Page 167 of Ruthless Kings of Havoc

What has he done? What have I gotten myself into?

No one has ever outsmarted me, but now I’m facing a competitor who’s not only done exactly that but may be the reason why I perish where I stand.

“The assassin who was sent wasn’t for Evangeline. He was for you. Sent by ex-Ruthless King, Domino. He got into a fight with Theo when he wouldn’t pledge his cooperation initially, which resulted in him punching Theo. You should know your comrade doesn’t like to be touched, let alone punched, so he retaliated but waged Domino an offer that he won’t disclose the results of if Domino loses the bet. You already know what my brother did.”

A dumbass can assume Domino took the bait, not caring about the consequences ‘cause he assumed he could win. That taking me out would be a breeze.

He shrugs and takes a hit of his cigar. Blowing the fumes out even slower, he looks out the window.

“Since Theo hinted about the altercation during our walk in the Leighton Royal Elite Archway, I figured to do a bit ofinvestigating. Found out that the assassin was hired, and you had a hit on your head. Got the call this morning that you were on today’s list, so I paid our assassin a brief visit.” The way he smiles sends chills through me, all while I begin to notice I can’t feel my feet.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“A bit of blackmail got me close enough to slip an envelope into the inner pocket of his jacket, knowing he’d easily get taken out by you. My assumption on that was 100% accurate because your initial tactic with close-range combat is tackling them and using your strength and body weight to pin them down long enough to finish the deed.”

“How…” I say the word, but my voice doesn’t reach my ears. I try again to repeat the word, but my vocals can’t get a sound out.

“It’s funny how many assume cage fighters are the stupidest people in the line of confrontational sports. Whether in the ring or cage, it’s all fists and zero brains. Little do people know that the art of cage fighting is not the punch but how that punch is executed. The thought process, precision, and the ability to analyze your opponent’s body language so quickly that you can predict exactly what their next move is. I decided to analyze the plentiful recordings I’ve been gathering for years and learn every technique you use in the line of combat. It was tedious and time-consuming, but it was worth it. Especially now.”

He tilts his head my way, noticing the panic in my eyes.

“I get it. You’ve never been outsmarted by anyone, have you? I’m not surprised. You’ve lasted this long despite the lengthy hit list against you. Has no one told you that you’re notorious for being hated? Theo hates everyone, even his Ruthless Maiden, despite him enjoying ravishing her whenever he isn’t in a bullying mood, but you. Oh, he HATES you. That’s a specialty.”

He lowers back down from his leaning position and stands up.

“That all started with Iris, huh?”

My body is involuntarily shaking. I can feel the vibrations, yet the numbness is only spreading.

“The woman you dare to think is more worthy of your loyalty. How someone without a beating heart has more power over you than the one you’re protecting to keep her heart beating. Intriguing. I wonder if your heart believes your Maiden is alive somewhere. Living a different life. One granted to her because you set of Ruthless fools believed death could silence her. I truly wonder.”

He’s not saying…

No. Don’t believe this manipulative fucker.

He’s lying.

Iris is dead.

I held her dead body…

“You’re questioning it. Meaning, you’re not sure.” It makes him chuckle lowly. “I pity you. You didn’t learn from the mistakes you made as a Ruthless King the first time around, but I’ll be a good man for once and give this helpless dog a bone.”

He walks until we’re facing each other and leans in close. I can’t even smell the cigar aroma, making me realize my sense of smell is now absent.

It won’t be long until I stop breathing.

“Instead of trying to get Evangeline’s records, why don’t you look into Anastasia’s? Her ancestors, down to her current bloodline and royal Empire. After that, connect the dots,” he suggests. “Maybe then you’ll understand Marcus’ significance in all of this. If you did, you’d be sucking up to him to unravel the truth.”

His hand slips into his pocket, but it’s getting hard to see because my vision is getting blurry. The corners of my vision are going dark, and my surroundings seem far too out of balance tobe standing, but I’m still facing Matteo, which means I haven’t fully collapsed yet.

I can’t feel anything.

A tiny injectable comes in my line of view — the liquid is a mix of cherry red and pink. It’s as though two substances are in a tiny glass cylinder; their concentration is so uniquely different that they can’t mix.

Like oil and water.

“You have a minute before your body stops functioning and you go into cardiac arrest,” Matteo reveals. “This is the antidote.”

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