Pretty Little Puppet: Enemies to Lovers Dark College Sports Romance (Elite Royal University Book 1)

by L. J. Woods

  “We’re not uh, fucking with you Miss Rose,” she reassures with another nervous laugh. She adjusts her red glasses. “You’re everything the new imprint of Puffin needs. That said, the new imprint office is overseas. If you’ll be working with us that means regular meetings and clearly, we like to handle things face-to-face.”

  Her brows knit, glancing at me with her jaw half-open. A grin spreads across my face, nodding, an usher for her to answer.

  “That … that’s …” She seems frozen. Like she doesn't believe it.

  So I fill in the blank for her, “Amazing!”

  At the same time Ray blurts, “No.”

  The woman blinks before my head whips to Rayne. “No?” Taking her by her shoulders I look into her eyes making sure the whiskey hasn’t gone to her head. “Loca, you’ve been talking about this forever. This is your dream.”

  “You’re my dream.”

  Those words warm and break my heart at the same time. But I can’t have this conversation with this random woman staring between us.

  “Can she call you?” I ask her.

  Handing Rayne a card she smiles. “We hope to hear from you. And again, my condolences.”

  As she walks out of the room, I take Ray’s hands in mine. “You can’t turn this down.” A smile spreads across my face, the pride I'm feeling inside on full display. “I know this day sucks, but your dad would be so fucking proud of you, Ray. I’m so fucking proud of you. You did this.”

  My smile must be infectious because one grows on her lips too. The one I fell in love with all those years ago, her cheeks rising to her eyes. “This is all your fault, Perez.” Wrapping her arms around me she presses her chest to mine, soft and warm. “You’re the one who sent in that manuscript and gave me that chance.”

  “Wouldn’t have had that chance if you didn’t write it,” I remind her. “You’re amazing, Ray. And the entire world will get to see it.”

  “That’s a pretty big fucking smile for a funeral, Rose.”

  Just when I think I have Ray to myself, Isaac enters the room.

  I’ve been sharing her with funeral guests all evening. And if I know her, she's grateful but she likely can’t wait until we’re on our own again. Naked with a bottle of scotch between us.

  Lexi’s behind him in a black leather dress, a plunging neckline. She slaps his head.

  “Ray got offered her dream job,” I explain with a chuckle, leaning on the island. “Not even through her first year at ERU and doors are already opening.”

  “Shit, Rose,” Isaac clinks her drink with his, a crystal glass filled to the brim with clear liquid. Either gin, tequila, or vodka.

  “It’s overseas,” Ray reminds herself, a chew of her lip.

  “Good. Get far away from this town.” Isaac picks a grape out of a fruit basket. “There’s nothing but death and heartache in these streets. Wait,” he stops, swallowing his food. “That mean you two have to break up? Now that Perez got that offer?”

  “What offer?” Rayne turns to me as I’m shoving Isaac off the island. He struggles to stand. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I only found out this morning,” I confess. The plan was to hold off my news until we got through the funeral.

  “What’re you gonna—”

  “Rayne, there you are.” August’s boys roll in, some of the guests watching as they come into the kitchen. Like Ray, they don’t fit in. Dirty boots and ripped denim. “We wanted to come pay our respects.” The taller one says. Gull. “We would’ve come earlier but we had some shit to take care of.”

  “Hey, you,” Lexi waves a flirty wave to Gull. Her eyes move to Owl, his thick hair in a bun. “And you.”

  “Slut,” Isaac cough-speaks.

  Lexi swivels on her heels. “You have the fucking nerve.”

  “Where’s August?” Ray asks. They look at each other and I don’t miss the way Ray’s grip tightens around the bottle. “Guys?” Her brows knit. “Where’s my brother?”

  Owl hangs his head. “We haven’t seen him since that night.”

  Ray freezes. Her entire body tense before I pull her to my side. “Don’t worry,” I whisper in her ear. If I know anything about August he can stand on his own.

  “Rayne.” Someone else calls her name from the doors, some of the guys from the team. They have the special Hawks jersey we commissioned in their hold but baaad fucking timing.

  She reaches out to it before I stop them. One has some of her dad’s old things in a box. Rayne takes her time, looking at everything before she takes them in her hold, clutching them to her body. She looks lost in a storm, the one likely spinning in her head.

  “Oh, and Perez, someone’s asking for your dad,” Hoffman mentions.

  Along with August, my dad’s been nonexistent. His angry texts are the only reason I know he’s alive.

  “I’ll take these upstairs,” Rayne shoves past me with the boxes in her hand, moving quickly towards the hall.

  Shit. “Nice going guys,” I mutter.

  They look lost as she disappears, but it’s best to give her a little space. I get what it's like to go through this, I'm still going through this myself.

  In the meantime, I play host, mingling with fellow grievers. Turns out, Ray doesn’t have much family. Most people here are either from the school or the bar in The Grove her dad frequented.

  It’s only when things start to die down that I notice I haven’t seen her for a while. Alright, half an hour isn’t a while but it’s long enough for me.

  After telling Isaac and the guys to hang on, I head up the stairs towards the room we’ve been staying in.

  It smells like her. Vanilla and amber, her scent forcing a smile to my face. “Ray?” When I step further into the room, she’s not inside. Not in the bathroom either.

  “Ray?” Walking down the halls, I check the other rooms, her face in my mind. I’m reminded of that party again, chasing her down this very hallway in hopes she’d let me hit it. So much has changed since then.

  “Have you seen, Ray?” I ask Hoffman when I make it back downstairs. When he shakes his head no, I continue around the mansion, asking around for her while I keep an eye out. But no one else has seen her either.

  That warehouse hits my mind like a heavy bag of bricks. My heart pounds against my chest but I take a breath, trying to calm my nerves.

  It’s only when I search the room a second time that I see a piece of paper with my name on it. It sits on the dresser, tucked to the side of the mirror. It's a page from that shitty notebook she won't give up.

  My stomach churns as I swallow hard on nothing but sheer anxiety.

  Is this Ace? Again?

  I'll kill him if it is.

  Expecting the worst, I flip it over.

  Fuck.

  Gripping the dresser, my chest feels tight. My heart thuds harder like I'm having a fucking heart attack.

  She hasn’t said it before, but somehow now, she’s found the words. And while it should fill me with happiness. It fills me with dread.

  Christian,

  I love you.

  Don’t ever forget that.

  Rayne.

  Thirty-Three

  Rayne

  I’ve come too far to give up on this plan now.

  Gripping the knife in my hand, I take in a steady breath. Except it’s far from steady. It’s shaky. Raggedy. Full of the fear and uneasiness I have building inside me.

  But this is who I am and doing this is the one thing besides Christian that’ll help me sleep at night. The only thing that’ll make sure I’m safe. We’re safe.

  I’m doing this for us.

  “If you’re gonna use that thing you better fucking do it.”

  My body jumps at his voice.

  Ace.

  He lays in a small bed to the side of the space. I thought he was asleep but I should know better. Ace never sleeps.

  Getting past his boys was easier than I thought. It’s a simple task for them to take advantage of me when I’m chained
up. Cowards. But when they didn’t know I was coming? Let's say, Ace’s boys aren’t as sharp as August’s.

  Ace though? He’s one of the sharpest motherfuckers I know. Everyone in Shady Shores knows there’s no getting past him.

  Christian's right. I’m loca. Only insanity would bring me here.

  “So what’s it gonna be, Ray?” Ace rises like a vampire, his face hidden by darkness and I’m wondering why I’m not already dead. “Gonna do it?”

  Yes.

  No.

  I really don’t fucking know.

  “Make it quick, Ray!” he barks, his voice going through me and it makes me jump again, the knife tight in my clammy hand. “I’ve spared you enough. If you’re not gonna do this then why the fuck are you even here? To waste my time? To fuck me? If I wanted a fucking slut I wouldn’t have called you so …” He rises from the bed, his onslaught of words only bringing me back to what it’s like to be with him. The darkness didn’t consume me back then, but like August, I’m through fighting it.

  “Why!” he barks. Like he’s challenging me. “Why the fuck are you here, Rayne? Diamond’s dead, so is Jack and you really have the balls to come back? To face me?”

  My feet finally move as I stomp towards him, gripping the knife as tightly as I can until I’m sure the pattern around the handle will leave a crease.

  “My dad’s dead too,”I say, my voice croaky. “It’s also his funeral today.” There’s a slur there but I cover it up. “Yours too.”

  When I push the knife at him he grabs my wrist and his muscular arm stops me from pushing it any further. He smirks, a hand around my throat before he lifts me off the floor.

  “You’ve always been a brave bitch, Rayne Rose,” he chuckles, squeezing so tight my head feels like a balloon. I scratch at his arms and face but it’s like he doesn’t feel it, dreads hanging in front of his eyes. “A fucking thorn.”

  He pushes me back against the dirty brick wall but I keep thrusting the knife further. It’s inches away from his chest when he chuckles, squeezing tighter. My eyes bulge and when I gasp for air it sounds gurgled and hoarse. My feet dangle below me, kicking and thrashing but I keep pushing that knife. I won’t stop.

  Even if it fucking kills me.

  Ace murdered my dad and he’s likely murdered my brother. I can’t keep going through life watching my back.

  Ace needs to die.

  He keeps laughing like the sick fuck he is, my head feeling like it’ll explode but I’m still pushing against his hold. His arms shakes, my wrist in his hand. Guess I’m stronger than he thought. But he squeezes harder, the world around me going dull.

  “You thought you were gonna come in here and kill me, Rayne?” I can’t tell if he’s angry or chuffed the way his smirk lingers. “You want to end us like this? I should’ve known not to have a soft spot for my prey. I shouldn't have saved you for last.”

  Spots of black appear in my darkened vision, my heart booming off-rhythm in my chest. The world around me starts to dim but I’m going down fighting. I keep pushing that knife, fighting the weakness weighing down my arms.

  “Ssssh,” he says, his eyes boring into mine but I’m replacing them with Christian’s, ignoring the pain in my neck. In my head. I’m replacing these deep dark eyes with the ones that glitter. The ones that light up my entire life. He’s the only person that’s given me happiness since Mom died. The only reason I’ve been able to handle Dad’s death too. At least I can die with that. “Sssh, Ray. Just—”

  Ace’s grip around my neck loosens and I’m able to take a breath of air before his body goes stiff. He looks down, brows touching. When I crane my eyes lower, there’s blood rushing from his chest.

  Like he took that final step forward.

  Am I that strong? Did I win?

  A dark figure appears behind him. One that makes me think I’m imagining things. Hallucinating.

  Or dead.

  My feet drop to the floor when Ace falls to the ground, the figure becoming clear as day.

  “Fucking, Loca,” Christian pulls me away from Ace’s body, bleeding out in front of us. I’m frozen in place, trying to piece it together but just like last time, it all happened so fast.

  And the next thing I know, Christian’s lips come to mine. They’re soft. Warm. Real. And the smell that enters my nose, the smell of him, plunges me back to reality.

  My body shakes when he presses me back, his wide eyes roaming my body. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His words are a strong whisper.

  “W-we—” I can hardly speak, my eyes moving to Ace’s body becoming lifeless on the floor. “Holy fuck.” My words are quiet, a pain in my neck. It burns, like I can still feel his hands around it.

  Moving around Ace I kick his body until he’s on his stomach. I’ve never seen his face so pale. So lifeless. I’ve always been afraid of Ace but Christian was the one to bring him to his motherfucking knees.

  He’s not my white knight. He’s my dark devil. And I must be a sick fuck because there’s a smile growing on my face as I stare at my dead ex-boyfriend.

  When I lean in and pull the knife out of his back, that twist in my gut I felt when Jack died isn’t there. No, this feels good.

  “We gotta go before his boys find out." Christian sounds as if he’s been in this game forever. He might as well be because there’s no coming back from this.

  Kill a guy once? Call it self-defense.

  Kill a guy twice …

  “Come on, Ray.” He pulls on my hand as I take one last look at Ace.

  I’m not prey. And today, I solidified that.

  I’m all power. Christian Perez made sure of it.

  Ace’s boys don’t notice a thing before we’ve made it back out of the warehouse. Once we’re in the night air, Christian picks me up, cradling me in his arms, and now, this is the only thing I need. The only person I need.

  He brings me towards a Rover. Isaac’s in the front seat but he doesn’t ask any questions until we’re far away from that warehouse.

  “Never a dull moment in Eden,” Isaac settles into the driver’s seat, hands gripping the wheel. “Everyone okay?”

  “What are you even doing here?” I ask. “Now you’re an accomplice.”

  He chuckles. “Baby, I’ve been an accomplice to this guy before he ever saw tits. We’re in this shit together.”

  Christian looks behind him, out the back window. He’s being way too chill about what we did and I've created a monster. My monster.

  “There’s no way I’m leaving a King on their own.” Isaac glances at us in the rearview, Christian pulling his arm around me. “And that includes their Queen.”

  “Mi reina,” Christian steals my attention away from Isaac’s words with ones of his own. “I’m going with you. You’re taking that job and I’m going with you and we’re getting the fuck out of here, you hear me?” As we fly through the streets back to Eden, I stare into his eyes. He looks determined. A King. “It’s you and me now.”

  Thirty-Four

  Rayne

  “Where are we?”

  Christian pulls a new Rolls Royce up to a large beige and stone mansion, wrought iron gates behind us. He wanted to take the Bugatti but if we’re being discreet, this is better. Black. Sleek. Still fancy but much less attention-grabbing.

  “Your dad’s?” Sitting up, I peer out the window. No cars are in the driveway so that makes me less nervous.

  “There’s one more thing I have to get,” he says, parking the car. “He’s at poker, he won’t be home for hours but I can’t leave without it.”

  Once out of the car and into the chilly fall air, he takes my hand, a warm comfort as he leads me inside.

  The lavish surroundings remind me of what we’re leaving behind, the large walnut door shutting with a click. But I know we’ll be okay without all the glitz and glam. All we need is each other.

  We aren’t afraid to die for each other. To kill for each other.

  My enemy has become my entire fucking world.

/>   “I’ll be back,” Christian plants a soft kiss on my head before he climbs the stairs, two at a time. “Mi reina.”

  My stomach flutters before he disappears. Turning around, a family photo meets my gaze. A photo of a family Christian no longer has. The photo next to it is older, Christian around ten with that big ol’ head and those bright green eyes. Who would’ve thought that my first crush would be the guy to save me?

  The knight I always thought he was.

  “What are you doing here?”

  A deep voice makes me jump and when I turn around, Hugo Perez stares down at me. He’s in a wet Bruins jersey, swaying with bloodshot eyes.

  Fuck.

  Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

  “We’re leaving,” I blurt. Shit. But if we're leaving, maybe he should know.

  He stares at me, eyes narrowing. My body tenses, waiting for his response in uncomfortable silence.

  SMASH!

  His fist goes through the large family portrait, right through the glass covering Christian’s face.

  Taking a step back, I reach for my knife in my trench coat pocket as glass tinkers to the ground. With another step back, I slowly pull it out, prepared to fight him off.

  But he walks towards the door. “Good.” His hand on the knob, he wobbles, looking back at me. “Thank you. You didn't see me.”

  I’m frozen in place even moments after he leaves. Still am when Christian comes jogging down the steps, a small box in his hand.

  “What was that? You okay?” He grabs me by my elbows before he looks around, his eyes landing on the portrait.

  There’s no keeping this from him unless I take the blame for throwing a Hulk Smash. “If I saw your dad..." He tenses when I start. “Would you wanna know?" I grip his hands. "Even if he asked me not to tell you?”

  His eyes move from me to the painting and Christian’s not an idiot. An idiot for following me to death, but who isn’t an idiot when they’re in love?