Page 24 of Sweet Deception (Savage Vow #2)

Then I picked up the phone and dialed Zoya. “Make me a warm coffee,” I said before hanging up.

Dragging myself to the bathroom, I forced a quick shower, hoping it would shake off the sluggishness. When I finally checked my watch, my stomach dropped.

Two days.

I had been locked away for two days.

Anna hadn’t come looking for me.

She knew I hadn’t traveled. She knew I was here, dealing with the weight of my sister’s situation. And yet, nothing. No knock on my door. No attempt to check if I was alive.

I understood what this was. A business deal sealed with a ring. No love. No loyalty beyond what was required.

But I still expected... something. A single knock. A message. A sign that my absence wasn’t just an empty space in her life.

But wasn’t she supposed to have some iota of care? Some sliver of concern, the way I did for her?

With a clenched jaw, I made my way to the dining table and took a sip of the coffee, the bitter warmth coating my empty stomach. I intended to go to Anna as soon as I finished. Demand an explanation, even if I wasn’t sure why I cared so much.

But then a fresh scent drifted into the room, cutting through my frustration.

Something warm. Familiar.

Chicken.

I turned toward the source just as the door creaked open.

Zoya walked in, holding a plate of chicken in her hands.

She set the plate down beside me with a sigh. “You need to eat, Gleb. You haven’t touched food in two days.”

I didn’t argue. My body was wrecked, exhausted, and hollow. I grabbed the plate and tore into the food like a starving man.

As I swallowed the last bite, I noticed Zoya turning to leave.

“Wait.” My voice was hoarse. “What has Anna been doing these past two days?”

She hesitated, shifting on her feet.

Dread curled in my stomach.

I shoved the plate away.

“Where is my wife?”

Zoya exhaled. “Italy.”

The word crashed into me like a wrecking ball.

I surged to my feet, knocking my chair back with a crash. “No. No, that’s not possible.”

She met my gaze evenly. “She left with the help of her sister and your grandmother. She said she wanted to help you get your sister back.”

My pulse thundered in my ears. “Tell me you’re fucking joking.” A cold sweat breaking out over my skin.

“I wish I were, Gleb”

My stomach twisted, my muscles locking up. I turned and slammed my fist against the wall, the pain barely registering. “And you just let her go?”

“You think I didn’t try?” Zoya shot back, her voice sharp. “Your grandmother was involved. Do you really think I had a choice?”

“You should have fucking stopped her!” I roared, my chest burning like an open wound.

“She was determined, Gleb! She said her family has done nothing but destroy you, and she couldn’t sit back and do nothing anymore. She thought she had a way to help. That she could fix things.”

“I was already handling it, goddammit!” I spat out. Seething. “She knew the risk. She damn well knew. And she still went.”

Zoya’s expression softened. “She did it for love.”

My breath hitched. Love?

No. That wasn’t...

Was it?

“That’s what you think.”

I turned away, my chest aching, my thoughts spiraling. Why? I told her not to feel guilty. I told her I wouldn’t hold her family’s sins against her. So why the hell did she still go?

“Zoya, you should have done something.” My voice cracked. My throat burned.

“I tried.” Her voice was steady, but there was regret in it. “I would have broken down that door if I could. But it’s a security door, Gleb. Unless I brought in a bulldozer, I wouldn’t have gotten through.”

I exhaled harshly, dragging a hand down my face.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Zoya warned. “Going to Italy now is suicide. Anna’s sister would have told her parents how much you care about her. Now that Anna’s there, they’re probably expecting you. You know how dangerous those people are.”

I barely heard her.

“Please,” she pressed, her voice softer now, yet earnest. “Borris will have a plan. He always does. Talk to him. If you go in blind, you’ll be dead before you touch the ground.

“I hear you, Zoya. Now leave me alone.”

She hesitated, then nodded and walked away.

As soon as she was gone, I slumped against the wall. My chest ached, a tight knot formed in my gut.

How could she do this?

She knew how dangerous my family was, yet she trusted them to send her back to Italy. She knew how ruthless her own people were, yet she walked straight into their hands.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think.

Zoya was right.

This was a trap.

They’d be expecting me.

Didn’t matter.

I wasn’t leaving her there.

I stormed straight to the master bedroom, only to find a note on my desk, written in her neat, slanted handwriting.

Gleb,

I know you will be angry.

I know you will curse me for leaving.

And I know you will come for me.

But this is something I have to do, not just for you, but for myself.

You once told me not to feel guilty for my family’s sins.

But how can I not, when I see what they’ve done to you? To your sister?

If I have a chance to fix even a fraction of that damage, I have to take it.

You will never forgive me for this. But I hope one day, you will understand.

Anna

I gripped the paper so tightly it crumpled in my fist. My whole body trembled, not just with rage, but something worse. Something raw. Something unbearable.

I pressed my forehead to my fist, breathing deeply. And then, in a voice that cracked slightly, I muttered, ‘You stupid, reckless woman.’

I yanked out my phone and called my pilot.

“Prepare the jet. We’re leaving for Italy in two hours.”

“Sir...”

I hung up before he could finish.

I didn’t care if this was reckless.

Anna was mine.

And I would burn Italy to the ground before I let them take her from me.