Hey guys, I hope you're doing well! Read on for more shenanigans (but not with the squad)! Also please note, there is a bit of a content warning for the events of this chapter; see the disclaimer section below for more details.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan and Alexei's Moscow friends, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. I have no intention of profiting off the Embassy Row series in any way. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.
The events that happen in this fanfiction are not meant to be representative of real life. Any similarities to any real-life events or fictional works is purely coincidental and not intentional (with the exception of the original Embassy Row books by Ally Carter since this fanfiction is literally Take the Key and Lock Her Up but from Alexei's, not Grace's, perspective). The character's actions may not always reflect my own opinions or views. Based on what happens in this chapter (spoiler alert), I do not condone attempted kidnapping or physical violence.
Content warning: moderate
This fanfiction is rated M, for explicit and suggestive themes (such as mental health and abuse), language, and violence. This chapter contains graphic depictions of attempted kidnapping and mentions of physical violence, death, breaking out of institutions, mental health struggles, and harming others. Please read at your own discretion.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Paging Mall Security
"Thank you so much, Dominic," I said, as I walked out of the Apple store with him and Karina.
"No worries," he replied. Dominic had taken Karina and I to the mall to get affairs in order, starting with getting ID's and setting up new bank accounts. Then, he had taken us to the Apple store to get me a laptop and phone. I had been thrilled to get a new Macbook Pro and iPhone but didn't know how I'd ever repay Dominic for it. He had considered getting Karina a phone too but she was still slightly out of it and not fully getting the concept of a phone. He eventually settled for an iPad, as she had been fascinated by all the children's apps, like the koi fish pond and digital colouring books.
Karina had calmed down from the squad's Spanish inquisition earlier this morning and had walked around the mall in awe, gazing at all the stores. So far, she had been handling herself well on this outing, giving me hope that she was recovering better than I expected.
We passed by the smoothie shop, which had been one of my favourite haunts before my life went downhill this summer. I couldn't stop myself from staring at it longingly.
"Do you want anything?" I turned towards Dominic, who was nodding at the smoothie shop. He must have noticed my staring.
"Thank you, but I can't. Not after everything that you've done for us already," I reiterated, forever grateful for Dominic for helping Karina and I settle into a new life in Adria.
"I don't mind, it's not a big deal. Just a little something to tide you over until dinner," Dominic said. As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly. An amused smirk lit up Dominic's face as he raised his eyebrows.
"Okay fine, we can stop for a small snack," I conceded. I got my usual green smoothie with a double shot of protein powder while Dominic went for a protein shake, which didn't surprise me at all. He got a berry smoothie for Karina, which seemed to placate her, especially since she was enthralled by the pink colour. We sat down on the patio, taking a moment to enjoy our drinks.
"Good?" Dominic asked me, sipping his protein shake.
"You have no idea," I mumbled around a mouthful of smoothie. I took another huge gulp. Freedom had never tasted so good or so sweet.
We enjoyed a few moments of quiet, sipping our drinks, until Karina suddenly shot up, dancing like she had ants in her pants.
"I need to pee," she said bluntly. Her erratic movements had attracted the curiosity of a few people nearby. I glared at them, hoping to deflect any unwanted attention, as that was the last thing I needed.
Dominic stood up, looking at me. "I'll take Karina to the washroom. Will you be okay on your own for a moment?" I nodded. After the two of them left, I let out a quiet breath, taking in my surroundings. The mall was bustling at this time, full of high school students chilling after school and adults doing last-minute shopping after work. Even something as simple as this, chilling at the mall, would be something I'd never take for granted again. I realized it was the little things in life that I really missed and made it worth living.
The patio was pretty packed, with people enjoying an early dinner or after-work drinks. Only a few tables were still empty. As if I had conjured it, a trio of women settled down at the table next to ours, fancy coffees in hand. They all wore sunglasses and hats, shading themselves from the intense sun. They conversed in quiet tones in Adrian. Clearly, this was not a group of tourists, but locals trying to remain discreet.
As I sipped my smoothie, savouring the moment, the group of women kept peeking over at me. That was weird. I instinctively looked behind me, wondering if something else had caught their attention. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Until I spotted the two burly security guards positioned at opposite ends of the patio, seamlessly blending in, keeping an eye out for any and all danger. At first glance, they looked like mall security guards. But something made me do a double take. The guards weren't in the uniforms worn by mall security. No, these were special, elite uniforms, only for those in the highest ranks of palace security. A cold sweat washed over me as I took in the situation with new eyes.
I dared another peek at the three women, who suddenly seemed more sinister, more than an average group of middle-aged women enjoying a late afternoon coffee catch-up. Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed. What were they doing out, meeting in pubic, instead of at the Society headquarters or in the palace? And why were they at the mall, of all places?
I looked down, taking another large gulp of my smoothie. I tried to keep my head down, looking anywhere but the adjacent table. However, I couldn't help but feel I was being watched, the unsettling feeling creeping over me. Against my better judgement, I quickly glanced at the neighbouring table, trying to be as discreet as possible. Unfortunately, I caught the attention of all three women, their heads immediately snapping to me as they moved like one trained mass, like a set of vultures eyeing their prey. I was forced to make eye contact with them, the reality of the situation sinking in.
The disguises, the guards. No. It couldn't be. But sure enough, the tall, thin woman smiled, cordial and diplomatic to anyone's eye except mine.
"What a pleasure, Alexei," Princess Ann said. She sounded friendly; yet, she was anything but to me. She had an ulterior motive and knew that I knew it. I grunted a hello in response, not wanting to engage much further.
The prime minister shook her head while Ms. Chancellor clucked her tongue before speaking. "My, Mr. Volkov, where are your manners? I know you were raised better than this and you know it too."
"I'm not feeling particularly diplomatic today," I snarled.
"That's a shame, your mother would be so disappointed." Princess Ann shook her head sadly, as if this was a cruel tragedy.
"Do not bring Karina into this," I growled.
"Why not? That was her, wasn't it? With Dominic." Princess Ann glanced casually in the direction of the washrooms, where Dominic and Karina had disappeared to. I kept my face neutral, not wanting to give anything away.
Princess Ann laughed, a bitter sound to my ears. "Don't be so foolish, Alexei. When one of the most unstable patients escapes the strictest psychiatric hospital on this side of Europe, it's going to reach all the high-ranking government and royal officials." Despite the trap she was trying to lure me into, I stayed silent. My eyes flicked over to Ms. Chancellor, not missing the wary look she gave me.
I hoped the situation would diffuse itself as I chose to ignore the three women who continued chatting, glaring at me on occasion. Unfortunately, Dominic and Karina returned at that exact moment. Moving again like one mass, the three women swivelled to look at Karina, eyes trained on her.
I prayed that Karina wouldn't notice the sudden attention on her. So far, it was fine, as her and Dominic casually walked back to the table. However, something on my face must have given me away, as Dominic caught my eye, before quickly glancing over at the three women. We silently nodded at each other, confirming our suspicions.
Although we had hoped to be discreet, Karina somehow caught on, making me think perhaps she was more lucid than either of us had realized. She briefly looked at the three women. Realizing what had happened, the trio immediately huddled together, bringing their heads close as they conversed in hushed tones.
That only piqued Karina's interest, as she broke away from Dominic, marching right towards the group. Dominic and I exchanged a worried look. I stood up, ready to take action before Dominic subtly shook his head at me. I sat back down, watching as he sped-walk towards Karina. He grabbed her arm, trying to coax her away from that table, steering her back towards ours. However, she wasn't having any of it, as she walked right up to the trio, eyes fixed on them.
"Hello, there," Karina said. The three women exchanged a long look.
"Hello," the prime minister finally said.
"Sorry to interrupt, ladies," Dominic said smoothly, as he tugged on Karina's arm, pretending he didn't know any of the women. However, Karina was having none of it, her curiosity long piqued.
"Who are you?" Karina asked, absolutely eschewing all sorts of social norms. This was already shaping up to be like the barn situation but I feared it was going to turn out way worse.
The women looked at each other, as if debating what to say. Finally, Ms. Chancellor spoke. "It's nice to see you, Karina."
Karina's face scrunched in confusion. "Do I know you?"
"We've met," Ms. Chancellor replied vaguely. Karina continued staring at Ms. Chancellor, as if trying to figure out if she really did know her. Eventually, she gave up, turning to face the prime minister and Princess Ann.
"What about you? Do I know you?" Karina asked out loud, not addressing either woman in particular.
"Perhaps in the past, but not recently," Prime Minister Petrovic said airily. Come to think of it, I had no idea if the prime minister and Karina had ever crossed paths, whether it was in the Society or elsewhere. If I didn't know, then surely, Karina would have absolutely no recollection.
Finally, Karina turned to Princess Ann. "Do I know you?"
The princess cocked her head, a wicked smile curling her lips up. "I do believe it's been a while, Karina, dear. It's so lovely to see you."
"Who are you?" Karina asked, frowning.
"We used to be the closest of friends, Karina," Princess Ann said. "Don't you remember all the time we spent together growing up?"
Karina simply shook her head. Although she still looked confused, a glimmer of recognition was threatening to come to light. My stomach churned, fearing this wasn't going to end well.
"What about all those moments with the Society, talking with the other women?" Princess Ann continued.
"The Society…" Karina muttered, her brows furrowing as the wheels turned in her mind.
"Yes, of course. You, Caroline, and I were all members."
"Caroline?" Karina's head popped up at the mention of her old friend, her eyes lighting up.
"Yes, Caroline. Do you remember her?"
Karina nodded. "I just saw her!" The other women exchanged a look, as did Dominic and I. Clearly, Karina wasn't completely lucid yet, still living in her drug-induced delusions.
"Karina, dear, don't you remember what happened to Caroline?" Princess Ann asked. Her tone was sweet but the words and their underlying meaning were anything but.
Karina hesitated, her eyes guarded. "What happened to Caroline?"
Princess Ann looked right into Karina's eyes before speaking again. "She's dead."
Karina faltered, her mouth dropping open. "Caroline is dead?"
"She died a few years ago," Princess Ann said softly. "Don't you remember?"
"Did someone kill her?" My stomach twisted as I looked at Dominic. Karina had been in Binevale when that happened but how much of the truth did she know? And how much had Caroline told her before she died? Something told me she knew much more than she let on, at least subconsciously.
Princess Ann merely responded with a light laugh. "Why would you jump to that conclusion so quickly? Caroline died in an accident." I didn't miss the heartbroken look on Dominic's face, of grief and lost love, that overtook him for a second, before it was replaced by his usual stoic, cold mask.
Fear washed over Karina's face as she looked between the three women, before eventually settling back on the princess. "Who are you? And what happened to Caroline?"
"Karina, dear, don't you remember? It's me." With that, Princess Ann took off her sunglasses. Karina's face morphed in an instant, a terrible horror contorting her features. Recognition dawned on her, as she suddenly became very lucid and very angry.
"It's HER!" Karina wailed at the top of her lungs. "It's HER. SHE did this to ME!" She pointed directly at the princess, stomping her feet. Yup, this was much, much worse than the barn situation.
"I'm afraid you must be mistaken, dear," Princess Ann said dismissively. I didn't miss the condescension in her voice.
"YOU! YOU did this. You ruined EVERYTHING!" Karina continued screaming. I stood up, trying to pull Karina back. Dominic lent a hand as he shouted for mall security. We had attracted the attention of everyone on the patio, which wasn't good. The last thing I needed was to cause a scene, especially since we were trying to lie low. I really didn't want anyone to recognize Karina or the princess and have this blow up over the Internet. More than one viral video was enough for me. I didn't need to have two to my name, especially not at this time.
"Hey, it's okay, Karina," Dominic said, as he tried to pull her back. Unfortunately, Karina yanked herself out of our grasp, stalking towards Princess Ann, a murderous look on her face. Dominic and I ran towards her, trying to get her back under control. However, Princess Ann beat us to it. With a single hand motion, her guards appeared out of nowhere, descending upon Karina, restraining her and dragging her away. To her credit, she continued putting up a fight, kicking and hitting the guards all while screaming her head off. Unfortunately, the guards were dragging her in the opposite direction, towards the exit. I tensed up, looking at Dominic, my worst fears confirmed. Who knew where they would drag her off to? For all we knew, there was a car at the waiting, ready to ship her back to Binevale, to submit her to the torture of their powerful drugs and truly make her disappear once for and all.
Dominic shouted again for mall security, pushing the panic button by the inside entrance to the patio. An alarm sounded, garnering the attention of all the patio-goers and all the passers-by on the street. So much for being discreet.
With that, mall security showed up within seconds.
"That woman has been kidnapped!" Dominic shouted, nodding towards Karina. The palace guards were getting closer and closer to the outside patio exit. Just then, I spotted a black limousine rolling up to the exit, confirming my worst fears.
I stood up, bolting towards the exit. This had already happened once with Grace. I wasn't going to let it happen a second time to someone in my life.
Thankfully, the mall security were very responsive, as they made a beeline towards Karina and the palace guards. A fight broke out, as the men grappled for control of Karina. I pushed myself to run faster, to be of any help before it was too late. However, a look from Dominic stopped me dead in my tracks, as he continued on, entrenched in the fight.
I remained rooted in place, frozen as the scene unfolded in front of me. I had been involved in many fights before and was no stranger to the quick action. But watching it from the outside was a totally different story. I felt helpless, powerless, and out of control, and it was a feeling I hated.
Thankfully, the fight didn't go on for very long before the princess walked over to her guards, signalling for them to let go of Karina with a few terse words. They released her, only for Dominic to immediately grab Karina's arm, escorting her to the car with mall security. Ms. Chancellor lingered behind, watching as Princess Ann and the prime minister took off with the palace guards. She glanced at me, an unreadable look in her eyes.
"What did you do to Grace? Are you on her side or not? Are you really helping her?" I had to get straight answers, after all the lying and dodging she had done.
"Regardless of what it may seem, I can assure you that I have her best interests at heart. I always did and I always will." For a split second, that diplomatic mask dropped, suggesting that perhaps she really, truly did care for Grace. But I still didn't believe her.
"I don't trust you," I stated. Ms. Chancellor just shook her head sadly.
"This is a dangerous game you're playing and a dangerous line you're treading, Mr. Volkov. I hope you'll realize that everything I've done was always for Grace." With that, Ms. Chancellor walked off, towards the waiting limousine, courtesy of the palace. I stared after her, unable to believe what I had just heard. I didn't know who to trust anymore or what was really going on.
I walked back to our table in defeat, our shopping bags luckily untouched. I checked that all our purchases were still there, before throwing away our half-consumed smoothies. So much for a fun afternoon at the mall. Of course, the Society had to go and ruin it, just like it had ruined everything else in my life.
And as for Karina, so much for an easy recovery. It looked like it was going to be a two steps forward, one step back kind of deal. And this was only just the start.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be up between Jan. 21 and Jan. 29.
This chapter was a last-minute addition (as I had only finished the first draft a few months ago), as I felt it would be fun to show Dominic, Alexei, and Karina going to the mall. And then I wondered what would happen if Karina encountered people from her past so decided to include that too.
The next chapter will bring us back to some familiar territory and the original books. Any guesses as to which scene is coming up next?
Update (Jan. 29): Hey guys, I know I said I'd get the next chapter up by today. However, I've been super busy at work on my internal medicine rotation (where I literally worked 11+ hour days every day last week) and dealing with personal things that have come up and barely had time to edit. I spent the weekend catching up on admin stuff and editing. The next chapter is almost ready to go, I think it'll need one last edit then I'm aiming to get it up on Feb. 2 (since I have that day off before starting my week of night shifts on internal medicine). Thank you for your understanding with my busy schedule and hopefully I'll be back soon with the next chapter!