EVIL KING: A Dark High School Elite Romance (The Royal Court Book 1)

by Rebel Hart

  “I’m having a conversation with my dear friend,” Alistair replied.

  My whole body was filled with warmth at the interaction. Avery and Alistair had liked one another for a while, but Alistair had been staying away from Avery out of respect to another friend of ours, Kyle, who Avery had dated for a while. Avery’s relationship with Kyle was mostly political, but she was head over heels for Alistair. If they were finally moving in a good direction, that made me happy.

  I raised one of my hands. “Um, if you guys need to get a room, I can go.”

  “Oh my god.” The phone went blurry again, and then Avery’s face appeared again, rushing off with Alistair rolling around laughing on the pavement behind her. “I swear, you two are going to be the death of me.”

  “Are we gonna talk about that?” I asked.

  Avery lifted her head to the sky. “No, we are not.” Her face came back down, and she looked at me. “You’re coming today, right?”

  I groaned. “I don’t know, Avery. That just doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

  Avery poked out her bottom lip as she settled into a chair a few feet away from the pool. “Oh, come on. It’s an annual event. You’re the queen. You have to be there!”

  My heart thudded a little harder, thinking about it. Avery, Alistair, and I were all part of an elite group of students called The Royal Court. There was nothing particularly special about us, apart from the fact that we were all incredibly rich and had been specially recruited by the King of The Royal Court, Nathan Loche. Although we were really just a group of entitled kids who one of us decided were worth special treatment, that one kid’s dad, Connor Loche, was one of the most powerful and influential people in Postings. Therefore, we received the special treatment we all enjoyed.

  Connor also happened to be the guy who gave my dad that life-changing promotion. Right afterward, Connor invited my dad to one of his family Christmas parties, and while my parents were rubbing elbows with the elite, I was brought to Nathan’s sub-party, where Avery pulled me aside and told me that he was the King of The Royal Court and wanted me to be his queen. We started dating shortly thereafter and had a tumultuous relationship for the next three years until I found out he was sleeping with one of the teachers at our school. I broke up with him officially, but I maintained my role as queen.

  “It’s gonna be so awkward,” I murmured to Avery. “I don’t want to be around Nathan at all.”

  Every year, during the last week of the summer, right before school started, Nathan hosted a massive Royal Court pool party that every single student in our city got an invite to. Everyone expected the entire Royal Court to be in attendance, but the thought of having anything to do with Nathan when I’d successfully managed to avoid him all summer just didn’t sit well with me.

  “So, don’t be around him.” Avery shifted as Alistair made his way over to where she was sitting and sat in front of her between her legs so that he could look into the camera as well. “The three of us will get some booze, get some food, find a corner, and just shit talk everyone.”

  I grinned. That did sound like fun. If I could go to the party and not see Nathan, I would probably enjoy myself. The party was always hosted on the Loches’ massive estate, and with five hundred or more people there, it should be easy to lose myself.

  Right?

  “Come on, Cher. If you don’t go, Avery isn’t gonna have a good time at all, and you know how much she loves parties,” Alistair said.

  “Oh, please,” Avery scoffed. “When we went to the movies last weekend and you couldn’t go, Ali whined the entire time that we shouldn’t be there without you.”

  “No.” Alistair turned away from the camera. “I don’t even care.”

  It was a good thing I had Avery and Alistair. Things with The Royal Court often felt very vapid, but they were a couple of good souls who I’d found through the whole thing. Even once I was off to college and, hopefully, leaving Postings and The Royal Court behind, I hoped that I’d be friends with them forever.

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I’ll come.”

  Alistair started to clap, and a wide smile found Avery’s face. “Yay!” she sang. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”

  “It’d better be. It’s the last party before our senior year. If it isn’t epic, I’m holding the two of you personally responsible.”

  2

  Cherri

  I had other, more revealing bathing suits that I might have chosen to wear, but given the circumstances, I decided on a teal and white two-piece with a halter-top and bikini bottoms. I twisted my blonde hair up into a messy bun on top of my head and skipped a majority of my makeup regimen in case I did decide to get wet. I’d been blessed with my mother’s natural beauty and didn’t require much makeup on a good day, but I did put on some mascara to frame my blue eyes and called that good enough.

  Over my swimsuit bottoms, I pulled on a pair of blue-jean short shorts, and I added a black camisole that was successful in accentuating my large bust for my slim and short frame, but it failed to hide the straps of my top, not that it mattered. It was a pool party, so people expected to see swimsuits, either in full or poking out of street clothes. To finish the ensemble, I slid on a pair of black roman sandals to show off my latest pedicure.

  I loaded my wallet, phone, and car keys into a small tote bag alongside a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a power bank, and then I left my bedroom and made my way out to the driveway. Thanks to my auto-start Audi, it wasn’t necessary to pull my keys out of my bag. They were close enough that I was able to press the unlock button on the door and then the ignition buttons again once inside to start it. I smiled as it purred to life, and I petted the steering wheel.

  “Good afternoon to you, too, CJ.”

  CJ, the name I gave my car, stood for Cherri Jr. It was the only rich person’s luxury I’d struggle to give up if I had to. I loved my car, and as a poor kid coming up, my own car was something I didn’t think I’d have until well into my adult years. Thanks to my dad’s promotion, I was given the car for my sixteenth birthday. It was my favorite and most expensive thing that I owned. The steering wheel had a jewel-encrusted crown in the center. The crown was a gift from Nathan, given to me because, as he said, I was his queen, but other people said it was because he wanted to brand me.

  Postings was a beautiful city tucked away in the mountains of Maine about two hours north of Portland. The city was almost a perfect square and was divided into thirds. North Postings was where I was born—the slums, filled with run-down homes, low-funded schools, and tons of crime. The neighborhood I lived in wasn’t as bad as some of them, but trouble was always just around the corner. People didn’t often escape North Postings. It was a trap. It was difficult to thrive, so it was difficult to get out.

  Postings Proper was the center third and was where the thin middle-class population lived. It was also where most of the major malls, schools, and entertainment was located. There was a Postings Proper shopping district where my friends and I often spent our time, and our high school, Postings Proper High, was right in the middle of it.

  South Postings was where I lived currently. It was the ritzy district, where only the wealthiest lived. The entire area was overseen—not on paper, but in some unspoken code—by Nathan’s dad, Connor. He was the wealthiest, most powerful man in Postings, close to the top in all of Maine. There weren’t many places in the entire state where people didn’t know him by name, and there were none in the city. That was probably why no one seemed to mind that the Loche Estate sat directly on top of the highest hill of the city, looking down over it like some gilded castle.

  Gold-plated gates wrapped around the entire property, and the big, white-tipped roof and marble pillars constituted the welcoming facade of the main house, not to be outdone by the smaller versions of the house to the east and west.

  As I approached, I could see that the manicured lawn to the left side of the estate had been paved over and turned into a parking lot, exactly like former ye
ars. Eight of the spots were a regal blue, with minimalist symbols on each to designate where the members of The Royal Court could park. I drove up to the manned security station, and Reynoldo, the security guard, quickly recognized my car and waved to me with a smile. The gates roared and parted to allow me through.

  I pulled my car into the parking lot and over to the blue spot with a crown matching the one on my steering wheel. I parked my car, seeing that all seven of the remaining spots were already taken, and the ninth member of The Royal Court, Nathan, was parked in the family driveway, away from the rabble. I climbed out, grabbing my bag as I went, pressed the button on the outside of my door handle to lock it, and then started off down the temporary white brick path that led around the main house and toward the expansive yard behind it where the party was held.

  Music met me first, followed quickly by the sounds of hundreds of voices. Splashes indicated that people were already enjoying the pool. At the end of the path was an archway laced with white calla lilies. It was an odd aesthetic for Nathan, but I didn’t question it. I never wasted my time trying to figure out what was going on in his mind. I started ruffling around in my bag as I passed through, looking for my phone so that I could locate Avery, but when I passed under the arch, the music stopped immediately, and the entire party started to applaud.

  I looked up, shocked, and I could already feel my face warming with embarrassment. I was the Queen of The Royal Court, but I’d never received this kind of reception at the summer party before.

  The condensed crowd of people in the huge, Olympic-sized pool parted, and a whizzing sound cracked through the air. I glanced around for anyone I knew that could help explain what was going on, but after a few seconds, I needed to wonder no longer. Where the pool’s inhabitants had parted, a clear platform started to crawl up from under the pool. When the platform reached the height of the water, it stopped with a defending click, and then none other than Nathan Loche came sauntering out onto the platform from the other side of the pool.

  As angry at him as I was, I had to admit he looked good. He wore white slip-on Vans, pale blue boat shorts, and a white tank top. His brown hair had been cut since the last time I saw it, and he now had shaved sides and a faux-hawk, which he’d brushed forward so that the front curled up at his forehead. He was known for his thick, full lips and rugged five o’clock shadow, and when his green eyes landed on me, they shined in the sun.

  He flung a hand out toward me and used the other to set a microphone to his lips. “Here she is, everyone! The woman of the hour, my queen, Cherri!”

  The crowd started to cheer, and it was only at that time that I noticed the motif of the party. The lawn had little white crowns on sticks, all of the food was adorned with crowns, and there was even a huge, three-tiered cake, atop which was a, most likely real, jeweled crown. More than just the arch I’d stepped through which had calla lilies. They were everywhere—in vases near all the lounge chairs, floating in the pool, and Nathan was holding a huge bouquet of three dozen or more in his hands.

  I swallowed hard as I realized that the party was for me. The queen crowns were meant to represent me, and the calla lilies were a failed attempt at decorating with my favorite flower, which was actually white tiger lilies, but he at least got close to the right kind of flower, so I put it out of my mind.

  “Come here, beautiful,” Nathan beckoned.

  There were hundreds of eyes staring at me, but I would have given anything to see Avery’s amongst them. Wherever she was stashed away, Nathan had likely done it on purpose to keep her from interfering with his grand display. Despite not really wanting to, I took a few cautious steps toward the platform hovering in the middle of the pool, and when everyone started to clap and goad me on, I stepped with more confidence until I was in the middle of the platform with Nathan. He handed the bouquet to me and pulled me into a kiss. Once he pulled away, he brandished a rectangular leather case from his pocket and tipped the cover back. Inside was a diamond charm bracelet with small, cute lizard charms on it.

  My favorite animal was a chameleon, but again, he was close. Still, I couldn’t help but think that he could have just checked with Avery, although she probably wouldn’t have helped if he had. He pulled the bracelet from the case and laced it around my wrist, then kissed the back of my hand, and the crowd cooed.

  It was a good play. I had to give him that. Theming the end of the summer party after me and making a huge, public display of our love as a way to try to corner me into taking him back—it was smart. Nathan Loche was many things, but stupid, he was not.

  He pulled the microphone away and leaned in close enough so that no one could hear us. “What do you say, baby?” he asked. “Forgiven? I promise, from here on out, you’re the only girl for me.”

  For a few minutes, I didn’t say anything and calculated the benefits. Had I ever truly been in love with Nathan? No. For a little bit, right after we started dating, I actually developed something of a crush on him, but when I realized he was kind of an ass, I became uninvested. Our relationship had always been political, at most, but I still demanded respect. If I was going to be his girlfriend, I was going to be the only one.

  He was a serial cheater, and the lizards and calla lilies were a clear indicator that he didn’t actually pay all that much attention to me, but at the end of the day, he was a better choice than some. Our group of friends was more cohesive when he and I were together, and he was gorgeous, after all. On top of that, the last time I tried pouring everything into someone, he disappeared. I didn’t want to be hurt like that again, so it wasn’t likely I’d go for that kind of relationship again anyway. I didn’t have much to lose by being with Nathan, but there was a lot to gain. People wouldn’t tell their children our story like the greatest love story of all time, but maybe a few people would remember it.

  With the hand that had the new bracelet circling the wrist, I stroked Nathan’s cheek before leaning in for another kiss. “Forgiven.”

  Nathan gave me a huge hug before pulling the mic back to his mouth. “Now that the queen is here, the real party can begin!” Everyone applauded, and Nathan took my hand. “We’re off to celebrate. You all enjoy the party!”

  The music started back up with booming bass, and Nathan pulled me off the platform, which almost immediately started to sink back beneath the waters the moment we were off of it. Nathan leaned in, setting his mouth at my ear and pecking the lobe gently. “I meant what I said about celebrating, you know? It’s been a long summer.”

  I grinned at him, which he took for a green light, and he led me toward the smaller house in the southeast part of the estate, which was Nathan’s personal home. The music faded away as we distanced ourselves from the party, and when he opened the front door to the house, a collection of voices found my ears. Amongst them were Avery and Alistair, along with the other members of the court. Another well-calculated move from Nathan. Stash The Royal Court at his house so that they couldn’t even hear the announcements outside. Couldn’t blame his brain, for sure.

  Instead of taking me into the sunken living room where our friends were waiting, Nathan led me upstairs to his bedroom, and we were barely inside the door before he had my clothes off. There wasn’t much in the way of foreplay before he’d backed me down onto his bed and parted my legs. I forced the most believable sounds I could fake out of me while he pushed inside.

  With my eyes closed, I did my best to twist and turn my hips in a way that would bring me any sort of pleasure. Nathan rarely cared about my pleasure when it came to sex, and our grand reuniting was no different. When I became convinced I wouldn’t be enjoying any orgasms, I turned my attention to the things that I knew moved him along. I bit the lobe of his ear between my teeth and raked my hands into his hair. He grunted in response, and after a period of time that would embarrass other men, he let out a moan of pleasure and finished before collapsing on top of me.

  The room was silent apart from Nathan’s breathing, and I gave him a few minutes to rec
over, but when I heard snoring, I scoffed. “Seriously?”

  I braced my hands on his shoulders and pushed, and his half-asleep body rolled over to the side. With a roll of my eyes, I climbed out of bed, donned my clothes, and left the room with Nathan sleeping in it. I made my way downstairs and through the marble foyer, down into the living room, where I did, in fact, find the rest of The Royal Court.

  Brayden, who Avery and I had taken to calling Hollister behind closed doors, was the first to speak up. He looked like a mini-Nathan in a nearly identical outfit and haircut, apart from his light brown hair. “Hey, Cherri. Did good work and passed him out, huh?”

  Brayden was sitting on the couch, which was sunken into the floor, and Kyle, Nathan’s best friend, was sitting on the floor above the couch with his legs hanging onto the couch. He leaned forward and smacked Brayden across the back of the head. “Don’t be a douche.” He looked up at me, his milk chocolate skin shimmering in the sunlight coming in through the living room windows. “Hey, Cee.”

  I nodded to Kyle. “Hey.” I scanned the group and found Avery sitting in the corner of the couch with Alistair sitting above her with his legs on either side of her. “Oh, hey. Where the hell were you?”

  “Sorry, he lied and said you weren’t coming,” Avery replied, her eyes thick with an apology.

  Alistair nodded. “It’s true, Cherri.”

  Across from where Brayden and Kyle were sitting was Colette. Her dominant Asian facial features made her a knockout, and she had her black hair cut short into a pixie cut to show them off. “It’s for the best, right? You’re the queen, and he’s the king. Queens and kings are meant to be together.” Avery rolled her eyes at Colette, but Colette either didn’t notice or didn’t care because she kept smiling brightly at me. “It’s good to see you. I missed you this summer.”

  Colette was vain and very self-preserving. I wasn’t close to her like I was to Avery, but she was a good girlfriend if nothing else. “I missed you too. How was Egypt?”