Home > Royal Bully (Mafia Royals #0.5)

Royal Bully (Mafia Royals #0.5)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Chapter One


Claire

I was hiding behind a potted plant, next to a beer keg, and a drunk frat brother who looked about one second away from needing an ambulance. I drank out of the red solo cup—liquid courage even though I wasn’t much of a drinker, while I watched him.

It’s not like I was the only one.

Everyone watched him.

We may as well be servants in his Kingdom, and he knew it.

Asher Abandonato.

It had been years since any of the Families had sent one of their own to school—one of the last guys—Dante, had left a blood bath in his wake. Rumors fed the gossip circles until it was decided that Dante basically chopped off fingers, thumbs, toes, laughing all the while he did it, and then destroying everything in his wake and don’t even get me started on Dom, he was the last, some may even say the worst.

And ever since then, nobody was allowed to party at The Spot, or Space or whatever they were calling it this year.

Mainly because even bleach couldn’t get out the bloodstains, and because others viewed it as some sort of Holy Ground.

Murals were painted inside the once famed party spot, just another way to cover up blood.

What kind of massacre took place at a University?

A better question? What kind of mafia family ran their own university and got away with it without having the FBI chase them down?

The Abandonatos were gods.

They owned everything.

Got away with everything.

And were too beautiful for words.

I bit down on my bottom lip as students watched in awe, Asher had taken one step inside the massive room at The Spot, and even the music was turned down like people were actually waiting for him to make some sort of speech. After all, he was a god among mortals. And we were partying in his domain, at his pleasure.

I sipped the tepid beer and watched.

They were waiting for something.

And I knew exactly what they were waiting for.

Because I’d asked him to come.

On a whim, during US History, when everyone was supposed to be watching the stupid movie, I’d dropped my pencil, he picked it up, our fingers brushed, and I jerked away in fear.

Fear that he was really as dangerous as everyone said he was.

And fear that I would have a violent reaction to his touch like everyone else did.

And I was right.

My reaction was completely uncalled for.

It was lust.

Not high school, oh goodie, I hope he kisses me lust.

But the kind that wraps itself around you so tight that it’s hard to breathe, the kind that doesn’t let up throughout the day, only increases with each breath and each step you take until you’re sick with it.

Ocean blue eyes searched the room.

I stayed behind the plant, what the hell was a plant doing there anyway? They were partying in a room where souls were probably still floating around? The fact that the frat was even able to get in the door was astonishing; someone said they stole a key, and there they were.

The next day in class, Asher asked me for a piece of paper.

An hour later, he handed me a note.

“You’re beautiful.” Was what it said.

Who wrote notes in college?

He did.

Beautiful, dangerous, Asher.

With his wavy whiskey-colored hair and his massive build. He could have any girl he wanted, the guy could party with Victoria’s Secret supermodels and fit right in.

So why me?

His eyes finally landed on the plant.

And then on me.

The crowd parted.

With a shaking hand, I lowered the cup.

And then he was there, in front of me, all six-foot-four of him, with muscles bulging in places that seemed impossible for a twenty-year-old.

“Hey,” he rasped.

I had no thoughts beyond asking him what kind of cologne he wore and then dashing to the nearest store, buying it, and spraying my pillow with it like a freak.

“Hi.” I found my voice.

Another step, until we were nearly chest to chest, I looked up into his blue eyes, waiting for something. We’d exchanged maybe two sentences in the last week. He’d called me beautiful, and I told him I’d be at the party tonight.

That was it.

“Dance with me.” He held out his hand.

I stared at it. “You? Dance?”

“Don’t you?” He grinned, his full smile was like a punch to the gut, no guy had a right to look so beautiful and lethal all at once. I could have sworn I heard a massive female sigh trickle around the room as I gave him my hand and walked with him toward the area where people were dancing.

He pulled me toward the corner, further away from the crowds, and then leaned in like he was going to kiss me. “You need to leave. Now.”

“What?” I jerked back.

He pulled me closer, then twirled me until my back was to him, I could feel his arousal pressed against me. I froze as his lips touched the outside of my ear. “They’re coming, and you’re too pretty to kill.”

“Kill?” I repeated.

“Stop repeating everything I say and listen very carefully.” He gripped my hips with his hands and let out a groan. “Damn, I’ve been watching you for weeks.” He bit out another curse and then seemed to refocus. “Nobody’s supposed to be here, least of all a bunch of college kids degrading Holy Ground that my family is one hundred percent willing to kill over. Your choice is to stay in the line of fire… or leave… with me.”

“And everyone else?” My heart slammed against my chest as drunken people stumbled around laughing.

“You care about them?” He seemed surprised.

“I care about human life, yes.” This was happening, wasn’t it? The rumors were true. Eagle Elite was mafia through and through, right along with a river of blood and tears.

“Interesting,” he said before spinning me around again and pressing his lips to mine. I gasped as his tongue slid inside, mouth hot, I let out a moan as he wrapped an arm around me then pressed me against the wall, deepening the kiss, but also shielding me. He pulled away, his eyes dark. “My room’s safe… you’ll always be safe with me.”

“Because of your family?” I was almost afraid to say the name out loud, not sure why, it was almost like I could feel the dead souls rise up from the grave, begging me not to curse them even in death. Blood had been spilled here.

“Because I have a gun…” He tilted his head. “Because of my cousin…” I knew who his cousin was, Nixon Abandonato.

And just like I’d conjured him, the door to The Spot jerked open wide, and there he stood, boss to one of the most notorious crime families in the world, and each of the four family bosses flanking on the right and the left.

Youngest mafia bosses in history.

They looked like they could still be attending classes, except for the massiveness of every single one of them.

“You have three seconds,” Asher whispered, reaching behind his back.

“Yes,” I said without thinking.

He grinned and then made a motion behind him, Nixon nodded just as the first gunshot rang out.

And then his mouth was on mine again, whispering against my tongue. “Close your eyes, princess…”

So, I did.

I closed my eyes as his hands slid up my shirt.

I squeezed them shut as the sound of gunfire went off.

I lost myself in his touch as he pressed my body against the cement wall, every inch of him hot and ready, his hands dipped into my hair, with a jerk he tugged my hair back his mouth made its way down my throat, and that’s when I made my first mistake.

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