Page 93 of Vicious Souls

KINGSLEY

The penthouse feels emptier than usual without Dante’s presence. The vast expanse of glass and steel, usually comforting in its modern elegance, now seems cold and exposed. I stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows, my arms crossed as I watch the Seattle skyline glitter against the quickly fading daylight.

Dante had left as soon as he got the information he needed, chasing down a lead about Tate. It was urgent, he’d said, and I’d insisted I’d be fine, even as my stomach twisted with unease. The memory of the black roses, their ominous card, lingered in the back of my mind like a shadow that wouldn’t fade. If he was chasing down Tate, there was no risk to me here in my own home.

I’d spent the evening trying to focus on work, but my thoughts kept wandering, my nerves on edge as I worried about Dante’s safety. Something about tonight feels wrong, though I can’t quite put my finger on what’s bothering me.

I move toward the bedroom, but a faint sound stops me in my tracks. A soft tap, like a footstep. Or someone setting something down on a table. My pulse quickens as I scan the room, my heart pounding.

“Hello?” My voice echoes in the silence.

Nothing.

Shaking my head, I scold myself for being so paranoid. But as I turn toward the hallway, a shadow moves. Before I can react, Fiona steps into view, her presence startling in its calm audacity. She wears a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, and in her hand, she holds a kitchen knife that gleams under the soft light.

“Fiona?” My voice is sharp, my shock quickly replaced by anger.“What the hell are you doing here?”

* * *

The slap Fionadeals to my face just about knocks the wind out of me.There’s a deranged look in her eyes as she moves towards me. She tilts her head, her gaze flicking over me as she assesses her next move. “You always did like to act superior, didn’t you? Like you’re untouchable.”

“How did you get in?” I demand, sliding back against the tiles as I try to put distance between us.

Fiona’s smile widens, the knife twirling in her hand, like a dance she’s practised to death. “Let’s just say the help isn’t as loyal as you’d think.”

Realization dawns on me. We deactivated her swipe card. Yet she’s here. In my penthouse. Why? How? “You’ve lost your mind.”

Fiona’s laughter is low and bitter. “No, Kingsley. I’ve found clarity. I’ve spent years in the shadows, waiting to claim what should’ve been mine. The name, the money, the life. Then you came in and paraded around like some perfect little princess while I was cast aside.”

My breath catches. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t even know, do you?” Fiona steps closer, her voice trembling with rage. “I’m your father’s little secret, Kingsley. Cast aside. Unwanted. Ignored. He gave you everything and left me with nothing.”

The words hit me like a slap. My mind races, trying to process the accusation. My father had been a lot of things, but this? It couldn’t be true. He would never neglect one of his own.

“You’re delusional,” I tell her, my voice steady despite the fear tightening my chest. “If you think breaking in here and threatening me will get you anything, you’re wrong. This is not the way.”

Fiona’s eyes darken. “I’m not here to ask. I’m here totake… what’s mine.”

She lunges, the knife slicing through the air. I barely dodge out of the way, rolling against the tiles as I try to avoid her. I grab a heavy glass vase from the side table. I throw it with all my strength, the shattering impact sending shards flying as Fiona staggers but doesn’t fall.

I use the moment to scramble to my feet, stumbling past her to get to the front door; it’s my best bet as I try to save myself. All I can think about is Dante; if I die here today, I will never see him again. And that is a thought I just can’t stomach.

“You’re not as tough as you think,” Fiona hisses, her movements quick and deliberate as she comes at me again. She grabs my foot and pulls; I fall flat on my face before she slides me back into the room, further away from the front door and my one and only escape.

She turns me over and straddles me; I fight back with everything I have as I struggle against her. Fiona’s strength is fueled by her rage as she lifts the knife in the air with two hands and prepares to drive it into my chest. I grab at the knife, holding it back, and the blade cuts deep into my palm. Adrenaline courses through me. It’s me or her. And I refuse to have come this far only to let her destroy me.

But Fiona is determined, her fury unmatched. A sharp pain tears through my side as Fiona finally frees the knife from my hand and drives it into my torso. I cry out, the searing heat of the wound threatening to overwhelm me as pain lances through me. I writhe; Fiona topples to her side as she struggles to remove the knife to drive it into me again. The knife is so deeply embedded that it’s stuck; I tremble, clutching my side as blood seeps between my fingers.

Fiona looms over me, a triumphant smile on her face. “You’ll never understand, will you? What it’s like to be invisible while someone else lives the life you should’ve had.”

My vision blurs, but I refuse to give in, even as I feel the last ounce of hope leaving me. Summoning the last of my strength, I grab a shard of broken glass from the floor and swing it upward. The makeshift weapon slashes across Fiona’s leg, drawing a scream as she stumbles back.

I don’t hesitate. I tackle her, using my momentum to pin her to the floor. “You’re insane,” I hiss, my voice shaking. “Whatever you think you’re owed, it’s not here. It was never here.”

“I’m going to kill you!” she hisses, as she tries to buck me off her. I have no doubt that she means it. My strength is slowly fading as nausea starts to take over me. I’m bleeding out like a tap, and the knife is still stuck in my side. I have a fifty-fifty chance here, but not if I lose consciousness and she gets to finish the job she started.

I grab another shard of glass, my body swaying against hers as I lift my arm above my head, ready to drop it once again.

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