The Devil's Crown-Part One: All The Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off

by Monica James

  She’s breathless with unstable legs, so I coax her to lock them around me. We’re sticky, my arousal coupled with hers, but as she nuzzles into my neck and holds me close, it’s clear there is no place we’d rather be for now—because come morning, she’ll be gone.

  I wake from a peaceful slumber, the most peaceful I’ve had in months, which is ironic because I know what the day brings. The floorboards creak as I slowly come into a sitting position. I don’t need to look at the bed to know Ella is gone.

  The room is empty without her.

  Her scent lingers in the air, but it won’t be long until it disappears, and all I’ll be left with are memories of the woman who shook my world in ways I never anticipated.

  Last night, she detangled herself from my arms and said nothing as she came back into the house. I gave her some time, and when I entered the bedroom, she had fallen asleep. I didn’t want to wake her, so I took refuge on my makeshift bed on the floor.

  I wanted to say so many things to her, like please don’t go. I was wrong. But a world doesn’t exist where she and I can be together. Santo won’t stop looking for her, and I can’t be the reason she stays here in Russia.

  My phone rings, and when I see the caller is private, a sense of dread fills me.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, Brother.”

  His voice provokes so much violence in me that I need a moment to catch my breath. “Do not refer to me as that, please.”

  He chuckles in response. “Are we all ready for tomorrow?”

  Gritting my teeth, I reply, “You’ll get your deed. I want to talk to Irina.”

  “When will you realize you’re not the one calling the shots anymore?”

  “That will never happen,” I affirm. “Put Irina on. Now.”

  Serg doesn’t reply, and when I hear muffled voices in the background, I think he’s going to comply. But then he does something which just has me wishing I could kill him a thousand different ways because once will never be enough.

  “Hello, Aleksei.”

  Her voice is like a punch to my stomach, bringing forward memories I wish I could forget.

  “I have nothing I wish to say to you…Mother.” But of course, Zoya doesn’t listen.

  “How are you?”

  I very rarely curse, as there are far more powerful words in the English and Russian language, but in this circumstance, I break my rule.

  “How the fuck do you think I am? Your spawn is blackmailing me and holding a little girl hostage to satisfy his sick and demented ways. Where is Irina?”

  She clears her throat. Was she actually expecting a happy reunion? “I never wanted this.”

  “I couldn’t care less what you want,” I counter angrily.

  “You forced his hand, Alek. You killed his”—sniff—“father. Boris was a good man. But you took him away from us.”

  And cue the tears.

  I’ve heard this story one too many times, and as it was since I last heard it, I’m unmoved.

  “My father was a good man. Boris was an asshole who deserved everything he got.”

  “You don’t realize how much I suffered because of your actions.” She ignores me, instead playing the blame game. “I was left a single mom, yet again.”

  “I’m sure you found some poor fool who fell for your sob story.”

  “I know I did wrong. I’m not perfect, but I tried—”

  “You tried what?” I interrupt, not interested in hearing excuses. “You didn’t try too hard to protect me from your beloved Boris. Nor did you try hard enough all these years to resemble anything of a mother figure.

  “Instead, you nurtured a diabolical sociopath and showed more affection toward Astra than your own offspring. I have her necklace. Thank you for leaving that for me.”

  “She had nothing!” she cries, like that’s supposed to warrant her actions. “You were always strong and independent. You didn’t need me. You’re the one who abandoned me.”

  “I’ve heard enough,” I snap, uninterested in her melodramatics.

  “No matter what you’ve done, I still don’t want to see you hurt.”

  “That ship has sailed.” I don’t know why she feels the need to unburden her soul after so long. Then a thought occurs to me.

  Renata.

  Renata’s hatred was the only real thing to her story. Could it be mother dearest is feeling like the third wheel? Is she afraid Renata will get to Serg, leaving her out in the cold? This deal makes Serg a very rich man. And money is the only thing that motivates Zoya.

  Is she really trying to come to some sort of a truce? Does she believe I’m her fallback in case her castle comes crumbling to the ground?

  If only she knew what I have planned for her.

  “I miss you,” she whispers, sickening me.

  “Okay, that’s more than enough,” I say, irritated. “Put Irina on the phone.”

  “I’ve looked after her. You need not worry.”

  “That’s why I’m worried,” I dispute.

  Thankfully, she gets the very blunt hint and ends this painful conversation. But all pain is amplified tenfold when Irina’s frightened voice sounds over the phone.

  “Ski?”

  Taking a moment to compose myself, I steady my voice as she wants strength from me, to confirm that everything will be all right.

  “Yes, Irina, it’s Ski. Are you all right?”

  All I can hear are her sniffles.

  “I’m coming to get you,” I promise her in Russian.

  “When?”

  And tomorrow suddenly feels like a lifetime.

  “Today. I’m coming today. Okay, цветочек?”

  “Okay,” she whispers. “Irina scared.”

  “I know you’re scared. Have they…hurt you?” I clench my fist against my thigh.

  “Yes…scared of dark.”

  I suddenly can’t breathe at the thought of her being hurt. What have they done to her? And dark? Have they locked her in the dark? This just confirms what I’ve always known—Zoya is full of lies.

  “You’ve been so brave. I just need you to be brave for a little while longer. I’ll see you soon.” I try not to let my fear show.

  “Brave for Ski,” she says while I can’t find the right words to articulate how much I love her.

  “Happy?” Serg snaps, taking the phone from Irina.

  “I want this done today. Now,” I demand because this can’t wait. Irina cannot spend another night in the dark. I won’t allow it.

  “Suits me just fine. I’m presuming you intercepted your дорогая, seeing as she wasn’t where she said she was going to be.”

  I don’t confirm or deny anything.

  “That means you have help,” he angrily says. “But if you don’t want your precious Irina hurt, you’ll come alone and unarmed. We clear? I’ll know if you get any smart ideas. But you won’t. That’s your downfall. You care.

  “When you were ruthless, you were untouchable. Now, you’re nothing but a neutered puppy. Pathetic.”

  I’ll show him who’s pathetic when they’re begging for their life at my feet.

  “I’ll text you details as soon as it’s arranged.”

  “Make it quick,” I snap, before hanging up with a growl.

  Squeezing the cell in my hand, it splinters, threatening to crack under the force.

  I know what I’ve just done, but I don’t care. Mother Superior has emailed the deed. It’s all I need.

  Jumping up, I quickly get dressed and exit the bedroom, in search of Pavel. He’s in the kitchen, helping Larisa put away some groceries. When he sees me, he understands the dire circumstance I’ve put myself in.

  “I’m meeting with Serg today.”

  Pavel puts away the last can of tomatoes before addressing me. “Are you fucking mad?”

  I shrug as it depends on who you ask.

  “This isn’t enough time, Alek. Raul can’t pull this off in a matter of hours.” He expresses my thoughts aloud, but I knew
what I was getting myself into when I made this deal.

  “If he can’t, then I will accept the consequences. But I will not leave Irina there a second longer than I have to. She is scared. They’ve kept her in the dark. I can’t allow her to suffer any longer because of me.”

  “You know what this means? With no backup, you’ll have to go alone. We can’t risk our lives. Not again,” he adds, and I understand completely.

  This has happened before. We were lucky to escape with our lives because others weren’t.

  Serg said he wants me to suffer, that he won’t kill me, but that won’t be an option once I come face-to-face with him. It’ll be either him or me, and when I bait him with how I took pleasure basking in his father’s blood, he’ll snap.

  The odds are against me, but it’s a gamble I’m willing to take.

  “I know. I would never ask that of you. But you must promise me, if something happens to me, you won’t allow that monster to take the orphanage from Mother Superior.”

  “How am I to make such a promise?” Pavel questions, distraught.

  “I don’t know, but better that place burns to the ground than be subjected to the depravity Serg intends to inflict on them.”

  Pavel blew my house to the ground. He can manage this.

  He nods once, displeased, but he will do what he must.

  “This is worst-case scenario,” I remind him. “Raul will make it happen. I’m sure of it. My head on a silver platter? He will move heaven and earth for that opportunity.”

  Pavel reaches into his pocket, retrieving his cell. “I’ll make some calls.”

  He leaves the room, leaving me alone with Larisa who peers at me with a look on her face I can’t quite place. She doesn’t say anything, which has me wondering what she’s thinking. She’s not one to shy away from her thoughts, but now, she seems lost to them.

  “What’s up?” Saint walks into the kitchen, interrupting a weird moment I don’t have time to decipher.

  “I’m meeting Serg today. I have the deed. I won’t wait, leaving Irina in his hands.”

  He nods, scratching over his tattooed chest. His tattoos are a part of him, reflecting his sins, but also, baring his integrity.

  “Pavel is making a few calls. Raul may not be able to pull this off in time. So I’ll go alone,” I state bluntly.

  Saint’s fingers pause over the scroll across his chest. The inscription seems fitting.

  Only God Can Judge Me.

  “You do that, you’ll die.”

  “I know. But that was going to happen regardless.”

  However, when Saint looks down at his bare feet, I realize we’re not on the same page. We’re not even reading from the same book.

  “This self-sacrifice shit is fucking moronic.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, genuinely confused.

  “It means, I couldn’t, in good faith, hand you over like a pig to slaughter.” When I continue staring at him, lost in translation, he explains, annoyed. “I would have tried to get you out of there. But now, we’re fucked.”

  Saint’s nobility shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. He would attempt to help me even after everything I’ve done. That shows what a good man he truly is.

  “Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. I honestly do. But I’ll do what I must to get Irina back. Serg believes I won’t fight, but he’s wrong. The last thing I do will be to rob him of his final breath.”

  Saint nods, pleased with my choice of violence.

  “However, Pavel knows what to do if I fail. Serg cannot take that orphanage. I know I don’t deserve to ask this of you, but please ensure Mother Superior, the sisters, and the children are safe.

  “He has leverage over me, and I know that makes me weak and pathetic, but I will do anything to get Irina back.”

  Saint folds his arms across his chest, eyeing me closely. “This could have been over with if you’d just handed Ella over to Santo. Her life for yours.”

  I clench my jaw, barely reining in my temper. “I would never do that to her. Never.”

  Saint’s lips twist into a resemblance of a smile, which seems inappropriate as this isn’t a time to be smiling. “Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “See what?” I question.

  “See you being human.”

  I’m taken aback by his comment. But what he says next stuns me.

  “I’ll come with you. Regardless if Raul comes through or not.”

  “No, I will not permit it,” I argue firmly, shaking my head.

  “Well, guess what? I don’t give a fuck what you permit,” he replies with a carefree shrug of his broad shoulders.

  This is unheard of. Two enemies, working together? I believed he had no qualms about handing me over to Raul, but it appears I know nothing at all.

  “This doesn’t make us friends,” he snaps, disgusted at the notion.

  “Of course not,” I scoff as that would be ridiculous. “How angry is she?”

  Saint smirks. “She hates your fucking guts.”

  “Excellent. Our plan worked then. You do realize she’ll hate yours too once she finds out what we did,” I say with a smirk of my own.

  “I know,” he replies, already envisioning the wrath coming his way. “I’m gonna hit the shower.”

  Nodding, I’m about to go outside but am surprised when Larisa offers me a cup of coffee. Usually, I would expect her to throw it in my face, but not today.

  Accepting with a cautious smile, I peer inside, wondering if she slipped in a fatal dose of arsenic. When she notices my hesitation, she laughs.

  Another first.

  I want to ask her what’s going on because first with Saint and now Larisa, I’m confused why the people who hate me seem to not hate me as much.

  “Your pain has made you wise,” she says in Russian. I listen intently, mesmerized by what she’ll say next. “But I still don’t like you.”

  Unable to hold back a smile, I raise my coffee in salute. I’ll take it.

  I drink my coffee in silence, comforted by Larisa’s words. I know I’ve changed, but that doesn’t erase all the things I’ve done. I’ve hurt every person who’s currently helping me. I don’t fail to see the importance in that.

  Pavel reenters, blowing out an exhale. “It’s happening. Raul’s in.”

  I now understand his relief. “I knew it,” I express happily even though this cup of coffee will be the last morning coffee I’ll ever have.

  Going into this, I now know Raul will permit my revenge before he inflicts his own. An eye for an eye.

  He might double-cross me, but I don’t think he will because the stakes are too high. If he lets Serg know of my plans, he risks Serg ending me and not him. And when it comes to revenge, the need to see it out yourself is enough to have you bending in ways you normally wouldn’t.

  “Raul’s going to make contact with Serg and find out where we’re to meet. Raul said he’s only willing to provide ten men. This makes me think Serg doesn’t expect you to fight, therefore, security shouldn’t be too tight.”

  “Ten men? That’s more than I thought he’d offer. You can all stay here. I’ll be fine on my own.”

  Pavel shakes his head. “We’re coming. You want your revenge on Serg as much as we do. He is also to blame for the deaths of our friends. Of Sara. This is personal to Max as well. And the fact he wants to endanger Mother Superior; I want to see this asshole suffer. It’ll give me great satisfaction.”

  Of course, this is personal to them. I won’t deny their right to purge.

  “You go in, act like it’s business as usual, and then once Irina is safe, we’re going to storm that motherfucker. Serg is so arrogant that he won’t see us coming. He believes he has the upper hand because of your attachment to Irina.

  “I also believe killing you isn’t in the cards for him. Making you suffer is far more satisfying, and seeing as he’s endured a lifetime of suffering because of what you did to his father, he sees this as the be
st form of payback.”

  Pavel is right. I’m glad we agree on this.

  “And this arrogance is what will get him killed,” I assure. “Zoya and Renata will follow the same fate.”

  “Killing your brother and his pet is one thing, but your mother—”

  “She stopped being my mother a long time ago,” I rebuke firmly. “She is merely a stranger who chose the wrong side. Don’t ever question my hatred again.”

  I don’t mean to snap, but thinking of her pathetic attempts to con me anger me fiercely.

  Pavel grins. A rare occurrence for this man. “Your leadership still runs through those veins. If we’re able to get you out alive, you do realize we’ll just replace Serg with Raul and Santo. Raul will be out for blood because we double-crossed him. As will Santo when he realizes you’ve lied to him.”

  “I know, but let’s just think about getting Irina out safely, and then I’ll handle everything else accordingly.”

  The truth is, I plan on going with Serg. I’m sure he is prepared for any scenario. Although no one knows of my newfound understanding with Saint, Pavel, and Max, I’m sure Raul has his suspicions that they’re not just doing this for the orphanage.

  I thought they were, but now I see they’re also doing it to save me, and it’s because of this that I refuse to put them in danger. If they help me, they’ll be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. Pavel has a wife and kids. Saint, Willow, and Max have suffered enough by my hand.

  I thought I wanted Serg dead so I could regain my kingdom, but the truth is, the thought of going back to who I once was isn’t as appealing as I expected it to be. I know this is the coward’s way out, but I’m just so exhausted.

  The thought of having to build my empire again, the people I’ll have to exploit to get there, I just don’t want to be that person anymore.

  “If anything were to happen to me, you know what to do with the money?”

  Thanks to Santo, my bank account looks rather portly, but that money is to be divided between Mother Superior and the account Pavel set up for Ella.

  “Who is she now?” I forgot to ask her who she’ll become to escape me.

  “Alexandra Bianco.”

  I nod with a smile, liking the similarities our names bear.