Page 155 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

I swallow hard, fighting to keep my expression neutral. But I can feel my mask slipping as the worry for Atlas threatens to crack my composure.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “I am. And that’s… related to the reason I’m here. We need another favor.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, surprise crossing her delicate features.

Since the first time I met her when she and the three Voronin brothers came to meet with my father at Blood and Ink, Willow has struck me as an incongruous mix of softness and steel.

She’s sweet and gentle, but there’s something else beneath the surface that always made me certain that she’s as tough as I am on the inside.

That toughness is evident as she crosses her arms, cocking her head slightly. “Another one? You’re racking up quite a tab with us.”

I nod, acknowledging the truth in her words. “I know, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. But we have no one else to ask. It’s… about Atlas. He’s been taken.”

Some of the pain that’s crushing my chest leaks out in my words, and Willow’s expression shifts, empathy flashing through her eyes. She studies us for a long moment, her gaze flicking between me, Killian, and Nico. Finally, she sighs and steps aside.

“Come in. We’ll talk inside.”

Once we’re inside, it only takes a second to spot the Voronin brothers. All three of them stride into the foyer at the same time—the twins, Malice and Vic, and their younger brother, Ransom.

Malice is holding their adorable baby girl, Dayana, in his arms, and he and his brothers watch us with unreadable expressions, their postures relaxed but alert.

Willow glances at the three of them, some unspoken communication passing between them all.

Then she leads us deeper into the warehouse and gestures for us to sit at a large table in an open area that looks like it probably serves as their dining room.

As we settle onto our seats, I can see my men eyeing the brothers.

There’s no open hostility, but the tension in the air is palpable.

“So,” Willow says, leaning forward on her elbows. “What’s this favor you need?”

I take another deep breath, steeling myself. “We need more information about the Dark Lotus Syndicate. Specifically, we need a way to contact Malcolm Mercer.”

The reaction is immediate. Willow’s eyes widen as Vic and Ransom exchange a loaded glance, and Malice shifts Dayana in his inked arms, his jaw tight.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Vic asks, his voice low. “From the research I already did about that organization, you know how dangerous they are. You’d be better off staying far away from them.”

“That’s not an option.” I shake my head firmly. “No matter how dangerous it is, I need to talk to Malcolm Mercer.”

Malice’s eyes narrow as he studies me, and Ransom lets out a low whistle. Vic hasn’t blinked once since I mentioned the DLS, his gaze locked on me with an almost unnatural stillness. But I ignore all of them, focusing on Willow instead.

“Please,” I murmur quietly. “Anything you can dig up for us. Anything you can tell us would help. I have to talk to Malcolm. Atlas’s life depends on it.”

She reacts to that, her lips pursing slightly as a crease appears between her brows. I can feel her studying me, reading the desperation in my face, and I don’t try to hide it. We need their help, and I’m not above letting her see how badly we need it.

For a long moment, the room is silent, broken only by a soft sound from Dayana as she nuzzles closer to Malice’s broad chest in her sleep. Then Willow draws in a deep breath and turns to her three men.

“I think we need to help them,” she says quietly.

Malice shakes his head, his hard expression a complete contrast to the gentle way he’s holding their daughter. “No, Solnyshka. It’s not our problem. We’ve got enough on our plate.”

Vic nods in agreement, but Ransom chews on his lip thoughtfully, the piercing in his eyebrow glinting as his brows draw together.

“I know it’s not our problem,” Willow admits, rising from her seat and crossing toward Malice. She rests a hand on his arm. “But it’s not always about that. Sometimes it’s about helping a friend. Right?”

Malice grunts, his thumb stroking over Dayana’s chubby arm as he gazes down at Willow.

“Jesus. That fucking heart of yours.” There’s pride and adoration in his voice, and he leans down and kisses her hard.

It’s not a deep kiss, but it’s so loaded with emotion that I look away, feeling almost voyeuristic for watching them.

“You’re the best fucking person I know, Solnyshka.

Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.

But getting involved with the Dark Lotus Syndicate…

it’s not just dangerous. It could be suicide if shit goes sideways. ”

Willow squeezes his arm, glancing between him and his brothers.

“I know it could be risky, but Quinn will be taking on most of that risk. She just needs our help finding a way to get in touch with Malcolm Mercer. We can’t just sit by and do nothing.

Jonah didn’t have to help us when we came to him, desperate and out of options.

So even if we’ve technically paid off that debt already…

we can’t just walk away from his daughter if she’s in as bad of a situation as we were.

Everything we have, the life we’ve built together?

We owe it to Jonah. That’s not something I can ever forget. ”

As always, the mention of my father makes a familiar tightness build inside my chest. I fucking hate that he’s gone, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him, but there’s a small rush of pride in the knowledge that he played such an important role in Willow and the Voronin brothers’ lives. He would be proud of that, I think.

And Willow’s words clearly hold weight with all of her men. One by one, the stiffness in their posture eases a bit, their expressions turning somber and serious.

Finally, Vic nods. “Alright. I’ll do some digging and see what I can find.”

Malice makes a noise in his throat, obviously not thrilled about this but not arguing. “Just research, right? We’ll help her find a way to contact this Malcolm guy, but we’re not getting any more involved than that.”

Willow beams at them, going up on her toes to press another kiss to Malice’s cheek before doing the same to Victor and Ransom. “That’s all I’m asking for now. Thank you.”

I draw in a shaky breath, relief spreading through me. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a start.

“Thank you.” I echo her words, my own voice rough with emotion. “You have no idea how much this means to us.”