Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5)(39)

I find Elsa right before her track practice, the only time the fucker Aiden leaves her alone.

She’s on her way to the pitch when I wrap an arm around her shoulder and fall in step beside her. “How is my favourite Ellie?”

“You have many Ellies?”

“Just three.” I grin. “And you’re the best out of them all.”

“You’re incorrigible, Ronan.”

“Your compliments warm my heart.”

She looks me up and down. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“It got cancelled. Don’t tell King.”

“Why not?” she whispers, as if this is an elaborate plot.

“He’s a dick all the time, while I only get to be a dick now and again.”

She laughs, poking my side. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

“Our secret. My life depends on it — seriously.”

“If you know that, why do you keep provoking him?”

I lift a shoulder. “Because it’s fun.”

“Fun, huh?”

“Speaking of fun or the lack thereof, I still cry into my pillow every night because you refused to marry me and threw me to your foster sister.” I feign sadness. “I thought I meant more to you than shallow fun, Ellie.”

“Hey, Teal is great.”

“Is she, though?”

“She is. She’s just misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood, really? Surely you heard about the horror story she started at school yesterday?”

She smiles awkwardly. I hit the nail on the head with that one. “She’s just protective and doesn’t like being provoked.”

“Do you think she wants this whole engagement thing?”

“She said she does.”

I don’t miss the way Elsa’s face scrunches as she says those words. She doesn’t believe her.

That’s…interesting.

“Do you think she’s lying?” I feign nonchalance.

“No, but…” She stares up at me, biting her lip. “You’re my friend, too, and I think you need to know this.”

“Know what?”

“I think Teal has always had a crush on Agnus.”

Fucking Agnus again. The next time I see that man, something childish and out of character will happen — or criminal, depending on my mood.

“For the record, I like you best, Ro.” Elsa pats my hand that’s dangling on her shoulder. “Agnus is manipulative as hell, and I don’t like that he’s important to Dad’s business. If I have to pick a side, it’ll undoubtedly be yours.”

I place a hand on my heart. “I knew you loved me. Now, about that threesome Aiden shouldn’t know about…”

“Stop it.” She chuckles.

“I swear my dick is bigger than his.”

“How would you know that?”

“Shower, Ellie. Ever heard of it? Aiden and I have taken them together more times than I could count.”

Her cheeks redden. “I didn’t need that image.”

I waggle an eyebrow. “Yes, you did. Now, let’s plot the fun we’ll have without him.”

“Without who?” Aiden’s voice cuts into my plan like a devil’s sword. He yanks my arm off Elsa’s shoulder and plants himself between us as he holds her to him by the waist. “From today onwards, you’re not allowed near Elsa when I’m not here.”

“Question is, how would you know if you’re not here?” I taunt. “Nice jersey.”

He cuts me a glare and I grin. He changed into the team jersey and shorts before he found out practice was cancelled. Since I’m still in my uniform, it means I knew all along and didn’t tell him.

Pushing Aiden’s buttons. Good times.

“Elsa was just agreeing to the threesome,” I continue. “You’re welcome to watch.”

Elsa motions at me to shut up, seeming worried about my safety. I expected Aiden to threaten my life and remind me of the grave he’s been digging for me since the beginning of the year, but he smirks instead.

The fuck? Is he immune to it now?

No, come on. Provoking Aiden so he shows his non-poker face is one of my recent favourite hobbies.

So, I go with it and snap my fingers. “This means you’re cool with it, right? Ellie, I meant it about the size, and —”

He cuts me off. “How is your fiancée, Astor?”

I smile. “Probably performing some satanic rituals.”

“Hey!” Elsa scolds me.

I pretend to grin back. What Elsa doesn’t know is that I need to keep up the fa?ade, need to make everyone believe I don’t give two fucks about Teal — even she needs to know that. She needs to realise there’s no way in fuck she’ll become my weakness like Aiden is parading his around in the form of Elsa.

I don’t have weaknesses. I have people.

Lots of fucking people who fill every corner of my life.

So what if Teal stands out from that crowd? So what if I’ve been looking for her during lunch break and haven’t found her? I won’t show it or ask about her.

She’ll be the one who’ll admit her fault and come back to me, not the other way around.