We Will Reign (Wicked Boys of BCU, #1)

by Rachel Leigh

For the girls who dream of having their own harem of psychos.

Of course, I’ll get the corrupt files, considering his death was deemed a suicide. That’s only because that’s what The Elders wanted. Any attention given to The Society is unwelcome, and it’s something we avoid at all costs. We make our own rules and outside law enforcement can’t touch us. It’s one of the many perks of being a Blue Blood.

I know what she did. I know all her secrets, but now, they’re mine to keep. Fuck the oaths and fuck the promises. My only mission from here on out is to protect the girl who will one day be mine.

A Guardian—my angel—killed our governor. And justifiably at that. Sebastian Saint was no leader. The man was a pansy ass who enjoyed fucking with teenagers.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m the bad guy, but he knew too much and that knowledge would hurt my girl. He had to go. Nothing more to it.

God, she’s such a fucking toxic beauty. She has the body of an angel, but she walks with the demons.

Scar leaves, taking the trash box with her. I watch as she walks away, wishing I had it as easy as she does. The only thing Scar has to worry about is which one of her boyfriends will share her bed that night—yes, she has three, and color me jealous.

What I did doesn’t mean I succeeded as a Guardian—it means I failed because I reacted and my actions could cost me everything if the truth ever came out. Guardians don’t kill. We protect.

All I want is to have a normal college experience. Drink too much. Lose my virginity, and do the walk of shame a few mornings after a few one-night stands with guys whose names I don’t even know. I want to be numb to the rules of The Society. I wanna fuck up and have some regret then pick my head up and keep moving forward because I am so damn tired of trying to be the perfect daughter my parents expect me to be. Swimming in pity, dark days ahead. Screaming for mercy from the thoughts in my head.

Maddox is well-dressed, and it’s apparent he comes from money, but his looks don’t fool me. I see the wildness in his eyes. Lev, on the other hand, I know little about. In the handful of times I’ve seen him around, he comes off as detached from the world.

“Oh yeah,” Scar pipes up, “Crew mentioned you a couple of times. You’re a defensive top or whatever they’re called.” Maddox chuckles at Scar’s lack of football knowledge. “Defensive end. And yeah, I know Crew. Outstanding player but he’s gotta up his game if he wants the QB position when Octavio leaves next season.”

My finger trembles over the trigger, and before I can even think about what I’m doing, I pull it back. He drops to the pavement, blood pooling around his body. The next thing I know, the gun is being taken out of my hand before getting tossed to the ground. I look at his face, desperation in his eyes. His mouth opens, but he doesn’t speak. Instead of helping him, I watch him slowly slip away, while holding on to the fact that he can’t hurt any of us again. This man put us through a year of hell. Sebastian Saint was a fucked-up man, and he got exactly what he deserved.

Sometimes we need a little pain to remind us we can feel in the first place.

Hello, consequences, my old friend. If only you’d show your face and punish me for the life I had to end. Maybe then I’d feel remorse or even empathy. Until then I’ll hide in the darkness of my insanity.

I’ve never given Ridge any indication that I’m into him that way—or any way for that matter. Sure, he’s gorgeous, in a dark and mysterious sort of way. With his black, unkempt hair that hangs over his eyes until he runs his fingers through it and pushes it back. The double hoops on each side of his nose that flare with his nostrils when he’s breathing heavily. And his depthless green eyes that show all the emotions he fails to verbally express.

One day she will proudly wear my crown, even if it’s drenched in the blood of the men I’ve killed for her.

His shoulders slump in defeat and the condescending look he was wearing fades from his face. “There were no ill intentions, man. I swear. I was just getting a feel for our girl.” “My girl.” I stammer out the words, making it clear that she’s off-limits. “I get it. For fuck’s sake, we know. Riley Cross is off-limits. Duly noted.” “Do you? Do you really get it? Why the fuck are you calling her our girl? Mine, Maddox. She’s fucking mine!”

“You let me worry about that. It’s none of your damn business.” Maddox grows still, aside from his fingers stroking his chin. “Unless…” Piquing my interest, I lift a brow. “Unless what?” “Unless you let me help you protect her secrets.” “As my brother, my friend, you will help me because you know how fucking important she is to me. There’s no unless about it.” “I don’t mean just keeping your secret. Think about it. You’re one man trying to save her from an international society that’s comprised of thousands of members. You really think you’re gonna keep what she did under wraps forever? Let me help you.”

My head drops back and I stare at the spinning ceiling fan overhead. Maddox might be right, but if Riley drags me down with her, it means she wants me near her. In that case, drag me down, baby. Abuse me. Hurt me. Love me.

Four days later, I saw her beautiful face for the last time. That’s the day I began my path down a road of complete fucking insanity. I killed a man when I was only eleven years old, and when I saw his face as I was beating the life out of him, I knew he wouldn’t be the last. The world is full of evil people, and my secret is, I’m the worst of them all.

“Fuck, Angel,” I grumble. “You see what you do to me?” I give myself one final pump, making sure I give her every last drop. Before pulling my pants back up, I sweep my finger across the wet semen on her dress and bring it to her mouth. Dragging it across her lips, I lean down and whisper, “Here’s a little taste of what’s coming.”

The old Riley wouldn’t dare leave the dorms without a fresh layer of foundation, but this is the new me and my new motto is: don’t like it, don’t fucking look.

“if it makes you feel better, we’ll just say I owe you one.” I turn to face him, holding out my fist. “Deal?” He bumps it back, sealing the deal, and his eyes roll. “I’m holding you to it, but you better not fuck us all in the process. What’s our motto?” I slap a hand to his shoulder and lead him up the staircase. “We will fucking reign.”

Maybe it’s because my dad instilled it in my brain that I have to marry a Guardian one day. He’s adamant that our family maintains the bloodlines. All of my paternal ancestors are Guardians. It’s not a rule by any means; my dad is just stuck in the ways of the past. Sometimes I wish I’d seen her first or had the option to take the assignment Ridge was given. Other times, I’m reminded of what she did. My father would never approve if he knew she was behind the governor's death. I'm also not sure I’d have been as generous as Ridge. Guardians have duties to uphold and unless I fall head over heels for Riley, the way Ridge has, I’m not sure I’d risk it all to protect her.

“Ridge!” I shout, garnering the attention of the entire class. But it’s his I want, and it’s his I get. “Put him down, now!” Slowly, Ridge lowers Zeke to the floor. When he drops his hand from his throat, Zeke curls over, gasping for air.

“Do I make you nervous, Ridge?” My hand extends, fingers spread, and I rest it on his cheek. “Well…do I?” When he still doesn’t speak, standing there completely unaffected by me, I rest my other hand on his other cheek, then before he can do anything about it, I pull his mouth to mine.

Riley Cross is my own personal drug, and I want to overdose on her. If I could choose my way of death, I’d choose her. I’d rip my heart out of my chest if it meant hers would beat a second longer.

Speaking of… “Still back there?” I ask Scar, as we walk down the beaten trail to the hot springs. It’s a short distance from campus. Not nearly as far as the hot springs were from The Academy we attended last year. Scar retorts with, “Yup.” “How many of them?” She makes no attempt to be inconspicuous as she turns around, now walking backward. “Three. The crazy one. The cute one. And the weird one.”

I snare the vodka from his hand and crack a smile as I twist off the top. “Clear liquor, huh? Where’s the whiskey?” “It just so happens that dark liquor makes a girl I like sick, so I left it behind.” My chest flutters. Did he just admit that he likes me? “Ahh. A girl you like?” I bring the bottle to my mouth and take a sip while watching him. It goes down smooth and the burn in my chest ignites my adrenaline. After a good shot's worth, I hand it back to him with the top on. “If you like this girl, then why’d you stand her up earlier?”

“Fine. I’ll admit, I’m slightly intrigued. I just don’t get it. Why won’t he talk to me?” Maddox nods his head to the right and starts walking slowly, talking as we leave the crowded space by the fire. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but it’s really not his fault. Ridge doesn’t speak under immense pressure or when he’s nervous. It all started when he was a kid. Believe me, he has a lot he wants to say to you.” I stop walking, and Maddox does the same. “But why would Ridge be nervous around me?” “Because he likes you. A lot.”

bite back a smile as I bring the bottle to my mouth, Maddox watching intently. I tip it back, keeping my eyes on his as the liquid courage slithers down my throat. As I pull the bottle away, Maddox immediately replaces it with his lips.

Ridge: I see you’re getting to know my friends. Beware of the blond. He bites. My gaze sails from face to face in search of Ridge, but he’s nowhere in sight. Me: Where are you? His response is immediate. Ridge: Around. You look beautiful tonight, by the way.

Me: Why now? Why are you texting me now, yet you ignored the message I sent you days ago? Ridge: I never know what to say. You once asked if you make me nervous. You do.

Me: Why do I make you so nervous? Unable to take my eyes off the phone, I sit down, almost missing the resting log. Ridge: Why don’t I make you nervous? Me: Maybe you do. But you didn’t answer my question. Ridge: You’ve moved me, Angel. You’ve woken something inside my soul and now it will never rest again. I can’t risk fucking it up. Me: And what if you already have? I did slap you. Have you forgotten? Ridge: I’ll never forget. I’d happily let you do whatever you want to me, as long as your hands are on my body. In fact, I want to tattoo your handprint on my cheek as a constant reminder of the first day we kissed.

“And I’ve found her.” “Oh, right. Scar, is it? Isn’t she your roommate?” “Roommate and best friend.” “Sweet. I’ll go with you. I don’t think I've met her or her boyfriend yet. Which one is it?” “Boyfriends,” I correct him, “Crew, Jagger, and Neo.” Maddox’s mouth draws back, and he nods. “Okay then. That’s pretty…cool.”

Ignoring everyone around me, I keep searching, but I’m halted when my body collides with another. I look up and I’m face to face with Lev. “You lost, Trouble?” he asks, tone flat. My eyebrows pinch together tightly. “Trouble?” “That’s what you are, right? Out here trying to stir up trouble. Playing both sides with two of my friends?”

An airy laugh rushes out of me. “Playing both sides?” “You always answer questions with questions or are you just fucking dumb?” I’m rendered speechless. When I met Neo Saint, Scar’s boyfriend, I thought I’d seen the worst a guy could get. I was dead wrong. Lev is quite literally the spawn of the devil. I’ve known him for one hour and have no intentions of knowing him any longer. “Wow!” My neck stiffens. “You are something else and I don’t have time for this. Enjoy your night, Lev.” I go to walk around him, but stop myself, dissatisfied with letting him think he can talk to me that way. I spin back around, now at his side. “What kind of name is Lev anyways. It’s fucking dumb. That’s what it is.” “It means lion, smartass. And you know what lions like to eat?” He leans close, almost too close for comfort. His hot breath fans my face as I watch his lips move with each word they speak, slightly curved upward in a malicious smirk. “Little whores who like to play games.” He growls, closing in on me. “And I’m hungry, Trouble. In fact, I’m fucking starving.”

“It’s you,” I choke out through strained vocal cords. “You’re here.” “I’m here. I came for you.” I’m stunned. Rendered speechless. He spoke. My God, he has a beautiful voice. Raspy, thick, and masculine.

“First, you waste an hour of my time at the party, playing hide-and-seek. Then, you come into my room when I’m shit-faced…” What? “…you undress me and…” Her voice drops a few octaves as she tries to get the words out. “…you put your fingers inside me.” Is she fucking joking right now? “…and you drugged me.” Her room? Drugged? What the hell is she talking about? I didn’t go to her room last night. “Oh.” She finally looks at me. “Now you can’t talk again? You talked last night. What’s the problem, Ridge? Did the guilt eat your vocal cords?” Talked to her last night? No. I didn’t. Fuck. I’m light-headed. I grab the sides of my head, feeling like all the blood has drained from my face. Someone went into her room? Someone…touched her? No. God no!

“Leave me alone!” I don’t. I can’t. Instead, I take three large steps and grab her by the back of her arm. “I said leave me alone!” She jerks her arm, but I grip her tighter. “I didn’t come in your fucking room,” I blurt out, barely recognizing my own voice. It was my voice, wasn’t it? I said the words? “I…I didn’t come into your room, Angel. It wasn’t me.” Fucking finally! A rush of relief washes over me. She turns around, her eyes widening in horror, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the sound of my voice or my remark about it not being me that went into her room. “Say something again, Ridge. Anything.” “If I came into your room and undressed you, I’d certainly put more than my fingers inside you, Angel. And I'd never drug you.”

My dad comes walking briskly toward me, clad in his typical suit and tie. Hands in the air, I ask, “What the hell happened?” “Zeke Martin committed suicide. He jumped from a second-story window with a shard of glass in his throat.” “Fuck!” I run my fingers through my hair before lifting my eyes to my dad’s. “Zeke’s dead?” I quirk a brow, not buying this suicide story. “Glass doesn’t just end up in someone’s throat. What really happened, Dad?”

“If I’m a monster, it’s because you made me one. Everything I do is for you. Every damn breath I take is for you. Don’t you see it, Angel? I love you, and I will no longer love you from afar. It’s too painful being apart. We’re destined to be together, you and me.”

“Did you want him to touch you?” Fuck. I can’t help myself. I need to know. I just can’t imagine Riley allowing someone to do this shit to her. “At first,” she says, tone soft, “because I thought it was you.” I’m not sure what words will appease me more, those ones, or when I hear her tell me she loves me for the first time. Either way, my heart fucking doubles in size.

I chuckle behind the palm of my hand. “Ya know. Scar will chop your head off if she walks in and sees you in her bed.” I’ve never seen someone jump up so fast. My lips twitch with humor. “Are you scared of my roommate?” “No,” he quips, “she’s just a chick. A chick who looks like she carries around a switchblade to chop off the dicks of any guy who pisses her off.” “And you’d be correct.” I take a seat on my bed, and he joins me. “Do you know Melody Higgins?” “Why? What have you heard from her? Whatever it is, it’s a lie. It might be smaller than an eggplant, but it’s definitely bigger than a banana.” As if a banana is small? Wow! Now my wheels are turning. Annnnd…there’s a visual. My cheeks tinge pink and I’m thankful no one can hear the thoughts in my head.

“Ridge loves you the way Ridge knows how to love. It’s messy and chaotic. A bit distorted and morbid. But I can guarantee you’re the safest in his presence.”

My eyes slide over Maddox’s shoulder, when a dark, shadowy figure appears outside the main doors. They open up, and in steps Lev. I’m immediately reminded of how awful he was to me at the party last night. “What about him?” I tip my chin and Maddox follows my gaze to where Lev is strutting toward us. “Should I feel safe in his presence?” Maddox turns his head back around. “No. In fact, it’s best if you just avoid that one. He’s good to some, but not many.”

As I tiptoe quietly toward her bed, a strange feeling comes over me. Maybe it’s the way her body is laid out, which isn’t her usual position. But when I’m standing at the foot of her bed, looking down at her face resting against my best friend's chest, I lose it. In one fell swoop, I grab Maddox’s leg that’s peeking out of the blanket and I tug hard. I pull him until his head flops over the footboard and his body crashes to the floor at my feet.

“You are the only star in my sky, Angel. Guess I never realized you were also shining in someone else’s.”

Ridge sits down right beside me, his body mirroring mine. “I suck at this shit, Angel. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and assumed if someone could see it, they’d wanna keep it. I realized last night that’s not the case with you. I got so tired of loving you from afar that I approached too soon. Probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t any longer.” “Do you love me, Ridge?” The words spill out of my mouth with no thought process behind them and now that they’re out, I wish I could take them back. Once I know, I’ll never forget. “More than anything in this entire world. I remember the first time your heart called to me, unknowingly. It was like a song in the wind. I laid eyes on you and all hope for myself was lost because I knew I’d do anything in this fucked-up world to keep you safe, even if it meant slowly killing myself in the process.”

“Three weeks before I saw you for the first time, at the end of the summer, I tried to end my life.” He holds up his wrists, showing the marks I’ve seen before. “I failed miserably but told myself I’d try again. I was ready to leave this world. There was nothing left for me in it. Then you appeared, my angel. You revived my heart and breathed life back into me. I knew at that moment, I had to stay for you. Even if it was just to keep you safe for a little while.”