Page 20 of Knight

Damien’s smell is intoxicating.

Pine, weed and peppermint with a hint of whiskey. It takes over, his eyes zoning into mine and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a bit of excitement filling my guts.

Damien’s grip is tight and while he’s hurting me with his grasp and his words, it feels good to be in the hands of the King again.

“I told you to leave, and you didn’t listen.” He says his words through gritted teeth, his voice tired but threatening, skin clammy and pale. I want to hold him. I want to tell him it gets better. But he’s made me the enemy. “You’ll regret it,” he warns. “I’ll make sure you do.”

We’ve played this game before, and I know which buttons to push. “Like I regret ever getting with you?”

His grip tightens some more, his moon-like eyes a blur. He searches my face like he’s fighting something inside him. “You’re a toxin, Medusa. And I won’t stop until you’re out of here. You know I won’t.”

“King.” I hear Christian’s voice but it’s distant. I don’t even know who’s seeing us like this but I don’t care. Every time he touches me it’s like everyone else, everywhere else turns to nothing. A void. Like how I feel without him. “Let her go.”

Christian reaches for his shoulder but Damien’s elbow hits his face, pushing him back. His hand slides from my throat to my chest, pulling at the buttons on my shirt. “This isn’t the time to be stubborn, Rowland. What do I gotta do to get you to leave, huh?” His eyes narrow, darkening like the pits of hell. He’s said shit like this before, but this time I can’t tell if he’s still messing with me. He keeps his eyes on me as he pops off each button until he exposes my chest. He brings his voice to my ear. “Do I have to fuck you senseless for you to listen? Is that what you want? My long, stiff staff, Joelle?”

“King!” Christian pulls at him again and when he releases me, it takes a second for me to think straight. I wobble when I take a step, lust and hate mixing within. Christian reaches out to steady me as I try to catch my breath, my hand reaching for the cold coming across my chest.

My tongue’s glued to the roof of my mouth, stopping me from saying anything to fit the moment. So I say the first thing that comes to my mind, “If you want me to leave, you’re going to have to drag me out.”

Hoofing it inside, I’m hiding the blur of my eyes, another tear threatening to give me away. I keep going through the halls, heading for my locker. The excited chatter around me is background noise, my body buzzing with arousal.

Anger.

Resentment.

Desire.

As much as I hate him right now, as much as I know I should stay away from him and this school, he’s right. I am stubborn. Together with Damien King or not I still have work to do in this town. And I’m not going to let him stop me.“Jo!”

Someone calls my name, my heart racing as I make my way down the shiny ERA hall. Voices get clearer the closer I get to my locker. Lea’s cackle from a distance isn’t helping the tightness in my chest. Neither are the whispers I hear.

“Gold digging slut.”

“There goes Lizzie Borden.”

“Jo, wait up!” It’s Christian and he’s not helping either.

Without so much as a glance his way, I keep going. Right past my locker. I don’t know where I’m headed. We share the same homeroom but I know I want to be far away from him and his squad of dicks. I’m almost at the girl’s bathroom before I’m lifted off the ground, my feet in the air. “What the fuck?” I’m flailing my limbs, curls and legs going everywhere. “Put me down!”

“Relax.” It’s Christian and when he throws me over his shoulder I feel the air on my lower ass cheek, my hair falling over my head.

I’m wriggling in his hold, the scent of his cologne taking over as he covers my ass with my kilt. At least he’s not giving everyone a show but what is it with the Kings and not taking “no” for an answer? “Christian!” I yell again. “Put me the fuck down!”

We’re going through a door, my voice turning into an echo around the room. The walls are blue and white, almost a copy of the girl’s bathroom except … My eyes zone in on a urinal as my boots hit the shiny floor. A boy shuffles by me, mumbling “Sorry, Perez.” Christian gives him a nod before he scurries out the door. It’s amazing what power this school’s “Supreme Squad” has and Christian knows how to use it.

He’ll always be one of them. Even when he doesn’t try.

Wrinkling my nose at Christian, I cross my arm, heartbeat pounding. “What the fuck?”

“I wanna talk.” Pulling my eyes away from his sparkling greens, I reach for the handle on the door but he stops me, pulling me into a stall instead. He locks the door behind us before his hands rest on my shoulders but I push them off. “Jo, c’mon, I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

“Oh, do you?” I ask, stepping into his face. I’m not letting another King trap me. “Is that why you let your best friend damn near strangle me on the front steps?” He doesn’t have to know I liked it. I’m trying to make a point. “Is that why you don’t have enough balls to talk to me in public? You’re like them, Christian. Stop fooling yourself.”

“What do you want me to do? My best friend lost his dad, Jo. You don’t understand—”

“Actually, I do.” My hands turn to fists, jaw tight.

Christian’s head falls back against the door, eyes to the ceiling. “Shit, I didn’t mean that.”

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