As she gazes up at the tall building, I move to the keypad panel beside it and type in my four-digit code to gain access. “Your code should be listed somewhere on your schedule,” Iprovide as the light flashes green and the lock disengages with a click. I grab for the handle, pulling the door wide and holding it open for her. “Everyone’s got their own, but I don’t really see the point with all the security around the perimeter of this place.”
“Yeah, what’s with that, anyways?” Ava asks, scrunching her nose.
Cute.
I shrug. “Order and protection, right? Gotta uphold the pact.” I toss her a wink, gesturing for her to go in ahead of me.
She just stands there frozen, brows knitting together in confusion. Her lips part, mouth opening like she’s going to ask a follow-up question, but then she snaps it closed again and steps past me into the building, evidently thinking better of it.
The rear stairwell is adjacent to this entrance, and Ava heads straight for it, gripping the banister as she begins her ascent. I follow, quickly ascertaining that I was wrong to assume she works out. Her breathing is labored by the third flight of stairs, her steps slowing with fatigue.
“I think I’ve got it from here,” she pants when we reach the landing of the fourth floor, offering me the first real smile I’ve seen on her. “Thanks for walking me. And… sorry, again. You seem like a nice guy, and I could use a friend. I’m just a little out of sorts right now.”
“Don’t sweat it,” I quip. “I’m right upstairs if you need anything.” Tilting my head with a smirk, I edge a little closer. “Anything at all.”
She nods and starts to back away, getting so flustered again that the blush returns to her cheeks. It’s cute as hell– her whole sweet and innocent vibe isreallydoing it for me.
“See you around,” Ava mumbles, twirling away and dashing off down the hall.
“Definitely,” I murmur to myself as I watch her retreat. Her little schoolgirl skirt sways with every step, holding me captive until she disappears around the corner and out of sight.
Blowing out a breath, I turn away and take the stairs up one more level to the fifth floor. There’s only a single door at the top of the stairwell, and it leads directly to the apartment I share with my best friends, Ford and Raf. While the other students are tucked downstairs in their tiny dorm rooms, the three of us have the entire top level of Sutton Hall all to ourselves, configured into a lavish penthouse. Perks of being the reigning Kings of this place.
The triad of Kings is a time-honored tradition at Corvus College, an institution founded by the country’s oldest secret society. Every student here is connected to the Invictus through bloodlines, born into the kind of wealth and influence that most can only ever dream of. There’s a distinct hierarchy within the society, and in turn, the social order on campus is set long before any of us actually set foot upon it. My friends and I were chosen for rule; selected in infancy and groomed to take the mantle in adulthood. While we’re here, we’re Kings, and upon passing our final trials, we’ll be so much more.
Not every triad of Kings that passes through this place successfully ascends to the upper ranks of the Invictus, but I have no doubt that my friends and I will. Ford, Raf, and I are so bonded that we’re practically brothers, raised at each other’s sides and meticulously trained to fulfill our orders. We live together, eat together, fight together, and– if a girl is up for it– sometimes we fuck together. The three of us are a unit. A well-oiled machine.
I shrug my backpack off my shoulders as I step into our apartment, slinging it down on the bench just inside the door. As expected, Ford and Raf are already here, sprawled out on the sleek black leather low-back sofa with gaming controllers intheir hands, their gazes locked on the massive flatscreen on the wall.
“Hey, degenerates,” I greet cheerfully, striding past them to head for the kitchen.
Neither responds, too absorbed in the video game they’re playing.
“Fuck, man, you were supposed to have my back!” Ford groans as he tosses his controller down with a huff.
“Not my fault you ran out where I couldn’t cover you,” Raf scoffs. He bites his lip in concentration as he mashes the buttons on his controller, still entangled in battle with the enemy soldiers on screen.
Entering the kitchen, I’m greeted with shiny marble counters, black cabinetry, and gleaming stainless-steel appliances, the top-of-the-line finishes clashing with the rustic exposed brickwork of the walls. Whoever renovated this place last evidently wanted to preserve the original architecture while modernizing the amenities, resulting in an odd patchwork of old and new. Pulling open the cabinet beside the fridge, I pilfer a bag of veggie chips from inside, tearing into it like a heathen. They taste like garbage, but at least they curb my snack cravings while providing some semblance of nutrition.
“Hey bro, where you been?” Ford asks, glancing my way at the crinkle of the chip bag like he’s just realized I’m home.
“Had to drop a class,” I say, popping a chip into my mouth and crunching down. “Met a cute new transfer student at the Registrar’s office, too.”
That piques Ford’s interest. “Who is she?” he asks, sitting up straighter.
I grin, sliding my tongue along my upper teeth. “Ava.”
Ford whistles as he eases back on the leather sofa, linking his hands and cracking his tattooed knuckles. “Sexy name. What’s she like?”
I tilt my head in contemplation as I crunch down on another chip. “Sweet as pie. A little standoffish, though.” I swallow, grinning again. “Butfuck, man, she was wearing this little schoolgirl skirt…” I trail off as I picture the hem of it brushing against those smooth thighs with every step.New kink fucking unlocked.
Ford’s lips turn up in a devious smirk. “Bet I can get in her pants first.”
I frown at him, tossing the chip bag down on the counter and shaking my head. “Fuck you, bro, I saw her first. I’ve got dibs.”
“You can’t call dibs when I haven’t even seen her yet,” he challenges.
“I’ll fuck her before either of you get the chance if you don’t shut up about it,” Raf chimes in, tossing his controller down on the coffee table as ‘game over’ flashes across the TV screen.
