Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

“You were high,” Xander points out.

“As if captain and King let anyone in their kinky shit.” He thrusts a finger in Xander’s direction. “You weren’t high, why didn’t you participate?”

“I wasn’t interested.”

“So you knew and didn’t tell me? Why am I always left out?”

Xander throws a pillow at him. “You’re left out because you’re horrible with secrets.”

“No, I’m not!” Ronan throws it back and they go on another round of bickering.

Kim sips her juice and watches them with a smile.

I’m about to join her when Cole leans in to whisper, “Can we talk?”

The request takes me by surprise, but I nod. “Sure.”

He motions to a door to the right. I follow him to the back entrance. Xander and Ronan’s chatter withers away as Cole slides the back door closed behind us.

The chilly air blows my hair back. I wrap my sweater around me as I step onto the wooden patio. Three chairs surround a built-in table. The rain beats in the distance, making the vision blurry.

Tall pine trees are the only things in sight. Hmm. So the back door leads to a forest.

Cole sits at one of the chairs. I drop opposite him, rubbing my arm.

“Sorry.” Cole removes his jacket and offers it to me. “It’s cold out here.”

I accept his jacket with a smile and wrap it around my shoulders. It smells of cinnamon and expensive body wash.

It’s warm.

Just like Cole.

Although, I must admit I never thought he’d be into the ‘kinky shit’ Ronan talked about.

The silent ones are indeed the wildest.

If it wouldn’t make me appear pathetic, I’d ask him who’s the mystery girl who attracted both his and Aiden’s attention.

Wait. Maybe they were multiple mystery girls?

Did they make it a habit to have threesomes?

“What did you want to talk about?” I ask instead.

“I’ll cut straight to the chase.”

“Okay.”

“Aiden, Xander, and I were kidnapped when we were children.”

I gasp, my fingers strangle each other in my lap. “K-kidnapped?”

He retrieves a pack of cigarettes from his trousers and lights one. Nicotine fills the air as he blows a cloud of smoke.

I never saw Cole smoke.

This is a first.