Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

“How about Nash, then?” Aiden asks in a neutral voice. “Whose side do you think he’s on? If he finds out about your little games, who do you think he’ll lash out at? Spoiler alert. It won’t be me.”

My heartbeat skyrockets at the thought that Cole will find out and make me give up the baby. “Don’t you dare, King.”

“Then fucking disappear, Queens. This is your final warning. If you threaten what’s mine, I’ll destroy you until there’s nothing left for Nash to pick up.”

Tears barge into my eyes despite my tries to keep them at bay. I’ve never felt more alone in my entire life than I do right now.

There was that day my parents announced their divorce, but I had Cole back then — or I like to think I did.

Now, not only do I not have him, but he’ll also throw me away the first chance he gets.

I’m about to threaten Aiden some more when a hand pushes him away.

Elsa.

I didn’t sense her presence when she crept up on us. She did it the other time, too, when she grabbed me by the hair.

I’m about to shoo her away when she slams her fist into my face. Hard.

A burning sensation explodes in my cheek and I raise a trembling hand to clutch it, not sure what just happened. I know Elsa hates me because she’s possessive of Aiden, but to hit me?

No one hits me. I’m Silver Queens.

Right when I’m about to hit her back, she punches me in the abdomen. Something inside me moves. Or maybe it’s my imagination, but I feel it.

I shriek, wrapping both my arms around my midsection.

My baby.

No.

My baby.

I can’t focus on anything but that thought. Did something happen to my baby?

Elsa grips me by the collar of my shirt. “I told you to stay the fuck away from what’s mine!”

And then she punches me again. I push her away, keeping a hand around my midsection. But Elsa is like a bull who’s not only out to hit me but also out to kill me.

Oh, God.

My baby.

He’s going to die.

I bend over, trying to shield my stomach while pushing blindly at Elsa.

No, no, no…

Aiden grabs Elsa by the arm and pulls her back against his chest.

She fights him off, trying to get to me again. I’ve fallen to the ground, trembling and still holding my stomach.

If something happens to my baby, it’s all because I couldn’t protect him.

Aiden squeezes Elsa’s neck and she finally stops trying to reach out for me. She blinks a few times and looks at Aiden who whispers, “Don’t go there again.”

She nods and he hugs her as she buries her head in his chest.

“Make her go,” Elsa murmurs. “Make her go away.”

He glares down at me. “Leave.”

I stand on unsteady feet, ready to bring hell on her head. My face burns and I’m sure that bitch left bruises, but all I focus on is the damage she might have done.

The fact that she may have hurt my —

My gaze strays to behind them and all the words I meant to say disappear.

Cole stands at the entrance of the King mansion, camouflaged by a creepy angel statue. Both hands are in his trousers’ pockets and a smirk tugs his lips.

If you follow Aiden and play this game, you won’t like how I’ll react.

He’ll come for me. He’ll find me. And I’ll pay.

Blindly reaching behind me, I open my car door with trembling fingers, barge inside, and speed out of the premises.

I know it’s a matter of time before he finds me, so all I can do is run.





29





Silver





I plan to drive as far as my gas can take me.

Maybe I can leave and never come back.

I can go to an Eastern European country and live there alone forever. I can go to Finland. They have the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen.

Instead, I find myself in the park.

The same park I ran to when I was eight. The same park I run to whenever I feel like the world is closing in on me.

I ignore the rain and park my car, step out of it and head inside. The rain soaks me in an instant.

My hair glues to my face and my clothes stick to my back all over again.

I stand in the middle of the empty park, my breathing harsh. My face burns, but it’s nothing compared to the thing clawing and beating inside me.

It needs to be out.

Throwing my head back, I stare at the dark grey sky and scream.

I scream so loud, I think someone will call 999.

I scream for all of the accumulating emotions and the pain, none of it having to do with the burning bruises Elsa left on my face.

I scream because the option of going to another country is impossible. No matter how much I theorise about it.

Mum, Papa, Helen, and all my life are here. Even the bastard, Cole.

I place a hand on my stomach and let the tears loose. The thought of getting rid of the baby rips a harsh sob out of me.

It’s weird how I haven’t even taken a test, and yet, I somehow feel it. It could be my imagination, right? I could be making up a pregnancy because I’m going out of my mind.

Or it could be real and I’ll have to deal with it.

On one hand, I have my family, my future — our future. Cole and I are eighteen. We still haven’t gotten a proper start into life. We still have our entire futures ahead of us. I’ll never be able to go into politics if I become a teen mum — or worse, go through childbirth before marriage.