We The Pretty Stars (Court High 4)

The crew and I were in for a long day ahead of us. Knight, Jax, LJ, and I had to wait until school let out for us to do anything, and after, the boys were immediately heading to their cars and making calls. Their focus to get information on what was going on and Royal’s place in it started the moment we left the school campus, but since I wasn’t focused on making any calls and just getting to Royal, I did that. The boys gave me the combination to Royal’s locker, so I got his keys. Before I knew it, I was in his Audi and speeding off before even the boys could catch up with me. Jax actually yelled at me, wanting to come with, and I would have let him if I fucking cared enough to slow down.

Knowing he could get a ride from the other guys, I sped on, blowing through traffic lights and even stop signs. It was reckless, yes. It was stupid even more so, but I didn’t care. Royal was arrested for having some connection with Mira, and that was bullshit. He’d told me he had no idea why she’d killed herself, and I believed him. We weren’t doing this crap to each other anymore, keeping secrets. I believed him, so I knew whatever was going on now was full of shit.

It had to be.

I took up about three parking spaces when I parked. For one, because I didn’t know how to frickin’ drive this thing, and for second, because Royal was actually coming out of county lockup the moment I showed up. He was basically being dragged down the steps by his father who not only looked pissed the hell off but showed him that when he jerked him. I didn’t know whether Royal was over that or just standing up for himself because the next thing I knew Royal shoved his father back. Like literally shoved him to the point where he stumbled in his leather shoes and trench coat. The swing came out of nowhere, and it had to have because it caught Royal right in his eye. His dad sent him down for the count, and I threw myself out of the car.

“Royal!”

This gained Mr. Prinze’s attention in ways it had before, the man assaulting his son only for other witnesses to see. I’d been that witness two times now.

“This is family business,” the man in a trench coat growled at me, and with what I knew now about him, it took all I had in me not to attack him. He covered up my sister’s murder, but right now, he definitely didn’t need to know I knew that. It was pertinent so we could keep up our search for evidence. Because of that fact and only that, I ended up on me knees in the chilly winds instead of punching the man’s lights out.

“Royal…” His eyebrow was bleeding, not a direct hit this time to his eye. He lifted a hand as if he was fine, and seeing that, Mr. Prinze charged forward.

He grabbed Royal’s arm. “I said this is family business—”

“Fuck off, Dad.” Royal got to his feet, pulling away from his dad and grabbing me. He did so to shield me, but when his dad appeared to be coming at him again, I did the shielding.

I put a hand out, one between the both of them.

“He’s coming home with me,” I gritted, daring that man to come at me and strike my boyfriend again. I shook my head. “Sorry, Mr. Prinze, but he is.”

Truth was, I wasn’t sorry. I wanted him to fucking bleed, but I needed Royal safe. I didn’t know what he’d do to him if they went home together.

I think what I said surprised both of them, Royal’s eyebrows jumping just as steadfast as his father’s. It must not have frazzled him long because in the end, Royal chose me.

“Leave, Dad,” he said, standing up to him again. His throat jumped. “I appreciate you bailing me out, but I’m not going with you. Sorry.”

He seemed even less sorry than I did, and eyes wild, I wondered if Mr. Prinze would strike us both, strike me. A glance at his watch took him in another direction.

Eyes of a dull green shifted our way. They weren’t bright like his son’s. They were dark, cold. Mr. Prinze’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lucky I’m late for a flight out of town on business. You haven’t heard the end of this, boy. You have to come home eventually.”

He may be right, but he wasn’t going home now. Not tonight and definitely nowhere with him.

Done with us, Mr. Prinze shifted on his patent leather shoes, and like clockwork, a chauffeured car pulled up right in from of him.

I pushed arms around Royal’s waist, and Royal brought me in as his dad got inside. He rubbed my arm, turning away from his dad, who gave us both a death stare. The man quickly peeled off, and after, Royal kissed the top of my head.

“You’re braver than me,” he said, and I laughed, but only for a short while. The blood on his eyebrow dripped a stream down his cheek. I attempted to touch it, but Royal squinted. He angled his cheek away. “Don’t freak. I’m sure it looks worse than it is.”

“Maybe, but either way, you’re coming with me,” I said, taking his hand. “We’re going home.”

*

I’d been so quick to the precinct I missed Jax, LJ, and Knight in the end. They arrived after us, and Royal and I got the text while we were on my dad’s couch. He wasn’t home from work yet, just the two of us, and currently, I was on my knees in front of Royal, cleaning up his face. I dabbed at the cut above his eye with some stuff that made him curse, not the best at this, but I think I got the right thing. The liquid bubbled over his wound, and he had stopped bleeding.

“The guys want to know where we are,” Royal said, reading his phone. Touching the cut with a cotton ball, I got him good in the eyebrow again and he lowered his phone with a cringe. “You trying to heal me or hurt me, princess?”

“Shut up.” I put some ointment on it, then handed him a princess Band-Aid for being smart. “Put it on yourself since I can’t do this right.”

I started to get up, but he got me by the hips. A quick maneuver and I was on his lap, straddling his hips.

He settled my weight on him, slinging heavy arms around my waist.

“I want you to do it,” he said, giving me big, green puppy dog eyes. “Please.”

It’d be hard to deny him with as warm and as hot as he was, and in the end, I succumbed, taking the Band-Aid from him. I put that Disney princess design right on his cut, pressing a finger on each side to secure it. I did it slow, clearly bothering him but apparently not enough for him to push me away. Heavy arms brought me closer to the heat between his legs, his eyes closing as he rubbed me against him. He was hard and touched his mouth to my blouse.