Ruthless Prince (The Mancini Mafia #2)

Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

ELLIE

I watch the men fight like animals, tearing at each other’s skin and throats and trying to win the fight. It’s a hideous sight.

It’s also thrilling.

I smooth down my lavender skirt and notice the man next to me eyeing me. I know I look strange in my modest white high heels, simple blouse, and pearl necklace. This is the sort of place that attracts people who live on the fringes of society, whereas I’m an heiress who’s only ever known wealth and what it’s like to be a part of society.

“Keep your legs closed,” my father mutters. He’s sitting so close I can feel the heat coming off him.

My knees are pressed together, so I’m confused by his comment. I know coming here wasn’t my father’s idea. I begged him to let me join him because I was desperate to get out of the house and see something different. He finally relented, but I know he doesn’t want me here.

I think he’s scared one of these men will throw me onto the floor and have their way with me.

I scrunch my nose up at the thought. The desire for a man to just “take” is revolting. I’ve been raised to be a good girl all my life, and a good girl, I’ll remain.

I’m also just a good girl who wanted to experience a different part of the city.

My father sits up straighter, tapping his fingers to his knees. Dressed in an expensive suit with an old-school top hat, my father is an imposing figure. Known as Mr. Moore to everyone who meets him, my father does business with all different types of people. I’ve never asked what type of business because I know he wouldn’t tell me, but I know it’s something … dangerous.

“Make room for the Kraken!” the announcer says, and a man walks into the ring who makes me sit up straighter. Dark hair, tall, and muscular, I’m instantly riveted. I can tell I’m not the only one. I catch a few women a couple of seats over practically swooning over “The Kraken.”

He takes down his opponent within seconds.

“Who is that man?” I ask my father.

“He’s Vincent Antonov. He’s a well-known fighter around here.”

I can see that. Vincent wins the fight, almost suffocating his opponent. I gasp. Never before have I seen something so violent and … visceral.

Vincent jumps down from the ring and is instantly surrounded by women. For a second, I feel a flare of jealousy, but that’s ridiculous. Vincent isn’t my boyfriend—I have no claim to him. Yet, the women around him are clearly flirting with him, and it’s obvious, even from my seat, that he’s flirting back, and the sight of it makes me look away.

My father has made it clear I’m not allowed to date despite being twenty. Even though my family is rich, I don’t get any of my own money until I’m twenty-five, and until then, I’m stuck living at home. I could have left, but then my father would’ve taken all my money away from me, leaving me with nothing. Call me shallow, but I’m used to money and wouldn’t know what to do without it.

So, until I’m twenty-five, I have to listen to my father’s rules if I don’t want to be homeless.

An angry-looking man approaches Vincent and forces him away from the women and toward the door. I squash down the urge to follow.

Vincent glances in my direction and locks eyes with me for a long moment before he walks away. I’m flustered. It was just a simple, quick look, and yet, I felt it in my core.

I look at my father and catch him watching me.

“Careful with men like that, Ellie.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I murmur. And I don’t, truly. Vincent only glanced in my direction. I don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me.

Father scoffs. “Don’t be naive. Now, the fight is over. Let’s leave.” He grabs my elbow as we walk down the aisle toward the front door. In a place like this, my father would never risk me leaving, hence the hand on my elbow.

As we step outside into the chilly night, I wrap my jacket around me tighter as I shiver.

But the cold only lasts so long before the heat from an explosion a few feet away knocks me to my knees.

“Ellie,” Father says, helping me stand back up.

“What happened?” I look down the sidewalk and see a car in flames. “Did someone … bomb that car?” What about our car? We’re parked just down the road, too. Oh god. Instantly, I’m scared to be in a place like this. What was I thinking, wanting to come here?

I’d thought I wanted a little thrill in my life.

“Was anyone hurt?” I ask, walking toward the car.

“Ellie, come back here.”

I pause when I see a man on the ground, his front body bleeding. Kneeling before him is Vincent.

“Do you need help?” I ask. I reach out to touch Vincent’s shoulder then stop and think better of it.

He tenses then turns to face me. “My father just died. So, no, I don’t think you can help.”

I flinch. No one has ever spoken to me in such a cold, detached way before. “I’m so sorry. How did this happen?”

“Nico Mancini happened,” Vincent hisses.

“I … don’t know who that is.”

My father approaches my side and re-grabs my elbow. “Ellie, we need to leave now.”

“But this man just lost his father. We need to help.”

Vincent shakes his head. “I don’t need any help.”

“You must be freezing.” I notice his bare chest, but it’s not a sexual thought. It’s just an observation. “Take my jacket.” I start to take it off, but he backs away from me.

“I’m not going to take the jacket of some girl in this cold. I’m calling an ambulance. They can at least take my father away.” He sounds so … cold as he speaks. For someone who just lost his father, he doesn’t seem too upset about it.

“You fought well in there,” Father says.

Vincent stares at him for a moment before saying, “Thanks.”

“Mr. Moore.” He extends his hand.

“Vincent.” I notice Vincent doesn’t take my father’s hand.

After a second, Father drops his hand as awkwardness fills the air. “Well, I help fighters like you. I’m a manager if you need one.”

“Since my previous manager is lying dead on the ground, then I’d say yes, I do need one.” It’s obvious Vincent is being sarcastic, but my father doesn’t take it that way.

“Great. Here’s my card.” He hands it over, and Vincent slowly takes it. “Now, come on, Ellie. We need to head home.”

I start to turn away when Vincent says, “Ellie? That’s your name?”

“Yes. That’s my name.”

He stares at me for a long hard moment. “That’s a pretty name.”

Father scowls and gently pushes me forward, and I walk toward our car, doing as my father wants. But all I can think about on the drive home is how Vincent said my name and how detached he seemed about his dead father lying on the ground.

“You don’t think we should have helped him?” I ask my father once we’re home.

“I did help him. I gave him my card. Trust me. His father worked as his manager. Igor Antonov earned this city a lot of money, but now that he’s dead, Vincent will struggle. He’ll come to me for help then.”

It’s at this very moment I realize I don’t know my father all that well.

“How will you help him?” I ask.

Father gives me a hard look. “None of that is your concern. I don’t want you talking to him. No more going to any of the fights.”

“But—”

“No. My word is law in this house, Ellie.”

I slink off to my room because talking to my father gets me nowhere. How can he tell me not to talk to Vincent when Vincent is a stranger to me?

What does my father know that I don’t know?

VINCENT

Igor had been the center of my universe because he made it that way. He made me train and fight every day. He made me sleep on a hard cot my entire childhood to toughen me up. He made me fucking scared even when I wouldn’t admit it out loud.

I’m not sad he’s dead. In fact, I’m fucking relieved.

He never acted like a father should act. The other kids in school seemed to have good relationships with their fathers.

I never understood why I couldn’t have that either.

A knock on my apartment door makes me stand up. I’ve been practically living on the couch in a state of numbness since Igor died. Not because I miss him.

But because I don’t know what to do without him.

I open the door and see it’s Dimitri, Igor’s brother. “It’s been a week since your father died. Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”

Because I didn’t want to. “Sorry,” is all I can muster up.

Dimitri’s eyes narrow. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the look that tells me he wants to punch the shit out of me, but he always held back with my father around. Well, my father is fucking dead now.

“You have a fight tonight,” Dimitri says. “You need to be there. You need to make this family some money.”

“This family doesn’t need any more money. We’re fucking loaded.”

“No. I’m rich. Your father was rich. But you, Vincent, are not rich. If you don’t do this fight tonight and win, you won’t earn a damn dime.”

I get right up in his face, but Dimitri doesn’t back down. “I have bled for this family. Don’t I deserve a little respite?”

“You don’t deserve a damn thing. Do your job. Or I’m coming for this apartment, and you’ll be left with nothing.” He slams the door on his way out.

I sit down and slump into the couch, my numbness slowly seeping away. For the first time since my father died, I feel awake again.

But that doesn’t mean I feel happy.

The fighting rings are packed tonight. I’m having a big showdown with a man named “The Mountain.”

I haven’t fought him before, but I’ve seen him, and he’s truly huge. A slight panic fills me as I walk into the ring after the announcer calls me forward. The Mountain glares at me. At my full height, I only reach his neck.

“Let’s fight!” the announcer screams, jumping out of the way as the Mountain barrels toward me. I slide out of his way before he can grab me. This is the only way to beat a man of his size—I need to dance around him and tire him out until he gives up.

The crowd cheers and boos at the same time. I’m not sure who they’re cheering for and who they’re booing for.

The Mountain swings his fist at my face and lands a hit, sending me stumbling back. I catch Dimitri’s eyes in the crowd and see his head shake with disapproval. I’m supposed to win this fight.

But how am I supposed to win when my head isn’t in it?

I can taste blood in my mouth. I’ll bruise for sure. Hell, I might even lose a couple of teeth.

The Mountain roars as he comes at me again. I land a quick double punch to his stomach, making him bend over. Using that to my advantage, I grab his hair, yank his head back, and jam my fist into his throat. He coughs and stumbles away.

The crowd cheers for me. It’s the only good feeling I have in this entire world.

And then the Mountain runs at me and tackles me to the ground. I punch and claw at him, but he’s too strong for me. He holds me down and wraps his arms around my throat. It doesn’t escape me that this is my signature move.

The choking doesn’t faze me. The reason? I feel halfway dead already. Since Igor died, I haven’t felt much of anything.

“Get up!” Dimitri shouts, but the sound is muffled. Everything fades around me.

The Mountain doesn’t let me go until I black out.

When I wake up, I’m lying in the ring, staring up at the ceiling. The crowd cheers for the Mountain, who just won. I lost.

And in so doing, I lost Dimitri a shitload of money.

“You’re done,” Dimitri tells me through the rope. “Don’t come back to your apartment. It won’t be yours any longer.”

So, I’m officially homeless.

I should be more worried because my fighting reputation has just been ruined by the Mountain and I don’t have a home or money thanks to Dimitri.

I should be worried about it all.

And yet all I feel is … nothing.