Page 10 of King

Ella stared at him, heart doing something strange.

It wasn’t just him.

Everywhere she looked, theothermen were doing the same. Fixing plates, pouring drinks, and making sure their women had what they wanted. And not in an overbearing way, in acaringway.

She swallowed as she reached for her plate. “Thank you.”

King’s smirk softened. “Anytime, dollface.”

Ella’s breath hitched, but before she could overthink it, she thought she heard something. Just a whispered word from nearby.

A woman, leaning into her man, murmuring something so soft that Ella barely caught it.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Ella froze.

Had she misheard?

No. No way.

Her cheeks flamed as she quickly looked away, focusing on the food in her hands instead.

Her thoughts spun, trying to make sense of everything, but as she walked toward the tables with King, one question settled in her mind.

If the rest of the men here were Daddies, did that mean King was, too?

The warmth of the bonfire soothed Ella as she tucked her knees against her chest, watching the flames dance before her. The compound was quieter now, laughter and conversation mellowing as the evening stretched on. Most of the club members and their women were still chatting, some curled up in their men’s laps, others wrapped in thick blankets.

She shivered slightly as a cool breeze whispered across her skin.

“Here.”

Ella looked up as King draped a heavy blanket over her shoulders, his rough hands brushing against her arms for a second before he pulled away.

“Thank you,” she said, pulling the soft fabric around herself.

King didn’t respond, he just gave her a small nod before sitting beside her. They were slightly off to the side from the rest of the crowd, so it felt slightly intimate, but she didn’t hate it one bit.

He stretched his legs out and leaned back in his chair, his expression relaxed as he stared into the fire.

After a moment, his deep voice broke their silence. “So… tell me about New York.”

Ella blinked, caught off guard by the question. She glanced over at him, studying his sharp features.

“What do you want to know?” she asked softly.

King turned his head, his dark eyes steady. “Why did you leave? I mean, Shadowridge is a different world than New York. It must be a big change.”

Ella inhaled slowly, hesitating. She wasn’t sure how much to tell him about her life. Part of her felt like she shouldn’t talk about how fortunate she’d been, but another part wanted to share everything with King.

Just be honest. Be yourself.

“I grew up in a world of…more,” she finally explained. “More money, more expectations, more pressure to be someone I never really felt I was.” She looked down, picking at the blanket. “My parents are the type who care about appearances. Who you know, where you went to school, how much money you made. I always felt like I was playing a part, and I hated it.”

King didn’t interrupt. He justlistened.

Ella exhaled. “I always wanted something simpler. A town where people actuallyknoweach other and treat each other with kindness and help each other when needed. Where life isn’tabout how much is in your bank account. My parents were born and bred to take after their parents in that respect, but they’ve always encouraged me to live how I want to, so they didn’t put up too much of a fuss about me moving away. Anyway, I guess that’s why I chose Shadowridge.”

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