Page 68 of Deceitful Promises

“I thought she was too naive and immature, but I was wrong.Iwas the naive one for ever thinking I could let her go. I just can’t believe it took some scumbag to kidnap her for me to realize that.”

If things weren’t so tense, I might laugh when I realize what I’ve just said. A scumbag kidnapped her. Yet,I’mher kidnapper.

“The past’s the past,” Mikhail says, “but dammit, I wish you’d just reached out to us.”

I sigh, nodding, and mutter, “Me too.”

CHAPTER 28

ANIA

“This is all my fault,” Mom says, pacing up and down in the cold, small cell. The walls are metal, and there’s a weird stench, maybe the damp creeping over the ceiling. The only light comes from a naked bulb covered in cobwebs.

Luckily, they haven’t hurt us yet, except for some aches and pains from where they dragged us into the van. I sit against the wall, my knees to my chest, trying not to puke.

“Don’t say that,” I whisper, hating how my whole body shudders. It’s like the cold is creeping into my bones. “I’m the one who begged you to let us leave. It’smyfault.”

“No,” Mom says, rushing over to me. She kneels and puts her hands on my knees. “You’re not allowed to say that, Anna. You’re not even allowed to think of it. If I’d had the courage to reach out before, then Aiden would never have taken you. This never would’ve happened, and we wouldn’t be here.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” I tell her. “We’re together. I-I love you, Mom.”

She makes a croaking noise of pure agony, then whispers, “I love you too.”

She catches me in a hug as I fall against her. I press my face against her chest, letting the tears come as I think about the hard-to-believe fact that, just a few hours ago, we were sitting around the dinner table. I’d much prefer to be experiencingthattension over this.

“If we get the chance,” Mom whispers. “I’m going to distract them. You run, okay? You keep running no matter what happens or what you hear or see. I failed you once before. I won’t let that happen again.”

“Mom, your arm …”

She lets out a shaky breath. I think it’s supposed to be a laugh, but it doesn’t sound very convincing. When she fell in the park, she landed badly on her arm. Even now, as she holds me, I can feel how difficult it is for her. It’s like there’s no strength in her touch.

“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “Even if they … If it comes to the worst, your safety is all I care about. Please, Anna.”

“It won’t come to that.”

“Oh, it might.”

The voice comes from the doorway. It’s the same man who approached us in the park. He sounds like he’s drunk on a power trip.

“Or maybe we’ll get more creative,” he goes on. “Maybe we’ll show you how powerless you really are, hmm? I could show you some of my games.”

“You’re pathetic,” Mom hisses, fighting off tears. I think she’s even closer to crying than I am, but she fights away the sobs. “Do you think we’re scared of you? Do you think you’retough?”

“I don’t think anything. I know how fucked you are, Mrs. Bigtime.”

“Do you seriously think my husband or her brothers will let you get away with this?”

I almost scream,Do you think Aiden will let you get away with this?But I don’t want them to know how much I care about him. I don’t want them to guess that the idea of being with Aiden again is the only thing stopping me from collapsing into complete terror.

“I’ve been threatened many times,” the man says. “There’s always some husband or brother who will supposedly make my life miserable. Yet, poof, here I am. Like magic.” He laughs coldly. “It doesn’t matter. We’re getting the boat ready anyway. Soon, they won’t be able to touch us. Maybe, if your husband is nice and her brothers give me what I want, you’ll see them again. Maybe not.”

“The boat?” Mom whispers under her breath.

“Ignore him,” I hiss. “He’s just a coward.”

That makes me remember something Dimitri told me once when I was younger.“Just because somebody is weak, just because somebody is scared, just because somebody is pathetic, it doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you. Sometimes, Ania, that makes them more dangerous.”

I try not to think of that as the door scrapes against the floor, making a harsh metal sound. The two big men from before walkin. At least, I think it’s them. I was too panicked earlier to pay attention, and now they’re wearing masks anyway. The same big men, different ones, it doesn’t matter. When one of them says, “Time to go,” what choice do we have?

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