Page 94 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

For the first time, I saw the real Kylie. Not the polished, sane badass she pretended to be. No, I saw her true face: a sadist, a master manipulator with delusions of grandeur.

I couldn’t bear to think about what she would do to my baby sister. Vivi was probably alone right now, in pain, scared, waiting for me to come save her.

I had no intention of letting her down, ever.

I used my one good arm, reaching up to grab her wrist, and pulled the knife from my throat with everything I had. I could only lift the blade an inch or two above my neck, but that was all I needed.

I slid the toe of my foot into the space between the platform of Kylie’s red leather boot and the stiletto heel. I pushed her knife hand off to the side at the same time I kicked my leg out, ripping the stiletto off her boot.

Kylie was thrown off-balance. She tried to catch herself but fell over to the side. She dropped her knife.

I felt my throat. She had only left a scratch.

It would heal.

I rolled over, grabbing the knife.

Kylie stood a few feet from me, examining the damage done to her shoes.

“These were new!” she roared.

“Really? They look very last season,” I deadpanned.

Kylie let out an irritated growl. “You are going to pay for that. And after I kill you, I’m going to make your sister pay too!” She hobbled towards me, lopsided with her broken shoe. She gripped her hands in tight fists at her side.

Kylie reared up like she was going to punch me. I deflected, throwing her off-balance with the help of her ruined shoe.

I flashed out with the knife, cutting a long slit in her face, starting from the tip of her ear down to the corner of her mouth.

She shrieked, covering her face with her hand, and stared at me with a wide-eyed look like she couldn’t believe I had done that.

“Where is my sister?” I demanded.

I was done playing. No more stalling for time, no more distractions.

“It doesn’t matter!” Kylie sneered. “You will be dead long before she even wakes up.”

I wasn’t thinking about my next move. I wasn’t analyzing my opponent as she staggered around. My thoughts were on Vivi.

I remembered how she’d looked when she was cowered in the corner when our house was broken into, and the look of fear on her face when Sif grabbed her. Then I thought about how Sif slammed her head into the side of the van, her body going limp. Finally, I thought about the pictures Sif sent me of Vivi, knocked out, beaten.

All the pain, all the fear inflicted on my innocent sister, was Kylie’s fault. I was going to make her pay for every minute.

Kylie got back up to hit me again. This time I kicked, slamming the rubber bottom of my Converse shoe into her sternum. She stumbled. I thrust the knife out again, leaving a matching gash on the other side of Kylie’s face. She screamed again.

This time, her scream sounded more like frustration than pain.

“Tell me where my sister is, psycho bitch!” I roared. My throat burned with every word.

She sneered. “Your sister is tied up on a filthy couch, and that is where she will remain until I decide she is useful again. You’d better hope I continue to find a need for her. If I don’t, I will hand her frail little body over to my men. They aren’t exactly known for their tender touch.”

Kylie stood again, this time arming herself with Sif’s blade. She came at me with it raised above her head. I blocked the knife and then kicked her again, this time hitting her lower in the stomach, sending her back coughing. She landed in a pile on the floor.

I stalked towards her, the dagger, already covered with a mix of our blood, at the ready. I was done. No more superficial wounds. No more trying to stall for time or information. I wanted to thrust this blade through her ribs into her frozen heart. I wanted to watch as the light faded from her eyes.

Then I was going to kill every motherfucker between me and my sister.

Kylie laughed while she stumbled to her feet, her dagger forgotten on the ground. She stood, favoring the foot with the broken shoe. Maybe she’d sprained the other when she fell. That was okay; it wouldn’t be bothering her for long.

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