Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6)(87)

I stalk towards him and smooth his shirt. “You’ll accept your fate and leave for the military academy without a fucking protest. If you don’t, I’ll crush you.”

And I will. Adam won’t get away with only being transferred. As soon as I grow up enough to take hold of my father’s businesses, I’ll hunt him down and destroy him all over again.

I’ll make his life a hell so deep, he will never find a way out.

He’ll pay back in instalments.

He’ll look over his shoulder in fear, just like she did.

That’s my best form of revenge.

Once Adam thinks I’ll release him, he sighs. I lift my fist and punch him in the face until my knuckles sting.

True, violence never solves anything, but it’s liberating in a way.

It’s ironic that I’ve only ever punched two people due to anger — Aiden and Adam.

Both times were because of Silver.

Everything in my life has turned around and revolves around her.

One way or another.





I go home late.

Partly because of Adam. Partly because I considered going to Cynthia’s building and barging inside.

The only reason I stopped is because of Cynthia. She doesn’t like me — because of my mother, I suppose — and would start a riot before allowing me to see Silver this late.

By the time I arrive home, it’s around one in the morning. It’s dark and quiet, so Sebastian and his team must be pulling an all-nighter in the party’s building. They seem to be doing that a lot lately.

Perhaps he knows how much Mum needs her quiet when she writes. Besides, it’s more convenient than moving back and forth between the house and his workplace.

As I open the door to my room, my mind fills with ways to drag Silver back here tomorrow.

I need to catch her at school before she runs to Cynthia’s. While I hate missing practice, because of the control I feel during games, I probably have to so I can — I stop on the threshold of my room, my thoughts coming to a halt, too.

Silver sits on the chair by my desk — or, rather, sleeps. Her head lies on a book she must’ve been reading, her blonde strands half-camouflaging her face.

Her oversized T-shirt for the day is pink and barely reaches the middle of her naked thighs.

For a moment, I stand there and watch her.

For a moment, I soak in the image.

She came back.

Not only did she not stay at her mother’s, but she also came to my room.

She was waiting for me.

Fuck. I shouldn’t be feeling like a giddy teenager with a crush on the school’s queen B, but it’s there. The…joy.

Silver has never come to me before, not willingly. Not even as a pretence. She has walls so high, I thought I would never be able to climb over them no matter how much I tried.

And I did try.

I tried every fucking trick under the sun.

A part of me is still pissed off about the whole Adam thing, but now that I know he’ll disappear for good, some of that anger vanishes.

Besides, I can’t actually be mad at her when she’s sleeping. She looks so pure and peaceful.

I gently pull her hand away to catch the title of the book she’s been reading.

Nausea.

A small smile grazes my lips as I carefully wrap one hand around her back and the other under her legs and carry her in my arms. Her head falls against my chest with a satisfied moan.

She’s so beautiful, it’s fucking me up.

And it’s not only her external beauty, it’s everything about her, from her insecurities to her affectionate and responsible side.

It’s just her.

I sit on the bed and manoeuvre her so she’s half-lying atop me, her back leaning against my chest and her legs tucked between mine.

My fingers stroke the sensitive spot in her neck. She moans, and this time, her eyes flutter open.

Fine, so I was being a dick and woke her up. But I needed to see those baby blues.

For a second, she seems disoriented, then her lips break into a smile as she stares up at me, her head lying on my bicep.

“What are you doing here, Silver?”

The smile slowly vanishes. “Mum has a late-night meeting at the party and I don’t like staying there alone. Besides…”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to run away anymore.”

“And you decided to come to my room?”

She nods.

“If I remember correctly, you ran away when I told you to wait in the car earlier. Do you think you can come and go as you wish, Silver?”

“Cole…”

“Answer the fucking question.”

“I was scared, okay? You can be scary sometimes.” She half-turns so she’s tucked in my lap and glides her fingers across my chest. “But when I got to Mum’s and knew she wouldn’t be home, I was restless. I met Adam there the other time, you know. He said his uncle lives there, but he doesn’t. So I was scared he’d come find me.”

That fucker. I should’ve punched him a few more times.

“I couldn’t stay there,” she murmurs. “You’re the only person I wanted to see.”

I try not to let those words consume me, but I fail. All I can do is watch her — the rosy hue on her cheeks, the relaxation in her shoulders as she snuggles into me.