Page 62 of Ruthless Prince

I couldn’t complain too much, though. After all, I specifically asked him to stay away fromme.

My spirits lifted when I spotted Mal and Adam standing by the bonfire, looking as stiff and sober as ever. The Order must’ve decided to let them attend the party to keep an eye onme.

I dashed over to them. “Hey, guys. Can I have my phone?” Iasked.

“Don’t you have it?” Malasked.

“No, you took it earlier.Remember?”

“Oh, that’s right. I did.” Mal patted his pockets and frowned. “We took your scarf back to your room earlier. I must’ve left your phone there at the sametime.”

“Do either of you have one I could borrow for a minute? I just need to get online and look somethingup.”

“Our phones are only cleared for our own use. It’s a security issue,” Adamsaid.

I blew out a short, exasperated breath. “Right. Well, I guess I’ll go back to the house for a little while,then.”

“We’ll come withyou.”

I shook my head. “I’ll be okay on my own. Nothing can happen to mehere.”

Mal pressed his lips into a thin line. “Sorry, ma’am, but we’re not really used to this secret society stuff yet. We’d both feel much more comfortable if we could accompany you for now, just to makesure.”

I sighed. “Fine.”

A fleet of black cars sat in a field near the festival spot for anyone who wanted to leave the party or go elsewhere on the island. Mal got the keys to one from an attendant, and we headed back to themansion.

When we arrived, they followed me upstairs and waited dutifully outside my door. I flicked the light switch, but it didn’t work. The power must’ve gone out. There was enough moonlight streaming through the window for me to see, though, so it wasn’t a bigdeal.

I looked over at the bedside table. My phone wasn’t there. It wasn’t on the bed or on the dresser,either.

Frowning, I called out to the hall. “Do you remember where you put it,Mal?”

“I’m not sure, but I went in the bathroom, so it might be there,” came his faintreply.

I went into the small private bathroom. Mal was right. My phone was next to thebasin.

I picked it up and pressed the home button, but the screen wouldn’t switch on for some reason. “Great,” I muttered with a slight shake of myhead.

A scuffling sound from the bedroom drew my attention, and I whirled around to look. A dark shape was emerging from the darkness on the other side of the suite. As it moved forward, I saw that it was a tall man in a Venetianmask.

I sighed. “Very funny. You know the initiation is over,right?”

The man stopped and stood in the center of the room, silently staring atme.

I narrowed my eyes. “These pranks aren’t funny anymore. You could’ve given me a heart attack or something. How did you even get inhere?”

The man remainedmotionless.

I let out another exasperated sigh. “Okay, I’m leaving now. I’m sure my security detail would love to come in and have a word with you,though.”

I walked out of the bathroom and pushed past the masked man. He didn’t make a move to stopme.

I opened the door and stuck my head out. “Hey, guys, there’s anannoying—”

I stopped midsentence and clapped my hand over my mouth at the sight before me. Mal and Adam were slumped in the hall, either dead orunconscious.

“Oh,fuck…”