Ruthless Kings - Laura Lee Page 0,23

didn't have the best taste in men—Jerome and my father being great examples—but she wasn't promiscuous. Hell, the only time I saw her with a man during my childhood was her brief relationship with Jerome.

When I was fifteen, maybe sixteen, I asked my mom why she never dated, and she told me that Belle and I came first. She worked so hard to support us, she was so focused on ensuring we grew up to be strong, independent women, it left no time for anything else. It just doesn't make any sense that she would have ongoing casual sex with two considerably older men who she had nothing in common with.

I'm so lost in my head that I don't even realize the movie had ended until Ainsley got up to flip the lights back on. I blink rapidly as my eyes adjust to the brightness before carefully sitting up. Out of habit, I start cleaning up the food mess, but Bentley slaps my hand away and takes over.

“You look wiped, baby girl. The boys and I will get this before we take off.”

I didn't realize it before now, but I am pretty tired. Usually, I wouldn't be so sleepy at ten o'clock, but recovering from multiple injuries isn't exactly normal for me.

“You sure?”

Bentley frames my face with his large hands and smacks a kiss on my forehead. "Positive. Go to bed, and we'll see ourselves out."

“Thanks, Bent.”

I can feel Kingston waiting for my attention, but I address Ainsley first.

“Thanks for the movie night idea.”

“Of course. Do you still want to hang out tomorrow?” She looks at each one of the guys pointedly. “Without these interlopers?”

“Hey!” Bentley says. “That was a little rude, don’t you think?”

Reed is his usual silent and stoic self, only giving a slight smirk in response. Kingston gives his sister a middle-fingered salute.

Ainsley props a hand on her hip. “What’s rude is interrupting our night. Which won’t happen again. Jazz and I need to have some good old-fashioned girl talk, and we can't do that with you idiots present."

“Whatevs,” Bentley pouts.

I jerk my head toward the hall as I face Kingston. “I assume you’re waiting to speak with me alone?”

One side of Kingston’s mouth kicks up in the corner. “Maybe I want to tuck you in.”

“Not happening. But if you have something to say, walk with me.” I give Ainsley, Bentley, and Reed a single wave. “‘Night, guys.”

“‘Night,” they all reply in unison.

Kingston waits until we’re inside my room with the door shut before speaking. “Has Peyton given you any trouble?”

I shake my head. “I haven’t seen her once since I’ve been home from the hospital. Why?”

He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “She said something concerning the last time I was here.”

“Like what?” I head into my closet and pull some clothing out of the drawer.

“She implied she might’ve had something to do with your attack.”

I drop my sleep shorts on the ground. “Are you shitting me?”

"She didn't outright admit anything. It could've been a baseless threat, but I'm having my P.I. keep a closer eye on her just in case. You need to tell me what happened, Jazz. If it makes you more comfortable, I can arrange for John—that's my P.I.—to be there when you do."

Kingston steps into my closet, picks up my fallen pajamas and hands them to me. He briefly looks over my shoulder and seems lost in thought. I turn my head and see nothing but a stark white wall. The same wall where I climbed him like a tree and let him finger me. Aw, hell. Now I’m thinking about it.

He smirks, obviously picking up on my train of thought. “Good memories in this closet.”

I hold my hand out, shaking my head. “Nuh-uh. Don’t do that.”

The jackass laughs. “Do what? I didn’t do anything.”

I swirl my finger in his direction. “You’re not going to charm me with your sexy smirky smirk. You owe me answers, buddy, and I refuse to wait any longer. Once I get those, I’ll tell you what happened.”

“So, you think I’m sexy?”

I’m pretty sure I actually growl. “Not the point, asshole.”

He takes a moment, stretching his neck from side to side before he answers. “Fine. But we meet at my house. I have something I need to show you.”

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “If that something is in your pants, keep it to yourself.”

Kingston steps forward, crowding me against the built-in dresser in the center of the closet. “We both know you don’t really mean that