by Rina Kent
“That’s because I wanted you to stay interested in me. To never get tired of me. I beat you in everything just to see that fire in your eyes as you challenged me for a rematch. I beat you to keep you coming back to me.”
My lips part. I didn’t know that. “Really?”
“Really. I might have been in love with you for as long as you’ve been in love with me.”
Tears glisten in my eyes. “Oh, Cole.”
“Moan it. My name, I mean,” he says with mischievousness.
“I love you, Cole.” I sigh.
“Does that mean you’re mine now?”
“I always have been.”
He wraps a hand around my throat and his lips claim mine.
Epilogue 1 - Silver
Three years later
“What the hell are you doing here?” I whisper-yell as Cole leans against the bathroom’s door and clicks it closed behind him. “This is the ladies’ room.”
“I know.” He stalks towards me, and every step he takes is like he’s walking straight to my heart.
I was right. There’s no way my feelings for him would ever fizzle out.
With every passing day, I fall harder and faster into him.
With every day, he becomes my everything.
We moved to Oxford for university, and soon after, we told Mum and Papa about our relationship.
I can’t be with him officially. At least, not yet. Papa won the election and became the prime minister, then remarried Mum a year after Helen’s death.
That caused quite a ruckus in the media, despite their strategic approach. Frederic made it look like Mum consoled Papa and they rediscovered their initial attraction.
It’s true that Cole and I don’t live under the same roof anymore, and he eclipsed himself from the family circle to not be associated as my brother. But it’ll take years for the world to come to terms with us.
We’re bigger than the world, he and I. They’re not ready for us.
Papa and Mum are the Conservative Party — despite their non-conservative actions with that affair. I can’t exactly bring their votes down by announcing I’m in love with my ex-stepbrother.
I can only do that once Papa is out of 10 Downing Street.
Because of that, our relationship is just known on a familial and close friends level. As in only Aiden, Xander, and Ronan from our friends.
But even with that, Cole shouldn’t be here.
“Everyone else is outside,” I scold. “We’re supposed to be celebrating Xander and Kim’s engagement.”
“I know.” His eyes gleam as he cages me against the counter, his hands on either side of me.
I wrap both arms around his neck. “We can’t do this.”
“I know.”
And then his lips devour mine. I climb up his body as he fiddles with his belt, and soon enough he’s plunging inside me.
I kiss him like a madwoman as he fucks me hard, fast and dirty against the counter of the bathroom.
I’d be lying if I said this was our first time violating public indecency codes. Cole doesn’t show it, but he’s the adventurous type. He doesn’t stop when he wants something done — that something being me.
Nothing deters him, whether we’re at the university dorms or during a night out while everyone is getting drunk. And even during family dinners.
Mum calls him out on it every time, and he merely shrugs.
“C-Cole…” I grip his shoulders hard.
“Close, Butterfly?” he grunts against my mouth.
“Yes, oh, yes.”
“Who do you belong to?”
“You.”
“Say it.”
I bite my lower lip as I murmur the words that drive him crazy, “I’ve only loved you. Just you. You’re my first and last.”
He wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing as he pounds into me faster, making me fall.
Fall into him.
Fall into us.
He comes inside me at the same time as I shatter around him, biting his shoulder over his shirt to muffle my scream.
Once the wave subsides, I sigh, resting my head against the crook of his neck, breathing him in. “I love you.”
Instead of all the times I told him I hate him after sex, now I make it a habit to say my true feelings.
“And I love you.” He kisses my nose as I stand to my unsteady feet, stupid gravity pulling me down.
After I clean him and myself up, I face the sink to check my makeup. Cole remains at my back, wrapping both arms around my middle.
Not a day goes by where we don’t keep our hands off each other. We might not touch in public, but in private? We’re everything no one should know.
We’re kinky, we’re dorks, we’re nerds. Or, rather, Cole is. We’re in love. We’re happy.
As long as I have him, I know I won’t need anything else.
He rests his chin on the top of my head. “You’ll marry me, right?”
I freeze, the lipstick suspended in front of my parted mouth as I meet his gaze in the mirror. “W-What?”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Is this because everyone else is getting married?”
“Fuck everyone else. I’m asking you.” He kisses the top of my head. “I know it’ll be a long time until I actually marry you, but I want confirmation.”
“Oh, Cole.” I spin around and face him. “Of course, I’ll marry you. You’re the only one for me.”
“The only one, huh?”
“The only one.”
“And you’re the only one for me, Butterfly.” He kisses me so passionately on the lips, I nearly climb his body all over again.
“Repeat that in front of that fucker Aiden when we go outside.”
I laugh. Cole is still low-key mad at Aiden for the three years I was engaged to him, and he seizes every chance to take revenge.
Cole will always be Cole.
I’m just glad he finally put Helen behind him. We both did. Now, we only focus on us.
When he demanded my firsts, I saved them for him. In return, he saved me his. We’re each other’s everything.
Hugging him, I whisper, “One day, I’ll shout at the top of the world that you’re mine.”
“And you’re mine, Silver, always.”
“Always.”
Epilogue 2 - Cole
Seven years later
Ten years.
It took me ten fucking years to finally shout to the world that Silver is mine.
Well, not exactly shout, but show it by marrying her.
We had to wait until Sebastian got out of office and then give the world time to forget before I could marry her.
We tied the knot in France — literally and figuratively. In that town where I first kissed her in front of everyone. Where we didn’t care who saw us and got our tattoos together.
The place where we had our first loss. Where she cried, but also laughed.
Now she’s not only mine; she’s my home, my only family.
After Mum’s death, I never felt like I lost a family member. I think I stopped considering Mum family the moment I read that book. The moment I knew she was out to harm my Butterfly. My infinite chaos.
Silver is my family. Even Sebastian and Cynthia are my family. They’re the ones we spend holidays with. We have the most heated conversations during those dinners since our opinions clash a lot.
Let’s just say, Silver took after her mum in the stubbornness department and they’re not afraid of showing their fiery side every chance they get.
Now, I have her as both my wife and my partner. Silver decided against politics after all. She said politics suffocated us while we were younger, so she won’t put our children through that.
I converted her to the dark side and she graduated in business with me.
Now that we have complete control over Dad’s fortune, my wife and I are still competing about who brings in the best investments.
Currently, she’s in the hospital, carrying the m
Our baby girl, Ava, was born a day ago. Silver and I haven’t been able to stop staring at her.
She’s playing with Silver’s butterfly necklace and blinking slowly.
“Oh, my God. Look at her, Cole.” Silver nearly bursts into tears.
“I know.” I stroke her shoulder and kiss her nose, then Ava’s head.
For years, Silver has worn a sad expression whenever she’s seen kids. She dotes on Aiden’s, Ronan’s, and Xander’s children, but it’s always with that loss lingering deep within her.
I worship her body afterwards and try to take her mind off it, but it’s a reality that we’ve had to live with.
Now, we’ve made that non-existent child possible.
Our friends are here: Aiden and Elsa, Xander and Kim, Ronan and Teal. It took them some time, but Silver eventually made peace with Elsa and Kim. She had to apologise for those years at school. Elsa apologised for beating her up, saying she shouldn’t have. Kimberly didn’t take long to forgive Silver after she learnt from Xander and Teal that Silver had always asked about her and looked out for her. At uni, Kim and Silver built back their friendship from when we were younger.
She’s now sitting on the other side of Silver, about to cry with her because she knows how much Silver has dreamt of this child. Kimberly has always been a softie, and unlike Silver, she’s not afraid to show it.
Elsa’s hostility towards my wife has lessened since Silver told her about Adam pushing her into the pool. With time, they became friends, considering that they share Kim and Teal. The latter, Ronan’s wife, has always had some sort of an agreement with Silver. Both of them are the most furious when making crucial decisions. They never — and I mean, never — hold back.
Ronan is always grinning like a proud idiot whenever he sees his wife in action.
The eight of us have never broken apart. We share the same world and business ventures. We often meet to watch games and even go back to the Meet Up. Levi and his wife Astrid join us, too. Knox, Teal’s twin brother, comes too when…well…when he’s not so caught up in his new life.
The nights start and end with Ronan and Xander’s antics. Aiden and I pretend that we tolerate them. Truth is, we need the vibrancy they bring to our lives.
Not that we’ll ever admit it.
Ronan holds Teal by the waist and leans over to speak. Their height difference is so noticeable, she always appears so tiny compared to him. “Should we marry off our Remi to little Ava, ma belle?”
She chuckles. “Stop trying to marry everyone off to our son.”
“Yeah, Ron.” Xander hits his shoulder. “I thought you wanted him to marry my daughter.”
“You said no.” Ronan pokes him back.
“Still, how dare you exchange my Cecily with anyone else?” Xan scoffs. “Not that I would ever let her get married. She’ll stay with us forever.”
Kim shakes her head, smiling, but says nothing.
“Daddy.” Eli tugs on Aiden’s trousers, awe filling his features. “She’s so pretty.”
“Not bad for Cole’s spawn.” Aiden lifts his six-year-old son so that he can kiss Ava. He goes straight for the mouth.
Silver and Elsa laugh.
I glare at Aiden. “Keep your son away from my daughter. Far away.”
“What’s wrong with my son?” Aiden glares at me, then ruffles Eli’s head. “Don’t listen to your Uncle Cole, Eli. If you want his daughter, go for it. I’ll support you.”
“Not if I break his legs first.” I hold Silver close and she jokingly hits my shoulder.
“Stop it.”
Fine, so I still hold a grudge against Aiden, but it’s not only because of the engagement. He took a first of hers that I was never able to get back — a waltz. And yes, I remember she had her first waltz when we were fourteen. I remember everything about her.
I’m that obsessed with this woman. Addicted to her. Fucking in love with her and the beautiful chaos she brings to my life.
I kiss her head again and we both smile as we watch our miracle. Our Ava.
Our story might not have started in the best way possible, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Silver is mine and I’m hers.
In the past. In the present. In the future.
Always.
If you still didn’t get enough of Royal Elite’s world, pre-order the epilogue novella here. It will feature all five couples from Royal Elite Series, including Cole and Silver.
Curious about Aiden’s father, Jonathan King? He gets his own book in Reign of a King. What happens when the most notorious businessman sets his sights on a woman? Buckle up for an intense, thrilling ride in this mature dark billionaire book. Pre-order Reign of a King.
In the mood to read a finished story right now? 1-Click All The Lies and find out why her fiancé hates her but she remembers none of it. It’s free on KU!
What’s Next?
Thank you so much for reading Ruthless Empire! If you liked it, please leave a review.
Your support means the world to me.
If you’re thirsty for more discussions with other readers of the series, you can join the Facebook group, Rina’s Spoilers Room.
Next up, there’s Jonathan King’s book, Reign of a King. This book is the definition of epic. Stay tuned for the prequel Novella, Rule of a Kingdom that will be available for free soon.
Royal Elite Series will have a final book, the epilogue, that will be available in December 2020.
Also By Rina Kent
ROYAL ELITE SERIES
Cruel King
Deviant King
Steel Princess
Twisted Kingdom
Black Knight
Vicious Prince
Ruthless Empire
LIES & TRUTHS DUET
All The Lies
All The Truths
KINGDOM DUET
Rule of a Kingdom (Free Prequel)
Reign of a King
Rise of a Queen
TEAM ZERO SERIES
Lured
Crowed
Ghosted
Shadowed
Misted
Team Zero Boxset 1-3
THE RHODES SERIES
Remorse (FREE)
Ruin
HATE & LOVE DUET
He Hates Me
He Hates Me Not
About the Author
Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.
Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.
Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.
Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.
If you’re in the mood to stalk me:
Website
Neswsletter
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Contents
Also By Rina Kent
Author Note
Playlist
Part I
1. Cole
2. Doll Master
3. Silver
4. Silver
5. Cole
6. Silver
7. Doll Master
8. Cole
9. Silver
10. Cole
11. Silver
12. Silver
13. Silver
14. Doll Master
Part II
15. Silver
16. Cole
17. Silver
18. Cole
19. Silver
20. Silver
21. Cole
22. Doll Master
23. Silver
24. Silver
25. Silver
26. Cole
27. Silver
28. Silver
29. Silver
30. Cole
31. Doll Master
32. Silver
33. Silver
34. Cole
35. Silver
36. Silver
37. Cole
38. Silver
39. Doll Master
40. Silver
41. Silver
42. Cole
43. Doll Master
44. Cole
45. Silver
Epilogue 1 - Silver
Epilogue 2 - Cole
What’s Next?
Also By Rina Kent
About the Author
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