Page 27 of The Book of Kings

‘That’s because we’re not here to play games,’ Ferris had a point, even though I was leaning towards mixing the two.

‘I was just thinking of combining work and play,’ I completely let go of her, preparing to hear out what they actually wanted from me.

We were to weigh our options and choose how each one of us wanted to play this — sit behind and watch the city burn, or step up and try to make a difference. Tough decision when you have so much to lose, yet there was also so much that could be won.

We settled on allowing each other three days to make up our minds. Three fucking days to decide our future. All this while I hadn’t yet solved the other problem I was meant to — the custody papers.

‘I have to go. I have to be somewhere with my father,’ I looked at my watch, realizing I had to be back to pick up the final custody papers. A new plan just blossomed in my mind, and it was going to require me to complete the old deal as fast as I could.

A decision was made. I never gave up on what I wanted, and Mouse would make no exception. I knew exactly how I was going to reach my goal. The very next day!

The morning found me eager to go to the Academy.

That was a first, but my agenda didn’t really include learning. I was going there to search for my newprotege.

‘Mouse,’ I called her the second I discovered her whereabouts. Surprisingly she was fitting into the role of queen quicker than I imagined, and more than half of the girls from my end of the hallway were already trying to get in her good graces. But I didn’t come to see them, I came to see her. ‘Leave,’ I muttered, getting her new supporters to scatteralong with her. ‘Were you going somewhere?’

Did she really think that a childish getaway plan could help her ignore me?

‘Nah… I was just... Just-’

‘Setting a little distance so that I don’t feel you up in public, or who knows what else goes through that degenerate mind of mine?’ I knew that was what she was thinking. She was trying to escape me at all costs. Too bad for her that she already made a deal with this devil.

‘No... I just thought that you were also referring to me.’ She was trying to mend her failed attempt of escape. And that was pissing me off to my limit.

‘Don’t lie,’ I signaled her to come closer, ‘If you lie, the cat will get your tongue.’ With one move, I crashed her body on mine, claiming her irresistible lips to merge with my own.

I wished I didn’t want her that way. Things would have been a lot easier if she was just to be a number on my fuck list.

Maybe I didn’t see a point in kissing before, but with her, it became an action I couldn’t control. It felt like I’d been walking through the desert and her mouth was the oasis a dying man discovered.

‘Did you miss me?’ I couldn’t hold back the question as my hand ventured to glide down on her body. She didn’t need to say a word. I felt it in the way she responded to my kiss, from how her tongue pulsed against mine, in an intoxicating rhythm of lust. No matter what her answer would have been, she did miss me.

‘I thought I was supposed to fear you, not to miss you.’

‘Oh, Mouse, you’re starting to learn.’ And I was just preparing for lesson number two. ‘There’s a party tonight. On my street, three houses down the road. Be there at nine.’

‘How could someone resist an invitation like that?’ She was trying out sarcasm as a futile defense weapon against me.

‘You can’t deny any of my invitations, and you know it.’

‘Cole, I’m not in the mood for parties.’

‘But you are in the mood for an answer. I’m not debating this, besides we’re just retracing the circle.’ A new party and maybe a new beginning of my reign over her.

My words were set out to be her new law, even if she was trying to find a way around them and run away to classes.

‘No bra at the party and you can go.’ I didn’t really care if she wore a bra or not, I had rights over her body either way, but I liked to see her suffer. I sipped her distress like my morning coffee, helping me get through the day.

‘Are you for real? What are you, five!?’

‘Then don’t go. We’ll spend the hour in the lobby. Either way, it’s ok with me,’ I was prepared to keep her there for the rest of the week for all I cared. One thing was clear, she needed to learn to obey me, and she needed to do it quickly — for her own sake.

‘Fine’. She finally agreed, walking as far away from me as she could.

Classes my ass…

‘Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye?’ I called out, even though I knew she wouldn’t return. That was fine by me. I was just twisting a knife in an open wound, waiting for any act of rebellion from her so I could have an extra motive to punish her, ‘That’s ok, Mouse. You’ll make up for it later.’

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