Chapter 4
BELLA
“Champagne or vodka?” Louise asks as we push through the crush of bodies toward the bar.
“Water?” I deadpan.
She stops dead, heels sticking to the filthy floor, and spins on me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Champagne or vodka?” she repeats, slower this time, like I’m stupid.
I bite back a grin.
“Are you fucking with me, Bella?”
I flutter my lashes at her. “Maybe. I’m just tired, my feet hurt. I need a nap. And food.”
God, I could murder for a chicken wrap with some melted cheese.
She shakes her head, blonde curls flicking over her bare shoulder. “You know if you go home, that’s it, you’ll be shipped first class into the life of a housewife.”
“I know.” I nod, lips pressed tight. “Yes, I’m fully aware of my shitty situation here. I guess I’ll have a double vodka.”
Her lips curve into a satisfied smile. “There we go.”
She drags me back to the bar, and I rest my palm against the varnish-worn wood. The air reeks of perfume, sweat, and cheap liquor. This is one of my brother’s less established bars. Music pounds through the speakers, bass rattling the glasses stacked behind the counter.
The bartender’s eyes flick toward me, his mouth twitching as he sends a wink. I give him a little wave back, but before I can hold the smile, something sharp jabs into my spine.
“What the hell?” I hiss, straightening.
As the bartender drifts closer, I’m shoved again, harder this time, straight into Louise.
I whip around.
“Move.”
The voice belongs to a small, mean-looking girl with a face full of arrogance. Her smirk is smug, certain she’s already won.
I arch a brow, tone sharp and polite. “And why should I move? I was here first.”
“Because you don’t belong here.” She plants a hand on her hip, giving me a slow once-over. “This is for locals only. And you aren’t welcome. Go back to one of your fancy clubs and sniff some coke off a rich guy’s dick for some money.”
Wrong answer.
I step closer, lowering my voice until it slices. “Why don’t you ask my name, bitch?”
She scoffs. “You’re a nobody.”
I smile sweetly. “Humor me. Ask.”
“Fine. What’s your fucking name?”
“Bella King.”
Her bravado falters.
I tilt my head, lips curving into a grin that never touches my eyes. “And do you know who owns this bar?”
Even pissed as I am with my brothers, I’m not stupid enough to drink anywhere outside our grip.
“T-Theo.”
“Very good. Now, are you going to apologize?”
Her smirk returns, brittle this time. “Your brothers ain’t here, are they? So no. I ain’t scared of you, Bella. You’re just the little sister. No one gives a fuck about you.”
I breathe deep, fury sparking in my veins. If I start something now, my brothers will storm in, and I’ll be the one paying for it. But there’s no way I’m letting this slide. I’ve spent my entire life playing this game. And she just touched a nerve.
So I step aside with a sweet smile. “You know what? You’re right. I am no one. Go ahead. Order your drinks.”
I pluck my vodka from the counter, hook my arm through Louise’s, and lead her toward the high chairs by the dance floor, my eyes never leaving the brat at the bar.
“What are you going to do, Bel?” Louise asks, wary.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
I finish my drink in one long swallow, waiting.
By the end of the night, the club has thinned. The music still pounds, but the crowd is drifting toward the exits. The arrogant little bitch from earlier stumbles toward the bathroom alone, makeup smeared, confidence drowned in cheap cocktails. That’s my cue.
The bathroom is dim, mirrors cracked, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. The stink of bleach clings to the air. She’s bent over the sink, reapplying lipstick with an unsteady hand, when I push the door open and let it slam shut behind me.
She catches my reflection in the mirror and laughs weakly. “What? Come to cry because I stole your spot at the bar?”
“No.” I lock the door with a sharp click. “I came to thank you.”
Her brows knit in confusion. “For what?”
I step closer, the click of my heels echoing on the cracked tiles. “See, I was bored. Another night at another bar my family owns. Same drinks, same music, same dull faces. Then you gave me entertainment.”
She straightens, forcing bravado back onto her face. “Your brothers aren’t here, Bella. You can’t hide behind their names tonight.”
She pulls out her phone and I step right behind her.
“Who says I need to hide?” I grin. “Do you know what I had to do just to survive in that house? How many bones I’ve broken to prove I’m not just the little sister?”
Her phone slips from her hand, clattering to the floor. I pick it up, slide it into my clutch, and close the distance.
“First lesson in this life: don’t leave evidence lying around.”
Her throat works as she swallows, eyes wide.
“Second lesson,” I whisper, pressing her back against the wall, “every insult leaves a scar.”
I slip a jeweled knife from my clutch, the one my brothers joke about—my lipstick blade. Her eyes widen, panic finally cracking her mask.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Leaving you a memory.”
I hold her in place with my forearm across her chest and drag the tip of the blade against her forehead. She whimpers, but I keep my hand steady, carving the single letter: K.
By the time I step back, blood runs down into her mascara, streaking her face. She stares at me like I’ve destroyed her entire world.
I wipe the blade on her dress before slipping it back into my clutch. “Now everyone will know exactly whose name you dared to spit on.”
She sags against the wall, trembling.
I lean close, whispering against her ear. “I’m not the little sister. I’m the King they should’ve warned you about.”
Then I spin, unlock one of the bathroom stalls, toss her phone inside, and slam it shut.
“Enjoy the night in here,” I purr, blowing her a kiss before I leave.
The heavy door slams behind me, and I turn the key in the main door, locking her in with her blood and shame, and I walk back toward the thumping bass like nothing happened, heels clicking in steady rhythm.
By the time the whispers spread, the mark will already be burned into her skin.
And no one will ever forget who she crossed—while I’m being shipped to America to become some asshole’s bride. I had to leave my brothers one lasting headache.