Dirty Little Secrets (Kings of Bolten 1)

God, I hated him. I hated all of them. I needed to figure out how the hell to get out of this mess. If I could just find Dad.

I tried tuning them out as they talked. The ride to Bolten wasn’t exceptionally long, but it hit at nearly an hour’s worth of torture through city traffic while I listened to Mom giggle at all the bullshit David spewed out.

By the time we reached the gates to Bolten Academy, I was ready to throw myself out of the car, even if it were still moving. My door flew open as I darted out, my bag in hand.

But I e

scaped one level of hell only to enter a deeper one. Hail stood there on the sidewalk, waiting for us. He wasted no time in pulling me to him, an evil glint in his green eyes.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” I hissed at him, trying to tear myself free.

He wound his arm around my waist and held me against him.

“I haven’t even begun to touch you, Bianca,” he growled in my ear. “You’ll fall in line or get put there. I promise if I put you there, you’ll feel it for the better part of a month.” He brushed his fingers against the bruise on my cheek.

That was all it took to make me to swing my arm forward to hit him. I let out a squeal of pain when he caught my arm and twisted it down to my side, his eyes dark.

“Learn your place, rat,” he snarled so only I could hear him. “Raise your hand to me again, and you’ll regret being born.”

“I already do,” I gasped as he released me.

He only offered me a dark smile, making chills rush down my spine.

“Look at you two. Already embracing your new life together,” David called out.

Hail smirked at him.

“I knew you’d be excited once you saw the campus!” Mom clapped her hands together and moved to my side a moment later.

Hail stepped away from me. It gave me a chance to breathe. I surveyed the campus, wondering if I’d be able to run away and never look back. The place looked like a college campus made from castles. It was the only way to describe what sat before me. Rolling green lawns, a city of buildings that must have been both classrooms and dorms, paved trails. Of course, it also sat in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lush forests and a wall so damn high I’d have to learn pole vaulting to escape.

“You’ll get the best education here, Bianca. I wouldn’t have sent you if I thought otherwise.”

David joined us and shook Hail’s hand. I rolled my eyes at the two of them.

“You’ll be eighteen soon. Colleges are going to want to see a prestigious school on your applications. Bolten will open doors for you.” David nodded his head.

I sidestepped his hand as he moved to place it on the small of my back. He shot me a glare but didn’t say anything.

“David attended Bolten all four years of high school,” Mom added, wrapping her arm around his waist.

He straightened the glare on his face to a look of affection as Mom stared up at him like a lost, hungry puppy. I nearly gagged. He was so fake, and my mother was a damn fool.

“Best four years of my life.”

“That’s great and all, but can we just get my bags so I can go to my room?” I grumbled, pushing past them to get to the trunk. I hauled my suitcases out and gave David and Mom a pointed look.

Hail, being the douche he was, didn’t offer his help. He simply stared at me with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Mom sighed, and David gave me a tight smile before each of them grabbed a suitcase and followed me into what appeared to be the main building. It looked like a castle straight out of a fairytale with its dark stone exterior and towers.

“David, it’s been a pleasure, but I’ve got to tend to a few things,” Hail called out.

“Of course. Sergio said you left you early so you could make your rounds.”

Hail nodded, his gaze sliding over to me. “And you, my little sewer rat, I’ll see later. Change out of that dress. If you’re going to be seen with me, your clothes should display your legs.”

I flipped him off as he shot me a warning look. Mom cleared her throat, eyeing me with irritation. Whatever. I’d flip her off too after screwing me over the way she had.