Tormented Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #2)

Chapter 9

Collin

Today is a good fucking day. A wonderful day. The best fucking day of my life... for now. Why, you might ask? Well, because the girl of my dreams doesn’t hate me. And she finally agreed to be mine.

I thought I lost her, and I wasn’t lying when I told her it was the worst fear I’ve ever experienced. It caused me to open my eyes.

Yes, I came on a bit strong when I came back, but I was excited, okay? After years of dreaming about making Sadie mine, I was finally in the same place as her.

I’ve been keeping tabs on her, so I knew she was dating and had a boyfriend. Didn’t mean shit-all because I knew when I came back into her life, she would forget all about him.

Turns out he was a raging sack of shit anyways. If I knew that, I would have come back sooner and ended their relationship myself.

I shouldn’t have left in the first place. I get why my mom did it, and maybe if I stayed, it would have caused more harm than good. But if I stayed, then the bastard who took advantage of her at the party wouldn’t have gotten close enough to her in the first place.

I’m still planning on getting that information out of her one way or another. Maybe I can coax it out of one of her friends.

I’ve done some fucked up shit in my past, but I promised to do better once I came back into Sadie’s life. Putting her safety at risk due to my choices wasn’t something I was willing to do. Instead, I hire people to do the things I need done and keep my hands clean. Once I get a name, I’ll be making some calls, that's for damn sure.

Even after all those changes, Sadie's life is still at risk. By my own fucking father, nonetheless.

To say I hate the man is an understatement. I despise him, and if there were ever a reason to slip into my old ways again, it would be to end him.

The only thing is, while I might be powerful and have my own connections, so does he.

My game plan, as of right now, is to get as much dirt on the fucker as I can, and see if he’s slipped up with the people he’s in dealings with. If I could find proof and bring it to one of them, they would take care of him themselves, and I’d get to keep my hands clean.

I’m not in the business of being a nark, but for this, I’ll make an exception. For Sadie and her safety, things need to be done.

I drop Sadie off at her place, and I’m just pulling out of her driveway when I get a phone call.

Frowning, I look at the caller ID on the car screen. It’s an unknown number.

Huh.

Probably a telemarketer. So, I press ignore. Not even ten seconds later, my phone rings again. Same thing, unknown number.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, pressing decline. Again, ten seconds later, my phone rings for a third time.

Irritation gets the better of me, and I answer. “Who the fuck is this? You better have a good reason as to why you’re calling me a million times,” I growl.

“Is that any way to greet your father?” His voice fills my car, sending a wave of unease through me.

My lips curl into a sneer as I grip the steering wheel so tightly that my fingers turn white. “You,” I snarl through gritted teeth.

“Before you go all psycho, I want to warn you I’m not having this conversation on the phone. I’m merely calling to tell you to meet me on the corner of Fifth Street and Sixty-second Avenue in fifteen minutes. We need to have a talk.”

“I don’t have fuck all to say to you,” I bark back. I mean, I do—I have a lot of fucking things I want to say and do to this motherfucker. But I’m not stupid enough to threaten him, it would only piss him off, and knowing him, he would get back at me for it. I don’t want to risk Sadie.

“Oh, but I think you do. And you’ll be smart to meet me. I’m warning you, Collin.” Then he hangs up the fucking phone.

“Fuck!” I roar, punching the steering wheel.

I don’t have a good feeling, not at fucking all.

Pulling up my contacts, I press Grayson’s number.

“What do I owe this pleasure? You never call me. I feel honored.” Grayson’s cocky tone greets me.

“Can it, Taylor,” I snap. “I don’t have time. I need you to check in on Sadie, make sure she’s okay.”

“Why?” he demands, his playfulness gone. “What’s going on, Collin?”

“My father just called me and wants to meet. In a few words, he pretty much told me to come or I’ll pay. And what do you think he’d do to the son who doesn’t give a shit about him or anyone else.”

“Find the one thing he does care about,” Grayson curses. “He’s not done with Sadie, is he?”

“No,” I grind out. “I don’t think he is.”

“I can run over and check on her. Is she home?”

“Cut the crap. I know you can just press a few buttons and see for yourself on your phone or computer.”

For a moment, when the line goes silent, I think the call dropped. “How do you know?” he asks suspiciously.

“You're not the only unhinged man in Sadie’s life. I think that title of completely and totally ‘hinged’ would go to Declan and Declan alone. You didn’t think I’d sweep her house for bugs? I found your little cameras a long time ago.”

“Then why are they still up?”

“Because I hacked in and saw who they belonged to. When I saw it was you, I left them. It’s better to have eyes on her by someone who has her best interests at heart. I was planning on planting a few myself, but this way, when she finds out, she can be pissed at you, not me, and I still have someone watching over her.”

“Way to throw me under the bus,” he grumbles. “Let’s hope she’s madly in love with me by then.”

“We’ll see,” I snort. “So, check on her, would you?”

“Already on it.” I can hear the sounds of keys clacking in the background. “She’s in her house. Seems to be cleaning or something. Shouldn’t she be in class? Shouldn’t you?”

“I was on my way back when I got the call. I’m not teaching anymore today, just guidance counsellor duties for the rest of the day. I’ll call the school secretary and see if she can reschedule. Or have the other counselor take the appointments for me.”

“I’m done with class for the rest of the day. Just got done with a Host Club meeting, heading out now. I’ll watch her for the rest of the night.”

“Thanks.”

I end the call and punch the address my father gave me into my GPS.

When I get there, I’m really fucking confused. It’s a parking garage. Why the hell does he want to meet in a damn parking garage?

The place is pretty empty, but as I make it up to the third level, I see a black SUV.

“Not fucking creepy at all. This is very much giving me mafia vibes,” I mutter as I pull up next to the car.

Rolling my window down, the other car does the same. And there he is, the mother fucker. “Collin.”

“Sperm donor.” I give him a smug grin. He doesn’t like it when I address him that way. “You wanted to talk. So let’s talk.”

“Get in the car, Collin.” He looks away, staring forward. Fuck, I just want to punch him in his stupid face.

“So what? You can take off and kidnap me, too?” I snipe.

He slowly turns his head back to me, a blank look on his face. The whole reason he wanted to have this conversion in person is because he doesn’t want to risk being recorded. That's why he says nothing, staring at me with serial-killer eyes. I might not be able to name names, but I know he’s killed people. Guess it runs in the family.

Not anymore. But if it’s him, I really will make an exception.

“Leave your phone and get. In. The. Car,” he demands before rolling up the window.

“Fucking bullshit,” I mutter. I turn the car off and reach over to the glove compartment, grabbing my gun.

I’m not going to shoot him, and he’s not going to harm me. This I know. But I can’t be too sure now, can I? With him, everything is unpredictable.

Grumbling, I throw open my car door before slamming it shut. The passenger door opens for me, and I roll my eyes. “Thanks. Guess chivalry isn’t dead.”

“Watch your mouth with me, boy,” he growls as I slide in and shut the door behind me.

“I had to leave work for this. So, can we get this over with? What do you want?”

A man leans over the seat, causing me to jolt back in surprise. He waves some kind of stick thing over my body, and I frown. “Buy me a fucking drink before you feel me up, why don’t you?”

Glaring at me, he turns to my father and nods his head before sitting back in his seat. If I had to guess, he was checking me for recording devices.

He crosses his legs and rolls up his sleeves before looking at me. Fucker is in a suit and tie like he’s someone important. He’s nothing, no one cares about him. He only likes to think he’s something special. The world will throw a party when he’s gone, and I’ll be pissing on his grave.

“The date is set,” he declares before looking up at me.

“Ah, what? What date?” My brows furrow.

“Your wedding date.” He blinks.

I snort out a laugh. “Wedding? Didn’t know I was getting married. This is news to me. Don’t you think the groom should have a say?”

He takes an annoyed breath through his nose. “It’s been long enough with these silly games, Collin. You're a man now. Start fucking acting like it. Grow up and stop following that girl around like a lost little puppy.” He practically spits the word girl. And by ‘girl’, I know he means Sadie. “She has nothing to offer you; not now, not ever. Her family is poor and has no social standing in this community. Despite her mother’s upcoming nuptials to Mark Taylor, she has nothing to bring to our table.”

She has a whole fucking lot to offer me. Like love, kindness, and herself. I don’t give a shit about money or social standing bullshit.

“Connie has been patient and understanding. You both have been enjoying your young adult lives, getting all your wild ways out of your system. But she’s ready to settle down and have children.”

The idea makes my stomach roll. “That’s nice for her. But I’m not ready for that.”

Lies; I am, just not with her. Because if Sadie said she wanted me to put a baby in her, I’d make it my life mission to knock her up right now. Starting today. Hell, I’d leave this meeting right now and get started.

“Enough!” he snaps. “You will be marrying Connie on February twenty-fourth.”

“And if I don’t?” I know I shouldn’t ask, I know nothing good can come of it, but I need to hear it from his own mouth.

“The little slut you’ve been fucking around with will pay for your disobedience. Clearly, she didn’t take my warning to heart. The little bitch has a big mouth. I take it she told you?”

My hand itches to wrap around the gun in my pocket and put a bullet between his fucking eyes. How fucking dare he fucking demean her.

“Where is the money?” he asks. “It would be a shame if I had to kill her for keeping it when she didn’t fulfill her end of the agreement.”

“There was no fucking agreement,” I sneer. “You told her what to do.”

“And she didn’t do it,” he snarls back. “She’s fucking lucky I didn’t keep my end of the threat. The only reason I haven’t is because of her soon-to-be stepfather. The last thing I need is bad blood between me and the Taylors. That doesn’t mean I won’t make the little bitch’s life hell.

“I’ll get you the damn money.” I curl my lip at him. “She doesn’t want anything from you.”

“Foolish girl.” He sighs, shaking his head. “Just like her mother.”

“What does that mean?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He waves his hand. “Get me my money, be at the St. Lawrence’s church on February twenty-fourth, and–” he gives me a dangerous look. “If I find you with that girl in any way that a friend or a teacher wouldn’t be caught in, it won't be pretty. The last thing I need is Connie and her family breathing down my neck with panic, thinking that you won’t follow through.”

I want to tell him to fuck off. That I’m not doing it. But I believe him when he says he will make our lives hell. Sadie doesn’t deserve it. Not because of me and my crazy-ass sperm donor.

“We’re done here. Get out.” His voice is final.

So many scenarios flash through my mind of how I could kill him right now. But I hold my tongue, grit my teeth, and get out of the car. The moment I shut the door, the car is peeling out of the parking lot.

“Fuck!” I roar, my fist coming down onto the hood of my car so hard that it leaves a dent.

With knuckles split and throbbing, I hastily get in my car and get the fuck out of here.

I’m so enraged that I want to wrap my hands around his fucking neck and strangle the life out of him. I’m not fucking doing it. I’m not marrying that woman.

He needs to go. There’s no other way. I will not fucking have him be a threat to Sadie’s safety. If he hurts her, I will not think twice about putting him down like the dog he is.