Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
She sizes Prince up in a single approving glance. “Wow. This is my night,” she declares with a laugh. “Here I was, thinking Enzo was the only hot guy around here, but now I find out he’s been hiding you.”
Prince spares a faint, condescending smile.
He then pulls out his gun and strikes her over the head with it, knocking her unconscious.
25
ALICIA
Is that what it was like for me? When Prince so coldly and smoothly came up from behind and hit me over the head? Did I drop like a sack of potatoes after letting out a soft cry the way I just witnessed Elena doing?
There are voices nearby, but over the rush of blood in my ears, they sound distant, muffled, like I’m listening to a conversation through a wall. I can’t take my eyes off her, slumped in her chair, eyes closed and mouth partly open. Is that what I looked like?
The muffled voices get louder until, finally, someone touches my shoulder. A soft scream tears its way out of me before the world comes back into focus again.
And when it does, Enzo is leaning over me, scowling. “Stay with me here. Are you all right? Do you need something?”
Yes. For one thing, I need to know how they find it so easy to do things like this. Prince didn’t so much as hesitate before striking Elena on the back of her head. How did he do that? I could never do that. Or if I did, I’d have to close my eyes and turn my face away. I wouldn’t be able to look.
But Prince only stands there behind the chair, staring at me. He looks like he doesn’t know whether to feel sorry for me or to laugh. Of course, he would find this funny. To them, none of this is a big deal.
“Alicia.” Enzo’s stern voice finally cuts through the noise in my head. I shake myself out of it and force myself to meet his gaze rather than shrinking away.
“I’m fine,” I tell him since he seems genuinely concerned. For the baby, of course—I’m still not under any illusions.
I can’t help looking over at Elena. “Is she…?”
Prince understands me, and now he does laugh. At least it doesn’t seem like there’s any bitterness or nastiness to it, which is a change. “She’s fine. Just sleeping.” That doesn’t exactly soothe my fears, though.
“Check her pulse if you want to,” Enzo offers. “She’s unconscious, the way you were.” I look at him, and our eyes meet, and it’s clear the mention of that night has him thinking back. He’s wearing a thoughtful expression, searching my face like he’s looking for a sign of something. Recognition? Understanding?
“So long as I didn’t just witness you killing her.”
“So what if you did?” There’s the Prince I remember from before. I guess his close call didn’t change much about him. If I were him and somebody had almost murdered me, I might think about changing a few things in my life. But not him. He’s blithe, almost gleeful. Like it had been too long since the last time he knocked a girl out.
“Are you really all right, though?” Enzo pulls me to my feet. “Do you need some water, maybe?”
Yes, I’m sure water will help me forget the sound of Prince’s gun making contact with the back of Elena’s skull. She is pretty far from being my favorite person, but she’s still a human being. “No, I’m fine. Though I could use a trip to the bathroom. I want to splash water on my face.” And maybe throw up.
“Why don’t you do that, then go to your room?”
My heart sinks, and a soft moan of dismay stirs in my throat. I should have known. Now he’s going to get me out of the way and do terrible things to her while I’m not watching. He doesn’t want me to see.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Oh no. You have the wrong idea. You look like you could use some rest.” He steers me from the room, and I don’t miss the way Prince smirks as we pass him. Enzo gives him a filthy look that wipes the expression off his face before we walk through the living room, then up the stairs.
I can’t believe I just witnessed that. I basically took part in a crime. It’s not like I thought we were inviting Elena over out of the goodness of our hearts or anything. I knew something was going to happen once she got here.
But now she’s unconscious, and she can’t defend herself, and part of that is my fault.
Would you have done anything differently if you knew? That question taunts me, echoing in the back of my mind as I stand over the bathroom sink and splash my face with cold water. Would I have done anything differently had I known what they’d do to her?