Page 37 of Deceptive Vows (Bound by Vows #3)

Chapter Thirty

THEA

Time crawled in the dim warehouse. Without windows at eye level, daylight and darkness blurred, marked only by guard rotations and the fluctuating quality of light from high, dusty windows.

I’d been counting meals—two so far. Based on that and the changes in light, at least half a day had passed. Maybe more.

Last I saw Nazar, he was bleeding and outnumbered but still on his feet. I didn’t know if he was alive. I didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on it when I needed to get all of us out of here.

“They’re coming,” Elena whispered from the cage beside mine .

I resumed my position, hunched and defeated-looking, head down but eyes watchful.

During my short captivity, I’d built a mental map of our prison—ten cages arranged in two rows of five, facing each other across a narrow concrete aisle.

A single heavy door led in and out, with three cameras watching from the corners, their red lights constant reminders of our surveillance.

The door swung open with its familiar metallic groan. Roman entered first. A tall, lean guy. Behind him came Viktor, stockier and older, his gait slightly uneven from what could have been an old injury.

“Evening check, ladies,” Roman called, his Russian accent thick and mocking. “The big day is almost here.” He slapped his hand against the bars of the first cage, startling Alexa, the sixteen-year-old who’d been drugged after my arrival.

My fingers curled around the small piece of metal I’d worked loose from my cage, now concealed in my waistband. It wasn’t much, barely two inches long with a jagged edge, but it was solid and sharp. It was better than nothing since I'd lost my knife in the crash.

Viktor approached with the evening meal, stale bread and lukewarm water, sliding trays through the slots at the bottom of each cage.

“Look at the bride now,” he sneered, pushing the tray toward me with his foot. “Not so high and mighty anymore, are you?”

I said nothing, which did not satisfy him. It was better to let them think their tactics were working and that I was no longer a threat.

Roman finished his circuit of the room, pausing to check something on his phone. “Special delivery tonight,” he said to Viktor, his voice low but still audible. “The trucks are coming at 2200 for transport to the auction site.”

Viktor grunted his acknowledgment. “All of them?”

“ Da . Except for the special merchandise.” His eyes flicked to me, then to Elena. “The high-value items go separately.”

My pulse quickened. Tonight. They were moving us tonight.

After they left, I turned to Elena. “Did you hear?”

She nodded, her face pale but determined. “Tonight.”

“Listen carefully. There’s a shift change in a little while, which gives us a small window before the trucks arrive.”

Elena’s eyes widened slightly. “You have a plan?”

“The beginnings of one.” I glanced toward the other captives. “I need your help. We need to get a message to the others but carefully. The younger ones who’ve been drugged might not be reliable.”

“I can talk to Sophia and Mira.” She indicated the women across from us. “They still have fight in them.”

As Elena began quietly communicating with the women across the aisle, I set to work on the lock of my cage. The mechanism was simple but sturdy, a padlock securing a sliding bolt.

It felt like forever before Roman returned alone. When he reached my cage, he crouched down, bringing his face level with mine.

“The boss wants to see you.” His breath reeked of cigarettes. “Get up.”

I kept my expression neutral, even as alarm bells rang in my mind. “Which boss?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Marco Moretti himself. He wants to inspect his prize before the auction.”

Elena caught my eye from her cage, fear evident in her expression. I gave her the smallest shake of my head, a warning to stay calm, to stick to the plan.

Roman unlocked my cage, hauling me to my feet. “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned, patting the holstered pistol at his hip.

As he led me away, I caught a final glimpse of Elena. Her lips formed silent words: Be careful.

I was led through a series of corridors that confirmed my suspicions, an abandoned medical facility of some kind. I could see heavy forest outside through occasional gaps in boarded windows—isolated, remote.

We passed a woman in heels and a tailored coat—the same one I’d seen lingering near Marco at the Christmas party. She avoided my eyes, her face carefully blank as she turned down another hallway.

Marco Moretti waited in what had once been an administrative office, his expensive suit a stark contrast to the decaying surroundings.

“Leave us,” Marco instructed Roman. As the door closed, he gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit, Mrs. Volkov. Or do you prefer Kalantzis? I’m not sure how long your married name will apply.”

I remained standing. “Where is my husband?”

Marco’s lips curled into a smile that never reached his eyes. “Dead, I imagine. Or dying, at the very least. The Gray Wolves are thorough in their work.”

Though I’d suspected as much, the confirmation sent a wave of grief and rage through me that I struggled to contain.

I balled my hands into fists, letting my nails dig into my hands.

I needed to focus on a way to use this unexpected meeting to my advantage.

Once I was free, I’d allow myself to grieve.

“What do you want, Marco?” I forced steel into my voice.

“I wanted to see you before the auction. To understand what makes you so special that your brother would risk so much for you. That Nazar Volkov would align with the Kalantzis family against his own interests.”

I kept my expression neutral, but my mind raced with questions. Just how much did he know?

Marco's lips stretched across his face as if he could read the questions on my face. "Imagine my luck when Sergei Popov approached me with an intriguing proposition—eliminate two problems with one plan." He gave a slight shrug.

He rubbed his finger over his eyebrow. "The moment I saw Volkov with you, I knew he'd taken the bait. Every conversation with him only confirmed that he'd taken more than a professional interest in you." He sighed. "It's fascinating how history repeats itself in your family."

“Your sister, Gianna. She was special too,” he continued, his tone conversational. “Spirited. Defiant to the end, but otherwise a lovely granddaughter.” His gaze found mine, a sneer on his lips.

Disgust burned in my throat. "Granddaughter" was the term he used for the girls he exploited. I had to dig my nails into my palms to keep from lunging across the desk. “Don’t you dare speak her name.”

Marco stood, slowly circling the desk until he stood directly in front of me. “Tomorrow night, I’ll watch as the highest bidder claims you. And after the auction, I’ll finish what I started with your family. Your brothers will join you and Gianna soon enough.”

I met his gaze unflinchingly. “My brothers will burn your empire to the ground. ”

He laughed. “They've tried for years. And every time, I've taken another piece from your family and left just enough behind to keep the game going.” He leaned in slightly.

As he moved, I noticed a key card on his belt, similar to the one Roman had used to access the corridors.

"History tells me your optimism is misplaced. I'm always three moves ahead.”

He straightened. "But I'm not unreasonable.

" He paused a beat. "I have a proposition for you. Cooperate with the auction proceedings, behave, look pretty for the buyers, and I’ll ensure your new owner treats you with relative kindness." His smile faded. "Resist, and I’ll personally see that you’re sold to someone who specializes in slowly breaking defiant women.”

I forced my lips into a smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I have a counterproposal. When I get out of here, and I will get out, I’m going to cut your heart out with a dull knife. My face will be the last thing you see before the light drains from your eyes.”

For a brief moment, uncertainty flickered across Marco’s face. Then his expression hardened, and he raised his hand as if to strike me.

The door opened before he could complete the gesture. “Sir, the call you were expecting.”

Marco lowered his hand slowly. “We’ll continue this conversation later, Mrs. Volkov. Take her back to the others.”

As he turned, I pretended to sway slightly, letting my shoulder brush against him, and quickly snagged the key card from his belt clip. By the time his gaze returned to me, the card was already tucked against the small of my back.

As Roman led me away, Marco added, “Watch her closely. She’s more dangerous than she appears.”

When I was shoved back into my cage, I didn’t resist. I had what I needed, confirmation of our timetable and a better understanding of the facility’s layout.

“What happened?” Elena whispered once Roman had left.

“Just threats,” I replied. “Did you speak to the others?”

She nodded. “Sophia and Mira are ready. But Alexa is still affected by whatever they’ve been giving her. The others are frightened but willing to try. ”

“We’ll need to help them. When the time comes, you take Alexa. I’ll handle the rest.”

Throughout the evening, I worked on my lock whenever the cameras weren’t directly on me. As darkness settled over the room, tension built among those aware of the plan.

Finally, I felt the last pin click into place. The padlock sprung open in my hand. Freedom, at least from this immediate confinement, was within reach.

Moving silently, I slipped out and made my way to Elena’s cage. Within minutes, I had her identical lock open, and she joined me in the narrow aisle.

“The cameras,” she whispered, her gaze darting to the red lights in the corners.

“They’ll know we’re out the moment we start freeing the others,” I acknowledged. “We have maybe two minutes before the guards notice something's wrong on the monitors. We need to move fast and be ready to fight when they come.”