Page 44 of Ruthless Prince

“Get out of our way,” I growl. “I won the competition. There’s no need to kill me now.”

“Oh, but there is. He still wants you dead.”

“Who’s he?”

The assassin doesn’t reply as he lunges for me. I push Ellie out of the way and grab the assassin’s hand before he can hit me. But then he pulls a knife from his pocket with his other hand and swipes at me. I dodge out of the way at the last second.

“Vincent!” Ellie shouts.

“Get inside!” I tell her.

Ellie hesitates, then runs back into her house.

The assassin hits me across the face, sending me stumbling back. He lands a hit with the knife to my arm. When he jerks it out, blood spurts out.

My blood.

He’s going to kill me.

So, I do the one thing I can do.

I run back into the house, locking the door behind me.

“Vincent?” Ellie asks, holding her arms around herself.

“Lock every door.”

Mr. Moore comes out of his office and stops when he sees me. “What happened?”

“The assassin is back. Someone still wants me dead. Lock every door.”

Mr. Moore nods, and he and Ellie get to work going door to door and window to window throughout the large mansion.

I head into the bathroom, pull out the first aid kit, and begin to stitch myself up before I bleed out.

Mr. Moore finds me before Ellie does. “What happened?”

“As I told you, someone is still trying to kill me.”

“You had a job to do, Vincent. Your job is to kill Nico.”

“Not anymore. He’s my father, Mr. Moore. I can’t do it.”

His eyes widen, but then he quickly recovers. “Need I remind you I’ll hurt Ellie if you don’t do what I want?”

“And what do you want? Why do you want me to kill him?”

“Because I want power, boy,” he hisses, practically spitting in my face. “Nico stands in my way of it. Take him out, and you get to have my daughter. It doesn’t escape my notice you were trying to leave with Ellie before getting stopped by that assassin. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

“Did you send the assassin after us?”

Mr. Moore scoffs. “No. I don’t need an assassin to do my dirty work. I have leverage over you. You will kill Nico before you ever truly get my daughter.”

I tried to leave with Ellie, but that fucking assassin got in my way. I won't get another chance to escape with her.

I really have no choice—I need to kill Nico Mancini.

I need to kill my father to save my wife.

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