Page 112 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

“Yeah, we were, but you were the only one who put an innocent person in the ICU.”

Nico turns to me, one eyebrow raised. “Does your girlfriend buy that story? Does she think you’re as innocent as you seem to think you are?”

Finn steps forward and winces, drawing his leg back. He’s hurt, and it doesn’t escape Nico’s notice.

In the blink of an eye, Nico swipes out with his right leg and knocks Finn’s feet out from under him.

I lunge for Finn instinctively, trying to keep him upright, but my feet slip on the layer of dead leaves on the ground.

Finn and I both slide down a small embankment.

Nico charges down after us.

I try to scramble to my feet, but before I can, he rears back and punches me. Hard. Stars appear in my vision, and I fall back, my spine slamming against a tree trunk.

There is a ringing in my ears, and even though I want to stand up, I can’t seem to find the ground.

I hear the sound of more fighting, but it takes me a few seconds to get my wind back. I roll onto my hands and knees and blink at the rolling bodies in front of me.

Nico is on top of Finn, and then they roll and Finn lands a punch square in Nico’s face. Then, they roll again and Nico drives a knee up and into Finn’s stomach.

They grunt and roll and fight, neither one able to get the upper hand just yet. I hear blood splatter and both boys groan.

I have to do something. I have to.

I’m still on my hands and knees, watching them, trying to make the world around me stop spinning when I feel a weight at my center pulling downward.

I realize what it is and fumble for the hoodie pocket, grabbing the kitchen knife. The fact that it didn’t fall out when Nico tackled me is a miracle, and I make a note to thank the heavens for that later.

But for now, I grab the knife in my right hand and shakily get to my feet.

My head is fuzzy from Nico’s punch, and it doesn’t help that the guys are rolling around the ground, fighting for the upper hand.

But even in the dark, it’s easy to tell which one is Finn. He is in shorts and bare feet, blood oozing down his legs from running into the woods after me.

Nico rolls over Finn, pinning him to the ground in the same way he did me, though he drives his knee into Finn’s injured one.

Finn cries out in pain, and Nico uses the distraction to reach for his throat. His hands clamp around Finn’s throat. Finn starts to gasp and splutter.

I take slow, deliberate steps behind him.

I’ll only get one shot at this.

I don’t want to waste it.

A strangled sound forces itself from Finn’s lungs, and I know I don’t have much time left. I’m only a few feet behind Nico.

It’s now or never.

After a quick countdown from three in my head, I lunge forward, knife first, and drive it into the left side of Nico’s back.

The feeling of bone scraping against the blade sends shivers through me, but I grit my teeth, drag the blade out, and plunge it in again.

Finally, in a delayed reaction, Nico bellows.

The sound is wet and garbled, and he crumples forward, landing on Finn. With a groan, Finn pushes him off, and Nico rolls sideways, clutching at his chest.

He opens his mouth, but it just hangs there, yawning open and silent.

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