Page 21 of Tantalizing Kings

“Ooooor.” Emma turns around, stopping to look at us one by one. “We can hire some people. Say, like, some certain Host Club gentlemen.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “I know they’ve worked parties before as dates—why not as babysitters for us to get shit-faced?”

“Right, because I totally have the money to hire them to do that.” I raise a brow. “I just started paying off the debt I owe for something they haven’t even started yet.”

Emma had told me if I didn’t want to work for them, she would to pay it off for me. I said no. And she knew I would say no. I don’t like when my friends use their money for things we can’t all enjoy. I’ve never asked them for a dime, and I never will unless it’s a real emergency, and learning how to get laid properly isn’t.

“Well, you know the deal. We can pay for group activities. And this counts.” Emma shrugs. We continue to walk, and I move to her side.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend to watch your drunk ass?” Brent often joins us on the weekends if Emma does group activities. I like him; he treats her like a queen.

“Have you seen my sexy, nerdy man? Maybe if it was just me, but all four of us? That poor boy would be having a panic attack. But it’s fine because I don’t have to drink this time. But, I’m not going to spend every party not drinking.”

“You can drink, I never saidyoucouldn’t,” I point out.

“No. But you don’t feel safe drinking.” She gives me a look, and I swallow hard, breaking out in a sweat.Does she know?How could she—I’ve never said anything. “And we don’t want to leave you out. Hoes before bros, like your mom says.”

We all burst out into giggles.

“What’s so funny, girls?” My face falls when I hear his voice and the laughing stops.

“I’m sorry, do you girls hear that?” Emma asks, looking around confused.

“Sounds like someone farted. Smells like one too,” Mia sneers at my ex.

“More like a baby back bitch,” Alice adds, crossing her arms.

I could cry at how fucking amazing my girls are while they stand in front of me, blocking Raymond.

“Real mature,” he drawls, rolling his eyes at them before turning to me. “Come on, Dee, talk to me. You blocked me on everything, how am I supposed to apologize if you won’t even talk to me?”

“You’re not,” I say, my heart racing. “You cheated on me. End of story. There’s nothing you can do to fix that. To take it away. You tossed the last three years of our lives together away for some quick fuck. Not to mention the nasty things you said to me when I found you or what I overheard you saying to her.” I hate that tears are stinging the back of my eyes. I might be alright with moving on, but it doesn’t change the fact that what he did fucking hurt.

“What did you want me to do?!” He tosses his arms in the air. “You never fucking put out. You wouldn’t even suck my dick. I love you, Sadie, but I’m a dude. I have needs.”

And there go the tears of hurt turning into tears of anger.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I take a step forward, but so does Emma.

“Who the hell would want to suck your shrimp dick? It’s not like she would be able to wrap her lips around the damn thing. At best, she’d use her tongue to play with it like it’s a clit because it’s about the size of one. Not that you would know what a clit is. Also, of course she wouldn’t want to have sex with you. Her own fingers would fill her up more than you would. Now take a hint and fuck off. She’s done with you.”

“Listen here, you little bitch. No one is fucking talking to you.” Raymond pushes Emma, and all hell breaks loose.

We all start shouting at him, taking off our backpacks and beating him with them. He’s shouting back, telling us to fuck off. I hate him, and anger is fueling me fully at this moment. How fucking dare he talk to my friend like that.

Without thinking, I jump on his back. “I hate you!” I scream as he tries to fling me off. “Don’t talk to her like that!” I start to grab at his hair, giving the side of his head a few good punches.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” a deep voice calls from among the screams. I feel someone pull me off, but I keep swinging. “Calm down there, spider monkey.”

Arms wrap around me, holding me still. I stop fighting, the strong arms keeping me in place while the smell of sandalwood encompasses me.

My heart is beating wildly, my breathing unsteady. I’ve never acted like this before. But fuck, Raymond really knows how to press my damn buttons.

“Better?” the deep voice murmurs, his breath tickling my ear, making me shiver.

The girls stumble away as Raymond manages to jump back a few feet. “Fucking crazy, all of you!” he shouts, eyes wide as he looks around between us frantically.

“What is going on here?” the man who’s holding me asks as he releases me. I miss the contact almost instantly.

“These crazy bitches started attacking me!” Raymond shouts, running a hand over his head.

---