Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

Massimo reaches out to touch me, but I back away.

“Where did you go? How convenient that you should leave me after the way we argued, and then my best friend turns up dead today? Where did you go?”

“I was at the club all night.”

“Club. You actually went to a club on our wedding night?” I shriek.

“My club. Renovatio.”

My eyes snap wide. I know that club, not because I’ve ever been, and not because I knew it belonged to him. I heard Jacob’s friends talk about it. It’s a strip club.

I raise my hand and slap him so hard my fingers leave a mark, just like that day weeks ago.

“You bastard. Not even a full day of marriage, and you spoilt it. I hate you. I shouldn’t know you. I don’t know why you couldn’t have found some other way of getting even with my father. Fuck you.”

I don’t care what I say to him. My soul is broken. My best friend is dead. Jacob tried to warn me I was in danger, and now he’s dead.

“Emelia—” He reaches for me, but I rush away from him

“Get away from me. Get the hell away from me.”

The door opens, and Candace stands there looking in to see what’s happening. I run straight into her arms and cry, feeling my body break when I think of Jacob.

He’s dead. I can’t believe it. I just can’t.

And it’s my fault.

It’s my fault he’s gone.

I hear his words now. Him telling me he loved me. I didn’t say anything in return. I couldn’t because I gave the wrong man my love.

The monster.

“Do you want some more?” Candace asks, glancing at the empty cup of hot chocolate.

She made it extra sweet, and Priscilla made cookies. They both said sweet things were good for shock. Mom used to say the same thing.

“No,” I croak. It hurts to talk.

We’ve been out on the terrace for a few hours now. I’ve already gone through a box of tissues and a plate of cookies that I know were delicious, except my taste is off and I couldn’t taste the sweetness.

I ate just to do something with my hands, and chewing seemed to distract me from the pain of loss.

“Can I do anything for you?”

“No, thank you for sitting with me. I… don’t have many friends. I just had him. All my life, it was just the two of us.”

“I understand. I’m so sorry he’s gone. I’m so sorry,” she says.

She knows I think Massimo did it. She also knows I know she doesn’t believe he did.

“Thank you.”

“Emelia, talk to me. I think this is the one day when you can truly talk to me and not a damn thing will be said against either of us. I’m all ears.” She nods.

I dip my head and bring my arms in, as if I’m trying to hold the rest of my heart together. When I look back at her, I see nothing but genuine care in her eyes.

“I just wish I never got dragged into this mess. Jacob would still be alive. He was from our world. He knew not to do certain things, but he got freaked because he thought I was in danger. He would have done anything for me.”