Page 62 of Sweet Deception

I swallowed. “I’m... I’m sorry.”

His voice was low and cold. “You don’t have to be. I’ll make you all pay. It’s only a matter of time.”

I stiffened. “You included me?”

“You’re part of them.” His voice hardened. “The Italians did unspeakable things to her, to my grandfather, my mother and countless others in my family, things that still haunt us. Everyone is burning for revenge. It’s no surprise my family wants to slit your throat.”

A shiver ran through me. “Do you?”

Gleb didn’t hesitate. “I did. At the beginning.” His gaze was unreadable. “But I have principles. And they don’t include killing my wife.”

He stepped closer, voice lowering. “I will always protect you as long as we’re married.”

I forced my voice to stay steady. “So what happens after we divorce?”

Gleb didn’t answer immediately. Then...“You’ll be sent back to Italy.”

I narrowed my eyes, my words sharp with defiance. “Dead. Probably killed by you, since I will no longer be your wife.”

He met my gaze, his silence saying everything.

A cold sweat broke out on my skin. My stomach clenched. My fingers curled into fists.

My body screamed at me to do something...anything. But what? What the hell was I supposed to do?

I had a month.

Twenty nine days.

That was all the time I had to either change Gleb’s mind or convince him to touch me.

Because if I fail... I was dead.

Gleb’s hand slipped under my chin, lifting my face until our gazes locked. His voice was soft, but the malice was undeniable. “Your family’s sins? You’ll be the first to pay for them.”

I stared back, unflinching. “What if I kill you and your entire family first?”

Gleb’s smirk deepened. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open, the blade gleaming under the dim light. “Go on, then,” he murmured, pressing it into my palm.

“Since you’re so confident, Anna. Do it.”

My fingers tightened around the handle, my pulse hammering in my ears. I couldn’t tell if he was taunting me or truly daring me to end him right here.

I cocked my head, watching him closely. “I don’t need guns or brute force. Just patience. An opening. The right moment.”

My voice dropped lower. “You won’t be spared, Gleb. You sleep beside me. It would be so easy to slide a blade between your ribs while you’re unaware.”

He studied me, then smirked. “You’ve never killed anyone before.”

“And you think my father would send me here completely unarmed?”

“Yes.” His reply was immediate, unwavering. “He doesn’t like you. His love was always for Maria.”

My jaw clenched. “We’ll see about that.”

Gleb exhaled sharply. “Don’t do anything reckless, Anna.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m supposed to just sit and wait to die? No. If my time is running out, I’ll go down fighting.”