Page 90 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

“That wasn’t my fault. That wasyourdoing. If you hadn’t fought back in the park, if you hadn’t tricked Rune into protecting you, then Vivi would still be in her home with Sarah. I didn’t want to grab the innocent child as a hostage. You would’ve done just fine to motivate Arik. Vivi’s involvement is onyou!”

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

“Who is Arik?” I asked. “You know what? I don’t care. You wanted me as a hostage? Fine! You got me. Just honor our original agreement. Take me for her. I won’t fight you.” I lifted my hands in surrender. “No issues at all. I will be a model prisoner. I will cooperate just as soon as you let my sister go.”

Sif let out a puff of air. Still standing two stairs above me, she put her hands on her knees and bent down like she was talking to a small child.

Condescending bitch.

“See, I wish I could do that. But you made Rune think that love is real. That silly idea is enough for him to hunt you down with an intensity that would be inconvenient for me and my organization. So that just isn’t possible. There is only one way Rune will ever move on from you and back to me.”

“I said I’ll leave him as soon as I have Vivi back. I’ll break his heart, and he will never see me again. But I can’t leave without my sister.” My heart was racing, my patience wearing thin. Our conversation was about to go full circle.

“Oh no, you misunderstand. I am keeping Vivi to keep Arik motivated and on his best behavior. Honestly, I think her childish appearance makes her an even greater incentive. The whole daughter he never even met thing.” Sif waved her hand like it was an obvious fact and like she hadn’t just dropped a massive bomb on me.

She had my father? Was this Arik my dad? I didn’t know how to feel about that, right now, it didn’t matter.

“But you are now too much of an obstacle. I need Rune to be over you.” Sif’s evil smile returned as she pulled her long gleaming knife out of its holster. “The only way Rune will ever move on is if you’re dead.”

23

We’re All Mad Here

Ihad expected an attack, but how quickly Sif slashed out with the knife still surprised me.

I jumped back, almost tripping on a metal bar that was once bolted into the floor. I was pretty sure at one point it held the steel beam that held rows of plastic chairs. Now it served to make Sif’s job a lot easier.

I mostly got out of the way of the blade. Instead of sinking into my heart like I was sure was Sif’s intended target, it left a long gash in my upper arm. It wasn’t deep, I didn’t think, but it hurt like a motherfucker and was bleeding enough to soak the side of my top.

I took a few more steps back and assumed the fighting stance her mother had shown me a few days ago. Arms up, even the bloody one, right leg forward, light on my feet, knees slightly bent, and core tight. I knew I probably would not walk away, but I was going to make this hurt her too.

Sif’s lip twisted in that cruel smile as she lashed out with the blade again. This time, I dodged it, but she followed with an open-palm bitch slap.

The slap caught me completely by surprise and knocked me to the ground. Sif plunged down with the knife to stab me. I rolled out of its path just in time. I got to my feet, never taking my eyes off Sif.

The morning light filtering through the filthy broken windows gleamed off Sif’s blade and my blood staining the edge. She tossed the knife back and forth between her hands, smiling like she was having fun.

Maybe she was.

The fingers in my left hand were tingling, that arm coated in the blood still seeping from the cut. I flexed my fingers to keep feeling in them while I tried to think of my next move.

Sif was enjoying this. She had the advantage. She had the knife and my sister. I had to figure out how to even the odds.

“It’s really a shame that you and Rune only got to go on one date,” Sif taunted. “It’s so tragic when love dies before it has time to blossom.”

Rune had mentioned the reason Sif waited so long to contact us for Vivi was that she wanted us angry, panicking emotionally. When someone was emotional, they got sloppy. It was a long shot, but really, what did I have to lose?

“I think you were lying earlier. In fact, I know you were. I’m just wondering, were you lying to me or yourself?” I asked, never taking my eyes off the blade.

“Oh no, it really is your fault your sister is being held as prisoner.”

“No, not that. About Rune. I think you love him.” When she swiped at me again, I jumped back. “I think you want him, badly. I think you don’t want to admit the real reason you hate me.”

“Oh, and what’s that?” She faked a right, then slashed left.

I ducked under the blade and glanced around, looking for something I could use to defend myself with.

“Rune, and why you two split. Rune isn’t bad in bed, but I bet you are,” I said, giving up on my hunt for a weapon of my own. “I mean, I only fooled around with Rune once on the roof after our date. And we fucked twice yesterday. I have to say, each time was amazing, and the way he goes down on a girl is earth-shattering. I have had girlfriends who don’t know their way around a pussy like he does. The only thing greater than his skill is his enthusiasm.”

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