Dynasty (Boys of Winter 1)

“Fuck,” Cruz grunts, stepping into me and pushing Carver’s hold away from my waist. His warm arms wrap around me and he pulls me into his chest. I take a few seconds to find myself, breathing in, breathing out.

“We’ll handle it,” Grayson’s voice comes from behind Cruz.

I raise my head, looking over his shoulder to find Grayson’s stormy gaze on mine with nothing but a promise in his eyes, and as I glance back at King and Carver, I find the same thing shining in theirs. I let out another shaky breath before pulling myself together and reluctantly pulling out of Cruz’s arms, confused as to why I find him so comforting. “No,” I say, glancing around at them all. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got this. It’s already been handled, and like I said before, I don’t need you guys fighting my battles. Besides, I doubt Sara will be bothering me again.”

King shakes his head. “That’s not—”

“She said no,” Carver rumbles, meeting King’s stare with one of his own, a million messages passing between them until King finally nods and turns his gaze back to me.

Unable to handle the weight of their stares while feeling so vulnerable and embarrassed, I quickly nod, silently thanking them for having my back again before slipping away. I walk back through the school, feeling all eyes on me, but this time, also feeling their laughter, jokes, and comments. Despite Sara learning that she can’t fuck with me, the damage has already been done.

After stopping by my locker and grabbing my things, I hightail it out of there, wondering when the hell the guys decided that I was worthy of their protection.

CHAPTER 13

A sharp knock at my bedroom window has me flying up out of my bed and desperately searching for a weapon. From experience, a knock on my bedroom window either means that someone is coming for me, or an egotistical badass with a big dick is coming to lay down the law, and something tells me that King isn’t planning an unexpected visit tonight.

I stare out the window, my heart racing a million miles an hour, only to find Ember staring back at me with a goofy-as-fuck grin plastered across her face.

I hurry to the window and quickly slide it open before her head flies through the opening. “What the fuck, bro?” she demands. “What are you wearing? I told you to be ready by eight and it’s already half-past. Hurry up, we’ve got to go.”

“Go where? What the hell are you talking about?”

“The party under the pier,” she says, staring at me with a blank expression. “Are you kidding? We’ve only talked about it a million times this week. I thought you wanted to go.”

I cringe. “Sorry,” I grumble, keeping my voice low so I don’t alert Kurt, who’s yelling at the dog to shut up from the other side of the house despite it being impossibly silent at Ember’s feet, watching the top half of her body disappear through my open window. “I kinda forgot but I don’t know. I’m not really feeling a party tonight. It’s been a shitty week. Can’t we just chill at your place or something like that?”

“Hell no,” she whisper-yells. “My parents are having some hoity-toity dinner party with a bunch of stuck-up assholes from my father’s bank. There’s no way we’re hanging out for that. My mother will have you married off to an investment banker who’ll abuse you behind closed doors in no time.”

I stare at her in horror. “Please tell me that your mother isn’t trying to set you up with old dudes?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, but it’s no biggie. After the third time, I started showing up to the dinners in my pajamas with blackout stickers over my front teeth and a fart machine hidden under the table. I’ve been good since then.”

I can’t help but laugh, and while every time I’ve been past her house, I felt envious of her family life, moments like this make me thankful that I don’t have to suffer through the bullshit of having other peoples’ values and rules forced on me.

“So, what’s it going to be?” she continues. “Are you coming out with me to get wicked wasted and forget the week from hell, or are you staying here to hide out in your room like a little bitch?”

“Well, shit. When you put it like that …”

A wicked grin stretches across her face. “That’s what I thought.”

I quickly race around my room, picking out an outfit as Ember silently plays with the dog, and when I start climbing out through the window, I meet Ember’s stare. “Kay, I’ve got everything I need, but I haven’t showered and I refuse to do it here before Kurt passes out for the night, so we have to head back to your place.”