Page 125 of Sinful Promise

And how did I repay them?

By walking straight into the hands of Igor Ivanov.

I should have taken Lucia up on her offer to teach me some self-defense. Maybe I would have been able to fight off the men who took me to call Dimitri for help. Maybe he could have gotten Danil to a hospital in time.

If only I had been sensible, I could have given myself a fighting chance, and I wouldn't be tied up right now, feeling so damnhelpless.

My life’s starting to slip through my fingers, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it.

A quiet whimper escapes my lips as I realize the mess I’ve gotten myself into. But as much as my instincts are telling me to scream for help, the last thing I want is to draw the attention of whoever is on the other side of that door.

I need them to think I’m still knocked out, at least until Danil can come up with some sort of plan to get us out of here.

Because he is alive. And he must have a plan.

Hehastoo.

He just has too…

“Danil,” I whisper again before glancing anxiously at the door.

I haven’t heard the footsteps again, which means whoever it was is still standing near the door.

Are they waiting for someone?

Igor Ivanov.

He’s finally going to make good on his threat, and the people I love the most are going to pay the ultimate price.

Suddenly, a sliver of light shines through beneath a crack in the door. It’s not much, but it’s enough for me to see that I’m in what looks to be an empty basement room. The floor and walls are nothing but bare concrete, and from what I can tell, there’s not even a single window.

I’m still wearing my dress from last night, which explains why I’m painfully cold, leaning up against a concrete wall. I must have lost Danil’s jacket in the park, and the thought has another wave of emotion hitting me so hard the air leaves my lungs.

“Danil?” I whisper.

My eyes roam around the room, and I have to swallow my scream when I finally notice the outline of a body in the corner of the room.

Danil.

My entire body starts to tremble as I notice the lack of movement coming from him.

He’s not breathing.

“Oh, god, please don’t be dead,please.”

My cheeks are damp with tears, and my heart is pounding so hard in my chest I’m about to pass out.

This can’t be happening.

The footsteps sound again but this time, they grow fainter.

They’re leaving.

I’m not sure how much time we have before Igor gets here, but somehow, I need to figure out a way to get out of here before he comes.

But even if I could get my hands untied, what then? The only way out is the door, and I doubt Igor’s men are stupid enough to leave it unlocked.

How could everything have gone wrong so quickly?

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