Page 49 of Reckless Royalty

“You’re quite the loose end,” he says, his tone casual, almost amused. “I’m not here to hurt you too badly. Just here to finish a job.”

His hand comes up, and I see the glint of a knife as it catches the moonlight, sharp and lethal.

I feel my stomach drop, the blood draining from my face.Loose end. I know what that means. I know exactly why he’s here, but I can’t speak. I can’t scream. I’m locked inside my own silence.

He tilts his head, watching me closely as if he’s waiting for me to react, waiting for the fear to really set in.

“What’s the matter?” he taunts, taking another step forward. “You’re not going to scream? Beg for your life?”

My chest tightens, and my heart pounds so loudly I swear he can hear it. I have to move. I have to get out. But my body is stuck in place, my muscles frozen with terror. He’s closer now, his presence overwhelming the room, and I feel like a mouse trapped in a cage with a predator.

“I like the quiet ones,” he says, his voice like poison. “Makes my job so much easier.”

He takes another step, and I snap. I throw the blanket off, scrambling out of bed and rushing toward the door, desperate to get away, desperate to find help. But he’s faster. He lunges, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me back with a force that knocks the breath out of me.

“No, no, no,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re not going anywhere.”

I twist in his grip, trying to break free, but he’s too strong.

My breath comes in ragged gasps as I frantically scan the room. The window’s too high, the door too far. I need to get someone’s attention.

Mihai. I need Mihai.

Twisting my body, I manage to pull out of his grip, but I barely dodge him, my foot slipping on the rug as I crash into the wall. Pain shoots up my side, but I don’t have time to process it. He’s coming at me again, and this time, there’s nowhere left to run.

He pushes me down hard, my back hitting the cold floor with a thud, knocking the air from my lungs. I gasp, trying to breathe, trying to think, but he’s on top of me, holding me down with one hand as he brings the knife to my skin.

“Such soft skin,” he murmurs, almost to himself. “It’s a shame. But orders are orders.”

He presses the back end of the knife to my cheek, trailing it down my neck, and I feel a sharp sting as the blade grazes my skin, drawing a thin line of blood. I flinch, my body trembling with fear, my mind screaming at me to do something, anything.

But I can’t. I can’t make a sound.

“You know,” he whispers, leaning in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “They said you were a problem. But you don’t seem like much of a problem to me. Just a scared little girl.”

I try to scream, but nothing comes out. My voice is locked away, trapped inside me, just like always. All I can do is thrash weakly against him as he presses the cold, sharp edge of the knife against my skin.

He drags the back of the blade slowly down my arm, the cold steel cutting into my skin enough to draw blood. I feel the warm trickle run down my arm, and the pain sharpens the fear until it’s all I can think about. I’m shaking, my entire body trembling as he leans in closer.

“There’s a good girl,” he whispers, his breath hot against my ear. “It’ll be over soon.”

The tears prick at my eyes, my throat tightening as the weight of his words sinks in. I’m going to die. I’m going to die here, in this room, and no one will even know. No one will hear me. No one will?—

No.

I have to make a move! I can’t just lie here and let this happen. I have to get someone’s attention. I have to?—

“Mihai,” I croak, barely a whisper, but it’s not enough. My voice fails me. The sound gets stuck in my throat.

The man chuckles, pressing the knife harder against my skin, drawing more blood. “Is that all you’ve got?”

The panic swells inside me, a tidal wave of fear, and suddenly, I find my voice.

The sound rips from my throat, raw and desperate, the name echoing through the room like a lifeline.

My voice, my scream—it’s loud, and for a second, I see a flicker of surprise in the man’s eyes.

“Mihai!”

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