The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,93
ice, which I do. But I also add a few drops of the GHB to Maria’s and Rodrigo’s cups. Swirling it around, I smile as the drugs mix in with the alcohol perfectly.
However, when I close the freezer door, my smile is soon to disappear.
Maria is standing before me, arms folded with a smirk. I need to think quick on my feet because I’m so busted. “Don’t tell on me,” I whisper with a seductive growl. “This is just going to loosen us up a bit.”
Maria’s smirk grows wider as she reaches for both cups before I can stop her. “Then I better have both because I bet I’m going to have to be extremely loose to accommodate you.”
She makes it a point to look at my groin as she downs one cup and then the other in quick succession as I look on, helpless to stop her.
She’s just ingested six drops of pure GHB, thinking it was some light party drug to set the mood. At her height and weight, she’ll be down for the count in seconds. She places one empty cup onto the counter, but when she attempts to repeat the same action with the second, she misses, and it rolls along the floor.
She follows the movement, her pupils dilated as she sways on her feet. As she stumbles forward, I launch forward and catch her.
She peers up at me, trying to focus. “Whaa did yoouu—” But I silence her slurs by pressing my mouth over hers and kiss her slack lips. She’s floppy in my arms, and it won’t be long until she’s comatose.
Ella and Rodrigo stop talking when they’re aware of me mauling Maria. I can’t gesture to Ella what just happened, but thankfully, she uses her smarts when I hear her purr, “How about we go outside? I want to show you something.”
Their departing footsteps alert me that he’s fallen for it. The moment they’re gone, I remove my mouth from Maria’s, scrubbing my lips to remove any remnants of the GHB. She has passed out, so I lug her down the stairs toward the bedroom.
She’s dead weight, so I try my best to place her on the bed, but she ends up collapsing onto her stomach. Afraid she’s going to suffocate, I turn her cheek so her face isn’t pressed into the mattress. She looks awfully uncomfortable, but her comfort is the least of my concerns when I hear something smash upstairs.
Charging up the stairs, two at a time, my heart is in my throat when I reach the upper deck to see Ella being held hostage by Rodrigo who has a knife at her throat. Instantly, I come to a screeching halt and raise my hands in surrender.
“Let her go,” I demand, as he has one chance to do as I say before I end his life.
“Where’s Maria?” he shouts, tightening his hold on Ella. I notice a trickle of blood seeping from a wound to his temple. Looks like Ella got to him before I could.
She mouths, “I’m sorry,” but I shake my head. This is my fuckup, not hers.
“She’s passed out. Your beloved can’t handle her liquor.”
“Bullshit! You did something. I knew we shouldn’t have stopped, but Maria—”
“But Maria what?” I press, wanting to know what he was going to say.
Rodrigo begins to walk backward, taking Ella with him. “Maria knew you’d have money on board. Your yacht is worth a fortune. She wanted you to trust us so we could rob you. She found your engagement ring,” he reveals, while Ella blanches.
I noticed she had taken it off but didn’t think much of it when Maria used the bathroom. Everything that is of value is locked in the safe. But Maria’s snooping found Ella’s ring, which is worth a small fortune. So that’s why they stuck around.
To rob us.
It’s a relief they don’t know Santo, but now I need to get us out of this.
“But something isn’t right with you two. I know you’re Russian. And I’m pretty sure your name isn’t Olek.”
Taking in my surroundings, I search for a weapon. My gun sits uselessly in the kitchen. I need to think outside the box, and I see that in the form of my cane, resting near the helm.
Rodrigo is small-fry. He’s someone’s monkey boy and not the boss. So it’s time I showed him who’s boss.
“You’re right,” I affirm with a slow nod. “I am Russian. And I’m the motherfucking king of Russia. You fucked with the wrong