Page 37 of Ruthless King

She snorts, and the sound is so dismissive, I can’t help but flinch. “You’re fine. You’re just being dramatic. Kill Nico, and all of this will end. I’ll get you out of there. But no more talking to the police, you hear me? They’re probably watching you right. You might have lead them right to me. You need to make sure your guard doesn’t let them follow you.”

“Enzo doesn’t trust me. If he had his way, he’d hand me over to the police himself.”

“You’ve gotten yourself into quite a predicament.”

You have, I want to shout.

“You need to help me, Beatrice. I can’t do this on my own.”

“I am helping you. I got you that combination so you could find proof, and you did. I will get you out of that house once you kill Nico.”

“But how am I supposed to tell you I killed him?”

“You have my number.”

Something tells me it’s not a smart idea to text my aunt right after I kill my husband. But how else am I supposed to get her help?

“Fine. But once this is done, we’re over. I don’t want to see you again. I want the money that belonged to my father. It’s rightfully mine.”

“No,” Beatrice says slowly. “My brother’s money is rightfully mine.”

“I’m putting my life on the line. I deserve something. You don’t get to cast me out.”

“You’ll get your husband’s money.”

I scoff. “I don’t think Nico is going to write me into his will anytime soon. And when I get accused of his murder, I’m not getting any of his money. And stealing his money will definitely make me look guilty. I can’t take any of Nico’s money and youknow that.” I pause. “We can split my father’s money. It’s the only fair thing. Deal?”

Beatrice sneers at me before nodding. “Fine. Deal.”

“You get me out of that house, Beatice. You keep me safe.”

She doesn’t reply, and eventually, I leave because we both know the truth: I’m truly on my own.

“Was everything all right with your aunt?” Enzo asks on the drive home.

“Everything was fine.”

“Good. Then how come you have a bruise on your face?”

I tense. I didn’t look in the mirror after she hit me. If Enzo is wondering about my bruise, then so will Nico, and if I tell him my aunt hit me, he might try to hurt her. I’m not fully sure how protective Nico is of me. I can tell he likes me, but he’s still not the warmest of men.

What lengths will he go to keep me safe?

The reality is I need my aunt to get me out of Nico’s house after I kill him.

And yet, Nico seems to be the only one keeping me safe at the moment.

I don’t respond to Enzo’s question. It’s better just to ignore him. He always eventually drops the subject. He knows I have the power here as Nico’s wife.

Once I get back home, I rush to the bathroom to put makeup on my bruise so Nico can’t see.

But I don’t have time to apply concealer before Nico bursts into the bathroom. “Let me see.” He gently grabs my face and turns my bruised cheek to him. “How did this happen?”

“Did Enzo tell you?”

“He told me you came out with a bruise on your face. Who did this to you?”

My aunt. “No one. It was stupid. I was heading into the bathroom and accidently hit my cheek on the door.”

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