Vicious Prince (Royal Elite 5)

“Belle, this is posh London. We don’t have serial killers amongst us…” I trail off when the sound comes again, and this time, I recognise from which car it is coming.

A black Jeep.

Cole’s.

Oh, fucking fuck. What did he do now?

“We should take a look,” Teal says.

“That’s probably not a good idea.”

“What do you mean it’s not a good idea?” Teal’s cheeks redden, and this time it’s far different than embarrassment. It’s anger — no, rage in its purest form.

“It means we shouldn’t get involved.” Cole’s shit is Cole’s shit. Besides, I might have an idea of what’s going on in that car, and it has more to do with kink activity rather than sociopathic.

But he had to bring it here, seriously?

That’s a new level even for him.

“Shouldn’t get involved?” Teal’s voice rises. “Someone might need help in there. Someone might be screaming at the top of their lungs, but no one is hearing them. They need a voice, but they get nothing. It’s because of people like you that they get nothing, the people who say they shouldn’t get involved, who say they shouldn’t step up to help someone in need or—”

“Hey.” I wrap both palms around her face, trying to cool her down.

She’s skipping over words and appears to be on the verge of a breakdown. It’s one of the rare times Teal shows what’s inside her, shows what she has hidden underneath the aloof persona and the ‘fuck the world’ exterior.

“It’s going to be okay,” I murmur against her forehead. “You’re going to be okay. I’m here for you.”

A sob catches in her throat like when she was coming down from that nightmare. Her nails dig into my Elites’ jacket as she draws in measured breaths, trying to compose herself and control her state.

“Can we take a look?” she murmurs against my chest.

“Sure.” Fuck Cole. I would do anything for that pleading in her voice, especially with the way she’s holding on to me.

I’m about to head to the car when Cole strides out of the Meet Up. He watches us for a second, probably wondering why we’re near his car.

I glare at him from over Teal’s head. “There’s a sound coming from over there, Captain.”

He must recognise the accusation in my tone.

“It’s my mother’s dog.” He smiles at us, appearing like a prim and proper gentleman. “I have to get it back to her.”

His mother’s dog? Come on, he could’ve come up with a better excuse.

Still, I go with it and grin at Teal. “See? I told you it’s nothing.”

“Don’t trap dogs,” she tells Cole. “They don’t like it.”

“This particular one does.” His lips move into a sadistic smirk. It’s so brief I wouldn’t have noticed it if I weren’t throwing metaphorical daggers at his face.

I pull out my keys and throw them in Teal’s hand. “Wait for me in the car, belle. I need a word with Captain.”

She disappears around a tree in the car’s direction. The thump comes again, but Cole pretends as if it didn’t happen as he runs his fingers over his book.

“You needed a word with me?” he asks, as if this is an everyday occurrence.

“Your mother’s dog is throwing a fit.”

“He can…wait.”