Page 37 of Till Death Saves Me

"You okay?" Anya asks, touching my arm.

I force a smile. "Yeah, just jumpy I guess."

She nods, understanding in her eyes. "We can head back if you want."

"No," I say firmly. "I refuse to let fear rule my life."

We continue browsing, Ivan's security detail never far behind. I try to lose myself in the normalcy of shopping, but my mind keeps jumping between the last time I was out shopping and Ivan. I willingly lose myself in the feeling of the way his hands felt on my skin, the intensity in his eyes just last night when he-

A commotion erupts behind us. I whirl around to see our guards engaged in a brutal fight with a group of men. My heart leaps into my throat as I spot the red snake tattoos on their necks.

"Run!" Anya grabs my hand, yanking me forward.

We sprint down the sidewalk, weaving through startled pedestrians. My lungs burn as I push myself harder, faster. A van screeches to a halt in front of us, blocking our path.

Before I can react, rough hands grab me from behind. I scream, kicking and thrashing as I'm lifted off my feet. My hands are quickly tied behind my back before I can fight my way out of this. Anya's shouts mix with mine as we're shoved into the van.

The door slams shut, plunging us into darkness. My heart pounds so hard I think it might burst from my chest. The van peels away from the curb, tires squealing.

"Ginny?" Anya's voice trembles beside me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm here," I manage to choke out. My wrists ache from the zip ties digging into my skin.

A gruff voice cuts through the darkness. "Keep quiet if you know what's good for you."

I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. I try to calm myself, to think of a way out of this. What would Ivan do? The thought of him sends a fresh wave of panic through me. Will I ever see him again?

The van takes a sharp turn, throwing us against the side. I bite back a whimper of pain. Focus. I need to stay alert, look for any opportunity to escape.

As my eyes adjust to the dim light, I make out the shapes of our captors. Four men, all armed. My stomach churns with fear, but I force it down. I can't let it paralyze me.

The van lurches to a stop, and my heart races. I squeeze Anya's hand, trying to convey strength I don't feel. The door slides open, flooding the space with harsh light. Rough hands drag us out, shoving us forward.

"Move," a gruff voice orders.

I stumble, blinking against the brightness. We're in some kind of warehouse, all concrete and shadows. The zip ties bite into my wrists as I'm pushed along.

"You okay?" I whisper to Anya.

She nods, her eyes wide but determined.

Our captors force us into chairs, tying us down with more zip ties. I wince at the tightness but keep my face neutral. Don't show weakness.

"The boss'll be here soon," one of the men sneers. "Then we'll see how tough Kozlov's little wife really is."

I meet his gaze, channeling every ounce of Ivan's icy stare. "I look forward to it."

He blinks, taken aback by my calm. Good. Let them underestimate me.

As they move away to confer, I lean closer to Anya. "We need to get out of here," I murmur.

She nods slightly. "I'm working on it. Keep them talking if you can."

I watch as Anya subtly works at her bindings. Smart girl. I need to buy her time.

"Hey," I call out, drawing their attention. "If you're trying to send a message to Ivan, you should know he doesn't give a damn about me."

One of them laughs. "Nice try, sweetheart. We know better."

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