Reign of a King (Kingdom Duet, #1)

by Rina Kent

For being Jonathan King’s number one fan ever since he was the villain.

i love villains…

The wedding isn’t what I expected from grandiose families like the Kings and the Steels.

Power oozes from every corner of this ‘familial’ reception. Corrupted. Infinite. Untouchable. It’s like being in the sun’s immediate orbit. If a normal person wants to approach that type of power, they should be ready to be burnt.

When I first heard they were both nineteen going on twenty, I admit to being surprised. I didn’t realise kids these days married so young. I’m twenty-seven and it’s not even on my radar. Not that it ever will be.

Today is the union of two powerful families in the United Kingdom. Ethan Steel’s daughter is marrying Jonathan King’s son. In other words, the long, ruthless rivalry between the two ex-friends, Ethan and Jonathan, is coming to an end.

Aiden King. Jonathan King’s only son and one of his two heirs, along with his nephew, Levi. He has sharp features and an impressive height that allows him to look down at me. His metal grey eyes zero in on my face with awe, wonder, and what seems like…loss. The small mole on the side of his right eye catches my attention first, causing my legs shake. It’s the same as in my memories. His lips part, but it takes him a second to speak, “Mum?”

I’m already acquainted with the devil. People are nothing compared to the devil. So they don’t frighten me.

I’m still unable to pull myself together again. He is one of the reasons I never will. Jonathan King. A ruler in this world. An actual king who holds more power than the queen herself. My worst enemy.

Justice is a delusion in a world where the likes of me grip the reins of power with ruthless hands.

I’ve built my kingdom with merciless methods and brought justice to its knees right in front of me. That’s where everyone who defies me belongs. On their fucking knees.

Two, the colour of her eyes. It’s like dark blue skies right after a war. Or right before a storm. As it seems, wars and storms are my specialities.

Contrary to common belief, I’m not heartless. I’m relentless. I don’t stop until both the war and the storm end in my favour. If they don’t, they might as well go on until they fall to their knees in front of me – like everyone else.

Her first words to me were, “I’m sorry, sir.” She’ll be more than sorry now. She’ll wish she’d stayed far away from my kingdom. That lowlife Ethan must’ve played a part in this, but he’ll also pay. And it’ll be by using her. The ghost. The sneak. My dead wife’s little sister.

The king. Literally. Figuratively. It’s more than his last name and all about his power that knows no limits.

She told me I didn’t need to hide and that he was family now. I did, though. Because he was a god, and gods have wrath so brutal, it eradicates everyone in their path. If Jonathan was larger than life then, he’s now a force not to be reckoned with.

Jonathan’s hot breath leaves goosebumps on my face as he whispers in a low, almost threatening tone, “Long time no see, Aurora. Or should I call you Clarissa?”

Jonathan towers over me like a large wall. I miscalculated his height. I’m not short by any means, yet in order to meet his gaze, I have to tilt my head up.

Being under Jonathan’s brutal scrutiny is like kneeling in a king’s court, waiting to be judged.

Black or white. There’s no grey in his dictionary.

Damn him and the authoritative way he speaks. It’s like he expects everyone to fall at his feet with a simple command. I might not want to provoke Jonathan on purpose, but I will not get on my knees in front of him. Not now. Not ever.

A small smile lifts his lips. His sensual, well-proportioned lips. And now, I’m staring at his lips. Stop staring at his lips.

“The only family I have has the King’s last name. You’re not my family, wild one. Never was. Never will be.” “Mutual.”

There’s no escaping him, even if I try. Not that I will. I’m trapped by his sheer presence and held prisoner by the darkened depths of his grey eyes. It’s like being caught in the eye of a hurricane and all I can do is fall. Drown. Down… Eventually disappear.

The feel of his skin on mine is like being burned from the inside out. No one is supposed to ooze so much control as he does. It should be forbidden. Illegal.

You know what? Fuck Jonathan King. No one tells me what to do.

I have a premonition she’ll defy me. My lips twitch fighting a smile. It’s been a long time since someone dared to challenge me after being given a warning.

Whatever path she chooses will only lead back to me. Where she was supposed to be eleven fucking years ago.

I poked the lion and now, he’s come to devour me.

Jonathan smiles as if he expected me to say that. It’s a weird one, his smile. It always feels like a declaration of war and a promise to crush. Like he wouldn’t willingly smile for any other reason.

Part of my defence methods is my ability to recognise threats — or at least sense them. It’s what saved me eleven years ago, and it’s what’s screaming at me to save myself now. Jonathan is a dangerous man, if not the most fatal of all.

He feeds off my energy in the most savage way, and he has no plans to return it.

“Shares and money aren’t the payment I was thinking of.” I frown. “Then what is?” “You, Aurora.”

“It’s as simple as it sounds. In exchange for transferring full ownership of the stocks, I want you to pay for them by becoming mine.”

oh my god ?? *blushes*

I won’t spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder because of Jonathan King. I’m already doing that because of another devil. I’ll never let it repeat. Jonathan wants to have me? Fine. But he’ll regret every second of it.

Time is the crown no one can acquire,

Just because I collapsed once doesn’t mean I will allow myself to be broken again.

Since I was a kid, I’ve learnt to build stone around my heart because that thing will only lead me to doom.

He’s wearing a white shirt, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing strong, veiny arms. He could snap me in half with those arms without even blinking.

I continue watching her rigid posture and the rebellion in her dark blues. They sparkle like a hurricane about to conquer an ocean.

I’ll have my hands full with this one. My lips pull in a small smile. I’m looking forward to it.

He wraps his lips around a piece of meat. I gulp at the sensual way his mouth slides over the fork before he chews leisurely, like this is some eating porn show. I internally shake my head. Did I just see Jonathan in an erotic way? What in the ever-loving hell?

“If you don’t watch that mouth, I’ll fuck it right here, right now.”

He massages my heated arse cheek with slightly calloused, masculine fingers. “Good girl.” My muscles relax and I feel like I’m about to purr like a kitten or something.

“Pain.” His strong voice echoes around my dizzy head like a sinister, dark promise. “That’s what you need, Aurora. Lucky for you, I have plenty to give.”

“Don’t lose yourself to him. Men like Jonathan King have enough intensity to make you forget about who you are when in their company.”

Jonathan stares down at me with darkness so tangible, I can feel the smoke emanating from him and surrounding me in a halo. That’s what Jonathan is — smoke. You can’t grasp him or escape him. The moment you think you’re safe, he comes out of nowhere and thickens with the intent of suffocating you.

She glares at me, and this time, she doesn’t attempt to hide her contempt. The fact that I can read her is throwing her off, and she has no way to express it but through glares.

I’ve never craved someone I hate so much.

She hates that she can’t resist her trance when it comes to me. And because she can’t do anything about it, she directs that hatred towards me. I’m fine with it. As long as I have her in my grasp.

The way her curves mould into me feels natural and effortless. Like it was always meant to be.