The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,98

war, and it’s to be expected, but I know Santo won’t give up without a fight.

The thought of Ella being in danger eats a hole straight through me. The plan of her going to Ireland is off the table, but I think it always was. Ella deserves her revenge on the Macrillos. Denying her would be beyond hypocritical. Ireland is where she’ll be safe physically, but emotionally, she’ll always be lost to the past.

I’ll try everything in my power to keep her safe, but before we reach Tura, I need to teach her how to fight. If she’s going into this, she must be fully prepared.

“You need to get some sleep.”

The yacht is on autopilot, but the moon is full and it’s a beautiful night, so I decided to stay up here and think. I hoped I’d be able to feel better about what we’re walking into, but I don’t.

Turning over my shoulder to look at her, I do a double take because her hair is cut short.

She notices me staring at the drastic change and tugs at the strands just below her chin. “I felt like a change,” she explains, not that I needed a reason. It’s her body, and she can do what she pleases with it.

“I like it,” I say with a smile.

Our conversation is strained because although a clear plan has been formulated as to what’s about to happen, I still have no idea what’s going on between us.

Before this latest bombshell, she made her feelings, or lack of, perfectly clear. But there’s been a shift, and I need to know what that now means.

She pads over to the lounge near me and takes a seat, drawing her knees toward her chest. She’s in sleep shorts and a tee, clearly ready for bed. So I wonder why she’s up here and not there.

“The kids are terrified,” she says, resting her cheek on her knee as she turns her head to look at me. “I managed to get them to eat something small. But they won’t come out of the bathroom. I’ve given them some blankets and pillows, but they just stay huddled together, watching me with big frightened eyes.”

“It’ll take some time,” I reply with a sigh. “Irina is only just coming out of her shell. The damage done to these kids is irreparable. It makes me sick.”

“Me too,” she whispers. “Being forced against your will—”

She closes her eyes, her lower lip quivering.

“красавица?” I ask, turning around to face her. “What’s the matter?”

She sniffles, and all I want to do is console her, but I don’t know if it’s welcome.

“Please talk to me, Ella. I can’t stand to see you cry. You’re”—here goes nothing—“breaking my heart.”

She slowly opens her eyes and lifts her head. “I know,” she starts, drawing her knees closer into her chest. “I know what it’s like to be forced…against your will.”

The night is still, but Ella’s confession has just silenced my world for good. “What, what does that mean?” I ask, not wanting to assume because no, I don’t want what I think happened to be true.

“You asked what happened with Santo, well, he…I,” she falters, licking her lips quickly. “He said you, he was going to hurt you, and I couldn’t, and I couldn’t help you because Frank threatened to lock me in the room.”

She takes a steadying breath. “It was the only way I could help,” she whispers, a single tear trickling down her cheek. “I wouldn’t allow everything we worked so hard for to be destroyed. It wouldn’t be for nothing.”

I stand, unmoving, my mind detached from my body as I hear the woman I love with all of my heart confess something so atrocious, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this sinking feeling for the rest of my life.

“He said he’d kill everyone that I loved if he found out I was lying, and there is really only one, only one person I love.” She peers up at me with poignant eyes. “And that’s you, Aleksei. I love you so much I can barely breathe, which is why when Santo forced himself on me…I didn’t resist.

“He r-raped…me, and although he thought he was showing me affection and love by being gentle and telling me how good I felt, I didn’t want it. I didn’t want him. But I did it because I may as well be dead if any harm came to you.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re probably disgusted with me. I should have fought h-harder. I should