Page 127 of Sinful Promise

“Don’t hurt him!” I cry out as they both lunge for Danil.

Danil groans as they force him onto his back, and the sound of a foot colliding with his body and Danil’s answering groan has me screaming.

“Let him go! Take me! Please!”

The two men don’t make any acknowledgment that they’ve even heard me. They carry on landing kicks to Danil’s body like he’s nothing but a sack of flour.

I furiously tug against the rope. “Please stop!”

But it’s no use.

The man I love is being attacked, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it.

It doesn’t take much for Danil’s body to go limp once more.

I can’t tell if he’s knocked out or just playing dead as a way to get them to leave, but the two men glance at each other with satisfied looks.

I hope they burn in hell for what they’ve done to Danil, and if I ever get out of here, I’m going to make sure that they know what it’s like to experience pain.

Just as I think they might leave us alone now that Danil is quiet once more, they bend down and haul Danil to his feet.

His head hangs between his shoulders, and he’s not taking any of his weight as they haul him toward the door, so he really must be knocked out cold.

Or dead.

“Danil!” I scream as I catch sight of the fresh blood staining the concrete floor before the door slams shut and the light goes out.

“Danil!” I scream until my throat is raw. But even then I don’t stop.

Even when the tears eventually run dry, I don’t stop screaming his name.

I have no idea how long we’ve been here, but at some point, Zara and Dimitri are going to start to worry. I just have to hope that Danil’s brothers realize what has happened and can get us out of here.

But I can’t ignore the small voice in the back of my mind that is playing my greatest fear on repeat.

What if they find us, but it’s too late?

What if this is how our story ends?

I lean my head back against the concrete wall as the last of my hope starts to fade away. “Oh, god.Danil.”

I should have taken Igor’s threat more seriously. Everybody warned me to be careful, but I didn’t listen, and now my greatest fear has come true.

If I had never suggested that walk, we never would have been at the park, and Danil would have never gotten hurt.

I know if Danil were here, he would assure me that this wasn’t my fault, that there was nothing I could have done to stop this from happening.

I only wish he was right.

28

DANIL

Growing up,I used to have night terrors. They were terrifying.

The last episode I remember must have been when I was about eight or nine years old.

My mother used to come to my room and assure me that they were very common and nothing to worry about, which was easier said than done.

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