Page 97 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

Willow draws in a deep breath, bouncing Dayana lightly as the little girl’s eyes drift closed.

“You’re right. We owed your father a favor, and with him dead, that means we owe you. It’s the least we can do.”

She shoots her men a pointed look as she says that last part, as if trying to head off any arguments they might have, but all three of them nod.

The knot of tension in my gut unwinds a bit. I didn’t really think that they’d refuse to help me, but it’s a relief to know that they’re willing to honor the agreement they made with my father.

“I really am sorry about what happened to him,” Willow adds softly. “All four of us owe him our lives. If he hadn’t agreed to help us, there’s a good chance none of us would’ve walked away from that fight. He was tough as nails, and he seemed like a good man.”

Her simple words, and the sympathy I can hear in her voice, hit me harder than I expected.

I’m not sure I ever gave myself enough time to grieve his passing—there were too many pressing things for me to deal with as I stepped into his shoes, working hard to keep Enigma together and carry on his legacy.

And even a year later, it hurts to think of him, like opening up a fresh wound all over again.

I swallow hard against the lump forming in my throat, blinking rapidly to get rid of the telltale sting of tears pricking my eyes. I can’t afford to get emotional. Not here. Not now.

“He was a good man,” I say simply. “The best.”

Shoving my thoughts and memories aside with a hell of a lot of effort, I force myself to focus on the reason we came here.

“I need your help tracking down the identity of someone who’s been communicating with the Princes,” I state, keeping my voice carefully level. “He goes by the name ‘The Saint’, and he’s hired them anonymously for some jobs. He’s been communicating via encrypted messages.”

Willow exchanges a weighted look with Malice, Victor, and Ransom, some unspoken thought seeming to pass between the four of them. Even little Dayana seems to sense the sudden tension in the air, waking up and letting out a soft whimper.

“Vic can probably help with that,” Willow says, adjusting Dayana in her arms. “If anyone can trace encrypted communications and find out who’s behind them, it’s him.”

Victor gives a confident nod, his expression sharp. “I’ll need access to the messages, but even with heavy encryption, I should be able to give you more information about who’s been sending them.”

Nico nods. “We can give you access to the messages right now.”

“Good.” Victor jerks his chin. “Come upstairs. All of my computers are up there.”

“Quinn, you can stay with Willow,” Malice adds. “The other three, come with us.”

His gaze cuts to the Princes, clear distrust still simmering in his eyes—but at least it isn’t outright hostility anymore.

Nico seems to bristle slightly at the challenge in Malice’s tone, but he doesn’t argue. I get the feeling he’s trying to keep things as civil as possible, for my sake. Or maybe just for the sake of getting the information he wants.

With a few brief words exchanged between them, Malice, Vic, and Ransom head for the stairs, gesturing for Nico, Killian, and Atlas to follow.

All three of the Princes shoot me a version of the same concerned look, but I give a subtle nod, letting them know that I’ll be fine down here with Willow.

I know she’s a lot tougher than she looks, but she’s holding a baby, for fuck’s sake.

It’s not like she’s gonna jump me as soon as my men leave the room.

The men , I correct myself mentally, grimacing. Not my men .

All six of the men disappear up to the second level of the warehouse, and the tension in the air finally eases a bit once I’m left alone with Willow and baby Dayana. I find myself relaxing slightly as Willow settles onto a nearby couch and gestures for me to join her, cradling her daughter close.

“She’s cute,” I offer somewhat awkwardly, glancing at Dayana as she nestles deeper into her mother’s arms.

“Thanks.” Willow chuckles, her tone fond. “She’s got all three of her daddies wrapped around her little pinky finger already. I caught Vic singing a lullaby to her the other day. It was so fucking sweet.”

“I bet,” I say, although I honestly can’t imagine the stone-faced man singing any song, much less a lullaby. Then again, I saw how he looked at Willow, and at Dayana too. So I guess it’s not that unbelievable.

“So…” Willow glances over at me, her tone casual but her eyes sharp with curiosity. “Those three men you came in with seem pretty protective of you. What’s the deal there?”

I blink, almost choking on my next breath. I can’t believe she picked up on anything between us, and I’m completely caught off guard by the question. If she’d asked me something about Enigma or the current threat we’ve been facing, I would have a ready answer for her.

But this? I have no idea what to say.

“It’s… complicated,” I admit, settling back against the couch cushions. “We’re not… I mean, there’s nothing going on between us. Not really.”

Willow raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Come on. I saw the way they were looking at you. The way they all stood close to you like that. And I saw the way you looked at them too.”

I shake my head, feeling a familiar twist of frustration in my gut. “It’s not like that. They’re my enemies. This is just a temporary truce while we deal with this Saint situation.”

“Enemies?” Willow echoes, her brows rising. “That’s a pretty strong word.”

I let out a heavy sigh, twisting a lock of teal hair between my fingers. “Yeah, well, it’s accurate. We’ve got a complicated history, and not in a good way. Trust me, once this is all over, we’ll go right back to hating each other.”

Willow nods slowly, her gaze growing thoughtful.

She glances toward the stairs where her men disappeared with the Princes a few minutes ago.

“I felt that way too, once. I was sure I would hate the Voronin brothers forever. And then one day, I realized I didn’t.

Not only that, I realized they were the only ones who would have my back no matter what. ”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, shaking something loose inside me that I’ve been desperately trying to keep buried. The conviction in her voice, the certainty in her eyes—it rattles me in a way I can’t quite explain.

I open my mouth to deny the implication behind her statement, but the words seem to catch in my throat.

Swallowing hard, I force out a dismissive scoff.

“For you and them, maybe. But your story isn’t mine.

The Princes and I may be working together for now, but we’re never going to be more than allies of convenience, at best.”

Even as I say it out loud, a tiny flicker of doubt flares in the back of my mind. I can’t afford to dwell on it though.

Willow studies me with an expression that’s full of so much empathy and understanding that I can’t help but feel like she’s been exactly where I am at one point in her life. I squirm a little under her gaze, glancing away as silence falls between us.

I really don’t want to talk about whatever shit is going on between me and the Princes anymore, and thankfully, Willow seems to pick up on that and doesn’t push the issue, letting the subject drop.

We talk about mundane things for a few moments, her catching me up on her life since I last saw her, and me filling her in on a bit of what’s been going on with Enigma since I stepped into the role of leader.

Several minutes later, the sound of footsteps on the stairs signals the return of the Princes and the Voronin brothers.

“It’s going to take a while,” Victor announces. “I’m working on decrypting and tracking the messages, but I won’t have any answers for you for several days, at least.”

I rise quickly to my feet, eager to get out of this place that suddenly feels a little too full of love and domestic bliss for my liking.

“Fine. We should get going,” I announce, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “We’ve got a lot more work to do.”