The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,80

of this to happen.”

But I shake my head. “I don’t want words of a quitter. We fight.”

“How?” she cries, peering at the twenty-foot wall of water ahead.

I refuse to surrender, and at this moment, I realize if we die, Ella will never know that I…love her. I always have. I was so terrified of saying it, but now, I want to say it a thousand times over. However, it’s too late. We will go to a watery grave with regrets.

But I won’t accept that.

“Alek, I—”

But I’ll never know what she wanted to say because when the sky lights up, revealing the cable connecting the satellite tower snapping free and heading straight for Ella, I shove her to safety before the world turns to black.

Ella

“PLEASE WAKE UP,” I whisper for the…I don’t even know because I’ve lost count. Every second Alek is nonresponsive feels like years.

The storm has passed, and I don’t know how, but we’re alive. However, I wouldn’t be if Alek hadn’t pushed me to safety. His heroic actions got him knocked unconscious when he saved my life. It all happened so fast.

The waves were unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, which is why I decided to drag Alek downstairs, afraid he’d get washed out to sea if we stayed outside. I couldn’t carry him, and each time his head bumped down a step, I begged for forgiveness.

The slippery flooring helped as I hauled him into the living room. I lay him on the carpet, as he was too heavy to lift onto the couch. Positioning a cushion under his head, I took off his life vest, dried him off with a towel, and placed a blanket over him.

I waited anxiously, biting my nails as I watched his chest rise and fall. He was breathing, but he wouldn’t wake. And he’s been this way ever since.

The satellite phone and CB radio don’t work, thanks to the tower hitting Alek before crashing into the wild waves. The autopilot also seems to be damaged. We’re stuck out here alone. I have no way to contact anyone for help, which is why I’m desperate for Alek to wake.

I can’t see any blood, but he took a hard hit to the head when he fell onto the deck. Not to mention the satellite tower knocking into him like a steam train at full speed. I fear his injuries are internal, which is so much worse because I can’t see them.

Gripping his cold hand in mine, I give him my warmth, my strength because he needs to wake so I can tell him how sorry I am.

He’s saved me time and time again. Without question, he’s put my safety above his. He left Russia behind so he could protect me. And what he did, sacrificing himself for me…I need to apologize for taking out what happened to me on him.

I now understand the saying you hurt the ones you love because I lashed out. I was angry and scared, but Alek didn’t deserve any of that. I just didn’t know how to vocalize my pain because how do you relive the worst moment of your life without breaking down?

I’m a victim, yes, but I prefer to see myself as a survivor because I will survive this. I won’t allow what Santo did destroy me because I refuse to let him own me that way. For every silenced voice out there, I’ll fight for them, for us.

I’m forever changed because of this experience, and I’ll take it a day at a time. I know I’ll have good days. I’ll have bad days. But to me, the most important thing is that I’m living those days the best way I can.

Stroking over Alek’s cheek with the back of my hand, I release this anger inside me. I understand why he made the choices that he did. We can’t change the past, but we can the future. I accept that at the time, he thought he was making the right choices. He didn’t make them with malicious intent. He thought he was doing the right thing.

I want to get past this so we can move on. But I hurt him, so I hope that we can.

A pained groan escapes Alek’s lips, shattering the silence.

“Alek!” I cry, shooting up into a kneeling position. “Alek, can you hear me?”

He stirs, shifting his head against the cushion. He flinches, indicating he’s in pain.

Jumping up, I run over to the sink and pour him a glass of water. I slip a