Empire of Hate (Empire, #3)

by Rina Kent

An unhealthy obsession is to have an extreme interest in something or someone. It’s to constantly think about them. It’s to do something repetitively, even against your will. It’s to have a compulsive preoccupation with them and being unable to chase them away, no matter how much you try.

I’ve been over the moon ever since I learned that he’d be coming over with his mum. I didn’t know why at first, until I learned what “unhealthy obsession” meant last night. I think I have one for him.

I’m allergic to them, but they’re my favorite food. I like the calm they bring me after every bite. So what if I have red, swollen lips? It’ll go away after a while. Loving something that hurts you is also an unhealthy obsession, I think.

“It…will go away…” “Are you sure?” No. Because this is the first time I’ve gotten this dizzy, but that’s okay. If it means he’ll just continue to hold me.

“When we grow up, will you marry me?” His eyes widen, but he looks away. My heart shrivels and breaks in my chest. Once again, it was all for nothing.

If life throws you a lemon, you should probably eat it or else you’ll remain hungry.

As long as Jay is happy and safe, I can fight through every battle and win any war.

I spent all my food budget so he could eat fish today after months of craving it. So what if I skip a few meals? When you’re poor, you don’t have the luxury of complaining.

The deep voice with a British accent causes a foreign feeling to constrict my chest and I pause. No. It’s only my stupid imagination that I can never manage to control. There’s no way in hell it’s him. That would be just tragic. And cruel. And every negative word in the dictionary.

my gaze meets those blue eyes that stole from the sun, sky, and the stars. It is him. The man who ruined my life as much as I ruined his. Daniel Sterling.

All I’ve ever wanted are peaches and him. But I lost them both.

“Is your life that boring that you find pleasure in making other people’s lives hell? Why do you have to be a bitch?” Because he only sees me when I’m being one.

It’s not like I’m physically hurting anyone. I’m just tired of being a good girl, tired of feeling lucky and privileged.

Maybe all I need is to become so bad that he’ll only look at me. Even if it’s with disapproval and glares. That way, he’s at least looking at me.

“Thought I would check in case you decide to steal some peaches and ruin the party.” “Whether I eat peaches, live or die, or end up paralyzed is none of your business.” “It is if I’m forced to attend your funeral instead of going to summer camp.” “And who says you’re invited to my funeral? Maybe I’ll have a ban list and you’ll be at the top of it.”

Heat rises to my cheeks, and it’s not only because of what he called his thing. It’s due to hearing him say that other word. Peaches. He has no business speaking it so naturally that it feels intimate.

“You.” And I know, I just know I’m not only going to fuck Nicole Adler, but I’ll also enjoy and regret every second of it.

“And what makes you an expert on his eating habits?” My old unhealthy habits.

I become drunk. But not on his smell alone. It’s on his presence. His nearness. I quit my addiction to him a long time ago—I’m eleven years sober—so how come one hit is enough to make me backpedal into bad habits?

I even wish I’d never met him again. I wish our ill-fated connection had died the day he metaphorically killed me eleven years ago.

“I know you hate me, and I’m fine with that. I’m fine with the way you treat me as if I’m a rock in your shoe. I’m fine with calling you sir and stomping on the last bit of my dignity to be your assistant, but I beg you, stop touching me.”

I came to appreciate the lack of social interactions and being in the background. It’s where predators can’t find you or hurt you.

Aspen Leblanc and Kingsley Shaw are fighting. And I mean full-blown fighting with loud voices that echo through the entire hall. I saw their pictures on the virtual tour HR offered me, but they didn’t do them justice.

Kingsley appears taller and more imposing in real life. He’s what I call the epitome of American beauty. He has a masculine face, a proud chin, and a muscled body that only adds to his intimidation factor.

“Meeting my opposing counsel for dinner is the definition of meddling. In fact, it’s treason.” “Treason? What do you think this is? Some medieval war?” “Might as well be, considering your barbaric methods.” “Funny coming from a damn witch. You realize your kind were burned at the stake, right?”

He insisted I work for him?” “He put his foot to the ground like a child whose toy was taken.”

“I know the feeling of losing a child, and I’ll do my best to keep you from going through the same experience.”

Cole Is it just me who thinks this unorthodox fascination with each other’s dicks is weird and should be frowned upon? Aiden Crawl back into your boring life and let us have our fun.

Aiden I didn’t know Daniel had a thing with Astrid’s stepsister. Cole Since when do you care about anyone but yourself? Aiden You fuck off.

“Are you a fucking whore?”

אימלה תמות

“When Dad saw her, he said her face was badly bruised.”

“Do you think pain scares me?” I’ve been in pain for years and I never shied away from it. If anything, I embraced it like a junkie with multiple addictions. Hopeless addictions.

“What if you give me some STD from your previous sexcapades? God knows you’ve probably dipped in half of London’s available holes.”

“I’m on birth control! You’re the last person whose spawn I would want inside me.”

“Don’t you…hate me?” “I can still want you.”

“Believe me, you don’t want anything else from me.” “Why…not?” “Because the world is beneath you, Nicole. Me included.”

My body melts against his as I scramble for words to tell him he was never beneath me. He was and will always be my darkest, most forbidden fantasy.

Daniel removes my hand from his arm. “I’ll find Astrid and be right back.”

I stay. I wait. In the midst of the chaos, the fire, the firefighters. I sit there and wait. And wait. But Daniel never came back for me. And just like that, I’ve become invisible again.

That foolish side of me was brutally murdered a long time ago.

She’s every obscure emotion that religions ordered humans to stay away from.

“Now, I’m just surviving, Daniel. I wouldn’t have worked for you and allowed you to treat me like the dirt beneath your expensive Prada shoes if that weren’t the case.”

My venomous words are cut off when he abruptly stands up, erases the distance between us, and grabs me by the arm, then flings me against the wall. And it’s a full-blown fling.

Sometimes I wonder what she has that I don’t. What makes the hottest, richest boy in school and Daniel so wrapped around her tiny finger?

I feel high by the time I get out of the room. No, not high. Miserable. They touch the same emotions inside me. The emotions where I want to dive into a pool and drown or maybe eat a peach and die by the one thing that I love one-sidedly.

“I’d still look pretty and unique and I would die doing something I love.”

“You think I would mistake you for anyone when you’re driving me fucking nuts?”

“You and I…are impossible.”

Xander What? Why? Why are you and Levi raising? What did I miss? Aiden Your whole second year in school apparently, because Daniel used to watch Nicole like a kicked puppy who was crushing on the prettiest Chihuahua. Knox Did you just compare them to dogs? Aiden Your point is…

Ronan Fuck you, Nash. You’re not invited to my next party and the one after. Actually, you’re on a three-month ban and working your way up to a permanent ban. Cole Be right back. I’ll go cry in my pillow.