Cruel King: A Dark New Adult Romance (Royal Elite)

There’s no warning when everything comes crashing down.

Astrid doesn’t show up in the locker room. Either she’s playing hard to get or something is wrong.

I sure as fuck hoped for the first option.

I call and she doesn’t pick up. I ask Daniel about her whereabouts and he says she met her father and must’ve gone home with him.

She answers none of my texts or calls.

My mood blackens when she doesn’t show up for school the next day or the next.

She’s been ghosting me for three whole fucking days.

If this is payback about those two weeks from hell, then I’ll take it. But Astrid isn’t as black-hearted as me. Sure, she’s a complete nut job when she wants to be, but she’s not vindictive.

Unless… something really wrong is going on.

After practice, I’m in the car when my phone beeps with a text from Uncle’s security company.

This could and would go back to him, but I’d take that risk. I kept that smashed footage of the summer party, but after that day in the Ferris wheel, I want to know the truth even more than Astrid.

I knew Jonathan’s company would get it done even before the police.

My brows furrow as I watch what happened that day.

Astrid banged on my door after I kicked her out. If I didn’t kick her out, that accident wouldn’t have happened.

She danced under the moon all alone like a fucking angel.

My jaw clenches as she starts running. I go through all the other cameras, trying to get a view of the two running after her.

Him.

I knew it.

I continue watching the footage, but the cameras stop right at the road. There’s no footage of Astrid being hit. There’s only a side view of the car that’s speeding down the road.

I’m about to close it when I notice something.

Wait a fucking second.

I reload back and then forth. Back and forth.

Well, fuck.

This changes everything.

Aiden, Xan, Ronan, and Cole stand by my side as Chris shivers on the ground alongside his minions.

My knuckles are bleeding from beating him to a pulp. He just admitted to being behind the photos. He wanted to get back at me so he ruined my ‘plaything’. That got him a punch that broke his nose.

The two juniors, David and Michael remain huddled in the corner, stammering that they didn’t do anything.

I pull Chris by the collar until I’m breathing in his face. “Now, tell me everything.”

“You told us no fucking mistakes,” he snarls, showing bloodied teeth. “She heard us talking and I had to shut her the fuck up.”

“So you planned an accident?”

“What the fuck?” He coughs blood. “We had nothing to do with the accident. We only chased her to shut her up.”

My hold falters on his collar. I planned the fire. I had Chris and the two juniors execute it with me because I didn’t want Aiden and his gang to get a whiff of my rebellion against Jonathan.

The shivering juniors in the corner who keep repeating that they only did what they’re told aren’t to blame. I am.

I knew that Chris is volatile and has a knack for danger, but I still used that to my advantage. Michael and David are just pawns who would do anything for their captain. Including arson — and possibly murder.

I might not have driven the car that hit Astrid that night, but I played a role in it.

“We only did what Christopher said.” Michael looks about ready to pee himself. “I wanted to tell the police everything, but my stepfather will kick me out of the house if I have any criminal record.”

“We’re sorry, Captain.” David stammers. “P-please forgive us.”

“That depends.” I push Chris up when he almost falls to the ground.

“On what?” Michael asks.

“Tell me everything you saw that night.” I glare down on Chris. “And you. Tell me why the fuck you’ve been sleeping with Astrid’s stepsister.”

When the three of them are finished, the image starts forming in my head.

I’m only missing one link.

Just a little something.

And I have to risk my future to see the end of it.

For Astrid, it’s fucking worth it.

“K-King?” Nicole stares up at me with wide eyes as I stand in front of their door.

I spent all night watching footage after footage of that party and keeping screenshots and short clips for evidence

There a few interesting things that came to light.

Nicole casts a cautious glance behind her then closes the door and steps outside. “You’re not supposed to be here, my stepfather will kill you.”

I glance behind her, even though the door is shut. “Is Astrid here?”

She twists her lips. “You should leave.”

“Not going to happen.” I push past her, stop and look down at her. “There’s something I’m curious about, Nicole.”

She licks her lips, flipping her blonde hair back. “What is it.”

“Did you fuck Daniel after you put something in his drink?”

Her face turns white. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I pull out my phone and show her two clips that prove her implication. She put pills in glass shots and offered one to Daniel. He took the other and shoved it in Astrid’s hand.

Nicole starts shaking and swallowing hard.

“Now,” I continue, “There are no cameras inside the rooms, so tell me, were you fucking Daniel while Astrid had an accident?”

“K-King, I… I… didn’t mean for it go that far, I promise.”

I barge into her space. “I have enough evidence for Daniel to sue you for rape.”

“That… that’s not…”

“What was your plan exactly? Have him and Astrid fuck? Are you a voyeur or is this some other fucked up kink?”

“That drink was supposed to be mine, not Astrid’s! Daniel is supposed to be mine, not hers. But he had to snatch my damn drink and give it to his stupid Astrid. I studied with him all my life but she waltzes in here one day and he becomes best friends with her overnight. What does she have that I don’t?”

“So you decided to rape him?”

Her lips tremble. “I… I didn’t. You don’t know what happened, so shut up.”

“Then, mind telling me why you whored yourself to Chris after?”

“I only did that to make Daniel jealous.”

“Let me guess. It didn’t work. So you used Chris to find out if anyone knows what you did that night or if there’s any footage to implicate you.”

“No. I didn’t even know there were cameras. Do you think I’m stupid enough to have done it if I did?”

Huh. That changes things.

The door opens and Nicole wipes her cheeks, murmuring, “Please.”

“Is something the matter?” A woman asks in a posh voice.

Victoria Clifford, Nicole’s mother, stares between us with a cool, welcoming expression.

“Nothing is wrong, Mother,” Nicole pleads with her eyes again.

She’ll end up falling, but I don’t have time for her now.

“May I help you?” Victoria asks me.

“Yes. I’m here to see Lord Clifford.”