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The Devil She Knows 19
CamilleThis conversation is getting me nowhere and it's pointless. It's also probably best to stop pushing him because I haven't negotiated the important things yet and there's still more I need to know. "Can I see Richard or my dad? Or at least call them?""No." His tone is cold, his stare icier."Why not? They're my family.""Richard is not your fucking family.""Even you can't think this is okay." I glare at him, wide-eyed, pleading. "Alessio, you just took me as I was about to make my vows. That was it. I at least got to say some sort of goodbye to my father, but I didn't get to say anything to Richard."He sits back, his expression emotionless as he steeples his fingers, staring back at me in silence. Not the kind of silence you expect from a person contemplating something important, but definitely the kind when they aren't.It's clear whatever mission he's on has stolen his humanity."Please," I add.He blows out a ragged breath and presses his lips together in displeasure."On
The Devil She Knows 20
CamilleAlessio's seductive stare intensifies and his raw masculine presence lulls me like a drug, enticing my body to betray me. His closeness doesn't help either.One corner of his sensual lips turns up, and he angles himself so he's a breath away."Maybe you'd like that. Or you will." His breath caresses my skin, turning up the heat burning through me. "Don't people say good girls prefer bad boys? I'm as bad as they come, Valkyrie." He shows me the tattoo on his wrist. The sight makes me wonder what he must have gone through to get it and how many he had to kill."Oh I definitely believe you're as bad as they come." I nod."Good. Glad we're on the same page because I also heard good girls love to be fucked hard and dirty. Is that how you want it, baby girl? That's how I like it."I'm already on fire, but I shock myself further when I realize moisture is beading between my thighs. My God, I'm actually aroused by this man and his dirty words, and I shouldn't be.What the hell is wron
The Devil She Knows 21
AlessioI'm at Raventhorn Hall, the headquarters of the Knights. It is situated on the grounds of Raventhorn University.This is the place where the Ritual of Initiation is conducted. Here you take the oath, pledging your life to the Knights to live and die by the vows you make.I walk into the ritual hall making my way down the path where Aleksander Ivanov stands at the head.When I gave him my report last night his one request was for me to do this—take the oath again in front of him and the Knights' council.That report included the truth about my father. As I am going to be Aleksander's second in command, Leif thought it wise to tell him and I agreed. I need this man to trust me, so I will tell him all the things I feel he needs to know about me.Aleksander is standing between the stone statue of Raventhorn and the Fountain ofPromises, symbolic of the river the Viking Knights used centuries ago for rituals like this.Around Aleksander are the twenty four members of the Knights' co
The Devil She Knows 22
AlessioThe silver moon shines over the automatic garage doors as they open for me.I drive my Mustang inside and the door lowers once I'm inside.When I bought this house, the garage was like the ordinary type you'd find on a house this old. I modernized it to what it is now and extended the space to accommodate my cars and my bike.Although I haven't been here much over the years, I always feel privileged to have this home. It's been mine for the last five years. The house was being maintained by Pavel Butyrskaya's great aunt whom I approached when I wanted to buy it.Apart from my work on the garage and improving the surveillance, I kept everything pretty much the same and either sold or stored away what I didn't need. The house was big enough that I didn't need to hire a separate storage unit.It may seem odd that I kept their things but I did it because they meant a lot to my mother. She grew up with them here after her mother died. When I came along, they took care of me too.Th
The Devil She Knows 23
CamilleI stare at the rustic red brick wall before me, tapping the bricks with my fingertips to that song in my head.Run and catch, the meadow's calling you home...I tap one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.On the eighth count I blink, then I'm running through the meadow. A bird flies high in the sky, and the sun is bright and warm on my skin, tempting me to chase it. I run toward the sun but it disappears, and blackness swallows me whole.It's so dark, I dare not breathe. I'm too scared that I'll disappear. But I walk on the unseen path before me, terror ravaging my soul.Darkness fills my mind like a thick fog of smoke, suffocating me with theominous feeling of imminent doom.Patches of light flicker in the darkness, and I see it—the crest with the wolf and the moon engraved into it.I try to get closer, but shadow monsters rush out of the darkness, howling and gnashing their teeth like evil souls trapped in the pits of hell.Faceless faces push out of the darkness an
The Devil She Knows 24
CamilleLorelai is aware of the intense awkwardness I've experienced with my father since my mom's death. I've told her how he became more overprotective and secretive. But this disaster has driven a wedge in my heart."I feel betrayed and disappointed." My voice is so fragile a gentle breeze could shatter it."I'm so sorry. This is truly awful.""I know." I take another gulp of air, hoping it will ease my mind. "I hate feeling so trapped and knowing there's nothing anyone can do.""Richard tried to get you back," she offers with an encouraging smile.My heart flutters on hearing that. "Did he?""Yes. He even came to my father for help, but everything they thought of turned out to be a bust." Her father has connections that can be useful sometimes. It's unfortunate he couldn't help me."Thank you for telling me. It means a lot.""I thought it might. I don't have the best opinion of Richard most of the time, but I thought it was sweet he tried to get you back.""It was. Please thank yo
The Devil She Knows 25
Camille"Since the crest is real, I've been thinking I could be right about the rest of the dream." I sigh. "The parts where the shadow monsters kill me. Of course, I'm not dead and I know the monsters weren't monsters, but if I had a bad experience, I want to know what happened."Worry washes over her face. "Do you think you should? I mean maybe that's why your parents didn't want to talk about it when you brought it up."I nod slowly, feeling a little defeated. "I guess, but I just wanted to know.""Camille, I think you need to take each day as it comes and one problem at a time." She reaches out and covers my hands with hers. "Things are already intense enough with Alessio. You've been thrust into this new life where you're not with Richard and you can't speak to your father. Don't take on anything that's going to add to that stress.""You're right." Playing Nancy Drew is not what I should be doing now with everything else going on."At the same time, I'm not saying you shouldn't d
The Devil She Knows 26
Alessio"This is the last thing to do." Leif beams with a radiant smile, tapping the company ownership documents on my desk. The lawyer just dropped them off. "Everything officially belongs to you now. All you have to do is sign the documents.""Thank you, Uncle." I shake his outstretched hand, savoring the surge of victory. My new reality became real for me the moment I stepped inside Scarfoni Inc. earlier this morning.We're in my new office, on the fifteenth floor at the very top of the building.It used to belong to Leif. He felt I'd be more comfortable here than in my father's office. He was right.At the moment, my father's office is closed. No one is using it out of respect. Everyone knows he's not expected to make a return to the world of the living, but they won't do anything with it until after he's gone.I'm only honoring that because I want to make a good impression and I've already caused enough upheaval.All eyes were on me when I arrived earlier, and as Leif gave me the
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The Devil She Knows Epilogue
Camille"It's going to be so strange coming back after the summer and not seeing you," Lorelai says, sitting straighter."I know. I was thinking that the other day."We're under the tree on Raventhorn's campus. I'm waiting for Alessio to pick me up, and she's waiting for Dmitri. This is the first of many dates her father has arranged with him, and I know she's not happy about it.Although she's smiling, I also know she's still putting on a brave face because of Zakh. By now, everyone knows what he did and that he's basically being hunted.Lorelai and I haven't spoken about it much, but I know she's hurting deeply."You know you'll still see me, right?" I smile. "I just won't be at college for a year." Today, I did my deferment for next year. I'm due in January, but I have no plans to walk around campus in my pregnant state. We have another month of classes before the summer. By the time I get back, I'll be just over five months pregnant. I plan to resume my course the year after next
The Devil She Knows 96
CamilleThe next two days are awful, but Alessio is still with us.I've been sitting next to his bedside watching him fight for his life and hoping he'll come back to me.I pay attention to every sound on his monitors and watch for signs of anything and everything when the nurses and doctors check his vitals.I continue praying as the next day passes with the same results.His words keep ringing through my mind.We're not done yet, we're not done yet, we're not done yet.I just hope he knows I'm with him. Wherever he is, that's where I am, too.Heart, body, mind, and soul. He always had me long before I knew I'd given myself to him.Two weeks slip by and Alessio is still the same. I feel like I'm dancing on the edge of insanity.The doctors have kindly arranged for me to sleep next to him when I can, so I stay all night.Everyone is hoping he'll pull through and wake up soon, so everything has been put on hold, including Leif and Evgeni's funerals.On Friday night, I fall asleep next
The Devil She Knows 95
CamilleI look around frantically, not knowing what the hell to do but thinking this is an opening. A possible chance to escape, just like the one Dad told me to find. I just have to summon courage and look for my chance.We tear down the road off the building site, and then we're on a country road with the woods on either side.The sound of a motorcycle rips through the air. A sound I will never forget.The lazy day I remember at Raventhorn fills my head with the image of me sitting next to Lorelai by the tree, watching the motorcyclist rebel drive onto the campus.He's here again.I look behind me and see Alessio on his motorcycle tearing down the road. He's fought death to come and save me. I also spot Malik's car not far behind.Alessio shoots the wheels of the car. The tires blow, making Richard lose control of the vehicle.We run off the road, fly through the air for a few seconds, then land with a heavy thud on the ground. The car still has a lot of speed on it though, so it ke
The Devil She Knows 94
CamilleMy heart has been smashed into so many pieces it's impossible to count them all. It's no different to all the grains of sand in this world.My mind and body are disconnected, and my soul weeps for losing the love of my life. All that is left of me is an empty shell with nothing but a void inside.The only thing I can feel is the spark of life created with love in my belly, calling to me to stay alive. But I've already failed as a mother because there's nothing I can do.In my terror and grief, I'm here sitting on the floor of the bedroom I was taken to after Mira killed Dad, feeling sorry for myself.I don't know what this place is. It seems like Mira conducts something medical here. Apart from the armed guards, on my way up I saw offices and labs with clinical staff. I also saw other storage rooms and bedrooms like this.We're on the third floor, so quite high up with no possible way of escape. If I were to even try, I'm sure this shitty tunic Mira forced me to wear would get
The Devil She Knows 93
AlessioEverything is gray.I'm not sure if I'm alive or dead, or in a dream.My mind searches around the gray nothingness and the vast expanse of the void before me.I feel nothing at first, then something warm caresses my cheek. My name is spoken, soft and sweet, and I wonder if it's her.Camille. Did I make it? Did I find her? Did I save her?My wife.My eyes flutter open, but the grayness that looks like thick smoke prevents me from seeing anything. Then a light that's far too bright shines down on me, and I blink rapidly.At first, the ceiling of my living room comes into focus, then a man's face hovers before me.It's Leif's on-call doctor, Dr. O'Brien.Leif...Camille...At the thought of their names, reality crashes into my mind and I bolt up."Easy, there," Dr. O'Brien says, laying a heavy hand on my chest and pushing me back down. I'm on the sofa, and a quick glance at the bandage wrapped around my body suggests I took a hit in the blast.Gytha moves toward me, with worry in
The Devil She Knows 92
CamilleA chill rushes over me. "What do you mean? What did she do to me?""Even though she wasn't ethically allowed to be your therapist, she gave you medication to stop you from remembering."I cover my mouth, holding in the wave of shock that's ripping me apart. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Only God knows how hard I tried to remember, but I was never going to be able to because Mira was suppressing my memories with medication. I was such a fool to believe she was the person she portrayed to be. She was never the fucking motherly figure. All along, she was my enemy."You allowed her to do that to me.""I had no choice. She did everything she could to control our lives and make sure you didn't remember what happened. But the nightmares were always a worry even when they went away.""She told me it was my brain's way of trying to remember.""It was, and we feared you'd see something to trigger those memories. Or you'd just remember everything by some miracle. The whole thing torm
The Devil She Knows 91
CamilleI roll my head to the side and groan. Someone strokes my cheek, and I open my eyes.At first, my vision is hazy, but when everything comes into focus, I find myself staring at a gray concrete wall. The light around me reminds me of the kind you'd use for a storage room.My cheek is stroked again, and I turn my head to find Dad hovering over me. He has a long beard, blood-shot eyes, and his face looks like someone did a number on him.We're on the floor, and my head is nestled in his lap. It takes me a moment for my brain to connect and remember. Remember all he did and what he took from me. My family and my life.The instant I remember, I scream and jump out of his hold."Get away from me!" The panic in my voice is mixed with rage and fear."Camille, please."I back away into a wall, crashing hard against the surface. Then I notice the real problem we've found ourselves in.We're in some sort of cell, and while I am free, there are chains attached to Dad's ankles, keeping him
The Devil She Knows 90
Alessio"Leif..."A creak sounds outside the door. Another follows, and another.It's footsteps on the floorboards. Since it's not coming from the front entrance, I know it's not Zakh or Malik, so it must be someone else who's already here.Readying my gun, I get up and charge through the door. Whoever the fuck is here, and isn't supposed to be, is going to die a very painful death.I move out into the hallway, looking around frantically to see who it is but find nothing.When I turn around, something sharp enters my neck; then there's a tinging pain that feels like I'm being stung by a bee.I touch the spot and feel... a fucking dart?I pull it out and look at the sharp needle at the end, quickly realizing when spots speckle my vision that it's a tranquilizer. Like the kind our enforcers use when they want to bring people in for interrogation. Before my mind can truly register what's happening, my arms go numb then limp at my side.This can't be an ordinary tranq. I'd be out like a l
The Devil She Knows 89
Alessio"I'll be with you in a few hours." I balance my phone between my ear and shoulder while I pick up the last contract document from the pile on my desk."Try not to stay at work too long," Leif says, his voice sounding raspy over the phone. It still holds that melancholic tone I feel. "Losing yourself in work isn't always best.""I know. I still feel off." I swivel my chair around and gaze out the window toward the skyline. Rain is falling, so outside is a little darker than it should be for this time of day. It suits the sullen mood I can't seem to shake."I feel the same, my boy. I've been questioning my actions and decision to keep you a secret since we found out the truth. I can't express how guilty I feel about that.""Uncle, you rescued me from certain death. Of course, you were in the right for keeping me a secret." I know if I were him, I would have done the same thing. And I pray I'll never be in that position. "I owe you my life, and I still think of you as my father.
