Page 5 of Kingston
“So, this is some feminist bullshit?” One of the juniors to my left seated next to Alec spouts off, the vitriol clear in his tone.
“At the very root, it’s about equality. Fairness. I deserve the chance to uphold the family tradition even though I’m not the son my father wanted.”Fuck him, anyway.My father showed me the kind of man he is when he didn’t protect me from Nick. Tears prick at the back of my eyes.Fuck. Show no sign of weakness, Elliot. None.Firmly shoving any sign of fear down deep, I straighten my spine and hold my head high. I meet each and every one of the cocky gazes coming from these assholes with a confident glint in mine.
Despite the fact that this is all a ruse, a convenient cover for why I’m really here, proving I can hack it is important to me. Iamstrong enough to take on this brotherhood and whatever these guys throw at me. My jaw sets firmly as I wait impatiently for them to start asking questions.
From the opposite side of the room, the same blond in glasses raises his hand before speaking. “You haven’t explained how you managed this. I think that’s what we want to hear.”
Before I can answer the question, the dark-haired guy next to him—Sophomore Number Two—squints his eyes at me. “Wait. Does your father know you did this? Because that would be in breach of the contract he signed with the brotherhood back when he joined. And that contract doesn’t end upon graduation. Once you’re initiated into the brotherhood, it’s for a lifetime.”
When I don’t immediately answer because I’m trying to figure out how to explain myself, Kingston steps so close I can feel the heat radiating off him and growls in my ear, “Answer. Now. Did he fuckin’ sign off on a letter recommending you?”
One of the guys, dark-haired with a lot of scruff on his face, chuckles. “Oh, man. I can see it in her eyes. Her old man doesn’t have a fucking clue she’s here. She played him.”
From where I’m standing, the whispers of “We should contact him” and “He’d probably be pissed as hell if he knew” reach my ears. My insides pitch and roll uncomfortably. Dad can’t know. He’d— I squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t think about it. I simply have to convince them not to say anything.
I lower my gaze to the floor for a few seconds before my head pops up to assess this group of men, these brothers who I’m to live with for the school year. “I’ve always thought telling the truth was important, and I won’t lie to you now.No.He has no idea I’m here. This is on me. I want the chance to prove to myself that I’m good enough.” I suck in a nervous breath, then let it out in a gush as I finish. “And yes, I forged his signature.”
“Dude. This is going to get ugly. I can see it already.” That comment comes from the junior sitting closest to us on the left. A mean-looking bastard with auburn hair.
“Taggart. Bridger. Get up here, please.” Kingston’s tone leaves no room for argument, and the other two initiates, who’d been seated on either side of me and have been silent thus far, scramble to join us at the front of the room. “Archer, do you want to explain to them how this works?”
“Sure. As sophomore, junior, and senior brothers, we divide the initiates—meaning you three—among us. That’s why there are always only three initiates—each trio of brothers from previous years will accept responsibility for one initiate. They’ll make sure you’re pulling your weight, respecting the brotherhood and everything it stands for, and lastly, put you through one final test tailored exclusively for you. You’ll be working very closely with your assigned brother group. You’ll do exactly as they say, no matter what.” He pauses to clear his throat, glancing over to Taggart, Bridger, and me. “The names are drawn at random.” As he’s saying this, Cannon has the sophomores and juniors choose a slip of paper from the bowl he’s holding out to them, then takes the third name for the seniors. “Sophomores. Who do you have? Dane?”
The blond guy with glasses—Dane—presses his lips together. He was one of the only people in the room who’d seemed like maybe he was neutral to the idea I’d be staying, but now his expression has taken a downward turn, and he mumbles, “We’ve got Taggart,” before crumpling the slip of paper in his palm.
Archer nods in the direction of the juniors. “You guys?”
The guy sitting next to Alec—the one with all the stubble—wears a devilish smirk. “Elliot.” The gleam in his eye makes me sick to my stomach.
From behind me, a sharp exhale sounds, then before I know what’s happening, Cannon has pushed his way between Bridger and me and has thrown his hand in the air. He’s shaking his head, his jaw clenched tightly.
My teeth clamp down on my lower lip as the juniors grumble in dismay. I blink. I don’t have any idea what happened, but— I turn my head to the left, startled, when Cannon’s big hand grips my shoulder.
Archer chuckles. “It would seem Cannon has decided to change things up.”
“Wait, what?” Confused, I pivot toward Archer’s amused voice—as far as I can with Cannon holding me in place, anyway.
“That means you’re with us, peaches, so long as Kingston agrees.” Archer shakes his head, smirking. “He has the final say when shit like this happens.”
“I’m sorry, shit like what?”
“As seniors, Cannon or I have the power to veto any decision we don’t approve of. And Kingston only needs to agree to make it so.”
“This is fucking bullshit.” I recognize Alec’s voice without having to look to see who it is. My heart races like a stampeding horse. Do I want to be with the juniors? No. They seem like grade A assholes. But am I terrified of the three seniors?Yes.
Twisting out of Cannon’s grip, I turn around to face Kingston, who is still behind me.
With his hands propped on his hips, his mouth pinches into a tight line. His gaze flicks to his brothers, annoyance written all over his features. And again, I sense they’re communicating without speaking. They’re fucking good at it, too. After interminable moments, he grits his teeth, toying with the pendant on the chain he wears. “Fine. She’s with us. Alec, Joel, Stuart, you’ve got Bridger. Taggart will remain with Dane and Zeke.” He runs his hand through his hair, as he continues to eye me. “Turn around. Face the brothers.”
Alec doesn’t bother to hide his irritation, and his buddies, Joel and Stuart, have varying degrees of the same exasperation on their faces. There will be no help from that corner. The bastard’s eyes glint as his gaze meets mine, and he gives me a twisted grin before he shifts his focus back to Kingston. “What are we going to do about the rule infraction?”
Like a deer in headlights, I go perfectly still.
Kingston steps over to the side where everyone can see him and rubs his hand over his jaw, addressing the entire group. “I wasn’t expecting to have this happen on night one, but when there’s an infraction of the house rules, there’s always a punishment. You’ll have seen those stipulations in the document you signed. Doesn’t matter whether you’re new here or an initiated brother.” He glances at Cannon and Archer as he slides his hand back and tugs at his neck. It’s almost as if he’s seeking out their approval; they act as a unit despite the fact that he’s technically the leader. Archer shrugs his consent. But when I look at Cannon, the way his eyes blaze makes me very, very nervous—probably because he knows what’s in store for me.
“Do you deny that you knowingly forged a signature?”
I whip my head back around at Kingston’s commanding tone, my eyes widening.
