Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5)(63)

“Can we take a look?” she murmurs against my chest.

“Sure.” Fuck Cole. I would do anything for that pleading in her voice, especially with the way she’s holding on to me.

I’m about to head to the car when Cole strides out of the Meet Up. He watches us for a second, probably wondering why we’re near his car.

I glare at him from over Teal’s head. “There’s a sound coming from over there, Captain.”

He must recognise the accusation in my tone.

“It’s my mother’s dog.” He smiles at us, appearing like a prim and proper gentleman. “I have to get it back to her.”

His mother’s dog? Come on, he could’ve come up with a better excuse.

Still, I go with it and grin at Teal. “See? I told you it’s nothing.”

“Don’t trap dogs,” she tells Cole. “They don’t like it.”

“This particular one does.” His lips move into a sadistic smirk. It’s so brief I wouldn’t have noticed it if I weren’t throwing metaphorical daggers at his face.

I pull out my keys and throw them in Teal’s hand. “Wait for me in the car, belle. I need a word with Captain.”

She disappears around a tree in the car’s direction. The thump comes again, but Cole pretends as if it didn’t happen as he runs his fingers over his book.

“You needed a word with me?” he asks, as if this is an everyday occurrence.

“Your mother’s dog is throwing a fit.”

“He can…wait.”

“Funny, I don’t remember your mum owning a dog.”

“It’s new. My pet.”

“Fuck, Captain. You’re sick.”

“Are we going down that road, Ronan? Because I have a few witnesses who might say the same about you.”

I flip him off then turn to leave. They’re not kids, and it’s none of my fucking business.

“Does Aiden know?” I ask over my shoulder. Cole is still standing where I left him, watching me closely.

Like a good kid with serial killer tendencies, he never does anything when others are around.

Never.

It’s his techniques that allow him to get away with murder — figuratively. If there’s literal shit, I don’t want to be involved.

“Why should he?” he shoots back.

“I don’t know, Captain, maybe because your decisions have no impact on the grown-ups’ decisions. If Jonathan King and your dear stepdad decide things will go otherwise, they will.”

He remains calm, but his book tilts a little, which means he’s gripping it hard.

“Don’t kill anyone.” I grin. “I mean it. I don’t want to be interviewed as the killer’s best friend. They will ask if I saw the signs, and then I’ll have to say I burnt your book. Do you see the pattern there?”

“No.”

“Neither do I.” I wave without turning around. “Don’t kill. Save that shit for your thirties.”

After I disappear from his vicinity, any thought of him vanishes.

Time for my Teal.

I meant it earlier — there’ll be a lot of sessions for Ron Astor the Second. Okay, fine. Maybe I shouldn’t have named him in front of her, but I kind of lose control of my tongue when I’m with her — in different ways.

My phone vibrates. Eduard. Fucking again.

Eduard: If you know something and you’re not telling me, I might be inclined to think you don’t respect our deal, dear little nephew. It’s very unfortunate.

Fuck him and his fake posh behaviour and all of his existence, basically.

There was a moment in time where his existence was the reason I continued mine. Mum used to read me books about a witch who cast a spell on a prince and made him lose his memory, and with that, he forgot all about the princess he loved.

I told her I wished I could find the witch. She frowned, and I realised I’d said the wrong thing. It was a curse; I wasn’t supposed to wish to erase my memories, so I told her it was because I wanted to find her over and over again.

Mum was my princess. She was the reason I wanted that curse, because I thought if I forgot, I wouldn’t have those nightmares that made her stay up all night beside me.

I turn my phone off and climb into the driver’s seat, trying to regulate my breathing.

“Surprise.” Teal’s tentative voice wrenches my attention towards her.

She’s sitting in the passenger seat and has taken off the T-shirt dress. She’s now wearing the bunny outfit I keep in my wardrobe because I was plotting to have Kimberly wear it a long time ago.

The one-piece outfit moulds to her body, bringing attention to her cleavage, which is pushing against the material. Her thighs are bare, the thin strip of fabric glued to her pussy.

I always told the others I had this fantasy, and I did watch it on porn — don’t judge — but now that it’s real and Teal is wearing it, something in my chest fucking snaps.

It’s not a good snap.

My mood darkens and my heart beats so loud it’s the only thing I can hear in my ears.

“Oh, wait. I forgot.” She reaches into her bag, brings out bunny ears, and places them on her head. “Now it’s complete.”

Now it’s complete.

Now, it’s fucking complete.