The Revenge You Seek: A Dark College Bully Romance (Maddison Kings University Book 1) Read online

  The Revenge You Seek

  Maddison Kings University #1

  Tracy Lorraine

  Copyright © 2021 by Tracy Lorraine

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by My Brother’s Editor

  Proofreading by Sisters Get Lit(erary) Author Services

  Photography by Armando Adajar

  Model Eric Guilmette

  Contents

  The Mistakes You Make

  1. Letty

  2. Letty

  3. Kane

  4. Letty

  5. Kane

  6. Letty

  7. Kane

  8. Letty

  9. Kane

  10. Letty

  11. Letty

  12. Letty

  13. Kane

  14. Letty

  15. Kane

  16. Letty

  17. Kane

  18. Letty

  19. Kane

  20. Letty

  21. Kane

  22. Letty

  23. Kane

  About the Author

  Also by Tracy Lorraine

  THORN

  The Mistakes You Make

  Have you read the FREE prequel for Letty and Kane’s story?

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  1

  Letty

  I sit on my bed, staring down at the fabric in my hands.

  This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

  This wasn't part of my plan.

  I let out a sigh, squeezing my eyes tight, willing the tears away.

  I've cried enough. I thought I'd have run out by now.

  A commotion on the other side of the door has me looking up in a panic, but just like yesterday, no one comes knocking.

  I think I proved that I don't want to hang with my new roommates the first time someone knocked and asked if I wanted to go for breakfast with them.

  I don't.

  I don't even want to be here.

  I just want to hide.

  And that thought makes it all a million times worse.

  I'm not a hider. I'm a fighter. I'm a fucking Hunter.

  But this is what I've been reduced to.

  This pathetic, weak mess.

  And all because of him.

  He shouldn't have this power over me. But even now, he does.

  The dorm falls silent once again, and I pray that they've all headed off for their first class of the semester so I can slip out unnoticed.

  I know it's ridiculous. I know I should just go out there with my head held high and dig up the confidence I know I do possess.

  But I can't.

  I figure that I'll just get through today—my first day—and everything will be alright.

  I can somewhat pick up where I left off, almost as if the last eighteen months never happened.

  Wishful thinking.

  I glance down at the hoodie in my hands once more.

  Mom bought them for Zayn, my younger brother, and me.

  The navy fabric is soft between my fingers, but the text staring back at me doesn't feel right.

  Maddison Kings University.

  A knot twists my stomach and I swear my whole body sags with my new reality.

  I was at my dream school. I beat the odds and I got into Columbia. And everything was good. No, everything was fucking fantastic.

  Until it wasn't.

  Now here I am. Sitting in a dorm at what was always my backup plan school having to start over.

  Throwing the hoodie onto my bed, I angrily push to my feet.

  I'm fed up with myself.

  I should be better than this, stronger than this.

  But I’m just… I'm broken.

  And as much as I want to see the positives in this situation. I'm struggling.

  Shoving my feet into my Vans, I swing my purse over my shoulder and scoop up the couple of books on my desk for the two classes I have today.

  My heart drops when I step out into the communal kitchen and find a slim blonde-haired girl hunched over a mug and a textbook.

  The scent of coffee fills my nose and my mouth waters.

  My shoes squeak against the floor and she immediately looks up.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to disrupt you."

  "Are you kidding?" she says excitedly, her southern accent making a smile twitch at my lips.

  Her smile lights up her pretty face and for some reason, something settles inside me.

  I knew hiding was wrong. It's just been my coping method for… quite a while.

  "We wondered when our new roommate was going to show her face. The guys have been having bets on you being an alien or something."

  A laugh falls from my lips. "No, no alien. Just…" I sigh, not really knowing what to say.

  "You transferred in, right? From Columbia?"

  "Ugh… yeah. How'd you know—"

  "Girl, I know everything." She winks at me, but it doesn't make me feel any better. "West and Brax are on the team, they spent the summer with your brother."

  A rush of air passes my lips in relief. Although I'm not overly thrilled that my brother has been gossiping about me.

  "So, what classes do you have today?" she asks when I stand there gaping at her.

  "Umm… American lit and psychology."

  "I've got psych later too. Professor Collins?"

  "Uh…" I drag my schedule from my purse and stare down at it. "Y-yes."

  "Awesome. We can sit together."

  "S-sure," I stutter, sounding unsure, but the smile I give her is totally genuine. "I'm Letty, by the way." Although I'm pretty sure she already knows that.

  "Ella."

  "Okay, I'll… uh… see you later."

  "Sure. Have a great morning."

  She smiles at me and I wonder why I was so scared to come out and meet my new roommates.

  I'd wanted Mom to organize an apartment for me so that I could be alone, but—probably wisely—she refused. She knew that I'd use it to hide in and the point of me restarting college is to try to put everything behind me and start fresh.

  After swiping an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table, I hug my books tighter to my chest and head out, ready to embark on my new life.

  The morning sun burns my eyes and the scent of freshly cut grass fills my nose as I step out of our building. The summer heat hits my skin, and it makes everything feel that little bit better.

  So what if I'm starting over. I managed to transfer the credits I earned from Columbia, and MKU is a good school. I'll still get a good degree and be able to make something of my life.

  Things could be worse.

  It could be this time last year…

  I shake the thought from my head and force my feet to keep moving.

  I pass students meeting up with their friends for the start of the new semester as they excitedly tell them all about their summers and the incredible things they did, or they compare schedules.

  My lungs grow tight as I drag in the air I need. I think of the friends I left behind in Columbia. We didn't have all that much time together, but we'd bonded before my life imploded on me.

  Glancing around, I find myself searching for familiar faces. I know there are plenty of people here who know me. A couple of my closest friends came here after high school.

  Mom
tried to convince me to reach out over the summer, but my anxiety kept me from doing so. I don't want anyone to look at me like I'm a failure. That I got into one of the best schools in the country, fucked it up and ended up crawling back to Rosewood. I'm not sure what's worse, them assuming I couldn't cope or the truth.

  Focusing on where I'm going, I put my head down and ignore the excited chatter around me as I head for the coffee shop, desperately in need of my daily fix before I even consider walking into a lecture.

  I find the Westerfield Building where my first class of the day is and thank the girl who holds the heavy door open for me before following her toward the elevator.

  "Holy fucking shit," a voice booms as I turn the corner, following the signs to the room on my schedule.

  Before I know what's happening, my coffee is falling from my hand and my feet are leaving the floor.

  "What the—" The second I get a look at the guy standing behind the one who has me in his arms, I know exactly who I've just walked into.

  Forgetting about the coffee that's now a puddle on the floor, I release my books and wrap my arms around my old friend.

  His familiar woodsy scent flows through me, and suddenly, I feel like me again. Like the past two years haven't existed.

  "What the hell are you doing here?" Luca asks, a huge smile on his face when he pulls back and studies me.

  His brows draw together when he runs his eyes down my body, and I know why. I've been working on it over the summer, but I know I'm still way skinnier than I ever have been in my life.

  "I transferred," I admit, forcing the words out past the lump in my throat.

  His smile widens more before he pulls me into his body again.

  "It's so good to see you."

  I relax into his hold, squeezing him tight, absorbing his strength. And that's one thing that Luca Dunn has in spades. He's a rock, always has been and I didn't realize how much I needed that right now.

  Mom was right. I should have reached out.

  "You too," I whisper honestly, trying to keep the tears at bay that are threatening just from seeing him—them.

  "Hey, it's good to see you," Leon says, slightly more subdued than his twin brother as he hands me my discarded books.

  "Thank you."

  I look between the two of them, noticing all the things that have changed since I last saw them in person. I keep up with them on Instagram and TikTok, sure, but nothing is quite like standing before the two of them.

  Both of them are bigger than I ever remember, showing just how hard their coach is working them now they’re both first string for the Panthers. And if it's possible, they're both hotter than they were in high school, which is really saying something because they'd turn even the most confident of girls into quivering wrecks with one look back then. I can only imagine the kind of rep they have around here.

  The sound of a door opening behind us and the shuffling of feet cuts off our little reunion.

  "You in Professor Whitman's American lit class?" Luca asks, his eyes dropping from mine to the book in my hands.

  "Yeah. Are you?"

  "We are. Walk you to class?" A smirk appears on his lips that I remember all too well. A flutter of the butterflies he used to give me threaten to take flight as he watches me intently.

  Luca was one of my best friends in high school, and I spent almost all our time together with the biggest crush on him. It seems that maybe the teenage girl inside me still thinks that he could be it for me.

  "I'd love you to."

  "Come on then, Princess," Leon says and my entire body jolts at hearing that pet name for me. He’s never called me that before and I really hope he’s not about to start now.

  Clearly not noticing my reaction, he once again takes my books from me and threads his arm through mine as the pair of them lead me into the lecture hall.

  I glance at both of them, a smile pulling at my lips and hope building inside me.

  Maybe this was where I was meant to be this whole time.

  Maybe Columbia and I were never meant to be.

  More than a few heads turn our way as we climb the stairs to find some free seats. Mostly it's the females in the huge space and I can't help but inwardly laugh at their reaction.

  I get it.

  The Dunn twins are two of the Kings around here and I'm currently sandwiched between them. It's a place that nearly every female in this college, hell, this state, would kill to be in.

  "Dude, shift the fuck over," Luca barks at another guy when he pulls to a stop a few rows from the back.

  The guy who's got dark hair and even darker eyes immediately picks up his bag, books, and pen and moves over a space.

  "This is Colt," Luca explains, nodding to the guy who's studying me with interest.

  "Hey," I squeak, feeling a little intimidated.

  "Hey." His low, deep voice licks over me. "Ow, what the fuck, man?" he barks, rubbing at the back of his head where Luca just slapped him.

  "Letty's off-limits. Get your fucking eyes off her."

  "Dude, I was just saying hi."

  "Yeah, and we all know what that usually leads to," Leon growls behind me.

  The three of us take our seats and just about manage to pull our books out before our professor begins explaining the syllabus for the semester.

  "Sorry about the coffee," Luca whispers after a few minutes. "Here." He places a bottle of water on my desk. "I know it's not exactly a replacement, but it's the best I can do."

  The reminder of the mess I left out in the hallway hits me.

  "I should go and—"

  "Chill," he says, placing his hand on my thigh. His touch instantly relaxes me as much as it sends a shock through my body. "I'll get you a replacement after class. Might even treat you to a cupcake."

  I smile up at him, swooning at the fact he remembers my favorite treat.

  Why did I ever think coming here was a bad idea?

  2

  Letty

  My hand aches by the time Professor Whitman finishes talking. It feels like a lifetime ago that I spent this long taking notes.

  "You okay?" Luca asks me with a laugh as I stretch out my fingers.

  "Yeah, it's been a while."

  "I'm sure these boys can assist you with that, beautiful," bursts from Colt's lips, earning him another slap to the head.

  "Ignore him. He's been hit in the head with a ball one too many times," Leon says from beside me but I'm too enthralled with the way Luca is looking at me right now to reply.

  Our friendship wasn't a conventional one back in high school. He was the star quarterback, and I wasn't a cheerleader or ever really that sporty. But we were paired up as lab partners during my first week at Rosewood High and we kinda never separated.

  I watched as he took the team to new heights, as he met with college scouts, I even went to a few places with him so he didn't have to go alone.

  He was the one who allowed me to cry on his shoulder as I struggled to come to terms with the loss of another who left a huge hole in my heart and he never, not once, overstepped the mark while I clung to him and soaked up his support.

  I was also there while he hooked up with every member of the cheer squad along with any other girl who looked at him just so. Each one stung a little more than the last as my poor teenage heart was getting battered left, right, and center.

  With each day, week, month that passed, I craved him more but he never, not once, looked at me that way.

  I was even his prom date, yet he ended up spending the night with someone else.

  It hurt, of course it did. But it wasn't his fault and I refuse to hold it against him.

  Maybe I should have told him. Been honest with him about my feelings and what I wanted. But I was so terrified I'd lose my best friend that I never confessed, and I took that secret all the way to Columbia with me.

  As I stare at him now, those familiar butterflies still set flight in my belly, but they're not as strong as I remember. I'm not sure if that
's because my feelings for him have lessened over time, or if I'm just so numb and broken right now that I don't feel anything but pain.

  It really could go either way.

  I smile at him, so grateful to have run into him this morning.

  He always knew when I needed him and even without knowing of my presence here, there he was like some guardian fucking angel.

  If guardian angels had sexy dark bed hair, mesmerizing green eyes and a body built for sin then yeah, that's what he is.

  I laugh to myself, yeah, maybe that irritating crush has gone nowhere.

  "What have you got next?" Leon asks, dragging my attention away from his twin.

  Leon has always been the quieter, broodier one of the duo. He's as devastatingly handsome and as popular with the female population but he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve like Luca. Leon takes a little time to warm to people, to let them in. It was hard work getting there, but I soon realized that once he dropped his walls a little for me, it was hella worth it.

  He's more serious, more contemplative, he's deeper. I always suspected that there was a reason they were so different. I know twins don't have to be the same and like the same things, but there was always something niggling at me that there was a very good reason that Leon closed himself down. From listening to their mom talk over the years, they were so identical in their mannerisms, likes, and dislikes when they were growing up, that it seems hard to believe they became so different.

  "Psychology but not for an hour. I'm—"

  "I'm taking her for coffee," Luca butts in. A flicker of anger passes through Leon's eyes but it's gone so fast that I begin to wonder if I imagined it.

  "I could use another coffee before econ," Leon chips in.