Private Princess

Chapter 39

It was at the third stop that Eliza disembarked. Knight followed, happy to see that there were other passengers emerging who could cloak him.

He needn’t have worried. Eliza’s focus was on moving forward, and in no time they were out of the station and onto the streets of Kensington. The rain had weakened, but was still heavy enough to justify Knight pulling the hood of his jacket back over his head. From beneath the brim of his cap, he saw Eliza walk inside a Tesco supermarket. He watched the entrance, waiting for her to reappear. He made use of the opportunity to call in to Private HQ and update them on his intention and location.

When Eliza emerged onto the pavement, Knight hung back as she paced along Kensington’s long streets, confident that he could hold his tail from a distance. It was only when she turned and walked up the steps of a beautiful brick town house that he pressed closer, using the parked luxury cars that lined the road as cover.

From thirty meters away, he watched as the small woman rapped her left fist against the cream-painted wood of the door, her umbrella clutched unopened in her right hand. She knocked on the door again, and again, and again.

An Indian man opened the door, and his handsome face twisted in bewilderment.

Eliza had let go of the umbrella and was left clutching something else in her right hand.

It was a knife.

“Where is she?” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Where is she?”

The man at the door was shocked into stillness at first, but then his survival instincts kicked into life and offered him the choice of fight or flight.

He chose flight and ran back into the house.

“Where is she?” Eliza screamed again, running in after him.

Knight was already across the road and nearing the steps to the house at a sprint. He ran up the steps and into the shouts, screams and crashes coming from inside the beautiful Kensington home.

He followed the noises to a living room, where the terrified man had taken refuge behind a sofa and was trying to keep Eliza at bay by hurling at her books, vases, ornaments and anything else within reach. One heavy leather-bound tome connected with her face and blood poured from her nose.

“Where is she, Mayoor?” Eliza screamed at the man again, oblivious to Knight behind her. “Where is that bitch? Where is she?”

Knight knew he could take no chances. For the sake of all three lives, he had to act swiftly and decisively.

“Help me!” Mayoor called, catching sight of Knight in the doorway. “Please!”

Eliza turned to see where Sophie’s boyfriend’s panicked eyes were looking. Her own barely registered the look of remorse on Knight’s face as he threw the punch and knocked Eliza Lightwood into unconsciousness.