Page 78 of Sweet Deception

The car came to an abrupt stop.

Panic seized my chest. “Grandma... are you about to kill me?”

She stepped out without answering.

I reached for the door handle, my pulse hammering in my ears. The moment my feet hit the ground, I saw them, several burly men emerging from the trees.

My fingers trembled as I pulled out my phone. My only lifeline. My only hope.

I dialed Gleb.

“Please pick up, please pick up.”

My fingers shook. The line rang. Once. Twice.

He picked up.

“Gleb,” I gasped. “Grandma brought me somewhere. I don’t know where... I think she’s going to kill me.”

Silence.

A slow inhale. Then: “Can you describe the place?”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t... I don’t know. A forest. There are huts. Men.” My voice broke. “She... she’s tying me up.”

More silence. Then something rustled, movement. A low voice on his end. He wasn’t alone.

“Anna.” His voice was different now. Flat. Calculating. “Stay on the phone.”

Across from me, grandma turned sharply, her eyes darkening.

She walked over, snatched the phone from my grasp, and held it to her ear. “Gleb.” Her voice was almost amused. “Your little wife thinks she can report me to you.”

I strained to hear his response, but she didn’t put it on speaker.

Her next words sent ice through my veins.

“Only because of you, Gleb, will I let her die with minimal pain.”

Then, with a single stomp of her heel, she crushed the phone into the dirt.

I sucked in a breath, my mind racing. Run.

I turned, ready to bolt into the trees, but before I could take more than a step, something coiled around my ankle.

A rope.

I crashed to the ground with a gasp.

Rough hands grabbed me, hauling me back toward her. My breath came in ragged gulps.

“Please don’t let them rape me,” I pleaded desperately. “Kill me if you must, but don’t let them touch me.”

Her hum was eerily soft. “They won’t.” She met my terrified gaze. “Not because I care about your dignity, but because you are still Gleb’s wife. And disrespecting him is not something I tolerate.”

Relief barely had time to set in before she added, “But they will strip you and tie you to that tree. Then, we will proceed with your execution.”

I shook my head violently. “Grandma, wait... what if I can help you get my parents?”