’s queen bitch.

With enough distance between us, I follow them across the garden and back into the school. I’m in the boy’s locker room hallway. The one I walked down with the mural of The Eagles. Allie and Lea are at the end and they're whispering to each other.

I'm not even watching where I'm going as I creep closer, steadying my whiskey-breath. Allie leans in and I can't tell if they're about to fight or…

Holy shit.

My hand comes to my mouth, the other on the wall of whatever door I've ducked behind. Blinking my eyes I confirm what I’m seeing.

Allie’s leaning in for a kiss!

Lea backs away and when she glances behind her, I duck behind the wall. After a few seconds, I peek around again.

They’re gone.

Shit.

My finger taps against my cheek, pacing back and forth in a room with green lockers, a complicated equation in my mind.

Are Allie and Lea together? I thought she was with Damien.

Wait, are they working together? But why?

A giggle that sounds like Lea's echoes down the hall but before I can follow it, the lights flicker above me.

The room goes dark, “The fuck…”

As I’m taking a deep breath a voice startles me, “What are you doing here?”

It’s a voice I recognize all too well. It comes from behind and when I turn around, a light flickers on the devil’s face.

Fifteen

“Who the fuck do you think you are? Batman?”

A few more lights flicker on and my body stiffens.

Damien stands in front of me in a white towel around his waist. One of the fluorescent bulbs above highlights lines of water trickling down his body and it’s hard not to stare.

There’s a gulp in my throat watching droplets drip off his tight pecs. His washboard abs. That sexy ‘V’ cut below his waist. It’s like glaze rolling off a donut. A very muscular, sinister donut.

“Does Batman make you as horny for him as you are for me?" He lets out a chuckle but it's matched with a mean smirk. "Because we can roleplay."

There's another tattoo below his heart, a withering rose. My blurry eyes follow the stem to a thin stream of water. It leads to a patch of hair where the towel begins and I hope he doesn't catch the nibble of my lip. My heartbeat picks up and my palms are a little sweaty. That doesn't mean I'm intimidated by Damien King. Or turned on.

He walks towards me smelling like pine. It's crisp. Like he's fresh out of the shower. I know he's about to get in my face. I've been here enough to know the signs. A steady pace, a low voice, but I'm quicker this time.

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