The quad is busy as usual when we arrive, countless co-eds milling around in pursuit of caffeine or catching up with friends before their morning classes begin. I spot Chelsea loitering near the coffee cart with Stella and Blair, the three of them sipping on lattes like they don’t have a care in the world. Chels immediately abandons her friends when she sees me, her face lighting up with a smile as she makes a beeline in my direction.
Then her eyes land on Ava.
Her whole demeanor changes when she sees that collar, face turning red as she charges my way with renewed purpose.
“Absolutely fuckingnot!” Chelsea shrieks, loud enough that the entire quad seems to pause and shift their attention to the scene unfolding.
“Oh, here we go,” Ford chuckles under his breath.
I stay silent, letting her spiral and waiting for the right moment to strike.
“What the hell is this? You said you weren’t choosing a Doll!” Chelsea rants, her voice shrill. Her features contort with rage, blue eyes shining with the hint of tears as she rushes up to me. “You promised, Raf!”
“You forced my hand,” I reply coldly.
Chelsea flinches back like I slapped her, blonde hair swinging as she whips around to point a finger at Ava. “Her?” she spits, lips twisting in disgust.
“Who else?” I ask calmly, arching a brow.
She whirls back around, throwing up her hands. “Me, Raf!Me!”
I can’t fight my smirk, satisfied that this is playing out as I hoped it would, knowing exactly how it’ll end for her.
“After that little stunt you pulled yesterday, did you really think we’d let you anywhere near us?” I scoff, lifting my chin and looking down my nose at her.
Chelsea’s eyes widen, the color draining from her face. Everyone in the quad is definitely staring now, fully invested in the very public takedown of Chelsea Carson. She’s been queen bee of this place since she arrived, but only because we allowed it. Her time at the top has officially expired.
“You saw the tag, and you still chose to touch Kings’ property without permission,” I growl, Chelsea’s face getting redder by the second. “You should’ve known that it wouldn’t go unpunished.”
Her expression crumbles, eyes darting between me and Ava. “But she’s trash,” she whimpers helplessly.
“You’re trash,” I snarl, primed to deliver the final blow. “And a lousy lay. Until further notice, you’re to stay out of our fucking sight at all times. You’re a ghost. You don’t exist.”
I watch as each word hits her like a spray of bullets, shock and embarrassment contorting her features. Nobody’s ever put this bitch in her place before, but it’s high time someonereminded her who’s really in charge here. There’s a steep cost to stepping out of line. This public reprimand isn’t only to punish Chelsea– it’ll also serve as a harsh reminder to every student on campus what happens when you cross the Kings.
I take a menacing step toward her, leaning in and dropping my voice low. “You’re just lucky we don’t report this to the Invictus,” I murmur, pinning her with a callous glare. “They’re always looking for excuses to send little sluts like you to the Dollhouse.”
Her eyes widen in fear, the full weight of my threat sinking in.
I dismiss her with the flick of a wrist, turning away. “Get the fuck outta my face.”
Chelsea spins on her heel and scurries off down the path, the clack of her designer shoes echoing against the concrete until it’s lost in the buzz of whispers around us. The punishment fit the crime– an eye for an eye. Or in this case, one public undressing for another. I look over at Ava, curious to gauge her reaction to Chelsea’s humiliation.
She’s fighting a smile. She thinks I did that forher.
“Ava,” I bark, her posture bristling at the harsh edge of command in my tone. “Come here.”
Her big brown eyes round like a doe caught in the headlights, the air between us thickening with tension as she momentarily hesitates. Then she dips her chin and steps in closer, remembering her fucking place.
The floral scent of her shampoo tickles my nose, my blood heating in response to the closeness of our bodies. Reaching out, my fingers brush the soft skin of her chest as I take the crown charm between them, her breath hitching, lashes fluttering.
I can smell her fear, drinking it in like oxygen as my fingers toy with the charm around her neck. “Congrats, you just becamethe most popular girl on campus,” I growl, holding her gaze. “But remember, nobody’s above the Kings.”
CHAPTER 33
WES
“Get me a beer,will ya, Ava baby?” Ford calls from the living room.
