Page 19 of Ruthless Prince

I expect her to kiss me, but instead, she pulls out a knife from behind her back and tries to stab me with it.

I jerk back and fall over her couch, landing on the ground hard. She gets on top of me and jams the knife in my arm, twisting it. I cry out, shoving her away.

But she comes right back. This woman is fierce.

“Who are you?” I grit out, standing up before she can pounce on me again.

“No talking, remember?” She pulls the knife out of me, and blood seeps from my wound. Rachel brings her arm high, but I grab it and force her to drop the knife.

Kicking her legs out, she falls into me, and I shove her to the ground where I get on top of her and hold the knife to her throat.

“Why the fuck are you trying to kill me?”

She stops struggling. “Someone wants you dead. Don’t ask me who. I don’t have a name. All I know is they don’t want you winning the competition.”

“So, they sent an assassin after me?”

“Pretty much.”

“All over some competition?”

“That’s all I know.”

I look down at her. “Then you’re useless to me.” I cut her throat right then and there. It’s not the first time I’ve killed someone, and I doubt it’ll be the last.

Someone wants me dead, but who? It all ties back to the competition. None of this makes sense.

And now, I have a fucking body to clean up.

Chapter

Six

ELLIE

Vincent comes home late, staggering through the door. I can smell the alcohol on him from where I sit in the living room.

“Are you all right?” I ask, making him jerk.

“I didn’t hear you. Sorry.” He stumbles, bumping into the wall. I stand up and reach out to steady him, but he backs away.

“I’m not good, Ellie. I just killed a woman tonight. You shouldn’t touch me.”

My skin turns to ice. “You … what?”

He places his finger on his lips, laughing. “Shh. You weren’t supposed to know about that.”

“Vincent, what happened?”

“She was an assassin. She tried to kill me. So, I killed her.”

My mouth gapes open. “What?”

“Someone doesn’t want me to fight. But that’s not going to stop me. I’m going to fight, and I’m going to win. This is somehow tied to Nico Mancini. I know it.”

Before I can get another word in, Vincent stumbles down the hallway and goes into his bedroom. I don’t dare follow him there.

But I can’t just sit idly by and do nothing, so I go to my father, who’s in his office.

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