Dynasty (Boys of Winter 1)

“Winter,” Knox cries between blows. “What the fuck? Stop. I didn’t do anything.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I roar, my fist slamming up under his ribcage and watching as he’s instantly winded. “You don’t think I know what the fuck you were doing?” punch. “Trying to parade me in front of your sick fucking uncle,” punch. “Hoping he thought I was pathetic enough to be pulled into his twisted little sex trafficking operation? Fuck you.” Punch. “I hope you rot in fucking hell.”

My knuckles ache and blood drenches my hands from his broken nose, but I’m not nearly through with him. Because of Knox, there are young girls hidden in cells being raped every night. Because of Knox, girls are scared to go out at night. Because of fuckwits like him, the whole female population is terrified of being unprotected, walking the streets, going for runs, even just being home all alone. No, he won’t be getting away with anything and I’ll see to it.

“What? I … I’m sorry, Winter. Please, stop. I didn’t mean … please.”

“No fucking way. You’re a piece of shit, Knox.”

I beat the living shit out of him until I physically can’t punch anymore, and only then does Cruz step into my side and offer me his hand. I instantly take it, and he helps me to my feet, but seeing Knox lying helpless on the floor with his eyes fearfully on mine, I can’t resist kneeling next to him as the rest of the school watches on.

“If you ever hurt another girl again, I swear to you, the next time, I will not leave you breathing. Is that understood?”

He violently nods his head, only now just realizing what a huge fucking mistake it was to mess with me. “I … I swear,” he cries, tears pooling in his eyes.

I raise back to my feet, and as I go to walk away, I’m pulled back. Before I can even let myself think about what I’m doing, my boot slams into the side of his ribcage, and I listen to the sweet sound of his bone cracking beneath my kick.

Knox cries out in pain as the satisfaction tears through me, and knowing that I’m either about to be kicked out of school or suspended, I don’t bother hanging around. There’s no way I’ll be able to ride my bike, so I turn to Cruz and hand him the keys to my Ducati.

Carver’s curious stare hits mine for a long second, but as my body starts to ache and the emotions begin to overwhelm me, I grab my backpack from King’s hands and shove my way through the guys’ large shoulders before getting the fuck out of here.

An insistent knock sounds at the door and my brows instantly pull down. Who the fuck could that be?

“Winter?” Ember’s shrill voice calls from the other side of the heavy door, her knuckles still wrapping against it. “Winter, babe? Are you in here?”

I dive for the door, quickly unlocking it and opening it wide to allow her in. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t want to just let random people into Cruz’s place, but how did you know I was here?”

“Okay,” she laughs, walking past me into the massive foyer and looking around in awe. “Do you have any idea how many things are wrong with that sentence? First off, Carver told me you were here. He said something about the security system and told me to come and chill with you, and secondly, what do you mean this is Cruz’s place? He lives four doors down. Whose house is this?”

“What do you mean he lives four doors down?” I gasp, staring at her in horror. “No, you’ve got to be wrong. Cruz brought me here yesterday and I asked him if this was his place. I mean, he didn’t exactly come right out and say ‘Yes, Winter, this is my house,’ but it was implied … I think.”

“No,” she laughs, pulling me back out the door to stand on the grand entrance, overlooking the rest of the street. “Trust me, I’ve all but stalked these guys since I was ten years old.” She points down the street. “Carver lives just there in the obscenely intimidating house with the stunning bay windows, Grayson is directly across from him in the Hamptons-style home. King lives two doors down from that, the one with all the cars in the drive, and Cruz, bless his sweet cotton socks, lives four down from here on the left, which begs the question, whose house did you just break into?”

I stare at her in horror. “Tell me you’re lying,” I beg of her. “I swear, Cruz brought me in here just yesterday and told me to make myself at home. I spent two hours snooping around the place. FUCK, if I knew it wasn’t his place, I never would have come here.”