Dynasty (Boys of Winter 1)

My head falls back against the brick wall, and for some reason, I look to King for some kind of help, though I doubt he’ll give me what I’m really looking for. “Is it true?”

His jaw clenches, too pissed off to actually talk to me, but he still nods, and the second he does, the fear cripples me. I nearly walked straight into a trap, one far worse than the bullshit I’ve already gone through.

Anger burns within me, and I step right into King’s chest, pushing hard against him, desperate to get some kind of reaction out of him. “You should have told me.”

He shakes his head. “I gave you two warnings to stay away from that dick, but you had to go and prove some bullshit point that you didn’t need some prick telling you who you can and cannot spend your time with. Remember that? You had to go and act like a stubborn little princess. What did I tell you, huh? I said that it wasn’t my business if you got screwed over and you laughed it off. You’re just lucky that Cruz has a fucking conscience that would have torn him apart if he just sat back and did nothing.”

I step closer, trying to push him again. “You. Should. Have. Told. Me.”

King pushes me right back. “You should have listened to my warning and kept far away from him when I told you to. You know I’m right, but you’re still too busy trying to be this tough bitch that you can’t even admit it, not even to yourself.”

“Don’t act like you know me.”

His eyes shine with all sorts of secrets that instantly puts me on edge. “Oh, but I do. I know you better than you know yourself.”

Carver’s hand shoots up and slams against King’s chest as a signal to back the fuck off, and all I can do is glance away, King’s words rocking through me like some kind of destructive explosion that I can’t even begin to handle. Am I really that stubborn that I can’t admit my own fault, not even to myself?

My back falls against the wall and as the four guys watch me, I feel nothing.

Knox tried to have me sold.

I start shaking my head, unable to believe that this bullshit really happens. It’s the kind of stuff that you hear horror stories about, but never expect to happen.

Sold.

That fucking prick.

“What is it?” Cruz asks, stepping closer and proving again that he’s maybe the only one out of the four who has a kind bone in his body. His fingers raise and brush gently down the side of my arm, his usually flirty grin and wink nowhere to be seen, now replaced with nothing but pure, genuine concern that completely throws me off course.

“I’m …” I have to swallow to collect myself before raising my head. “I’m going to kill him.”

Not one of them flinch at my declaration and it forces me to pause as I wonder why the threat of killing a man doesn’t have them glancing around nervously. Do they just think I’m being sarcastic and not capable of following through with a threat like that, or is there something more going on here? Something much, much darker?

I take a few calming breaths before pushing off the wall. “I have to go,” I say, trying to squeeze past King and Carver’s massive shoulders only to get held back.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Carver says, nodding to King who instantly picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, his hands coming down over my ass.

“What the fuck do you think this is?” I demand as all four of them start walking back out of the alleyway as though they didn’t just kidnap me off the street. “Put me down, asshole.”

“You see, I would,” King says with a hint of wicked sarcasm in his tone. “But apparently you love it when I’m rough.”

My fists drum against his back, but he’s like a freaking robot, not even flinching at my touch. “I hate you,” I remind him, despite being positive that it’s already been made perfectly clear.

King’s hand slams down over my ass with a sharp slap. “The more you say it, the less I’m starting to believe it,” he says just before grabbing me and shoving me through the back door of Carver’s Escalade.

“What? No,” I rush out, scrambling across the backseat trying to get to the other door only for it to be blocked by Grayson on the other side. “What do you think you’re doing? I’m not going anywhere with you assholes, and I’m definitely not leaving Ember or my bike behind. You can all go and get fucked.”

Carver glances back at Grayson, and it’s almost as though they’re having some kind of secret conversation that lasts less than ten seconds before Grayson is gone and all the doors are slammed closed, locking me in with Carver and King, the one place I don’t want to be.