Page 10 of Sweet Deception (Savage Vow #2)

ANNA

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After leaving the prison that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about my siblings, Matteo, Vincenzo, and Salvatore.

Three years is such a long time. Seeing them again last week shattered me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

I’d spent the past week locked away in my room, refusing to leave, refusing to face the world.

Every meal... breakfast, lunch, dinner, had been brought to me here, but I barely touched any of it.

A sharp knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Anna, there’s a problem.” Zoya’s voice, tense and urgent, sent a shiver down my spine.

I sat up immediately. “What happened?”

“Can I come in?”

“Yes.”

Zoya slipped inside, shutting the door behind her with an unusual amount of caution. Her eyes darted around the room, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress, a rare display of unease.

“Mr. Antonio is here.”

My brows furrowed. “Who?”

“Gleb’s uncle.”

Oh. I hadn’t met any of Gleb’s family yet. Not officially.

“Should I be worried?” My pulse picked up speed. “Isn’t he here to see Gleb? You can just tell him he’s not around.”

Zoya let out a humorless laugh. “You don’t get it, do you?” She took a step closer, lowering her voice. “His whole family hates you, Anna. They want you dead.”

The breath left my lungs. “Is he here to kill me?”

“I don’t know. I tried calling Gleb, but his number isn’t going through.” She swallowed. “There’s a secret exit. You should leave. At least until I know what his intentions are.”

I hesitated. “Leave? Go where? I don’t know my way around Moscow.”

“Gleb will find you.” Her gaze flickered to the door as if expecting someone to barge in at any moment. “But you need to be safe first.”

I clenched my fists. Running had never been my style. But I wasn’t foolish enough to think I could fight Gleb’s uncle and survive.

“Fine. Tell me where it is.”

Zoya exhaled. “Come with me. And be quiet.”

She led me out of my room, through a dimly lit corridor, and into a large storage room. At the far end, a sleek, glass-paneled door stood against the wall. She typed in a code, and with a soft mechanical click, the door slid open.

Beyond it, a narrow staircase spiraled downward.

Just as I was about to take the first step, a deep voice rumbled behind us.

“Trying to help her escape, Zoya?”

I froze. My heart slammed into my ribs as I turned.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stood at the entrance of the secret passage. He looked about my father’s age, but with none of the warmth. His dark eyes gleamed with something sinister as he stepped closer.

A wicked smirk curled on his lips. “How disappointing. I thought you were loyal to our family.”

Zoya shifted, moving protectively in front of me. “Antonio, please...”

His hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of her hair. Zoya let out a pained gasp as he yanked her head back.

“As if you don’t know what these fucking Italians did to us.”

“It wasn’t her, Antonio! It was her family!” Despite the pain, Zoya’s voice remained defiant. “She’s innocent.”

Antonio’s expression twisted in rage. He slammed her against the wall, making her cry out, then struck her across the face with the back of his hand.

“Shut the fuck up, you slave.”

I flinched.

Then his eyes locked onto mine.

A chill slithered down my spine as he took a slow, deliberate step forward.

Run.

The instinct screamed inside me, but I was frozen. If I bolted through the emergency exit and got trapped, I’d be defenseless. I didn’t know where it led.

Antonio’s gaze raked over me, his mouth curling in disgust. “No scars,” he murmured. “Has he even been torturing you?”

I stiffened. What kind of question was that?

Antonio’s brows furrowed as he scanned me. “You look... healthy. Curvy, even. That bastard has been too soft on you.”

I barely had time to process his words before he shoved me down the stairs.

Pain exploded through me as my body slammed against each step, rolling violently downward. I felt something tear. Skin, maybe muscle, and a sharp crack echoed as agony surged through my limbs.

I tried to scream, but my breath was stolen by the force of the impact.

Then... darkness.

The next thing I knew, ice-cold water splashed over my face.

I gasped awake, choking, my entire body throbbing.

My vision swam as I blinked up at Antonio, standing over me. His smirk widened as he crouched.

“Your father really thought this marriage would bring peace?” He chuckled darkly. “Fool. We’ll never forget what he did to our family. You were sent here to suffer, not to live in comfort.”

I forced my lips to move. “You are taking it out on an innocent woman.” My voice was hoarse. “Coward. If you want revenge, go to Italy and face my father yourself.”

His eyes darkened.

He lifted his foot and kicked me hard in the leg.

A broken scream tore from my throat.

I clutched my limb, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The pain was unbearable. My legs... I couldn’t feel them.

Antonio crouched again, his breath hot against my cheek. “Does Gleb torture you at night?”

Fury surged through me. I spat in his face. “How is that your business? Kill me, then. I dare you.”

His smirk vanished.

The slap came hard and fast. My head snapped to the side, stars bursting behind my eyes. Blood filled my mouth, the metallic taste sharp against my tongue. Another slap followed, this one harder.

I refused to cry.

Antonio wiped my spit off his face, his chest heaving. “I’ll take you to my house. Then, I’ll invite my brothers. Let them have their turn.”

A new kind of fear gripped me.

No. No, no, no.

Antonio grabbed my hair and dragged me toward the door.

I clawed at his wrist, fighting against the searing pain in my scalp, but he didn’t stop.

Then, a sickening crack.

Antonio’s body jerked, then crumpled.

I blinked.

Zoya stood behind him, gripping a heavy metal candlestick.

My breath hitched.

She dropped the weapon and rushed toward me. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I should have protected you.”

Tears blurred my vision as she crouched beside me.

I clutched her arms. “I just... I just want to go home.” My voice cracked.

Zoya’s lips trembled. “We need to get you out of here.”

But my legs, I couldn’t feel them anymore.

Panic twisted in my chest. “Zoya... I think I’m paralyzed.”

Her face paled. “No. No, you are not . You’ll be fine. You have to be.”

She ran to fetch my wheelchair.

As I lay there, my gaze drifted to Antonio’s unmoving form.

“What if he wakes up?” I finally whispered, pulling back from Zoya. My body still trembled, the pain a constant, throbbing reminder of what had just happened.

“That will take time. I struck him hard, right at the base of his skull.” Zoya’s voice was firm, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “Come, let’s get you treated.” She stretched out her hand to help me up.

I reached for her, gripping her fingers tightly, but the moment I tried to shift my legs, panic surged through me.

Nothing.

No feeling. No movement.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips. “I... I don’t think I can walk.” My chest rose and fell rapidly as the realization hit me like a brick. “I think I’m totally paralyzed now.”

More tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

Zoya knelt beside me, squeezing my hands. “No, you’ll be fine,” she said, forcing confidence into her tone. “Let me get your wheelchair. I’ll take you to the bathroom, and I’m calling the doctor right now.”

I nodded weakly, but my gaze drifted toward Antonio’s motionless body sprawled across the floor. My stomach twisted. What if he wakes up?

Zoya followed my eyes. “Trust me, he won’t be getting up from that anytime soon.” Her tone was reassuring, but her hands trembled slightly as she stood. She didn’t believe her own words.

She disappeared down the hall, and I remained frozen, my breathing shallow.

I can’t fight. I can’t even run.

The weight of it crushed me. If Antonio had managed to take me to his house, my life would have been over.

Minutes later, Zoya returned, pushing my wheelchair. Without hesitation, she lifted me with surprising strength, settling me into the seat. I expected shame to creep in as she wheeled me toward the bathroom, but it never came.

Maybe because I’ve been used to this my whole life.

Elisabetta used to help me bathe, back when things were simpler, back when I was safe.

Zoya bathed me gently, careful not to aggravate my injuries.

After I was cleaned and dressed, she wheeled me back to my bed. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “Damn it, Anna... you have so many injuries.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “I know. And every inch of me hurts.” I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Zoya, once I recover... you need to help me escape. Please.”

She hesitated, her eyes flickering with pity. “Let’s make sure you’re better first.”

Her phone rang, cutting through the tense silence.

I watched as she pulled it out, her brows furrowing as she read the caller ID.

Something in her expression changed.

Her grip on the phone tightened.

“He’s awake.”

My heart slammed into my ribs. I sat up so fast that a sharp pain shot through my spine.

No, no, no.

Antonio... awake?

My stomach churned. My breathing quickened. I wasn’t even fully dressed, only in my bra and underwear.

“Get me my clothes!” I demanded.

Zoya’s eyes snapped to me. “Relax, he’s already gone. But... he said he’ll be back.”

The blood drained from my face.

My body trembled as I tried to process her words. He left, but he’s coming back?

“Then we need to leave. Now.”

Zoya nodded sharply. “That’s exactly what we’ll do. If he returns, he won’t be alone. And they’ll make sure neither of us leaves this place alive.” She rushed to my wardrobe, yanking out a dress.

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling beneath my fear. “To think Gleb won’t even care about what his uncle did to me... they’re all the same.”

Zoya stopped, her shoulders tensing. “Gleb isn’t like them.”

I scoffed. “Oh really? Then why is he never here? Why is he letting his family do this to me?”

Zoya turned to me, her gaze unreadable. “Gleb wasn’t always this way. After his mother’s death... and his lover’s...” She hesitated. “...he changed.”

I stilled.

His lover?

I had heard rumors about his mother, but...

“Gleb had a lover?”

Zoya opened her mouth to respond, but her phone rang again.

She answered immediately. “Gleb, I’ve been trying to reach you. Your uncle, Antonio, came here and...” Her voice shook with fury. “He did more harm than you can imagine.”

I couldn’t hear Gleb’s response, but Zoya’s expression remained tense. “How soon can you get here?” A pause. “...Because he promised he’d be back.”

She hung up, pressing her lips into a tight line.

I swallowed hard. “What did he say?”

She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting.

She walked to the couch and sat down, staring at nothing.

“Zoya.” My pulse pounded in my ears. “What did he say?”

She rubbed her temple. “He said not to bother leaving. He’ll be here soon.”

My hands clenched around the bedsheets. “I wonder what kind of man disappears without telling his wife where he’s going.

A few minutes later, my chest tightened as I glanced at the door, bracing for the worst.

Gleb had better get here first.

Because if Antonio came back before him...

I wouldn’t survive a second time.