Page 27 of Wicked Knight
The only person missing is Lucian, Alek’s cousin and the third-in-command to Thorne and Caspian. He’ll be in Russia on a placement until January.
“Look who made it back,” Kade howls when he sees me and starts clapping. Like me, he’s allowed his hair to grow out a little longer.
The coach will probably get us to cut in a few weeks because he hates long hair. As if it matters to the game. He thinks it does, though.
The guys look my way and cheer when I flick my palms over and give them the finger on both hands.
“What took you so long, fuckface?” Thorne taunts.
I smirk, used to his jibes. If anyone else said that to me outside this circle, I’d knock their teeth down their throat. Thorne is just being Thorne. My asshole superior who’s become like another brother to me. It’s the same with all of them.
“My bike needed to be fixed,” I answer.
“All day?” Caspian cocks his head and looks me up and down. “Sounds like you’ve been fucking around to me.”
“Nah. Not of late.” I exchange a glance with Kade, who’s staring at me with raised brows. We haven’t spoken since the night of the initiation ceremony, so he’ll want an update.
Logan is staring at me, too, the tattoos on his face and neck looking more animated with his grin. We all have some kind of animal tattooed on our necks. I got the scorpion because that’s what I called myself when Mackenzie and I were little. The name suited and stuck with me.
“I don’t believe him.” Logan smirks. “It’s not like the scorpion to act like some kind of priest.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Didn’t say I was a priest.”
“Worry about yourself,Logan,” Alek cuts in, forcing Logan’s arm down and winning their wrestling match. Their arms were resting on the table, so it was easy to get him while he was distracted.
“Fuck you. That’s playing dirty. I wasn’t paying attention.” Logan shoves him.
“That’s your problem, not mine.” Alek pushes him back.
“But that was like a fucking sucker punch.”
“And your point is? Just give me my money.”
“Motherfucker,” Logan growls, accepting defeat and pulling out a wad of hundred-dollar bills.
Thorne and Caspian cheer for Alek, who fist-bumps with each of them.
I grin back at them.
Like this, we’re just a group of guys hanging out and messing around. It’s good. It makes up for the times when we have to be Knights. Vicious and heartless and cold with our hands covered in the blood of some unfortunate soul.
Just then, Jessica De Lucca walks by and blows Logan and Alek a kiss. She giggles and saunters away.
“I saw her first,” Alek declares, standing in front of Logan.
“Keep dreaming. Let’s see who gets her first.”
The two rush out of the room, and I shake my head. I doubt we’ll see either of them again for the rest of the right.
One of them will get Jessica, and the other will hook up with some other girl.
I’ve missed this. Campus life. It’s simpler in some ways. An escape from the real world.
“Come on, let’s grab a drink outside,” Kade suggests, motioning to the sliding glass door behind him with the sway of his head.
“Please do not drink too much and drown.” Thorne warns, holding up a finger.
“Don’t worry, we wouldn’t do that to you,” I answer with a cocky smirk.