Cruel War (The Gilded Sovereign 1)

“Do you think she knows what her father did?” Tarian voices the question that I’ve been wondering myself.

Shaking my head, I tell him, “I have a feeling Dahlia has no idea what her father is truly capable of.” I fist bump them both before turning to walk away, but I’m not lucky enough to leave unscathed. Kelli stalks up to me with a wicked smile on her face.

“Hey, boys,” she grins, focusing her hungry gaze on Tarian. “Are you busy tonight?” She asks him, which causes me to glance at my best friend.

“Why? You looking to get your pussy fucked nice and hard? Or is it because you can’t get Ares’ dick, now you want mine?” He chuckles darkly, stalking toward her, causing that confident smirk of hers to falter.

“No, of course not.” She lifts her chin in defiance. “I just wanted to know if you’d like to come to my place and help me study.”

“Study?” This disbelieving question comes from Tarian.

“Well, more like a little get together.” She twirls her dark hair around her finger as she pops her bubblegum. As I stare at her now, I wonder what I ever saw in Kelli. Yes, she’s beautiful, but there’s something extremely volatile simmering just below the surface.

“The Sovereign approves parties,” I remind her. “And I don’t recall hearing that either of us allowed it.” She should know only me, Tarian, or Etienne can confirm if a party is happening. It’s the rules of the town. If we don’t agree with it, it doesn’t happen. Simple as that.

She shrugs, her Botox lips pouting. “Well, I can always ask Philipe if he’ll let me have one.” Her words are poison to my already rage-filled blood.

One tiny step and I’m inches from her, gripping her neck. I walk her back until she hits the wall. She’s pinned between me and the concrete. Her slim figure is no match for me. My fingers curl around her delicate throat, and the cuts on my fist are still burning like a motherfucker. When Dahlia asked about my bruises, I wanted to tell her, I craved her touch on the bloody cuts, because I know the moment we come into contact with each other, desire will take over.

Shaking my head of the thoughts of my flower, I focus on the girl in front of me. “Don’t fuck with me, Kelli. I said no.” I sneer down at her, my fingers tingling, wanting to squeeze as I take in her widening eyes. “If you go near my brother, I’ll fucking end you,” I bite out. “Do you understand me?”

“Why?” She challenges, causing me to squeeze just a little tighter and her eyes to slowly roll back in her head.

I lean in, my mouth at her ear, when I explain, “You and your filthy, needy cunt are not wanted anymore. I’ve let you go, Kelli. Remember the Sovereign doesn’t like groupies.” The only reason I uttered the word is because Kelli’s foster brother is one of my underlings, and her father is one of the Crowns. Harding already hates me because I took her place at the table, but I don’t give a shit. She knows better than to mess with the higher order.

And her foster brother is not a blood relation, so he can’t take a seat at the table. We’ve been generous enough to allow him to run errands for us, anything more is unacceptable.

“But little miss orphan doesn’t get told to leave you alone?” She hisses in my ear, and I know she’s jealous of the attention I’ve given Dahlia. What Kelli doesn’t know is why. And she doesn’t need to know.

I release her swiftly, causing her to keel over as she pulls in gasps of air before pinning me with an angry glare. “You’re an asshole, Ares,” she tells me, something I’ve known my whole life, and I don’t give a shit. I rule this fucking town and school with the two men at my back, and nobody fucks with me.

“Get the fuck out of my face.”

She obeys me because she needs to. No question, no disregard.

“You really know how to pick ‘em, man,” Tarian chuckles as he saunters toward me and hands me a red cup filled with beer. Shaking my head at him, I can’t stop the grin that curls my lips. He’s right, I really have a knack for finding the goddamned psychos.

“I’ll see you later,” Etienne tells me with a nod.

“Yeah, lover boy,” I tease, earning me the middle finger as I stalk away, leaving my friends to deal with Kelli because, right now, I could kill her and not think anything of it.

In my car, I crank the stereo and peel out of the driveway, leaving smoke behind me as I head toward the church. I can’t believe Dahlia suggested meeting there. After what I did to her, I didn’t think she’d ever want to see that place again.