King of Denial : An Academy Bully Romance (Boys of Almadale Book 3)

by Jacie Lennon

“See you on the inside, babe,” she says before slipping through the doors.

  Corbin extends his arm out. “Can I escort you?” he asks, and I glance up at him.

  Never thought Corbin would be walking me down the aisle, but I guess it’s fitting with how my day has gone. Footsteps catch my attention, and I glance to the side, my heart hammering, but I breathe a sigh of relief when I see it’s Brock. He steps up to my other side, grabbing my other arm, and gives me a wink.

  “Careful, Brock. People might find out you are a big softie,” I say, patting his arm, and he grins down at me.

  His smile is nice, but it’s not the one I want to see right now, even as familiar as it looks on his identical face. I turn forward as music starts to play. The double doors swing open, and my eyes latch on to Bodhi’s, not straying from his the entire time I make my way down the aisle.

  He’s grinning, a hint of his devious smirk present, but it’s happier, joyful, and I match it with my own. I think my cheeks are wet, but I can’t be sure. I’m a bundle of happiness, relief, exhaustion, and exuberance. I want to pinch myself to make sure this isn’t a dream.

  That I won’t wake up and realize I’m still marrying Seth.

  I’m not.

  I’m marrying Bodhi.

  Looks like those times I spent doodling Trixie Montgomery are about to pay off.

  Corbin and Brock let go of my arms. Brock steps beside Bodhi while Linna adjusts my dress, and I hand my flowers to her. Corbin steps back, takes his phone out, and snaps some pictures.

  “Hey,” Bodhi whispers, and I grin up at him.

  “Hey yourself,” I whisper back as he takes my hands in his.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” he tells the officiant, who is glancing back and forth between us.

  “I have to ask,” he says, leaning forward, “are you both eighteen or older?”

  I widen my eyes at Bodhi, who smirks.

  “Barely,” he says to the officiant, who nods with a sigh.

  I don’t hear a word the guy says, as I’m too busy staring at Bodhi Montgomery. I press up on the balls of my feet, anxious to have this over with so I can plaster my lips to his.

  I decide I can’t wait any longer. Pushing up and wrapping my arms around his neck, I press my mouth against his, and I hear Linna laugh behind me. Bodhi’s mouth opens, letting me sweep my tongue inside, and I melt right where I’m standing. His touch and taste are about more than I can handle.

  He pulls back after a moment, the officiant standing silently until we are done, one eyebrow raised at us, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll make a spectacle of myself right now; I’m so damn happy.

  The officiant clears his throat and continues speaking, and I behave myself for the rest of the ceremony.

  “Do you two have written vows?” he asks, and I look to Bodhi, who starts to open his mouth.

  I shake my head. “No. We can say sweet things to each other later. Let’s make this official.”

  Bodhi snorts, and he squeezes my hands as we repeat vows.

  “You may now kiss the—” He stops since we are already kissing. He sighs and finishes. “Bride.” He closes his book and steps away, muttering to himself about crazy kids, but I don’t care.

  I’m bent backward, held up by Bodhi, in the most romantic kiss of my life, and I’m relishing in the moment. A few whistles and catcalls ring out around us from our group of three witnesses, and then Bodhi pulls me back up to stand, my face flushed and my chest heaving. I feel like I might burst open with happiness as Linna hands me back my bouquet.

  “It was perfect,” she says.

  The officiant walks back over with our marriage license, which we sign, and he says he will file it. Then, that’s it. I look at Bodhi, and he grins down at me as I squeal.

  I’m fucking married. To the man I love. Not the one who loved to control me.

  Bodhi picks me up, twirling me in a circle, and we get tangled in my heavy train while laughing. It seems surreal.

  “Get together,” Corbin says, motioning for us to pose while he snaps some pictures.

  Linna adjusts my dress and fixes my hair, running a finger underneath my lip, where my lipstick must have been smudged. And then we take a few pictures before motioning everyone in for some group selfies. I want every reminder I can get that this actually happened. That it’s happening right now.

  “I wish Landry and Peyton could have been here,” I say, glancing around at our small circle.

  “They wanted to, but they couldn’t risk leaving and being followed,” Brock says.

  “I’m sending pictures,” Corbin says, typing on his phone.

  “Thank you, guys, from the bottom of my heart,” I say, pulling Brock and Corbin in for a hug.

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Bodhi says, pulling me back against him, and I giggle.

  “Don’t thank us,” Brock says, shoving his hands in his suit pockets. “Thank Connor.”

  “Connor?” I wrinkle my nose in confusion.

  “Yeah, he’s the one who planned this,” Linna says. “He even told me about it. It’s the reason I’m here today.”

  “Why …” I shake my head, not even sure what question to ask.

  “Bastard came through—again,” Corbin says, shaking his head, but I can tell he’s not as against Connor as he once was. “Whatever you told him that night at your house had him taking action.”

  I feel cold.

  “Action?”

  “Yeah, he wouldn’t tell us much, but it was enough for him to want you out of the way.”

  “Oh no,” I say on a whisper. “Guys, he’s going to kill them.”

  “Who?” Bodhi asks, pulling me to face him. “What’s going on?”

  “I found out my dad and Seth’s dad were double-crossing Bertrand. They needed his money, and then once they were set, they were going to turn him over to the authorities.”

  “But why would they do that?” Bodhi asks.

  I shake my head. “I don’t know. All I know is what I found—emails between them.”

  “Why did you tell Connor?”

  “Because I wanted everything to stop. I didn’t want to be a pawn, getting shuffled around between horrible men anymore even if one of them was my own father. But when nothing changed, I didn’t think Connor had taken me seriously.”

  “You want your dad to die?” Bodhi asks, and I feel the color draining from my face.

  “Their blood is going to be on my hands,” I say.

  Bodhi shakes his head. “No. Whatever happens, they did it to themselves. And you are safe—that’s what matters.”

  I nod against his chest, frowning a little as I realize everything feels different now.

  “What’s—” I start, but doors bursting open have me turning.

  Before I can look, I’m falling sideways as Bodhi pushes me down, and I manage to catch myself with one hand before slamming into the floor with no cushion to break my fall.

  36

  Trixie

  There’s a lot of yelling and movement as people pour through the doors. The first face I see is Seth, and I can tell Bodhi is on edge instantly. Seth is prowling down the aisle of the makeshift courtroom chapel, and his eyes are narrowed on me before shifting to Bodhi and then coming back to me.

  Bodhi steps forward, shielding me for a moment, but I get back to my feet and grab his arm, holding him back.

  “You fucker.” Seth seethes as he gets right in Bodhi’s face.

  Bodhi jerks his arm from my hold and squares up.

  “I’ve been called worse,” he says, pushing Seth back.

  I close my eyes quickly before opening them and shaking my head. No need to provoke him.

  “Get your fucking hands off of me,” Seth yells. His face is turning red. “Trixie is mine, asshole. I want her back.” He sounds like a child, yelling about his favorite toy.

  “I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” Bodhi says calmly, and his nostrils flare in anger.

  Seth’s eyes flick behind to me, and
then he smiles, doing a complete one-eighty in personality.

  “Did he hurt you?” Seth asks me, and I snort at his faux concern.

  “Not even in the slightest,” I retort.

  “She chose to come with me,” Bodhi agrees, crossing his arms over his chest. “Game over, Hastings.”

  “The game is never over.”

  Footsteps come around the corner, and Seth Sr. and my dad enter.

  Great. The gang’s all here.

  “Back up, Montgomery,” my dad says, and I roll my eyes.

  “You don’t own me anymore, Dad,” I say, stepping forward.

  “Beatrice—”

  “I go by Trixie, and you don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m an adult, and I refuse to be your pawn. I know what you have been up to, and I know how you are involved,” I say, whirling and pointing at Seth Sr. “And I told the Soltorres all about it.”

  My dad’s face blanches. Then his eyes widen as he finally spots Linna. He opens his mouth to say something else but Seth steps up, his cheeks mottled, and cuts him off.

  “You bitch—”

  “I wouldn’t finish that thought if I were you,” Bodhi says lazily, but his body is tense.

  “Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused?” Seth yells, and I give him a small smile.

  “I’ve taken my life back,” I say victoriously. “And all of you can rot in hell, you selfish, conceited assholes who thought that I was something to be controlled.”

  “Beatrice.” Dad’s face has drained of all color as he stares at me, like I have betrayed him. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

  “If I were you, Dad, I would be well on my way out of the state or maybe even the country. There are two options for you—the police or the Soltorres—so, I’d be praying for cops right about now.”

  Dad glances between all of us standing here. Seth Sr. places his hand on Seth’s arm, pulling him back.

  “Why would you do this to me?” he asks, backing up.

  Then, I smile at him as he runs into a hard body. Connor has arrived, and he doesn’t look happy.

  “Why would you do this to my family?” Connor asks, staring at my dad. “After all we’ve done for you. As you know, my father’s trip got extended, so he hasn’t returned yet, which means today is your lucky day. Meet my friends here from the precinct. They were very interested to learn about all of your infractions and the contract you had an underage girl sign, selling her for profit. I believe that’s called trafficking.” Connor’s eyes grow hard as he glances at me, and then he shakes his head again, returning his attention to the two men and Seth. “You make me sick,” he says and then spits on the ground. “The whole thing makes me sick.” His jaw twitches as he works it back and forth for a moment.

  I’m happy that everyone is getting what they deserve and that Connor took this route. I’m not even sure if he told Bertrand about any of this. I feel certain it would have gone down much more violently if he had.

  I’m watching Connor when there’s an explosion. A loud bang reverberates through the room, followed by a second, and I hear screams and yelling. Then, I’m pushed to the ground again, but this time, it’s a body falling on top of mine, knocking the breath from my lungs.

  I struggle to breathe as I open my eyes and see cops in the room. My dad and Seth Sr. are being restrained. Connor is wrenching something from Seth, who is lying on the ground, and then I see Corbin and Brock running toward me. It looks like everything is in slow motion.

  Where is Bodhi?

  I try to draw another breath of air into my lungs and finally look down, seeing Bodhi lying across me, his weight making the whole breathing process difficult.

  “Bodhi?” I whisper. “What are you doing? Get off me,” I say, but he doesn’t move. “Bodhi,” I yell.

  Then, Brock and Corbin are there, lifting him off of me and laying him back down.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, confused as I get up.

  I push to kneel on my knees and look down at him. That’s when I see the hole ripped through his suit and shirt. I scream again. Linna is beside me, arms around my shoulders as I grope Bodhi’s body, trying to find wherever I can to feel for a pulse.

  “Trixie, stop screaming,” Linna says, but I can’t make myself stop.

  How could everything be given to me, only to be ripped away again?

  “Trixie,” Linna says again, shaking me.

  “Get off me! He’s been shot,” I yell.

  Finally, Linna is replaced by Brock, who grabs me in a bear hug.

  “Trixie, stop. Stop.”

  I struggle against him.

  “Do you see any blood? Calm down and look. Do you see blood?”

  I stop fighting, looking down at his body. There’s only a hole in his clothes, no red liquid coming from it. I shake my head.

  “Calm down,” Brock says again. “He’s fine. He’s alive.”

  “But—”

  “He’s wearing a bulletproof vest.” Connor’s voice sounds beside us, and my eyes snap to his.

  “What?”

  “He was prepared for this. He’s knocked out. The impact was at close range.”

  “Seth …” I say, looking around for him.

  “They got him,” Corbin says.

  Finally, Brock releases me, and I fall back on Bodhi, making sure that he’s breathing. His chest rises and falls, and I lay one hand on it, feeling the motion.

  He’s okay. He’s alive.

  His eyes pop open, startling me, and he wheezes for a second. After a few coughs, he groans and rolls over.

  “Fuck,” he says, and I let out a sob, throwing my body on his for a hug. “Gah. That hurts, Trix.”

  I jerk myself off him. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” I say.

  “Feels like I got shot,” he says, his mouth tilting up in a smirk, and I laugh through my tears.

  “That’s not funny, Bo,” I whisper, and he grimaces, trying to move again.

  “It’s a little funny,” he says, and I shake my head.

  “Glad to see you’re alive,” Connor says, reaching down to grab Bodhi’s hand and pulling him up to sit.

  The color drains from Bodhi’s face.

  “I think I might have broken a rib.”

  “Better than dying,” Brock says, and I nod.

  “Are they gone?” Bodhi asks.

  I glance behind me. Cops are gathered around my dad, Seth Sr., and Seth. The latter is glaring at me. I stand and walk over to pause in front of them. He has blood pouring from his left leg, and I stare at it for a moment.

  “My own fucking friend shot me,” he growls, glaring at Connor, who doesn’t pay him any attention.

  “You deserved it. I hope you rot in prison,” I say to his face, watching it turn red as he fights against the cop.

  “I won’t be there long,” he spits.

  I shake my head. “You shot Bodhi with plenty of witnesses. I’m pretty sure you won’t get off scot-free.”

  “Wish the prick had died.”

  I don’t think; I react and raise my hand, slapping him square across his cheek. His head jerks to the side with the force, and I am satisfied to see the red mark start to appear immediately.

  “Aren’t you going to do anything about that?” he bellows to the officer behind him. “She struck me. I’m injured.” His voice is whiny.

  “I didn’t see anything,” the officer replies with a wink in my direction, and I give him a nod, thanking him.

  “I have friends in high places,” Seth says, and I raise one eyebrow. “You won’t get away with having me locked up.”

  “I have friends in higher places,” I say, thinking about using my new family money to hire the best legal help to put these cretins away for a long time. “You’ll be tried as an adult,” I tell him with a smile, and his face drains of all color. “Hope you enjoy jumpsuits and cafeteria food.”

  I move to stand in front of my father, who looks everywhere but at me. I purse my lips, thinki
ng of all I want to say to him, and in the end, I shrug. “Bye, Dad.”

  Archibald Northcutt is not worth any more of my time.

  I move back to Bodhi and lower to my knees beside him.

  “It’s only you and me now,” I tell him. “Ignore everyone else.”

  I plant a kiss on his lips. He brings one arm up to hold me to his face, and we don’t stop until we hear groans around us.

  “He’s fine,” Corbin says, shaking his head. “I guess it’s time we head out.”

  “Help me up,” Bodhi says, and the guys finally get him on his feet. “God, that’s going to leave a bruise.” He touches the place the bullet hit and then smooths his hand over it.

  “I hate to do this, but my car is here,” Linna says as she stands next to me.

  I look at her, my eyes widening. “Your car?”

  She bites her bottom lip and nods. “I’ve got to get out. I can’t be here anymore. I was only waiting around, knowing you were in the pits of hell, and now that you’re married to the guy you love, I can happily move on.”

  Tears are pouring down her face and mine as she hugs me.

  “Where are you going?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “I don’t know. Juanita is setting it up with a friend who could use my help.”

  I look at her and nod, and then I pull her back in for a hug.

  “Send me a postcard, so I know you got there safely,” I tell her, leaning back with a smile. “I’ll come visit as soon as you are settled in.”

  “I can’t wait,” she says, planting a kiss on my cheek. “Congratulations, Trixie. I love you.”

  “Thanks, Linna,” I say. “I love you.”

  Linna quietly leaves the room, and I look around at all the guys.

  “Time to get you two on your honeymoon,” Brock says, stepping up to put Bodhi’s arm around his shoulders.

  “Fuck off,” Bodhi says with a laugh, batting him away. “I can walk. I just had to catch my breath.”

  “Shouldn’t we get you to the hospital first?” I ask, glancing back at his stomach.

  “Nah, I’m fine. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

  I follow behind him as he slowly makes his way to the door, and before I know it, we are standing on the road, Brock bringing the vehicle to us. Bodhi shrugs out of his jacket and unbuttons his shirt, and then Connor helps him unstrap from the Kevlar vest.