Dirty Wicked Prince (Court Legacy 1)

Currently, he had his side piece’s (well, I guess he was the side piece in this scenario) head in the other direction. Like stated, he had her pinned down so she couldn’t move, and I assumed so she couldn’t make any noise. The voices of Thatcher, Ares, and Wells grew closer, and Charlie’s head shot forward.

He heard them too.

Charlie and Principal Mayberry had maybe moments before the other three guys knew as well. I mean, I was standing there, looking at something. It wouldn’t take long for my best friends to move the same plant.

Charlie made eye contact with me again, a plea in them that told me all he wanted to say. He didn’t have to say it.

I’d always have his back.

I pushed out of the plant, striding down the hallway a few feet before making myself known. “Fellas!”

I overinflated the hell out of the declaration, not that high but I made my buddies laugh, which did the job required. I spread my arms out, coming to them, and Ares faked me out with a sock to the gut. We’d been calling him Wolf on the field recently. Dude was a crazy good player and annihilated anything in front of him.

“You’re trying to get us killed, kid. You know we gotta be home soon,” Ares said, but pounded my fist with a grin. He dropped an arm around my shoulders. “Sorry to break you away from your pussy.”

Had he done that, he knew I wouldn’t be so lax about it. I rolled my eyes, the other two immediately asking about my activities like a couple of virgins. God knew they weren’t, but these guys liked to fucking talk since the notches on their belts were so few and far between. They were still trying to establish themselves.

I draped my arms around the youngins before leading the whole group away, and when I gazed back, I saw no one coming out from behind the plant.

“Come on, guys. Let’s go,” I made sure to say nice and loud. The coast was clear for Charlie. I’d watch his back always.

Moments later, the boys and I found ourselves on the lawn with our chicks. It’d taken too long to find these girls, and had we been lesser guys we might have left them. We didn’t, the girls stumbling-ass drunk on the way to the car. We had to hold them just to keep them on their feet.

“The fuck is this,” came from behind us, and when I turned, I spotted Charlie. He came alone, stalking the lawn like a caveman.

His mere presence had the other guys stiffen. Charlie was the responsible one out of all of us. He may technically be my uncle, but he was like a brother to us. He was my brother. He’d lived with Mom, Dad, and me since I was ten years old, so yes, this guy was my brother.

And he looked pissed.

Pissed at all of us when he’d definitely seen me before this moment. I’d covered for his ass. He got to us, eyes narrowed. “The fuck you guys doing at a college party?”

Oh, yeah. Shit.

Charlie definitely was the most responsible of us, and I could imagine, since he was on his way to Pembroke in the fall, he thought him being here and us being here was different. I mean, it was, but I wasn’t about to bust myself out.

Charlie eyed the guys, frowning. He eyed the girls, frowning deeper. But when his dark gaze fell on me, I saw nothing but hot fire beneath it.

“You’re baked as hell,” he drummed, and I rolled my eyes.

I wrestled with my hair. “You want to make something of it?” I asked, the audacity of him talking down to me right now. I’d covered for his scandalous ass. “It’s not as bad as other things that are probably going on here tonight.”

I put that out there, his eyes expanding. Swallowing, he passed a look over the other guys, and considering how confused my friends appeared to be about what I said, that told Charlie all he needed to know. I’d kept his secret.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t still pissed at me.

A muscle feathered in his tight jaw. He faced Ares. “You baked too?” he asked. “Wasted?”

“Sober.” Ares shoved his hands in his pockets. “Had like half a beer.”

“He’s the designated driver,” I informed, and Charlie weaved his fingers through his hair.

“Good,” Charlie said. He jerked his chin in the guys’ direction. “Take those girls and get yourselves home.”

He must have recognized the girls from school. Us guys obviously brought them.

I started to go with the group, but Charlie got a hold of my arm.

“You’re coming with me,” he said. “I’m taking you home personally.”