Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

“Hear what?”

LJ leaned in. “Mallick is, shit you not, December’s man of honor.”

“No fucking away.”

“Way, bro.” LJ tucked his hands under his arms. “Royal just told us on the plane. I couldn’t believe it.”

“I guess he and December kept up with each other while he was away at school.” Knight shrugged. “And get this. Dude’s transferring to Pembroke next semester.”

“No way.”

“Way,” he said, the statement flooring me. Pembroke-U was Knight, Royal, and December’s school. “Don’t know why, but it’s fucking weird, right?”

I’d say. I mean, who the fuck transfers from Brown University in the middle of their senior year? I knew I came down here for my senior year, but I didn’t go to fucking Brown. I exchanged glances between the guys. “Royal’s like okay with that? Okay he’s the man of honor too?”

“Why shouldn’t he be, bro?” Still hanging on the rack, Knight laced his fingers. He smirked. “He got the girl.”

Laughing, I guessed he was right about that, and maybe that’s what kept Royal’s calm so cool. He came back to us looking like he had not a care in the world, Mallick not far behind after he’d changed. He was in the same suit as us, making quick work of this shit as I had.

The three of us ambled over to them, crowding. Between the five of us, we looked like something out of GQ, even Knight’s ape-looking ass.

“Not bad if I do say so myself.” This from Mallick, the dude’s grin high as fuck. He had on the same ring I currently wore, the ring from our high school days at Windsor Predatory Academy. Normally, the other guys had theirs too, but they’d given them to their girls to signify their own personal steps in their varied relationships. The rings we’d all earned from being a part of a society known as the Court. That felt so far away now, a dark history connected there. But seeing us all standing here now, getting along with the likes of Mallick, I’d say we’d come a pretty long way. Mallick popped his collar. “I guess I don’t mind you fellas looking like me.”

This fucking dude. I popped my own collar. “You look like us, bro.”

He smirked. “Right.”

“Tell me, Mallick.” I propped an arm on his shoulder. “You going to hang with us all day or…”

Royal elbowed me. Again, weird as fuck. He rolled his eyes. “He needs a suit too. I’m sure the guys told you he’s a part of the wedding party.”

“They did.”

“So don’t make a thing out of it.” Royal lifted his eyes. “Anyway, I think we’re about done.” He pointed to Mallick. “You need to check in with Em or anything? Wedding stuff?”

“Yep. She did want to go over some of the particulars since I’m in town. After, I thought I’d hang out with you guys, though. If you don’t mind?” He shrugged. “December said I could tag along with her and the girls tonight, but I didn’t want to cramp her style being the only guy.”

LJ grinned. “You mean, eating dick cake and hanging at the strip club with a bunch of screaming women isn’t your thing, Mallick?”

Royal growled. “Em and I agreed no strippers.”

“Nah, man.” Knight propped an arm on his shoulder. “You said you weren’t doing strippers and hoped she wouldn’t.”

“Same thing,” he said, but a noticeable heat lingered there I felt. I obviously wasn’t too keen hanging out at a vineyard like some uppity-ass goober, but if that kept dongs out of Cleo’s face, I didn’t mind.

Yeah, this girl is totally in my head.

Might not be a bad thing, though.

“Well, you better hope that’s the same thing.” A darkness hit Knight’s eyes. “Greer doesn’t need to be seeing all that shit.”

“Would you guys just trust your girls?” LJ waved his arms. “Billie told me December said there weren’t going to be any strippers. We’re good.”

He pounded it out with us, but I noticed Mallick’s ass smiling a little too much before he joined in with his nod. He may know something we didn’t know. Being December’s man of honor and shit, but he better hope for his ass he didn’t know anything. We, Royal, may be civil with him now, but how the tides would turn.

Me: You heard from December about tonight?

Even still, it didn’t hurt to check, and as the guys broke off to get back into their street clothes, I texted Cleo.