Revenge: A High School Bully Romance (Bad Boy Royals of Kingsbury Prep Book 3)

by Rachel Angel

  “I don’t remember the room at all,” I said. “How did you find out about it?”

  “Mr. Nichols said they had one, only it was very well hidden, with a secret door that looks like a wall, in case of emergencies,” Lily said. “In my case, it was an emergency.”

  “Lily, about those threats…can I see them?”

  Lily looked apprehensive. “Sure you want to see them? They’re pretty rude.”

  “Lily, I’m older than you. I can handle rude.”

  “Okay,” she said. She pulled out a notebook and handed it to me.

  I couldn’t believe what I saw.

  “This is by no means the work of some genius,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean you or Mr. Nichols should take the threats lightly.”

  I looked over the crude hand-drawn pictures. They were child-like and childish.

  I read one out loud.

  If you don’t pull out of Skylark Academy, we will kidnap your sister and feed her to sharks.

  You and your sister will be penniless because we will hack your computer and steal all your money from your bank accounts.

  If you contact your sister Tempest, we will kidnap you and sell you into prostitution in some country with dirty bathrooms.

  “What?” I said. “This sounds too much like someone I know back in Kingsbury.” I turned to Lily. “Look, I only have a few months left before I graduate from Kingsbury. Then I’ll be back full time to help run 3 Kings.”

  “Mr. Nichols and Helen have been taking good care of me. Like parents,” Lily said, smirking.

  “What are you smirking about?” I asked.

  “I think they’re into each other,” she said.

  “Oh? That’s great! I think it’s about time both of them found love. They are good people, too. They deserve each other.”

  “What about you?” Lily asked. “Have you found love with any of the Princes? I really want you to become a Princess, you know.”

  “I may have,” I said. “But then again, they were acting so weird, I don’t know what’s going on or what will happen in the future.”

  “Who’s your favorite K3 prince?” Lily asked. “Do you have one? From looks and description alone, I’d like Kaz since he’s the King, but Hunter is so dreamy and artistic, and Ori…he’s just hot.”

  “Lily…you’re too young to be thinking of them that way.”

  “I’m a tween. Tween girls are already boy crazy. Who do you think are the biggest fans of boy bands? Tween girls!”

  “You’re right about that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “God help us.”

  “Whatever is going on with them, Sis, you can solve it. I have confidence in you. Those boys don’t know who they’re dealing with…Tempest Storm!”

  “That’s reassuring,” I said. “I did win the tournament, didn’t I? As Tempest Storm?”

  “You beat the White Night fair and square,” Lily said. “Or should I say…Ori.”

  “Why the heck did Ori acted like he beat me and was not the Ori from Kingsbury?” I asked myself.

  Lily heard me and said, “Maybe he was threatened too, and he had to act differently towards you?”

  “I don’t know, but I will find out.”

  Lily’s face grew sympathetic. “Ah Tempest, you care for them…the princes. I could just tell. Just now. Your expression changed when you talked about Ori, Hunter, and Kaz. You must like them because it shows on your face.”

  I choke back some tears. I did like them. I loved them. But something wasn’t right.

  “Will you stay in SF for the rest of Spring Break?” Lily asked.

  “Since I’m home, I will. I’ll help you and Mr. Nichols with 3 Kings as much as I could while I’m here.”

  “Good,” Lily said. “I really missed you even though I was so busy with Skylark Academy.”

  “I missed you too,” I said. “Although I was really busy at Kingsbury Prep.”

  “Kingsbury Prep sounds so wonderful,” Lily said. “Maybe I could go there someday.”

  “Maybe you could. I hope you could, but I won’t let you go there if it’s the same as it is now. I’ll need to help Ms. Turlington turn it into the kind of Academy worthy of its name.”

  “If there’s anyone who could change things, you could, Tempest.”

  “And I could always count on you being my biggest cheerleader,” I said. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 6

  Tempest

  For the next couple of days, I spent as much time as possible with Lily at 3 Kings Technologies while enjoying the sights with her including taking her out to the Pier with Helen and Mr. Nichols.

  We visited Alcatraz, and rode the cable cars, pretending to see San Francisco for the first time. We did a ghost tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown and watch ladies in a restaurant window make dumplings from scratch.

  It was at Golden Gate Park’s Art Museum that I thought I saw a familiar face and body.

  My heart stopped for a second while I took him all in. He still had that effect on me so much so that even Lily stopped to glance over.

  He wasn’t dressed in the t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers that I last saw him in but a stylish custom navy silk suit cut to fit his lean but muscular form. His black hair was slick back while he stared at a painting.

  “Whoever he is,” Lily said, “he’s gorgeous.”

  “That’s Hunter,” I said.

  Lily’s eyes lit up. “He’s here in San Fran? Come on, introduce us. I want to meet him!”

  We walked up to him as quiet as we could since we didn’t want to disturb someone studying a painting, as was custom at all museums.

  When we were close enough, I could feel the electric heat that had always been between us…the unexplainable chemistry we shared even when we weren’t touching.

  Hunter’s eyes were closed. “Tempest,” he whispered so softly as though he was talking to himself.

  “Hunter,” I said bright and cheerful.

  His eyes opened, and he whirred around to face me. Taken by surprise, his eyes gazed into mine with a look of affection and happiness.

  I smiled. Maybe Hunter was back to being the Hunter who once celebrated his album hitting the top 100 on Billboard by eating chocolate cake off of me. “You were always my Artistic Prince,” I said. “My favorite class was my Art one which you taught,” I said standing so close to him by his side to stare at the same painting.

  Lily walked up to stand next to my other side, studying the painting just like we were.

  “Is that cubism?” Lily asked.

  “It’s a form of it,” I said. “Abstract. The artist wanted to create a 3 dimensional appearance on a flat surface so he used a form of cubism to achieve the effect.” I deliberately made a mistake, hoping Hunter would correct it.

  Instead, he walked off, ignoring me and Lily.

  “Wow,” Lily said. “Are you sure he was Hunter? He acted like he didn’t know you.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “He was rude. He may have something against me, but he didn’t have to be rude to you.”

  Lily was beaming. “I got to meet Hunter from K3. I know he was rude and arrogant, but he was every bit how I pictured an arrogant prince to be, especially K3. He’s living up to my expectations.”

  “Lily, I couldn’t believe you like that crap…mean bully boys type. Boys should treat women like queens, not bully them.”

  “They’re sexy,” Lily said. “Guys like Hunter and Kaz, who really must be much more arrogant because he’s the King, would be really sexy.”

  “Lily, I hope you don’t fall for any of them. No one wants to be treated like shit, um, crap, by someone they loved.”

  “If Hunter treated you like crap, would you dump him?” Lily asked.

  “Most definitely,” I said. “Women shouldn’t put up with that from a man.”

  “And if he was mean to you?” Lily asked.

  “I would be mean right back at him,” I said. “We Ryan women would never be someone’s doormat.”

  �
�Helen is reading a lot of those bully romances, and she told me some of the bully boys in there were downright mean and criminal,” Lily said.

  “I could just say that I could not tolerate that cruelness long before I give them their own medicine. Being abused would never be sexy. There is such a thing as being a commanding and take charge alpha, and then there would be such a thing as being a hurtful and abusive criminal. When a man ever becomes abusive to you, thinking that was sexy and physically hurting you, just walk away. It would never be romantic when you’re beaten to death by the very person who claim to love you.”

  Lily nodded and said, “Gotcha. You know, Temp, I started taking martial arts from your teacher. He said I have the same ability to quickly grasp concepts. I’m motivated now to get really good at it.”

  “Good,” I said, walking with Lily past a section in the museum which was new.

  In the far corner, staring at a painting, was Hunter.

  Knowing that sound would carry in the room, I turned to Lily and loudly said, “Out of all the K3s at Kingsbury Prep, I liked how Hunter always seemed like a gentleman. If I had to choose only one of them, though, I would probably not choose him.”

  I noticed at that moment, how Hunter’s head snapped back.

  Lily asked. “Why wouldn’t you choose him, Tempest?”

  I said, “He always went along with Kaz and had never stood out more than Kaz. At least Ori said he would fight for me, if I would only choose one.”

  I saw Hunter’s fist clench then.

  “So it would either be Kaz or Ori?” Lily asked.

  “Or none,” I said. “None of them alone would be man enough for me.”

  At that, Hunter turned around, and his face was twisted in pain and rage. Good, he heard me, and he cared about what I said.

  He took one step forward like he wanted to run over to me, but stopped. He was looking at Lily and then at me. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed his mouth again.

  I turned to Lily and said, “I have to talk to him. Stay here?”

  Lily nodded and pushed me forward.

  I walked over to Hunter and touched his shoulder. As soon as we made physical contact, Hunter almost jumped. “Hunter,” I said softly. “Are you okay?”

  He turned his head away from me. I looked over at Lily, who went to sit on one of the benches.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “We’re alone. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  Hunter looked like he was in such pain.

  “I’m not supposed to talk to you,” he said. “But it’s killing me.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Why can’t we talk and be the same as it was?”

  “I don’t want to hate you, Tempest,” Hunter said.

  “Why do you have to hate me?” I asked. “What did I do to make you hate me?”

  Hunter looked at me and there was so much pain in his eyes, I reached out to hug him, but he pulled away. “If you don’t know, then it’s not for me to tell you.”

  “Then I’ll just have to find out myself,” I said. “Even if I go back to Kingsbury, I will.”

  “Tempest,” Hunter said, pulling me to him. He was looking into my eyes as though he wanted to find the truth in them. “Don’t go back to Kingsbury. I beg you, don’t go or we have no choice.”

  “Why?”

  Hunter’s hand reached up to cup my cheeks, like he did when he wanted to kiss me. He was looking into my eyes as though he was trying to memorize me. “If you do, then this is the last friendly kiss you’ll get from me.” He smashed his lips against mine, kissing me with so much passion, I was breathless when we pulled apart.

  “Hunter, I love you,” I said.

  He closed his eyes. “Don’t make this harder than it had to be. Just go.” He pushed me away, as I stumbled over to Lily.

  Lily stood up. “How did it go?” she asked.

  “Hunter’s not himself,” I said. “But he wouldn’t tell me why. He said I did something that changed everything, but I don’t know what I did.”

  “Sounds like quite a puzzle,” Lily said.

  “I know.” I ruffled her hair and said, “Come on. Let’s spend the rest of this day doing something fun.”

  “Let’s blow this joint,” Lily said.

  “Uh huh,” I said.

  We linked arms and walked out. I didn’t glance back at Hunter. It would be too painful to see him.

  Seeing him in so much pain and unable to talk to me broke my heart.

  Whatever was going on, I have to change it. I didn’t want to see Hunter look at me like that. Like I had done something horrible, and he couldn’t even look at me again.

  Chapter 7

  Tempest

  The last day of Spring Break finally came. By now I was living with Lily in the Penthouse Suite of 3 Kings Technologies and combing through binders after binders we had found in a safe within the Penthouse.

  “Mom and Dad’s private notes,” Lily said, looking through one binder after another.

  “Patents pending on several of these inventions,” I said. “All of these would be worth millions. But that binder…”

  I pulled out the newest binder.

  Lily stopped looking at the binder in front of her to look at the one I was pointing to. “That binder…could get us killed.”

  Lily opened it and gasped. “Do you think that was why Mom and Dad mysteriously died?”

  “That’s the thing,” I said. “There had been no investigation into their deaths. No evidence of foul play. Yet suddenly, Sloane shows up, takes over the company and our house to do what? Not to run the company…but to search it. Maybe for this binder?”

  “Well the safe we found these in was hidden behind the bookcase,” Lily said. “He might have been looking for them, but couldn’t find them.”

  “We have to keep these hidden,” I said. “Especially this one.”

  Lily asked, “But where?”

  “I don’t think anyone else but Sloane would know about this,” I said. “And he had already searched the building. We might as well keep it in the same place.”

  “But add some kind of booby trap to it,” Lily said almost gleefully.

  “Whatever security measure we could do ourselves. No one should know about that binder.”

  “It got Mom and Dad killed,” Lily said.

  “Supposedly.” I helped Lily put the binders away, neatly tucked into the safe which was built into the wall. Then closed the bookcase over it.

  If the binder was ever stolen, I would have a backup of it, having memorized each page with my photographic memory.

  “These binders made strange but interesting bedtime stories,” I said to Lily.

  “But at least we got to read them together to figure out what Mom and Dad had been working on before they died.”

  “Now we know,” I said as I tucked Lily into her bed and went to sleep in mine.

  *****

  The next morning, I prepared breakfast for Lily and me. Her favorite…chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausages. “The breakfast of champions,” I exclaimed plating her plate and then scooping out the rest for me.

  I was leaving for Kingsbury today. This time, I was prepared. Lily and I did our research, and we figured out the shortest and fastest way to get to Kingsbury from San Francisco was going to be about 10 hours on our company private jet.

  This time, going to Kingsbury would be a different experience. I had a private jet at my disposal. I had a powerful tech company behind me with some of the most brilliant scientists and innovators working for me at my company, and I did my research on each and every student at Kingsbury Prep since each had a biography on them courtesy of them being a royal.

  And that binder that was so valuable Sloane went through so much trouble to try to find it…I had it memorized in my head…the plans to build some of the most destructive weapons, airplanes, and even drones. Mom and Dad’s plans for 3 Kings Technologies was to become a military contractor for the government. Perhaps any gov
ernment. And they had detailed plans on building an entirely new wave of weapons the world have ever seen.

  It was mind-blowing.

  It was crazy.

  Lily and I would never have thought that of our parents.

  So…was it worth everything to get 3 Kings Technology back from Sloane?

  Knowing how he may use it for evil, it was worth it.

  So with a heavier heart upon leaving Lily behind with the binder right next to her room in the Penthouse Suite in 3 Kings Technologies, I hugged her good-bye, telling her that I’ll do everything I could to finish and graduate from Kingsbury Prep. Now that I had a private jet to use, too, I would fly back as much as I could while at Kingsbury Prep.

  Then I was on my way back to the school that nearly killed me.

  Kingsbury Prep.

  Chapter 8

  Hunter

  “So you lost it with Tempest,” Kaz said when I told him how she surprised me at the museum.

  “She’s the only girl I’ve ever loved,” I said.

  Kaz looked away. “She broke your heart. She broke all of our hearts.”

  “She asked me what did she do that made me hate her? She didn’t even know, Kaz.”

  “She would have known,” Kaz said.

  “If she had known, it would make her a darn good actress pretending not to have a clue about her betrayal,” I said. “She was just standing there, looking as sweet and innocent as a doll next to her little sister. Tempest had never looked so angelic, Kaz. You know how I adored her, but seeing her there…and not being able to touch her…I don’t know if I could ever get over her.”

  “You have to,” Kaz said. “As much as I loved her, I have to get over her.”

  “As much as I support you, Kaz,” I said. “I think she’s innocent. She didn’t try to betray us.”

  “She’s just Tempest,” Ori said sitting in the hotel suite’s desk with his legs propped up. “You get what you get with her…all that beautiful luscious Tempest…the hottest girl who ever stepped onto the soil of Kingsbury Prep.”