Page 74 of Brutal Ice

He’d taken the phone away.

And the knife came toward her again.

“I’ll trade my life for hers!” Simone cried out before he could bring that blade any closer. “I’ll do it! You can take her, and I swear, I won’t tell anyone about tonight!” How could she? The world would hate her. They’d say she killed her friend.

But I’m not killing her. I’m not even going to touch Violet. He’s the one with the knife.

And who wouldn’t do the same thing? If given a chance to live, she was sure even precious fucking Violet would turn on a friend. Yes, yes, Violet would sacrifice me. It’s just about survival. Nothing personal.

Nothing.

Personal.

“I haven’t seen your face,” she whispered. “I don’t know you.”

“You can’t see my face, bitch. I’ve got on a mask.”

She was too scared to look. What if he was lying? What if that was a trick?

And then…on the heels of that thought…

What if he’s been lying to me this whole time? What if he isn’t going to let me go, even when he gets Violet? A sob caught in her throat.

He backed up.

The trunk slammed down. Total darkness consumed her again.

“No!” Simone screamed. She slammed her bound hands into the metal roof of the trunk.

“Don’t worry,” his grating voice told her. “Once I see Violet, you’ll be free.”

Her breath shuddered out.

Don’t be a lie. Don’t be a lie. Don’t be a…

“You’re lying,” Violet said. Her chin was up. Her hair a gorgeous tangle around her shoulders. She’d dressed. She stood facing him with her back perfectly straight and with fear and determination both blazing in her wide eyes.

In that instance, Royal almost wished that he could be lying. He didn’t want to break her heart.

But breaking her heart was a whole lot better than letting Violet die. You could keep living with a broken heart. You couldn’t keep living if, say, some psychotic asshole shoved a knife into your chest and carved out said heart.

“I need you to get out of my way, Royal. Simone needs me.”

“Simone watched you get thrown into the back of the sedan on the night of your abduction, and she didn’t do a thing to get help for you.”

Her eyes widened even more. Did her skin turn paler?

I’m breaking her heart.

“You don’t know that,” Violet whispered. She inched closer to him. “I don’t have time to waste. She’s alone, and she’s scared.”

Fine. They could talk on the way. “I’m coming with you.”

She blinked.

Hell. Had Violet truly thought he’d let her leave on her own? “She’s lying,” he snapped. Dangerous tension pooled through him. “I didn’t hurt Marcella. I’m not some sick stalker who is hunting and killing the same woman over and over again.” Why is Simone trying to frame me? But the hard twist in his gut told him the reason why. “I didn’t fuck you because you looked like Marcella.”

“Why did you fuck me?”

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