The Silver Swan (The Elite King's Club 1)

“Yes. I won’t lie about that, but that’s only because I have unanswered questions, suspicions, and a whole lot of facts that are in front of me. But it just so happens… you get my dick hard.”

“Hmm,” I murmur, just as we step out onto the sandy area. “And men say girls are complicated? That right there, Bishop Vincent Hayes, was a grade-A clinger warning!” I mock him, my mouth open.

He stops his walk, scowling at me with his lip curled up. “Say what?” Then he charges at me, grabbing the back of my thighs firefighter-style and flinging me over his shoulder.

I scream out loudly, hitting his ass with my hand while everyone chuckles in the background. “Bishop!” I yell at him, just as he tosses me into the air. I swim around midair just as my back and butt hit the hard water with a loud splash, and little bites cover my ass.

Thirty minutes. That’s how long I spent with Bishop. And he has bruised me in more places than I can see.

“SO ARE WE JUST GOING to ignore the fact that you and Bishop Vincent fucking Hayes are obviously banging?” Tatum states, pulling on her cutoff shorts.

I tug on my little black shorts, buttoning them up, and then throw on a loose white boyfriend suit-shirt, tucking one side in. “I mean, I don’t know. We’re just sleeping together, but you can’t say anything. And when this all blows up in my face, you’re still not allowed to say anything!” I look pointedly to both Tatum and Tillie.

“I didn’t say anything.” Tatum shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips. But then her smile falls. “But please be careful. They’re dangerous, Madi.”

“I know how to take care of myself,” I reassure her with a smile. Looking to Tillie, I nudge my head. “What’s up with you and Nate?”

She stills, pulling on her boyfriend jeans. “Nothing.”

I narrow my eyes. “Bullshit.”

She exhales. “I don’t know. We slept together last night.” She looks to Tatum nervously.

Tatum stops what she’s doing, looking at me and Tillie. “What? Oh, please. Like I care. I was serious when I said I used him just like he used me. I wish you all the sexy times in the world, I promise.”

“Okay,” Tillie says relieved. “But he’s… I don’t know. Confusing.”

“Duh, it’s Nate. He’s a dick,” Tatum scoffs.

“No, that’s not it,” Tillie murmurs. “I mean, he’s obviously a dick and all that, but to me, not so much.”

“Hmm.” I stare off into the distance. “Interesting.”

Tillie laughs, tying her pastel pink hair up in a high ponytail. “It’s nothing.”

I bend down, pull out the bottle of Grey Goose, and then throw the red cups in the middle. “So this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said we should all go camping.” I roll my eyes. “This isn’t the camping I usually do.”

“We know that.” Tatum grins. “You should have brought your guns!”

A horrified expression pulls across my face. “What? No way. That’s not—no. That’s going against everything my dad taught me growing up.”

“Well, maybe we could all go together sometime. I’ve never shot a gun.” Tillie stares off into the distance.

“That’s a better idea!” I point, widening my eyes at Tatum.

“What?” Tatum feigns innocence. “Just saying… maybe you could shoot Bishop, and people would think it was an accident.” We all start laughing. Clutching my stomach, I wipe the tears off my cheeks.

“You know,” I say, pouring in the vodka and then opening the orange juice. “When I started at Riverside, I had no idea what to expect. All my other schools? It was difficult.”

“How so? You’re probably the coolest chick I’ve ever met,” Tillie says, and then looks to Tatum. “No offense.”

Tatum clutches her heart in mock hurt and then giggles.

“Because I just didn’t… fit in. Girls would just flat out hate me.” I shook my head. “Anyway, the only school I sort of did fit in—but somehow still didn’t—was in Minnesota. And that’s only because I was dating the quarterback.” I laugh. “He was popular, and everyone hated that I was the girl he chose, but they didn’t voice it.” I take a swig of my drink. “At least not until we broke up.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation,” Tatum murmurs, sinking her drink, “no one has liked me as much as you two do either. But… I’ve never liked them either, so it worked out well.”

I smile, holding up my drink. “To us!” We clink and then swallow our drinks.

Tatum lies down. “Are we being unsociable by not being out there drinking with everyone else?”

I lean back on my elbows. “Probably, but we never liked any of them before we came here, so who cares?”

“Knock, knock!”

“Don’t come in. We’re naked!” Tatum laughs dramatically.

The zipper rips open, and Carter steps inside with a grin. “Aw, I’m disappointed.” He drops down beside me. “Why are you girls hiding out in here?”