Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5) by Rina Kent

I lift the chair and bring it down on his head, making it splinter into pieces. He falls limp on the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his nape.

I’m breathing so harshly I can’t even make out what I’ve done.

Is he dead?

Did I kill him?

The moment he spoke about her like that, I couldn’t stop myself. There was an urge and then there was only one course of action.

Lars kneels beside him, checking his neck with his white gloves. “He just passed out. His pulse is steady.”

My jaw clenches, and for a moment, I have the urge to finish him off once and for all, but before I can do that, Teal needs to know the truth.

She has the wrong brother. Dad was never a criminal, even if he housed one.

I call her, but she doesn’t pick up. Not again. Fuck.

I curse under my breath, but then my phone vibrates.

Knox.

I’ve never answered so quickly in my life. “Do you know where Teal went?”

“No.” He sounds agitated. “But she took my car and left me this fucking note saying she loves me and she’s sorry. Teal doesn’t say that, mate. Besides, Agnus just told me he gave her some paralysing drug.”

That fucker.

“She was acting weird last night,” he continues. “I shouldn’t have left her alone.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll find her.” I pace the length of the kitchen. “Any ideas where she could be?”

“No, but I have a GPS tracker on my car, or rather Dad does so he can locate me whenever he wants. I’ll send you the signal — it’s closer to you.”

Thank God.

“What do you plan to do with him? His blood is messing up my kitchen,” Lars asks after I hang up on Knox. He’s glaring down at Eduard as if he’s mentally sharpening the best knife in his collection so he can drive it into his chest.

“Do you have a rope?” I ask.

He smiles. “Of course, sir.”

I hope I’m not too late.

Don’t do it, Teal. Don’t make this mistake.





34





Teal





My fingers hover on the engine’s button.

I can’t.

No, I can.

This is what I’ve lived all my life for. This is my mission in life, the reason I exist.

The shadow of the girl on my shoulder is begging me to go on, to step harder on the accelerator. I need to go, I need to—

“Char…lotte… Ronan…” Edric mumbles from beside me. His foot kicks forward but soon falls down.

“Shut up.” I release the steering wheel and grasp the needle. “You don’t get to play the victim game with me. You don’t get to use Charlotte or Ronan.”

He’s staring at me, but there’s no fear or franticness in his eyes as I expected. He’s not even pretending to have any acceptance. If anything, he appears sad, mortified, even.

“…w-write s-something to h-her…”

“Why would you get to say your goodbyes? Knox and I didn’t. We couldn’t. We had to run away so you would never come near me again.”

“N-No…not me…”

“You won’t even admit to it?” My voice rises. “The curtains have fallen, Edric. There’s no one to save you.”

Or me.

I’ve already picked my path. I don’t get to change my mind.

A banging sounds on the door and I startle. Shit. No one is supposed to come this far out.

I hit the ignition and spring into action.

“Teal!” Ronan’s voice comes through the window, muffled but strong.

My shoulder blades snap together.

What is he doing here? How did he find me? He’s not supposed to find me.

Don’t look at him.

Don’t you dare look at him.

I slowly close my eyes. If I look at him, I won’t be able to go through with this.

If I look at him, I’ll be tempted to abandon everything and run into his arms, but that will only destroy me in the long run.

“Teal!” He bangs on the window. “Open up.”

I don’t.

I won’t.

“Ma belle…please look at me.” His voice softens, and something inside me breaks. It breaks at his nickname for me and the way he’s calling me his beauty.

Tears stream down my cheeks. I couldn’t stop them even if I wanted to. I held them hostage for so long, and now they’re breaking out.

I hit the button, and the lowering sound of the window echoes in the silence of the morning. However, I don’t look at him. I feel like if I do, I’ll break down in sobs, and I can’t have that.

“Teal,” Ronan coaxes. “Can you shut off the engine?”

“No.” My voice trembles around the word.

“Hey…I know the amount of pain you’re in. I won’t pretend I understand it all, but I understand some. However, you’re making a huge mistake, Teal. It’s not my father.”

This time I do look at him, my veins nearly popping out of my neck with tension.

How dare he say it’s a mistake?

Just because it’s his father doesn’t mean he didn’t do it.

I regret lifting my head immediately. Ronan is holding up a half-conscious Eduard, his face nearly unrecognisable. Blood drips down his temples, his chin, and his ugly red suit.