Ruthless Prince (The Mancini Mafia #2)

Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

VINCENT

“ Y ou could stay here with us,” Aurora offers.

“I would like that.”

The smile Aurora gives me makes my heart feel lighter than it ever has before. It’s still strange to think of her as my mom, but I’m trying.

Nico will be harder.

I had a father growing up. Yes, Igor was the man who kidnapped me, but I thought he was my father.

Aurora sets me up in a spare bedroom. “This is just a guest bedroom. Your actual childhood bedroom was in the Italian house we lived in. Nico and I had to leave the States for a while. But then Igor took you, and we eventually came back to New York. Maybe someday, I can take you back to the Italy house and show you your bedroom.”

“I’d like that.” I clear my throat, feeling the urge to cry all over again. I’ve never been a crier, yet I can’t seem to stop the urge from bubbling up.

“I’m glad you’re here, Vincent. We really thought you were dead. We get a second chance.”

“Aurora—”

“You can call me Mom.”

“All right. Uh … Mom, there’s something you should know. I have a wife, Ellie.”

Aurora’s eyes widen. “That’s wonderful. So … do you two live somewhere together? You probably want to stay with her.”

“Actually, we don’t have a home. We live with her father. He can be a bit controlling. Is it all right if I bring Ellie here?”

“I’d love to meet her. And yes, it’s more than fine.”

Thank god for that. It’s just a first step, but getting Ellie out of her father’s house will save her. Mr. Moore is willing to kill her if I don’t kill Nico, but how can I kill my own father when I haven’t even had the chance to get to know him yet?

If Ellie is here, she’ll be safe.

The tricky part will be getting her here. Mr. Moore won't give up that easily.

“I have to go actually,” I tell Aurora. “But I’ll be back later. If … that’s all right?”

“Vincent, you may be my son, but you’re an adult. You can come and go as you please.”

I offer her a smile then leave.

AURORA

“You just let him leave?” Nico asks after I tell him Vincent went somewhere.

“Well … yes. He’s our son, not our prisoner.”

Nico sighs, running his hand along the back of his neck. “The problem is, Aurora, that we don’t know if we can trust him. He was raised by the enemy. Just because we’re his real parents, doesn’t mean he …”

“He what? That he’ll try to kill us?”

“Maybe. All I’m saying is we need to keep an eye on him.”

“He’s a grown adult, Nico. A married man. He’s going to introduce us to his wife. We can't control him. All we can do is hope Igor didn’t screw him up too badly. He cried in my arms. That has to mean something.”

Nico hesitates then nods. “You’re right. It does. But I’m still going to keep an eye on him for the time being.”

I want to object, but I know my husband—he won’t change his mind for anything.

ELLIE

Vincent arrives back home in a fluster. “Ellie, we need to leave now.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask as I get up from the couch and slowly approach him.

“Ok. Listen. Nico is my father. His wife, Aurora, is my mother.”

I blink. It takes me a long time to process what he says. “Really?”

“Yes. I did a paternity test. I took some of Nico’s hairs without him knowing. They’re my parents, Ellie. And they’re offering to let me live with them. You can come, too. This is how I can get you away from your father.”

My heart leaps at the chance to live a life with Vincent. “But my father?—”

“He’s not god, Ellie. Besides, my own father is Nico Mancini now. He’ll help protect you. Let’s go now. You don’t have time to pack. If you want your freedom, then you need to come with me.” He offers me his hand.

And I don’t hesitate to take it.

“Ok, let’s go,” I say breathlessly.

Vincent and I rush outside, heading to his car, when someone intercepts us on the sidewalk.

VINCENT

It’s a man with a long scar across his nose.

I remember him—he tried to kill Ellie and me once before.

The assassin is back.

“Get out of our way,” I growl. “I won the competition. There’s no need to kill me now.”

“Oh, but there is. He still wants you dead.”

“Who’s he?”

The assassin doesn’t reply as he lunges for me. I push Ellie out of the way and grab the assassin’s hand before he can hit me. But then he pulls a knife from his pocket with his other hand and swipes at me. I dodge out of the way at the last second.

“Vincent!” Ellie shouts.

“Get inside!” I tell her.

Ellie hesitates, then runs back into her house.

The assassin hits me across the face, sending me stumbling back. He lands a hit with the knife to my arm. When he jerks it out, blood spurts out.

My blood.

He’s going to kill me.

So, I do the one thing I can do.

I run back into the house, locking the door behind me.

“Vincent?” Ellie asks, holding her arms around herself.

“Lock every door.”

Mr. Moore comes out of his office and stops when he sees me. “What happened?”

“The assassin is back. Someone still wants me dead. Lock every door.”

Mr. Moore nods, and he and Ellie get to work going door to door and window to window throughout the large mansion.

I head into the bathroom, pull out the first aid kit, and begin to stitch myself up before I bleed out.

Mr. Moore finds me before Ellie does. “What happened?”

“As I told you, someone is still trying to kill me.”

“You had a job to do, Vincent. Your job is to kill Nico.”

“Not anymore. He’s my father, Mr. Moore. I can’t do it.”

His eyes widen, but then he quickly recovers. “Need I remind you I’ll hurt Ellie if you don’t do what I want?”

“And what do you want? Why do you want me to kill him?”

“Because I want power, boy,” he hisses, practically spitting in my face. “Nico stands in my way of it. Take him out, and you get to have my daughter. It doesn’t escape my notice you were trying to leave with Ellie before getting stopped by that assassin. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

“Did you send the assassin after us?”

Mr. Moore scoffs. “No. I don’t need an assassin to do my dirty work. I have leverage over you. You will kill Nico before you ever truly get my daughter.”

I tried to leave with Ellie, but that fucking assassin got in my way. I won't get another chance to escape with her.

I really have no choice—I need to kill Nico Mancini.

I need to kill my father to save my wife.