Page 22 of Kings & Corruption

“Wait… what do you mean?” I asked.

He stopped and turned around, the hate in his eyes burning through me. “You’re here so I canlook out for you, remember?” The words were laced with bitterness. “That means you’re coming with us.”

He left the room before I could say anything else, and what would I say anyway? We lived in the same off-campus house, and I didn’t have a car. Sure, I could call an Uber, but it made more sense to ride with the guys, even if I didn’t love the idea.

I’d just focus on Rock and Drago, who so far weren’t nearly as bad as I’d expected, and try to ignore Neo.

“Chin up,” Drago said. “It’s a dance, not the guillotine.”

He was right, except I was pretty sure the welcome ball was going to be an entirely different experience for me. Everyone else on campus would party and dance and regroup with the friends they hadn’t seen since last year while I was scrutinized like a bug under glass and probably squashed by someone’s shoe.

I took a drink of coffee, mentally flipping through the clothes I’d brought, desperately searching for something that would work for a dance where everyone would be dressed to the nines.

Drago grabbed a donut from the box and leaned against the counter to take a bite. And man, it was one sexy lean, his jeans slung just low enough on his hips to give me another glimpse at the tempting trail of hair leading to the bulge between his thighs. I suddenly wanted to be wrapped in those sculpted arms, pressed against all that lean muscle.

I shifted in my seat and pressed my thighs together as my pussy pulsed with need.

Down, girl.

“Is Neo some kind of health freak?” I asked, hoping to redirect my suddenly raging sex drive.

He lifted his shoulder. “Off and on.”

Hmmm, cryptic.

I finished off my donut and picked up my phone.

Except it wasn’t my phone.

It was a newer model, the newest actually, sans case.

I stood. “This isn’t my phone. Neo must have taken mine on accident.”

Drago shook his head. “It’s yours.”

I looked down at it again to be sure. “It’s not. I think I know my own phone.”

“We bought you a new one,” Drago said, walking to the sink to rinse his hands.

Anger flared in my chest. “I don’twanta new one. I want mine.”

“Relax, tiger. This one has all the bells and whistles, plus it gives you access to the house’s security system and the electronic features, like that glass door to the balcony in your room.” He walked over and took the phone from my hand, then scrolled to an app I’d never seen before. “It’s all here. Your old photos and contacts too. Neo just synced it for you. I’ll text you the codes to the security system.”

I didn’t bother asking how he had my number. “In the future, I’d appreciate being asked if I want something new.”

A low chuckle vibrated from Drago’s throat. “You’ll have to take that up with Neo.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Rock said, stepping into the room with a wide smile. He looked like a blond Adonis in faded jeans and another white T-shirt that set off his tanned skin and chiseled features. He hooked a thumb in the direction of the hall. “But speaking of Neo, what’s got his panties in a twist?”

“What doesn’t?” I asked.

He cocked his head. “You make a good point.” He scowled at the crumbs on my plate. “Don’t tell me these animals let you eatdonutsfor breakfast.”

He said the worddonutslike they’d been laced with arsenic.

“They didn’tletme do anything,” I said. “I’m an adult. I ate a donut for breakfast because I wanted to.”

Rock tugged on my ponytail with a grin. Somehow the sensation went straight from the top of my head to my pussy, which was clawing like a hungry animal toward the package in Rock’s perfectly fitted denim. “Easy, Kitten. Just looking out for you.”

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