Ashes

by Aleatha Romig

  “You do. You said so yourself. You will be that Miss Warning.”

  “Miss Warner,” I said softly.

  “Yes, Miss Warner.”

  “They were given a bit of heroin to ease their nerves,” Andros said as if discussing a mild sedative. “They’ll be given more. Much of the night they won’t even remember.”

  Oh my God.

  “If I don’t?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. “Would you rather not remember your last night?”

  My head shook. “Ruby?”

  “Will be waiting for you when you complete your assignment.”

  As I turned toward the door where we’d stopped, he once again gripped my arm. “Have them ready in two hours. I’ll send someone for you. Then you will present them to my men—their main attraction. This loyalty will show them that you can be trusted.”

  I looked up to his dark stare. “I don’t want to do this.”

  “Is that a concern of mine? Your wants and desires are comprised of Ruby. Is that not true?”

  I took a deep breath. “Yes, Andros. It’s true.”

  He shrugged. “These women, they can know your name. They won’t be alive to tell another soul.”

  My breasts pushed against the bodice as I gripped the doorknob and turned.

  The room was empty except for three bodies upon the floor. All three were without clothes.

  I brought my hand to my nose as the stench of their bodily fluids floated through the air.

  All three had various bruising that led me to believe the men hadn’t fully waited to share. One with red hair lifted her head. Drool pooled on the floor as her enlarged pupils came my way.

  “Help us.”

  I went to the side door to the attached dressing room and opened it. Inside was a bathroom with a large two-stall shower. Unlike the opulence of most of the compound, this was very generic, like locker rooms I’d seen on television shows. Upon hooks on the wall were gowns and shoes.

  How did they know their sizes?

  There was a long mirror with three stools and a counter filled with cosmetics.

  I turned back to the women. “I’m here to help. My name is Madeline.”

  The other two women were also looking my way. “You’re going to help us?” a blonde woman asked as she slowly sat up. Wobbling, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  It was the way I remembered sitting in the cell-house basement. I took a deep breath, taking in the stench. “Yes, I’m going to help. First, let’s get you cleaned up.”

  Slowly the women began to stand. The heroin must have affected their coordination. I didn’t know anything about drugs. Other than what I’d been given during Ruby’s birth, I’d only once had a glass of wine when Andros brought it to my suite. They teetered as they tried to get their footings.

  I rushed to the redhead who had spoken first and offered her my hand. “Let me help you.”

  “Are we going to be released?”

  The blonde began to cry. “They killed our men. Mine was my husband.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “You’ll feel better after you’re clean.”

  The redhead gripped my hand. “Can we trust you?”

  Trust.

  I nodded, picturing my beautiful six-month-old daughter. “Yes, trust me. Tonight will be your last night here. After your showers, you will get dressed and apply some makeup. It will make you feel better.”

  The redhead wrapped her arms around me. In an instant I was transformed back to the basement within the cell house, the odors, the damp concrete floor—at least they were on what had been clean tile—and the cold hose shower.

  I took a step back, still offering my hand. “Come with me. Let’s get the water warm. Warm water makes everything better.”

  “Miss Madeline,” Natasha, one of Andros’s staff, said, bringing me back to my suite and away from my memories. “Are you all right?”

  I sniffed as I realized I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and around me gowns lay scattered, pulled from their hangers, balled up, and tossed around the bed. “I guess…” I took a deep breath. “I’m sad, Natasha.”

  “Why, miss?”

  “This suite is all I’ve known and Ruby is next door.”

  “Yes, but Mr. Ivanov wants you to move to his suite. It’s beautiful. You’ve seen it, right?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t.”

  “Oh, miss, you will be happy there. And in all my time, he’s never moved anyone into his suite. It’s an honor.”

  An honor.

  My gaze went to the pocket door leading to Ruby’s room. “I’ll miss my daughter.”

  “You will still see her. And Irina is moving into this room. Miss Ruby won’t be alone.” She began picking up the gowns from the floor. “I will have these pressed for you and have them brought to Mr. Ivanov’s suite.”

  “Thank you, Natasha. I’m going to go to Ruby for a bit before I have to leave.”

  “I’ll take care of this for you,” she said, collecting my clothes.

  Patrick

  Present day

  Leaving Madeline asleep in our bed, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer. Quietly closing the bedroom door, I began pulling the shirt over my head as I walked down the hallway. Entering the living room as the shirt cleared my eyes, I stopped cold in my tracks.

  “Um, hi,” I practically stuttered. You’d think a man who was capable of what I’d done today to the Millstones would have a better command over the English language when coming face-to-face with his teenage daughter.

  Ruby’s dark hair lay in one long braid draping over her shoulder as she looked up from the tablet in her hand. “Oh, hey, you.”

  “Maybe we could try Patrick?”

  Nodding, she asked, “Is Mom asleep?”

  “She is. Do you need something?”

  Ruby shrugged. “I thought I could sleep down here tonight if you don’t mind. Even though the penthouse is huge, I get the feeling I’m cramping Mr. Sparrow’s style.”

  A scoff escaped my nose. “Ruby, of course I don’t mind. I would like nothing more than this to be your home. You’re welcome to stay wherever you want. Have you checked out the two spare rooms in this apartment?”

  “Yeah, they’re kind of generic.”

  “Well, that’s me. Why don’t you pick one room and then figure out what additions or substitutions it needs to make it yours, a place you’ll feel comfortable and at home?”

  Her blue eyes shone as she looked up from the sofa. “Really? I mean, I need to go to school, so I won’t, like, live here all the time.”

  The message from Reid had said he wanted me down on 2. They had information about the Ortizes and something important about the Ivanov bratva, yet continuing this conversation suddenly felt if not more important than that, then equally so.

  Going to the kitchen, I popped a coffee pod into the coffee maker and reached for a mug. Turning back toward the living room, I again marveled at how much Ruby looked like her mother at the same age. There were the obvious differences. Ruby wasn’t homeless or hungry. She didn’t need to steal apples to live. Those issues alone gave her an aura of confidence Maddie lacked long ago. Nevertheless, the similarities outweighed the differences. Her mannerisms were very much like her mother’s, such as the way she sat with one leg beneath her and the way she teased the end of her braid, wrapping her hair around her fingers until it hung in a curl.

  Ruby looked my way.

  Warmth filled my cheeks at being caught staring at my own daughter. “I’m sorry we don’t have hot chocolate.” It was all I could think to say. “We’ll get some.”

  “Lorna gave me a few pods to bring down here. I put them in the cabinet above the coffee maker.”

  Opening the cabinet, I saw six hot chocolate pods that could be made just as I’d made the coffee. “Would you like one?”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  On
ce my coffee was done brewing, I took the cup and sat upon the sofa. “I’m not even going to pretend I have any clue what I’m doing when it comes to you,” I said honestly. “Your mom and I married when we weren’t much older than you, but essentially, for the last seventeen years, I’ve been single. After she and I lost touch, I joined the army. After that, I moved back here, to Chicago. At first, I lived in an off-campus apartment by myself. That lasted for a few years while I attended the University of Chicago. Then, Sparrow had a vision for this place.” I lifted my chin. “Pretty fucking lofty…” I cleared my throat. “Sorry.”

  Ruby snickered. “I’ve heard worse.”

  “But you don’t say it?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes. Go on.”

  “He had this vision for…” I tried to think of the best description.

  “World domination?” Ruby offered.

  It was my turn to laugh. “You do catch on fast. That may eventually be his goal; however, his vision started with a plan for the city. He had the means, the willpower, and eventually the opportunity to make it happen. Mason, Reid, and I were fortunate enough to be included in his plans. Since then, I’ve been here.” I gestured about the room. “And do you know what has never been in this apartment?”

  “A teenager.”

  “Yes, you got me. However, I was thinking hot chocolate.” I lifted my brows, opening my eyes wider. “Can you believe it? Never has it been here, not one drop or one cup.” My smile broadened. “And opening the cupboard just now and seeing it there made me realize how much I’ve missed by not having hot chocolate around.”

  “You’re being corny.”

  “Maybe, but it’s true. I didn’t know I was missing hot chocolate until I found it. So, yeah, the rooms are generic because for seventeen years I missed out on princesses or cats or whatever it was you liked. I know you will go away to school because it’s what you and your mom want. First, we have to be sure you’re safe.”

  “From Andros?”

  I shrugged as I sat back against the leather and lifted one ankle to the other knee, exposing my ankle and canvas loafers. “He’s part of the equation. It’s no secret I don’t like the guy. I’m not thrilled with what I knew before or anything your mom has said since, but my gut tells me that he wouldn’t hurt you. The thing is I’m afraid he would hurt your mom, and the best way to do that is through you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “So back to the subject of the bedroom—pick one and make it yours. You may go on back to your school or maybe to a new one, but shouldn’t there be a place that you can call home? A home base? Even with my generic sense of style, that’s what this place has been for me, a place where I can relax and be me. Make the bedroom and every fuck—” I shook my head. “Every cabinet, closet, inch of this apartment a place you would want to visit summers and breaks.”

  “Thanks, Patrick.”

  “I missed out. I don’t want to miss out on more.”

  “I get why Mom feels safe with you.” She shrugged as she looked down at the tablet. “I’m still worried about her.”

  I lowered my foot and leaned forward. “Will you tell me why?”

  She looked up with her blue eyes. “I don’t know. I can’t describe it. It’s like she seems happy and also sad.” Ruby’s head shook. “Just different.”

  “She’s been through a lot. Now that it’s over, I’m afraid she’s drowning, and I just want her to know I’m here with a life raft.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your mom never meant to find me again nor I her. I hope she knows that here she’s safe and loved. That’s what I’ve always wanted.” I tried to come up with a way to describe my theory. “Your mom said you liked to spend time at Ivanov’s place on Padre Island?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you ever swim in the gulf?”

  Ruby’s blue eyes narrowed. “I played and walked on the sand and got in the water but not really to swim. Mom always wanted me to swim in the pool.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess it was safer.”

  “Okay, imagine going for a swim in the gulf and getting caught in the undercurrents or riptides. Imagine swimming for your life, knowing that not only could the water pull you down but there were also other dangers like sharks and stingrays.”

  “I think I’ll stick to pools.”

  A grin came to my face. “Maybe swimming wasn’t your choice; you fell from a boat or were pushed. The point is that you have to make it to the shore. Once you do, once you make it to shore, what would you do?”

  “I don’t know,” Ruby said. “Collapse.” She appeared to give it more thought. “I’d probably cry.”

  “Why? You’re safe.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know I would be. I was probably scared to death.”

  “And once you’re on the beach, what would you be thinking?”

  “I guess,” she said, “about all the things that could have hurt me.”

  “Why didn’t you cry while you were out in the water?”

  “Because I had to concentrate on swimming and making it to shore.”

  I nodded. “I think your mom has been swimming for seventeen years. I hope she’s not sad now that she’s made it to the shore. However, I think that now that she’s safe, she’s exhausted from the journey. And like you said, she’s thinking about the things she couldn’t concentrate on before because she had to use her energy to keep swimming.”

  “Like Dory,” Ruby said.

  “Who?”

  “Are you sure you’re not some kind of shrink?” my daughter asked.

  “I’m not, but I have always found human behavior fascinating. I watch people. It’s part of what I do. I learn a lot about them from observing. People don’t always tell you what they’re thinking or feeling, but they show you if you’ll just look.”

  “And you’re looking at Mom.”

  I nodded. “I am. Like I said, I want her to feel safe, but I realize that won’t happen overnight. She has a lot to process.”

  “That’s really cool that you see her, like really see her.”

  “She needs you too, Ruby,” I said. “Give us some time to make sure you can go back to school and be not only safe and comfortable, but also so your mom can be assured you’re not in danger.”

  Ruby peered down the hallway and back. “I like the bedroom next to your office,” she said. “The view is the best. My school was in the country. I like all the lights.”

  “Then it’s yours.” I stood. “I need to go. Give the room a try.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “There’s a floor below this one where the four of us do the lion’s share of our work. Reid sent me a text and asked me to go down there.”

  “I tried pushing that button—the number two—in the elevator. It doesn’t work.”

  “For you,” I clarified.

  “So if you’re supposed to be doing some super-spy-slash-watching stuff, how come you’re sitting here with me?”

  Grinning, I reached for my mug of coffee. “Because I don’t want to miss out.”

  “Well, go. Do whatever you do and make it so Mom and I can feel the way you said.”

  “Please know that I have never been happier about hot chocolate.”

  Ruby shook her head. “Good night, Patrick.”

  A few minutes later, I was on 2 with my palm near the sensor. The Sparrow world was on the verge of a full-out war and my mind was on a pretty brunette with my color eyes in my living room and her beautiful mother in my bed. I shook my head as the steel door slid to the side and Reid and Mason came into view.

  “Did you take the long way?” Mason asked.

  “Now he knows what it’s like to get called down here in the middle of the night and leave his better half,” Reid said with a grin.

  “I’m guessing you didn’t call me down here to give me a hard time.”

  My two friends looked at one another and smiled.

  “Isn’t that M
adeline’s job?” Mason mumbled as Reid laughed.

  Assholes.

  And I didn’t know what I’d do without them.

  “What’s happening?” I asked.

  Madeline

  Over fourteen years ago

  My head ached and stomach churned as I walked alongside Adrik down the long corridors. No longer did I ask my purpose or what I needed to do. For over the last year, I’d been called upon more times than I chose to remember to complete the job deemed uniquely mine.

  My steps stuttered and I reached out to the wall, bending at the waist.

  “Ms. Miller?”

  I shook my head as I concentrated on breathing in and breathing out, hoping the nausea would pass. “Give me a moment.”

  Quickly, my gaze went to the large man at my side. I didn’t like him, mostly because of our limited history. If I gave it much thought, that history was probably more Andros’s doing than Adrik’s, but nevertheless, I chose to focus my dislike upon the one man I could more easily avoid. Unfortunately, I wasn’t avoiding him at the moment.

  In general, I had very few opinions about the men in the Ivanov bratva. The ones Andros allowed near Ruby and I were true to him, which was their job. It was all of our jobs. Adrik and Sasha were his two closest associates, the men I came into contact with the most other than those assigned to me, such as my tutor Tadeas, Dr. Kotov, or a recent addition, a bodyguard named Oleg. Though I hadn’t been told—decisions were not joint but Andros’s alone—I had reason to believe that Oleg wasn’t assigned to me but instead to Ruby. Now that she spent more hours away from me, I found reassurance that either Irina or Oleg were always near her.

  While I knew very little about the workings of this brotherhood, I had learned some bits and pieces of information simply by listening. After Ruby’s birth, I’d asked to continue my studies with Tadeas. I’d never given education much thought, but as a mother, I wanted to be informed for my daughter. Now, Tadeas and I only met three times a week for three hours each, but with each meeting, he always left me feeling as though I learned something and empowered my belief that I was capable of learning more. Even though the concentration of my studies was on history, I found that through osmosis, I was also learning a new language.