by Janie Marie
Again, Jane said nothing.
“And now you’re gone,” Wendy said sadly. “None of them are allowed to see you, but you know Ryder will come now that he knows where you are.”
Swallowing hard, Jane managed to say, “Ryder understands me. It’s not like I don’t know he’s perfect.”
“Then why play games? Why not just pick him and get permission to come home? I know it’ll hurt to see David move on, but it’s for the best if you’re going to be shipped off every time something comes up about you two. And do you really want David to lose his chance at a scholarship? Because if you get caught fucking, its gonna look bad. I mean, I know it’s not really gross, but David was right—they’ll make it gross, and he’ll lose his future, and you’ll be the one everyone blames.”
Every word hurt, and Jane glared at nothing as bit her tongue to keep from yelling. Why is she being so nasty?
“I’m being realistic, Jane,” Wendy said softly. “I love you, and I know I say stupid things like let’s run away to Mexico . . . but this is real. Kingston took you out of your home, enrolled you in a rival school, but you’re one step away from making a schedule for which Godson gets to sleep with you.”
Of course, Wendy was right, and she was thinking logically, but Jane’s heart hurt. It hurt so bad to be far away from David and Ryder, it hurt to watch Tercero walk away, and it hurt to have her one friend telling her she was being irrational. She just needed someone on her side; she didn’t want to spend the rest of the year without her boys, but she didn’t want to throw the others away just to be home again. If David wasn’t going to be there, it wasn’t home anyway.
“I have to go,” she said, barely able to keep the venom from her tone.
“Jane—”
Jane didn’t want to listen anymore. She just wanted a hug. So, once again being a shitty friend, she yelled, “I said I have to go!”
She stared at the phone, her breathing hitching because she hated being upset with Wendy, but Wendy had a loving mom who did anything for her, who trusted her and talked to her. Jane didn’t have that, and Wendy would never understand. She didn’t love any boys her whole life and definitely didn’t love more than one at the same time.
“Oh, dear.” Sixty-eight-year-old Sylvia Leodegrance patted Jane’s head. “How about a cookie?”
“No thank you.” Jane sniffed, flipping through her contacts. Ryder and David were probably at practice, so they hadn’t responded to her, and Tercero had already texted a simple: Sweet Dreams, tesoro. Which clearly meant he wasn’t up for talking.
Sylvia sighed, sitting in her recliner. “Do you want to talk about anything?”
“No.” Jane gave her a tight smile, hoping she wasn’t being rude. She didn’t feel like herself anymore. Tercero had said finding herself shouldn’t involve him or anyone else, but she wanted to be surrounded. She felt ill without Ryder, and she felt lost without David. Tercero, sweet Tercero, she’d made him feel wanted then wavered on how she was supposed to act around him. He probably felt so humiliated and hurt that once again Ryder was being thrown in his face.
There was only kindness when Sylvia nodded. “I think you should at least talk about the boy who tried to take you Friday.”
Jane jerked back, her heart sprinting.
“Kingston said that the boy was expelled; did you have any trouble with the students?”
“I—” Jane pressed a hand over her pounding heart, and she screamed when a knock came at the door.
Sylvia covered her ears, but she got up as quickly as her old body allowed. “It’s probably the neighbor boy bringing me my mail.”
Jane covered her warm cheek as she watched Sylvia open the door and greet someone.
“Oh, that’s just my son’s step-daughter,” Sylvia was telling whoever was at the door. “Oh, you go to school with her—maybe you can help her blend in. Come meet her.”
“I doubt it,” a deep voice rumbled. Sex-voice!
Jane’s eyes widened as Damon King entered the house.
He grinned when he spotted her on the floor, and he bowed his head and greeted, “My queen.”
Sylvia chuckled, patting Damon’s shoulder with a few envelopes. “What is this silliness?”
Damon smirked at Jane before answering. “Oh, just an inside joke the boys and I have with Jane.” He winked at her. “We met at lunch today. We vowed to watch over her.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you, Damon.” Sylvia beamed up at the big guy. “I made cookies; how about you see if you can get Jane to eat? She wouldn’t touch her dinner.”
There wasn’t much Jane could say when Sylvia meandered out of the room.
Damon slid his gaze over to Jane. “So . . .”
“Don’t start,” she blurted, rubbing her arms. Her skin was crawling. Not in a weird way, in a bad way.
His grin stretched wider, and he walked to the nearest chair and sat. “What am I starting?”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “You know.”
He laughed, leaning to one side of the chair. “I’m afraid I don’t. Give me a clue.”
Jane rubbed her arms, scowling because she knew what it was now; she wanted to be touched.
“Ah, I see.” His deep voice slid across her irritated skin. “Which one are you missing? Ryder? David? Tercero?”
Her heart wept. “I’m such a hoe.”
“What?” He chuckled as he observed her more. “I thought you were dating all of them? If they know and accept, it’s no one’s business but yours and theirs.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing.” She roughly rubbed her arms. “And I don’t know what the hell it means because you’re here, and you’re making me feel weird.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “I have that effect on women . . . and men.”
She sighed, relaxing a little. Yes, he was hot. Not like Ryder, just kinda oozing sex in a different way. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before Ryder,” she said, watching him. “And I barely got to be his girlfriend.”
“What about Luc?” He leaned farther away, making it easier to breathe. “The king claimed you as his queen in front of the world. He’s not the type to move on after making his choice.”
Luc was such a mystery to her, and she hadn’t talked to him since their ‘date’ that ended badly. Now that she looked back on it, she was such a jerk. He had done things oddly, but she was out with him, and she ran off, nearly got abducted, then her stepdad punched him, all before she ended up fucking Ryder all night long. He no doubt knew she was there, too.
“Hm.” Damon’s eyes glittered as Sylvia waddled back in with a plate and a glass of milk. He stood, grabbing both from the woman.
“Oh, thank you, Damon.” Sylvia beamed at him as though he were her favorite son. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”
“You don’t have to,” Jane said, watching Sylvia shuffle off.
“I think she’s looking to marry you off,” Damon said, amused.
Jane rolled her eyes. “She’s Team David, if you must know.”
“Really?” He chuckled, holding out the plate for her. Oatmeal Raisin. Her favorite.
“Yeah.” She snagged a cookie and watched him take one as well. “Apparently, David told her when he was little that he liked me.”
“Cute,” he said before slowly biting his cookie.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” She glared at him.
A laugh that sounded more like a dragon growl rumbled in his chest. “You’re adorable. I see why they like you so much.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” she said, crossing her arms. “Yes, I know it’s a stupid question, but you’re up to something.”
Amber eyes captured hers. “I was only dropping off mail because Sylvia struggles to go down her steps. I stay with my father more than my mother, and he lives next door.” Jane had wondered that because this house was out of the district. “But I knew you were here,” he added.
“I knew it,” she said as if she were a detective solving s
ome sort of case. “Who do you work for?”
He was beyond amused as he watched her trying to hide from her stupidity. “If we are discussing work, technically, I work for Luc. Well, I have an internship with his corporation. If you want to know how I knew you were here, he told me.”
Her jaw dropped. “What?”
“I’m an intern for Luc. He knew you’d be here, and he knew I lived next door.”
“You’re spying on me?” She didn’t know how to feel about this.
Damon smiled. “I told him I wouldn’t remain loyal to him if I spied. He knows I won’t, but he left the temptation, and I knew what to do to see you—bring Sylvia her mail.”
Spinning. Her mind was spinning. “So, he won’t respond to my text, but he tells you where I am so you can spy, then you tell him you’re not loyal? Who are you loyal to?”
“That is the question, isn’t it?” He took a sip from the glass of milk, his intense gaze fixed on her over the rim.
“Are you trying to annoy me?”
He lowered the glass and set it aside with the plate. “I believe I was making it clear my loyalty would shift from king to queen.”
She leaned back. “You guys take the king thing too seriously.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “He’s ruthless and the title stuck. Luc destroyed many of his rivals and took control of their corporations. It’s all underground kingdom type of stuff, and he said he’d only share his rule with a queen. Men have been trying to marry their daughters off to him for the past year.” His eyes flashed when she scowled. “So, you see, he has a reason to worry about your whereabouts. A king protects his queen.”
Jane stared at Damon.
He stared right back at her then smirked. “I have other news, if you’d like to hear it.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be awful,” she said, sprawling out on the sofa now. “My friend already made me feel like shit for not being able to pick just Ryder, so be a little nice, please. And don’t bring up Dylan. But I will say thank you for hitting him.” She smiled, even though he didn’t look happy at the mention of his former teammate.
“Your friend doesn’t know what it’s like to have the hearts of more than one man who is perfect for her.” He pulled out his phone, then he began reading from it. “Inform her that I’ve arranged to speak to Kingston, and I will be holding a meeting with him until six. If all goes well, I’ll return her call before he arrives. Remind her to be mindful of her sass.” Damon winked at her when her face burned. “Though I enjoy her fire, she must choose her targets carefully. Certainly not the man who controls who she can see. And you’re welcome . . . about Dylan, I mean. Nothing more needs to be said.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, holding out her hand for the phone. “May I see?”
Damon nodded, letting her see. There was indeed a text from the contact Luc Godson. It went on to say: And, Damon, she’s my queen. Remember that.
“What does he mean?” she asked, handing Damon the phone.
He chuckled, pocketing it. “Did you not know I am called the King of Demons?”
Jane hadn’t known that, but it was catchy considering the school was called Helldonna. After all, he was one of the football captains. “So, he thinks you’re going to queen me?”
A wicked smile graced his face. “When Luc destroyed our team, no one else has carried the team to the playoffs. Until I joined, that is. So, they call me the King of Demons, and I’ll be the king when I secure the title for our school.”
“If,” she said, curtly. “You have to get past my boys, which you lost to this past week.”
“Yes.” His eyes gleamed. “I did not expect David to perform as well without Ryder. We underestimated him.”
She knew her smile was smug. “He’s the bestest.”
“If you say so.” He sat quietly, watching her again. “Do you want to be Luc’s queen?”
“That’s for me to discuss with him, I think.” She felt her skin heat as his gaze traveled down her body. “Stop.”
“Just admiring.” He reached for another cookie. “They are lucky Ryder loves you so.”
“Why?”
“Because Ryder is a beast.” He dipped his cookie in the milk. “And a king all by himself. If he were to threaten anyone about you, they’d step down. Even David.”
“David wouldn’t give me up,” she said, though she feared he would. He had been trying to let her go.
“He’d have no choice if Ryder wanted to fight for you. You have no idea how badass your boyfriend is.”
A giddy feeling warred with her responsible side. “Ryder wouldn’t fight for me like that, especially with David.”
“Oh, he would.” He chuckled. “But, as I said, they are lucky he loves you so much. It’s why he has been so patient. He knew if he made a move on you David would do something, and then he’d have to decide whether to destroy him or step aside.”
She frowned, thinking over how well David and Ryder got along with her. Ryder had been the playful one, the one stepping down, she could say. But, clearly, everyone knew Ryder could wipe the floor with anyone. “He’s the sweetest guy in the world,” she whispered more to herself than Damon.
He laughed quietly, almost choking on his cookie. “Probably for you, yes.”
“So, you’re not going to spy on me,” she said, sitting up.
“Watching over you,” he said before giving her a closed-mouth smile. “Trust me, I don’t mind.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “You’re such a bad flirt.”
“I had to try,” he said, chuckling.
Jane realized she really liked him, and the itchy feeling almost instantly eased. “So, you’ll be around if I need you?”
“I’ll always be available to you.” He held out his hand. “Your phone? I’ll give you my number and get yours.”
She grinned, handing it to him. “Smooth way of getting a girl’s number.”
He smirked but kept his attention on the phone. “You make me try harder than any other girl.”
Now, she laughed. “And here I thought I was easy.”
“Easy?” He tossed the phone to her. “Ryder has been pining after you for years. I wonder if he really made the first move.”
Her body went up in flames. She had been the one to tell Ryder how she felt first, not Ryder. She’d been the one to turn a kiss into something more, to tell him to take her virginity.
His deep chuckle halted at the sound of the front door opening. Kingston was home.
Damon stood, turning toward her stepfather and held out his hand. “Kingston Leodegrance, I’m Damon King. I go to school with Jane.”
Kingston sent her a glare but shook Damon’s hand. “I’ve seen you play. Impressive.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Not good enough to see my daughter,” Kingston retorted before focusing on Jane. “You’re grounded, young lady. That means no boys, even new ones. Even the boy who defended you from your attacker Friday night.”
Before Jane could reply, Damon was speaking. “Sylvia invited me inside to meet her. I don’t think she realized I met Jane Friday . . . But I took the opportunity to express to Jane she had a friend. My group saw what happened, and we don’t support Dylan. But our classmates do.”
Kingston sighed, his gaze softening as he took her in. “It was bad?”
She could only shrug. She hated being mad with him, especially when he looked at her like she was his little girl that he didn’t know how to protect.
“I hoped no one would recognize you,” he said, setting aside his briefcase. “Did this young man help?”
“His friends did,” she said with a smile. “Damon assured me I can call on him, though. He’s a bit of royalty, as far as the school is concerned.”
“Well.” Kingston walked around until he stood between her and Damon. At first, he stared at her face, his blue eyes just a paler shade of David’s. “I think we should talk, Jane.” He turned to Damon, shaking hands. “Thank you for everything you�
��ve done. But I will be upset if you are alone with her while she is grounded.”
Damon grinned, snagging another cookie. “I can respect your rules. But I might sneak over for Sylvia’s cookies. They’re sweeter than your stepdaughter.”
Kingston actually laughed, but he ushered Damon toward the door. “In those instances, I expect to see you sitting close to my mother, not staring at Jane like she’s your prey.”
Damon winked at her before opening the door. Then he stumbled back. He’d stumbled because there was a very fierce boy standing outside.
“Ryder,” she whispered, her lips trembling as Kingston put a hand on her shoulder to hold her in place.
Her bad boy sized Damon up before moving aside. “Beat it.”
She wanted to smile as Damon chuckled and passed him.
“Ryder skipped practice and came to see me,” Kingston said quietly then gestured for Ryder to enter. “I brought him to see you so we can talk. I fear you won’t talk to me without him.” He lifted his hand. “Go. Get your little reunion over with.”
That divine smile that made her entire body tingle spread over Ryder's face. “How long are you gonna make me stand here, Sweet Jane?”
Jane whimpered and rushed toward him.
He swooped her up, hugging her as he buried his face against her neck. “Fuck, babe,” he whispered, squeezing her as he kissed her neck.
She cried, kissing his face everywhere she could before he turned and gave the one she needed to live. Tingles. Every caress was a jolt down to his spot and then radiated outward. She felt like a breakable goddess in his arms. One he was prepared to shield, but when he deepened his kiss in front of Kingston, she knew he was always going to see that she was something incredible all by herself.
He smiled against her mouth, kissing her sweeter now. “Let me see those pretty eyes.”
Opening them, she laughed, holding his face.