Cruel Games: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (Knights of Templar Academy Book 1)

by Sofia Daniel

  “Sammy?”

  I shook my head. It was one thing for Kendrick to know I’d been brought up by a cocaine dealer. That hadn’t been my fault. I was just a child, and it was tragic. But he would lose all respect for me if he discovered I’d chosen to shack up with another dealer.

  He moved me behind his larger body. “Hide behind me.”

  As we crept forward, I caught sight of the front wheel of a motorcycle. My stomach flipped like a pancake. This had to be Crawford, the guy I’d pepper-sprayed at Sammy’s place. He was the only friend of Sammy’s who rode a bike.

  A God Save The Queen ringtone pierced the air.

  “Alright, Sam,” said a familiar cockney voice from beyond the gateway. “What, she’s heading my way?”

  I clenched my teeth. Was Elizabeth sneaking about in the hallways, too?

  Kendrick lurched forward and slammed his fist into the side of Crawford’s head. The huge guy dropped his bike like a felled oak, and his helmet rolled across the gateway.

  “Get on.” Kendrick mounted the bike and held out his hand.

  I ran forward and scooped up the helmet. “Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?”

  He shrugged. “How different can it be from a quad bike?”

  Probably greater than the difference between a two-wheel pushbike and a tricycle. I was about to suggest making a run for it when two rough-looking guys in shell suits emerged from around the corner.

  “That’s her!” one of them pointed in my direction.

  “Shit!” I slammed the helmet on my head and jumped on the back of the motorcycle. “Go, go, go!”

  Kendrick turned the ignition and started the engine. The cycle rumbled to life, and I clamped my arms around his waist and twisted in the seat. One of the shell-suited thugs raced toward us, and the other shouted something into a mobile phone.

  Nausea churned in my gut. He was probably calling the others.

  In the periphery of my vision, Crawford pulled himself to his hands and knees.

  I squeezed Kendrick tight around the middle. “Go now.”

  “Hold on.” He released the kickstand, changed gears, and released the clutch.

  “Oi, Craw,” yelled one of the thugs. “Get off your fat arse and grab the little bitch!”

  As Crawford staggered to his feet, Kendrick revved up the engine, and the bike crawled down the road.

  I gave Kendrick a shake. “Go fast—”

  “Got you!” Someone grabbed the hood of my coat, yanking me backward.

  A scream tore from my lips as my body jerked away from Kendrick. I scrambled out of the garment, leaving it behind as Kendrick picked up speed.

  “Fuck!” shouted the thug, who had tried to snatch me by the hood.

  Gripping Kendrick even tighter around the waist, I turned to find Crawford gaping at us from the gateway in wide-mouthed shock. Then his features twisted into a rictus of rage, and he broke out into a run.

  “That’s my fucking bike!” he snarled.

  “Lilah?” Kendrick shouted. “Are you alright?”

  I slapped him hard on the arm. “Go!”

  With a roar, the motorcycle surged forward and accelerated down the road, leaving behind Crawford and the others.

  My stomach lurched, and I rested my head on Kendrick’s shoulder, breathing hard. Tremors shook my arms and legs, but I ignored them, hoping that this was the end of my troubles.

  Kendrick turned into George Square, which overlooked the front of the City Chambers, the University of Strathclyde, and Queen’s Street Station. Colored Christmas lights and spotlights from the grand buildings illuminated the vast space, which was a combination of lawn and paved areas. Pedestrians milled about the far end, browsing what looked like a Christmas market.

  Someone behind us honked a horn.

  In the rear-view mirror, a black BMW raced toward us. Its number plate read 5AMMY 99. Panic exploded across my chest, drenching me with cold sweat.

  “M-mount the square!” I shouted into Kendrick’s ear.

  “What?”

  “They’re following us.”

  He accelerated the motorcycle onto the pedestrian square. People ducked out of our way, and a man screamed and pointed over our shoulder. I didn’t need to look in the rear-view mirror to know that Sammy had also mounted the square.

  My heart beat in time with the revving engine, and I sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening for an escape route. If Sammy caught a glimpse of Kendrick’s face—I shut down that thought. We had to get out.

  “Find an alleyway,” I shouted into Kendrick’s ear.

  He swerved the bike and drove straight through the Christmas market, revving the engine loud enough for the shoppers to duck out of the way. A couple of police officers ran toward us, waving their hands, but they were the least of our problems.

  By the time we passed through the stalls, Sammy had stopped his BMW.

  I blew out a long, relieved breath as we headed down Hanover Street, and around the back of Browns Restaurant, where Kendrick dumped the motorcycle.

  “Come with me.” He swung his leg off and held out his hand.

  I jumped down, threw off the helmet, and we ran hand-in-hand down Ingram Street. At the first bar, he pulled me into the entrance.

  Bracing my hands on my knees and trying not to vomit, I asked, “What now?”

  “Now, we get an Uber.”

  Chapter 26

  Kendrick rubbed my back, easing away some of my panic with his warm touch. “Why on earth do they want you so badly?”

  I swallowed hard. “It looks like they worked out I was responsible for their arrests.”

  “They?”

  “Billy Hancock wasn’t the only gangster in my life.” I kept my gaze on the ground, my insides cringing at how he would react when I told him about Sammy. “It was me who told the police where they could find him visiting his shipment of cocaine.”

  “How did they find out?”

  “Because I did something similar to my last boyfriend.”

  “Another cocaine dealer?” he asked.

  “Cannabis,” I replied. “We grew it in our basement.”

  Kendrick’s hand stilled. “They must have put two and two together and realized you were the informant.”

  “Yeah.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while, and the silence stretched my nerves close to the point of snapping. I straightened and looked him full in the face.

  Kendrick frowned at me as though I was a puzzle he was on the verge of working out. I wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but I didn’t have the right. It wasn’t like we were dating or anything.

  “You’ve been through a lot,” he said.

  “Quite a bit.” I stared out into the street, watching a black cab go by. Its amber light was off, and I blew out a frustrated breath.

  If my life was a tragedy, my fatal flaw would be snitching my enemies, only for them to bounce back and smack me on the ass. I couldn’t blame Kendrick if he thought I was a back-stabbing bitch.

  A blue Toyota Prius pulled in outside the bar.

  “This is our car.” He walked to the curb and opened the door. After a brief word with the driver, he turned to me. “You’ll be safe now.”

  I looked up and down the street for signs of Sammy’s BMW, but there were none. Hopefully, the police had arrested him for mounting George Square. When I settled next to Kendrick in the back and fastened my seatbelt, he turned to me, his eyes bright.

  “What?” I asked as the Uber pulled away.

  “Can I kiss you?”

  Relief and desire flooded my soul, and I whispered, “Yes.”

  Kendrick pushed strands of platinum hair off my face before pecking me on the lips. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  “Ditto,” I replied.

  “You’re as gorgeous as you are exciting.”

  “Thanks.” I slid my hand into his and squeezed.

  Kendrick’s gray eyes dilated, and he leaned in for another kiss. This time
, he didn’t draw back. His lips were a balm on my frazzled nerves, soft and comforting at first. But as he threaded his hands through my hair, he slipped his tongue between my lips and explored my mouth in gentle caresses that made my toes curl.

  With a groan, I kissed back, tangling my tongue with his, needing to devour Kendrick as much as he devoured me.

  His kiss melted away time, dissolved reason, evaporated every reservation I had about Kendrick. I lost myself in his kiss and no longer felt like I was in the back of an Uber racing through the highway. We had escaped Sammy and Billy Hancock’s men, and right now, all I cared about was that hard body against mine, and the soft lips driving me to distraction.

  I placed a palm over Kendrick’s chest and felt the frantic beat of his heart. While my pulse pounded in sync with his, our tongues danced and stroked and caressed.

  This kiss was everything. My salvation, my reward, and a sign that I’d found someone willing to accept me, knowing my shitty background.

  The drive back to the academy was faster than usual. At this time of the evening, there was no traffic, and it felt like we were going a hundred miles an hour. Part of me wanted the car to slow down, so the kiss would never end.

  My core throbbed, hungry for Kendrick’s touch, but I pushed those feelings away to focus on the kiss. There wasn’t much we could do on a cramped back seat with the driver probably staring at us in the rear-view mirror. I shut off those thoughts and swirled my tongue around Kendrick’s.

  “Here we are,” said an amused voice. “Templar Academy.”

  The car stopped outside the main doors, and my heart sank. It was as though the driver had broken the spell, and we were now back to reality—even if it was a fairytale castle, and I had been kissing a handsome prince.

  “Thank you,” Kendrick said with a note of dismissal in his voice.

  Tendrils of worry wound around my heart. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to the driver or me. After our hair-raising adventure, I wasn’t sure if he would want to associate with a girl who had gangsters traveling over four-hundred miles to wring her neck.

  “Anytime!” the driver responded with a chuckle.

  We stepped out into the night, and a cold December wind swirled around our faces, bringing me to my senses.

  The night sky was black with a smattering of stars, and the moon’s silvery light brought out the mahogany highlights on the ends of his hair.

  The car drove off, and I cupped his cheek. “Thank you.”

  Kendrick’s eyes bore into mine in a way that said he wasn’t finished with me. Not by a long shot. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “It was the least I could do. But now that they know where you are—”

  “I don’t want to think about it.”

  “Alright.” He pulled me into his chest. “Let me walk you to your room.”

  I inhaled his warm, masculine scent and let out a long breath. Elizabeth had stooped to a new low. It was bad enough that she had dredged up my past, but inviting it to ambush me in Glasgow was unforgivable.

  If I wasn’t so wrapped up in Kendrick’s embrace, I’d be making plans to strip her of everything she thought made her better than others. The clock tower struck nine times, reminding me that the porter would soon lock the double doors for curfew.

  Kendrick drew back, withdrawing his warmth and comfort. “I’ll never forget tonight.”

  “Me neither,” I replied, although I couldn’t tell if he had found the experience of being chased through Glasgow exhilarating or harrowing. Right now, I was too chickenshit to ask.

  Taking hold of my hand, he walked me up the entrance steps. I glanced up into his handsome face, trying to decipher his neutral expression and not quite believing the events of the last few hours.

  “Who do you think told them we were at the kitchens’ exit?” I asked as we walked through the double doors.

  The porter descended the half-staircase, doffing his cap and jangling the large ring of keys he kept on his hip.

  As we walked up, Kendrick said, “Someone Elizabeth installed to follow you through the building. It might have been a student, one of the City Chambers employees or Elizabeth herself.”

  My mind conjured up an image of her sneaking about the hallways in that elaborate wedding dress. “She wouldn’t get her hands dirty.”

  “You can’t let her get away with this,” said Kendrick. “Those men looked furious enough to kill.”

  Our footsteps echoed down the hallway. At this time of the evening, the kitchens were closed, and the students were either in their common rooms or in bed.

  “I won’t.” My gaze darted from left to right. “Do you think she told them I was staying here?”

  Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his dark hair. “And have them infiltrate her precious academy?”

  A relieved breath whooshed out of my lungs. I couldn’t picture Elizabeth allowing the likes of Billy Hancock to sully her beautiful paradise. “You’re probably right.”

  We reached the door that led to the tower. He pushed it open, and we continued to my room. Kendrick cupped both cheeks. “You need to be extra careful. Elizabeth is determined to get rid of you, and she’s not afraid to use dangerous people as her tools. If there’s somewhere you go regularly, I suggest you stop.”

  Lowering my gaze, I unlocked my door. Maxwell and Orlando had seen me at Wank and had probably griped to Elizabeth that I went there on Glasgow weekends.

  “You’re right.” I stepped through the threshold, bracing myself for him to say good night and leave me alone in my room. “From now on, I’ll change my routine.”

  Kendrick stood in the hallway with a hand keeping my door open. He stared at me with a look in his eyes I couldn’t decipher. A mix of indecision and desire that made butterflies take flight in my stomach. Did he want to stay or go?

  My lips parted, probably to invite him in for a cup of tea, but we didn’t have kettles in our rooms. I clamped my lips shut and stared at him like I’d been struck dumb.

  Kendrick stepped through the threshold and pulled me into his chest. “I don’t want you falling into those men’s clutches.”

  Relief surged through my insides, washing away the insecurity that had encased my heart. I let out a long breath. “Neither do I.”

  The moment our lips touched again, it was like the kiss we shared in the back of the Uber, but twice as intense. This time, there was no driver to watch over us and no cramped back seat to restrict our movement. I threaded my hands into his hair, pulling us so close, we melded into one.

  Kendrick growled, and I let out an excited gasp. He drew back as though spooked.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  My insides cringed. He was a virgin. Of course, the answer would be no.

  Chapter 27

  Confusion crossed Kendrick’s features for a heartbeat, only for his eyes to widen. “Lilah, I’ve never—”

  “I’m not asking for anything except your company.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and he gave me a sharp nod. “Let’s go inside.”

  “Is it alright if we kiss again?” he asked.

  I wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

  Kendrick shouldered off his jacket, which thudded to the floor, and I did the same with my cardigan, all without breaking the kiss.

  His erection pressed against my belly, hot and hard and thick, making the pulse between my legs throb with need. I pushed thoughts of seduction aside. We would go at his pace, not mine.

  Kendrick threaded his hands through my hair. “You’re the most interesting and beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”

  “A bit of danger makes a girl desirable, eh?”

  He shook his head. “Tonight doesn’t change my opinion of you.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Perhaps I saw the vulnerable side under your tough exterior.” Cupping my cheek, he pressed a kiss on my forehead. “I quit
e enjoyed taking care of you for once.”

  My gaze lowered to his chest. “I was scared shitless.”

  “That makes the two of us.” He tilted my chin up, so we made eye contact. “I can’t believe you survived such thugs and became such a well-balanced person.”

  I wrinkled my nose.

  “Lilah, I’m serious.”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  “As my lady commands.” He lowered his lips onto mine in the gentlest of caresses.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against his gorgeous, hard body. He felt the same as his twin, but everything about him was different. The way he smelled, the way he held me, even the gentle way he kissed. While Maxwell devoured, Kendrick cherished.

  He broke the kiss and closed his eyes. “May I?”

  “What do you want?”

  “This might be forward, but—”

  “What?”

  “I want to see you.”

  My lips curled into a smile. “Naked?”

  “No!” He smiled back. “Could I?”

  I reached for the top button of his shirt. “Only if you return the favor.”

  Kendrick grinned. “I’m happy to oblige.”

  Unwrapping Kendrick was fun. I kissed and licked each inch of the flesh I exposed, enjoying his quiet moans and shudders. He was so different from Maxwell and his dirty talk. It felt like I was the one setting the pace, not slowing it down.

  I shouldered off his shirt, leaving his front exposed, and ran my palms over Kendrick’s sculpted chest. There were no tattoos, nipple rings, or adornments—just bulging pecs, a tight six-pack, and a dark treasure trail leading to the waistband of his pants.

  “Your turn.” Kendrick slipped his fingers under the hem of my top and pulled it over my shoulders and head. When the garment slipped to the floor, and I stood before him in my bra and jeans, he roved his eyes over my breasts and shook his head. “Unbelievable.”

  I reached for his belt buckle, but he grabbed my hands. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “See you in your boxers?” I let my gaze drop down to the erection straining through his pants. “Yeah.”

  He let go of my hands and gave me a nod.