Arranged love

“Cheer up.” Jasmine turns to face me with a smile on her face. She’s gorgeous in that “I don’t have to try hard” way. She dyes her short hair red, and it really complements her bright blue eyes. “I promise nothing will happen to you here. I know the Mason brothers.”

“How well?” I challenge.

The Mason brothers’ reputation is about the same as the Dark Kings-you fuck with them, you’re dead.

Her red-painted lips pull back, showing off her white pearly teeth. “One of them I know extremely well.”

I laugh and clarify, “So, you slept with him?”

“Of course, I did. And if you saw him, you’d spread your legs too.” She winks at me.

“What are you girls doing here?” a man demands from behind us, cutting off my laughter.

We spin around to see two faces I recognize. They stand out in any crowd they walk through. Grave and Cross, two of the Dark Kings. You can’t miss them. All four Kings are over six feet tall and covered in ink. Not to mention their presence just screams get the fuck out of my way. If you caught yourself alone with them in a dark alley, you’d clutch your purse tighter while your pussy would do the same for its own reason. They’re dark, deadly, and extremely fucking attractive in a way that begs drag me to hell and show me what it’s like to burn.

If you knew my track record with men, you’d know that I can pick them. And a King would be at the top of the list.

My best friend April’s baby daddy is Grave. I know him pretty well since he and April got together. Cross, not so much. I met him at Emilee and Titan’s wedding but didn’t really get the chance to speak with him. But they’re all the same-men fear them, and women worship them. And that makes them even more interesting to me. I think every woman wants a bad boy in their life at least once. Some of us crave that toxicity. Without it, life would be boring.

“I could ask you that same question,” Jasmine speaks before throwing back her shot.NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

“I’m fighting tonight,” Grave answers, crossing his inked arms over his bare chest and looking down his nose at us. Like he’s angry he caught us here. My eyes run over the picture of my best friend tattooed on his arm. It’s insane how much detail was put into it. It literally looks like she’s right in front of me staring at me. It’s kinda creepy. From her dark purple hair to her ice-blue eyes and her diamond septum piercing-she looks absolutely gorgeous. She drew it, and Cross tattooed it onto Grave’s arm. April has always been an amazing artist.

“Where’s April?” I ask, looking around. I hadn’t told her I was coming out tonight. The last time I spoke to her, she was closing up her flower shop and heading home to shower and go to bed. Being pregnant is really taking it out of her.

Cross snorts at my question. “The Airport is the last place for a pregnant woman.”

I look at him, and he’s also glaring down at me. His pretty green eyes narrowed, dark brows creased, and his lips thin. It’s like these men were born pissed off at the world. Hating everyone. I wonder if he’s always been this way? And if so, why?

“You ladies shouldn’t be here either,” he states.

Ladies? I almost laugh at that. “You’re going to make us leave?” I ask, arching a dark brow. These Kings are used to getting their way, or so I’ve heard. I’m sure they do whatever is necessary to achieve that. And that thought just made this night so much more interesting.

He steps toward me, and I tilt my head back to look at his glare. “If I say yes?”

Grave reaches out, slapping his hand on Cross’s chest, and pulls him back a step. “We don’t have time to drag them out right now kicking and screaming.”

I smirk as Jasmine hands me my shot. Throwing it back, I turn to the bar, signaling to the guy with the nose piercing that we want another round. I’m not leaving now. My earlier reservations about the Airport are long gone, so I might as well make it worth it. My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a text.

CUNT: Why haven’t you been answering my calls?

I ignore it just like the rest. You would think he’d get the hint eventually.

“Who did you guys come with?” I hear Grave ask Jasmine over “Crazy,” by LOWBORN.

“Just us,” she tells him.

“Well, you need someone to stay with you. I’m fighting soon,” he states with a huff.

“I’ll stay with them,” Cross offers, sounding less than thrilled to babysit two grown women.

I turn back to face them and let out a chuckle as Jasmine asks, “We need a babysitter?”

“Here you do,” Grave snaps at her. “I’ve told you this before.”

She shrugs carelessly, rolling her eyes. Obviously, she’s not as concerned about our life as he is. I think they just want to control everything they see.

“You guys want a drink?” I ask.

“No,” Grave growls.

Jasmine elbows me, and I flinch, forgetting that he’s a recovering addict. I’ve only known the sober Grave, so I have to remind myself that there’s things we do that he doesn’t. Doesn’t matter if it’s alcohol or drugs, he no longer does any of that stuff. That I know of anyway. He got clean for April, and I’m proud of him for that. I know it wasn’t easy for either of them.

“Sorry,” I mutter.

“No thanks.” Cross shakes his head but doesn’t bother looking at me. His green eyes scan the crowd as if he’s hired security at a boy-band concert, and a bunch of screaming teenagers and their mothers are about to tackle us to the ground.

“Looks like it’s just you and me.” I smile at Jasmine.

She throws an arm over my shoulders. “Well, now that we have a babysitter, let’s get fucked.”