Soon enough, she slid to the floor and it was lights out. I opened my duffel and pulled out everything I’d need. I didn’t leave my spot by the door until I was completely covered from head to toe: gloves, booties, the whole nine. Then I scooped her up and carried her to the sofa.
I’d chosen a green, six-strand nylon rope. Green for her jealousy, nylon because it was the most common rope out there, and more than one hundred people this month alone had bought this exact same rope. It was good to be a prince and have access to information on what the people of the Lamdera Islands purchased.
I wrapped her wrists and ankles together but kept her lying on the couch. With the third rope, I circled her neck and waited for her to wake up. I didn’t sit, choosing to limit where I was in the house.
After fifteen minutes, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around frantically, freezing when she saw me.
“What’s happening?”
“Rona, I don’t like you very much, if I’m being honest. My plan was to simply tell my father to find a different governor forCrellesia. Truly, that was all I was going to do with you. Usually, I take from this world those who won’t really be missed. Thieves, murderers, petty criminals, the occasional houseless person who is violent. I’m making an exception for you, and I’ve gone to a lot of work to make this perfect.”
She swallowed, and her eyes misted over. “I don’t understand.” She yanked at her wrists. “What are you going to do to me?”
Did she not understand, or was she being purposely obtuse? “‘Take from this world,’ Rona, means kill.”
“You’re going to kill me?” She shrieked and while her nearest neighbor was a fair distance, I didn’t want anyone to hear her.
“Yell and scream, and I will make sure it hurts a lot more than it needs to.”
“Why kill me, Julian? Don’t do this, I’ll be missed—I have kids.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Prince Julian’ to you. Yes, you’ll be missed, which is why this is so inconvenient for me, and lastly, you’re a shitty mother, Rona. Three times you forgot to pick them up from school because you were inebriated or with a man. Your reputation is not one the royal family approves of, and therefore you must go.”
“So then fire me. Why kill me?”
I crouched down closer; I wanted to see her eyes as I explained. “You were rude to Wynn, that’s why.”
“Wynn.” Her eyes widened.
“Yes. I very much favor him, and I won’t tolerate anyone being unkind to him, so…” I reached out and pulled the rope tighter against her neck.
“Wait! No! I’m sorry, I’ll apolog?—”
Her pleas were cut off when I tugged harder, not wanting to hear her voice anymore.
She thrashed about enough that I had to apply pressure to her legs. Her tied arms were wild, and she almost got a good hit in before I pressed my weight on top of her completely.
I was mere inches from her face that was turning a delightful purple. My heart beat excitedly as her eyes filled with blood, her tongue swelling. Her fight began to die along with her body.
Once she stared lifelessly at the ceiling, I stayed that way a few more minutes. Her breath wasn’t one I cared for, so I didn’t yearn for it. This was an inevitable death, and I could admit she was far more pretty dead than she’d been while alive.
I stood and began my cleanup. It didn’t take too long. I’d left her tied up, all the ropes around her. It had to appear that the man she’d invited over had done this.
I could see from my vantage point that she had champagne chilling and two glasses. That was perfect; she’d set the scene.
I staged everything the way I wanted it and slipped out her back door—in disguise, my duffel with my coveralls and everything else tucked away. I’d be sure to toss it all into the fire after I arrived home. For now, I’d shower, sleep, and plan my dinner with Wynn tomorrow.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Wynn
I woke earlierthan the sun because I wanted to get a few more hours of Crellesia in before we left. I walked to a small café I’d seen by the hotel, ordered a latte and a pastry, and sat outside.
I loved watching the island come alive. The thing was, it was more alive than I’d thought. As I sat there, three emergency vehicles whizzed by. Looking at my watch, it was only six. Whatever could be going on?
Even though I wanted to go find out, we had a boat to catch. As Hannah, Mark, and I waited at the docks, we overheard a couple beside us.
“It’s just terrible; they say she was strangled to death.”
