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I suppress a shudder at the thought of what Baron would do if he found out I already fucked Rylan. No one touches the queen without the kings’ permission. That’s grounds for execution—for both me and Rylan.
“Come on, Baron,” I plead. “He wants to be my boyfriend. My sisters get to date, and I’ve done more for you than they have. Can’t I just have this one thing? It’s senior year. I’m never going to have this chance otherwise.”
“You have done a lot,” he admits, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and tapping his fingers as he studies me. “That’s why we can’t let you go. You’re our perfect weapon, an asset we’ve put so much into. And you serve us so well.”
I glare at him, seething with hatred for this boy who can see the injustice of what he’s doing but simply doesn’t give a single fuck. It serves him, and that’s all he cares about. Duke won’t be any help, either. He’d never break ranks with his brother, and he only cares about himself too.
The only difference between them is that Duke wants to feel good and doesn’t care if it hurts others. Hurting others is what makes Baron feel good.
“I’ll continue to serve,” I say. “I’m just asking for one thing. Please? In two years, I’ve never asked for anything.”
He snorts. “Oh, please. We’ve done plenty for you, Lo. We let you in. Wemadeyou. You think you would have won Prom and Homecoming two years running if not for Royal?”
“No,” I admit, like being the fucking homecoming queen matters.
“You’re fun to run a train on every now and then, but your pussy’s not that good,” he says. “You’ve already gotten far more than you deserve. Dad gave you a scholarship. Your whole family, in fact. And we kept that secret from the school because you wanted to be the rich bitch everyone worships.”
I never wanted that. I took it because it’s all I could get in return for what they did to me and my sisters.
I swallow the scream that wants to rise in my throat and hatch like a butterfly from a chrysalis. It wants to spread its wings and show them how powerful it can be, covering the world in its shadow. But it’s stuck, bound in the constraints of my throat, in the need to be safe by playing along, to smile and endure in silence, to take the high road, never let them see you cry, never let them win. A lady perseveres.
“I keep your secrets too,” I whisper.
“Are you threatening me?” Baron asks, his eyes lighting with a predatory gleam, like a hawk that just spotted movement in the grass below.
“No,” I say quickly, holding up a hand.
“What are these secrets you’re keeping?” Baron asks, rising from his chair and stalking forward.
“You know what you did to us when we first got here,” I say, scrambling off the bed.
“And you think anyone would believe you?” he asks with an incredulous scoff. “You think you’re going to go to court and convince anyone that after you spread your legs for all three of us, after we elevated you to top girl for two years, that you didn’t want us, the most powerful men in this town? We’re fuckinggods.Every girl wants us. The whole town knows it. You think anyone would believe you were anything more than an opportunistic whore?”
“I’m not saying that,” I insist. “I’d never take you to court. I’m not stupid.”
As fucked up as the relationship between us is, I’ve been with these boys for two years. I know the Dolces better than anyone in the world except their own family. I know what they’re capable of.
“You walked around on our arms willingly, Gloria,” Baron says coldly. “Don’t kid yourself. You threw yourself at Royal like every other desperate slut who wanted her pussy wrecked by a Dolce dick. You wanted it, just like Mabel, just like your sisters, just like Harper. If you didn’t, you’d have walked away.”
“You wouldn’t let me,” I whisper, pressing my back to his wall.
“If one side got more out of this, it’s you. You got scholarships, dates to the biggest events, head cheer position. You think you got that by talent alone? You can’t spread your legs any wider than any other whore on the squad. You’re top girl because you were Royal’s favorite. Now he’s gone, and I’m in charge. And I don’t play favorites.”
I swallow hard, my pulse fluttering frantically in my throat. “Okay.”
Baron shakes his head in disgust. “Don’t push your luck. You’re good at what you do, but unlike Royal, I have no sentimental attachment. One wrong move and you can plummet from the top of the pyramid. And the ground below is not forgiving.”
I nod, my heart racing. I should never have asked for anything. That’s not how this works. It’s not a relationship of compromise, of give and take. It’s not a relationship at all. It’s an unwritten contract. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my ruler. He may dress me up like his queen, but I have no more power than the lowliest leper.
Just like Colt Darling, when he tells me to kneel, I kneel.
“Okay,” I say. “I’m sorry.”
“Make no mistake, Lo,” Baron says, his eyes gleaming with malice. “You’re on top because I allow it, not because I’m getting something from you that I can’t get from any other girl. And theirs would be a lot tighter than your loose, sloppy hole. So stop playing the victim.”
I nod again, my throat too tight to speak.
Not a victim. Never a victim.
