The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,77
edge of the platform and dive into the depths. The water is cool, but it’s the perfect antidote for the warm sun. I swim deep, as I love water and only come up for air when I must. When I break the surface, I float on my back, staring into the clear blue sky.
It’s so peaceful out here, but my mind is constantly running in the background.
Ella deserves her revenge. I just don’t know how I’m going to give her that without her getting hurt.
The encounter with the Macrillos will be embroiled in violence and bloodshed, and seeing as she’s public enemy number one, they’ll be gunning for her, not me.
I need to speak to Saint as he knows firsthand how to deal with a headstrong, determined woman. I see the way he and Willow operate as a team. He, too, wanted to shelter her from harm’s way, but when he saw she wasn’t one to take orders, he had to adjust.
I’m a dominant by nature, so doing that with Ella sends my head into all sorts of trouble.
She liked me to control her in the bedroom, but when it comes to independence, she won’t be told what to do. I still can’t believe she knowingly threw herself to the wolves. What a brave woman she truly is.
A splash alerts me that I’m no longer alone.
Craning my neck, I see Ella come up for air as she combs her wet hair from her face. I don’t make a fuss and continue to float, wishing my worries would follow suit and drift away.
Ella keeps her distance, which is probably best for us both. But I’m still so in tune with her. It’s like she moves, I move. She breathes, I breathe. She hurts, and so do I.
“What happened to your leg?” Her distant voice indicates she’s not close. Maybe this is where she feels most comfortable to converse.
“Raul imbedded a garden rake into my thigh and flayed my muscles into shreds. He also broke a lot of bones,” I add because this all scales to why I have a limp. “Does my limp disgust you?”
“God, no,” she quickly replies, surprising me because she answered without hesitation.
“It should. It disgusts me,” I share. “Seeing as I couldn’t go to the hospital as too many questions would be asked, Pavel called his mom, and she pieced me back together again. She did the best she could, considering she was working with a god-awful mess.
“There really isn’t anything that woman can’t do,” I say in awe of her. “She’s saved my life numerous times when she’s had every right to let me die.”
“Maybe that’s because she knows you’re not the bad guy,” Ella states, again, catching me off guard.
“The limp shouldn’t be permanent,” I reveal, not that it matters to her. “It would be gone by now had I had some physical therapy on it. But I had other pressing matters to deal with.”
Like finding her…
With that thought, I dive underwater, wishing to be lost to the stillness of the sea. I wish I could be lost forever, but that would be the easy way out, and thus far, my life has been anything but easy. So I resurface, noticing Ella swimming closer to me.
I tread water, watching the way she moves so gracefully. I wish I could put a lid on these emotions, but the wanting, it’s just getting worse.
“What happened to Renata?” she asks, as I revealed she’s dead.
Brushing back my wet hair, I reply honestly, “My mother shot her, and although the shot wasn’t fatal, Serg using her as a shield for his protection is what killed her in the end.”
“That’s horrible. I know what she did was unspeakable, but no one deserves that.”
“You’re right,” I agree with a sharp nod. “But that’s what distinguishes us from the animals.”
“And what of your mother? Did she get away?”
Just the mention of Zoya ruins my paradise. “Yes, but honestly, she is the least of my troubles. Her day will come. Besides, word would have spread about what I did to her precious baby boy, which is enough torture for now.”
“I heard whispers,” she reveals. “But what happened to Serg?”
Relishing in the memory I relive often, I share, “I nailed him to a wall where I cut off his cock and fed it to him. He died, choking on his own appendage. One of my greatest kills.”
I suddenly realize what I said and frown. “Sorry, I didn’t think. Forgive me.”