Page 32 of Sweet Deception (Savage Vow #2)

And what was even more surprising was the lack of ceremony. There were no family members at the wedding, just me, him, and the priest. A few of his men stood guard at the entrance, but that was it. None of his family, no friends, no guests. It wasn’t what I had imagined.

Still, I accepted my fate, hoping that as we spent time together, we’d open up. And if we didn’t, maybe we could fulfill our duty and have a child, as our families wanted, then go our separate ways.

I had no idea then what I was really getting into.

This wasn’t just an arranged marriage. it was my father selling me off to the Russians.

My family knew this. They knew what I was walking into, but they sent me anyway.

They probably didn’t think I’d survive, let alone be protected by the man they thought would destroy me.

And yet, Gleb did try to tear me apart, but he stopped. He was cruel, yes, but also my safe haven. The only family I had left.

I slowly pulled away from him when I noticed his breathing had evened out.

He was asleep. His face, relaxed in sleep, looked even more handsome, innocent, almost. I couldn’t help but trace his features with my gaze.

his soft eyes, his long, perfect nose, his full lips.

Leaning down, I kissed him gently, sighing in relief when he didn’t stir. He was deep asleep.

Since I wasn’t feeling sleepy myself, I decided to watch some classical dance tutorials on YouTube. I pulled my laptop closer and began to get lost in the rhythm and elegance of the movements.

Fifteen minutes later, a phone rang loud, insistent. I glanced down, recognizing it was Gleb’s phone. The screen displayed “Chief Security,”

The fact that his chief security was calling at this hour made me nervous. Something must have gone wrong. But Gleb was sleeping so soundly, and I didn’t want to disturb him.

Reluctantly, I reached over and picked up his phone, answering it.

“This is Gleb Romanov’s wife. Can you speak English, please?”

“I need to speak with him. It’s urgent,” came a thick Russian accent.

“He’s asleep. You can talk to me.” My voice was firm, trying to mask my unease.

“Please wake him up,” the man insisted, urgency in his tone. “It’s bad news.”

“Tell me.”

“The Petrovs attacked our dock.”

I frowned, glancing at Gleb’s sleeping form. I had no idea who the Petrov family was, or what docks he was talking about. “Is there something you can do about it?”

“That’s why I’m calling. Should we strike back, or wait for him to contact them first?” His words were clipped, but still urgent. “Our cartel and theirs haven’t breached our agreement in eight years. An attack like this, it’s a clear violation of the contract. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I exhaled sharply, unsure. “I’ll let him call you back.”

Without waiting for a response, I hung up, biting my lip. I hated that I’d had to disturb Gleb’s sleep, but I had no choice.

I leaned over to kiss him again, hoping to wake him gently.

He grunted softly, his lips brushing mine before he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze locked with mine, a mix of confusion and tenderness. “You were kissing me in my dream.”

I laughed softly, my heart lightened by the playful tone. But the seriousness of the situation weighed on me. “I think your chief security needs your attention urgently.”

His expression darkened as he rolled away from me, his eyes scanning the phone. “You already answered the call?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to disturb you,” I said, my voice soft.

“Don’t do that again,” he said, voice low, but with an edge. “I don’t want you involved in my business.”

I felt a pang of rebuke, but I stayed quiet, watching him as he picked up the phone.

“No, don’t attack them,” he ordered, his tone now hard, efficient. “Get more men to the dock. I’ll speak to Misha.”

The call ended quickly. He turned back to me, his expression softening. “Was I harsh?”

“Yes,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “I was just trying not to wake you. You haven’t slept well in days.”

He kissed me gently on the cheek before walking toward the bathroom. I thought he just needed to freshen up, but then I noticed him dressing, and my unease grew.

“Where are you going?”

He continued to button his shirt as he replied, “I need to meet an old colleague.”

“Let me guess... Misha?”

He smirked. “Yes.”

“But it’s three in the morning. How are you going to meet him? Did you even call him? Wasn’t it his family who burned down your docks?”

“That’s right,” he said, his voice a little more tense. “His family burned down my dock for a reason I’m still trying to figure out. I’ll call him on the way. We’re meeting at our old spot. You don’t need to worry.”

“I have every reason to worry. What if he hurts you?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath, now looking at me with a mix of affection and something close to amusement. “He wouldn’t dare. This is what I’ve done for years, Anna. When I tell you not to worry, you need to trust me.”

I crossed my arms, my anxiety simmering. “No. I’m scared.”

He walked over to me, pulling me into a tight embrace. “People don’t kill without reason. The Petrov family wouldn’t dare harm a hair on my head. The price would be too high.”

“Can I come with you?”

He exhaled, exasperated. “I’ve already told you not to get involved. Can you do that?”

“No. Your business is mine now.

“I know you’re worried, but this is something I have to handle alone. You’re safer here, and I’ll be back before you know it. Trust me on this.”

“No. I’m coming with you.”

His lips curled into a teasing smirk, and he gently rubbed his thumb across my lips. “Fine. Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”

My insides churned with worry. I had this terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen. I wanted to protect him, even though I had no idea how.

“No. You wait for me. Be a gentleman for once,” I said, crossing my arms stubbornly.

“I need to make calls,” he said, walking out of the room.

When I finished dressing, I hurried downstairs. Gleb was already in the car, the engine running. He didn’t even wait for me to approach before he started the ignition.

“Angry?” I asked as I got inside the car.

He didn’t respond, instead, he just reversed out of the garage and drove off.

“You’re speeding...” I cautioned, though I wasn’t sure if that would make a difference.

“Maybe you should’ve stayed home then,” he snapped.

“I’m only looking out for you, okay?”

He snickered, as if I’d just made the most ridiculous joke. “I’ve been doing this shit long before you came into my life, and I’ll keep doing it after you leave, so don’t feed me that bullshit.”

“Gleb!” I called, my heart aching. Why was he suddenly so angry?

“Why are you saying these hurtful things to me just because I want to come with you?” My voice wavered.

“I’m a different person when I’m handling business. You’re frustrating me by poking around in it. I don’t need you involved.” He kept his eyes on the road.

“You don’t need me?”

“Yes... yes, I don’t fucking need you in my business. Is that hard to understand?” He slammed his hand on the wheel, the sound sharp and tense.

I could feel the headache starting to form behind my eyes. “Fine, drop me off. I’ll just go back home. Pardon me for being an overly caring wife.”

He exhaled, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. “I only have five minutes left to meet with Misha,” his voice was quieter now, but still filled with frustration.

“So? It’ll take you less than ten seconds to drop me off. I’ll find a way back home.”

He smirked evilly. “Do you really think I’d drop my wife by the roadside? Even a madman wouldn’t do that.”

“People do and say a lot of things when they’re angry. Just drop me off,” I retorted.

“Can you just be quiet for a second?” He clenched the steering wheel tighter. “It’s too late now. Let me focus on the task at hand. I need to think about how to handle this situation.”

I went silent, staring out the window. He had every right to be angry. I shouldn’t have interfered in his business. He’d been doing this long before we even got married. Why had I assumed he couldn’t handle himself?

“And when we get there,” he continued, “apart from greetings, I need you to not engage anyone in any conversation, okay?”

“I’ll stay by your side the whole time. You don’t have to worry about me,” I promised.

He nodded. A few minutes passed, and I continued staring out the window, lost in my thoughts. Then, suddenly, I felt his hand on my thigh. I turned, meeting his eyes. His hand was warm, resting there like it belonged.

“I was just frustrated, okay?” he said, his voice softer now. “I’m used to doing things on my own. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. You didn’t deserve that. It’s just... this whole situation is too much, and I don’t want to pull you into it. I’m sorry.”

“I understand,” I said, even though a part of me still felt like he shouldn’t have lashed out so badly. But I understood, like I had just said.

His hand on my thigh kept sending a strange tingle through me, making me feel things I wasn’t ready for.

“What’s your favorite song?” he asked, changing the subject.

“‘Lovely’ by Billie Eilish.”

“Who’s that?”

“You don’t know Billie Eilish?” I asked, surprised.

“I don’t,” he replied, pulling up the song on the dashboard. The melody began to fill the car.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling. I started to sing along quietly, lost in the rhythm of the song as he drove.

He kept glancing at me, and though I pretended not to notice, I saw his gaze linger. Then I heard him mutter something.

“What did you say?” I asked, louder now, the music filling the space between us.

“Huh?”

“You said something just now,” I said, raising my voice as the song volume increased.

He smiled, his gaze softening. “I said you’re... interesting.”

“You think I’m interesting after everything that just happened?”

“Yeah. I have the most intriguing wife in the world.” He ran his hand through my disheveled hair, and my cheeks flushed with warmth.