Page 25 of Ruthless Prince

Nico shakes his head. “No. I’m all right.”

“May I ask why?”

Father clears his throat. “Ellie, it’s not appropriate to ask people questions they don’t want to answer.”

“It’s all right,” Nico says to him before turning back to me. “Actually, Ellie, the reason is because he reminds me of someone. It’s better I don’t get my hopes up.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Most people wouldn’t.” He clears his throat and gives my father another nod before walking away.

Father stares at me. “You’re getting bolder. Vincent must be influencing you. Remember, Ellie, be careful with him. I’d hate to have to kill him for looking at you a certain way.”

Vincent dying is the last thing I want.

And the thought of my father being the one to do it is inconceivable.

I take a bite of my sandwich and keep my mouth shut like the good girl I’m supposed to be.

Chapter

Eight

VINCENT

Iwin the next few rounds of competition despite my broken rib. Pushing through the pain, I punch and kick my way through rounds five and six with relative ease. My opponents are no match me. I’m riding on determination to meet Nico Mancini so I can finally kill him.

I just can’t get distracted by Ellie in the meantime.

We give each other little smiles and looks when we run into each other at the house, but otherwise, we keep our distance. I would like to close that distance, but I’m not about to risk all I’ve worked for just to get into Ellie’s pants.

Besides, I respect her. Unlike the women I’ve taken home before, I have a deeper connection with Ellie. We both know what it’s like to have hardass fathers. We both know what it’s like to feel constricted by them.

But it’s also because of these reasons that I just want to talk and get to know her. I’m playing a dangerous game with Mr. Moore. He doesn’t want me getting involved with Ellie, so Ican’t. And after the assassin attack, I don’t want Ellie to get hurt because of me.

I need to push her from my mind.

After I change back into my normal clothes after my most recent fight, I leave the locker room and am swarmed by a group of women, which isn’t unusual.

What is unusual, though, is seeing Ellie in the crowd watching me back. I quickly look away from her and focus my attention on a pretty brunette.

“What’s your name?” I ask her.

“Sarah.”

“Want to get out of here?”

We leave the club together, and I don’t even look back to see if Ellie is watching. If she is, does she look upset? I can’t bare the thought. She can’t be mine. She can never be mine. And after what happened with the assassin, my entire being puts her in danger.

It does cross my mind when I end up at Sarah’s apartment that she could be another assassin. But unlike Rachel, she doesn’t try to kill me. Instead, we make out for a while. It’s fun and easy. It’s what I’m used to.

But fuck it, I can’t stop picturing Ellie in my mind. Seeing her in nothing but a towel made me harder than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I want her more than anything.

Of course, she’s the one woman who’s off limits to me.

I focus harder on kissing Sarah to push Ellie from my mind. Right now, all that matters is winning the competition. All that matters is earning the money and starting a new life for myself out from under my father’s thumb.

All that matters is killing Nico Mancini.

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