Page 85 of Deceptive Vows
Roman finished his circuit of the room, pausing to check something on his phone. “Special delivery tonight,” he said to Viktor, his voice low but still audible. “The trucks are coming at 2200 for transport to the auction site.”
Viktor grunted his acknowledgment. “All of them?”
“Da. Except for the special merchandise.” His eyes flicked to me, then to Elena. “The high-value items go separately.”
My pulse quickened. Tonight. They were moving us tonight.
After they left, I turned to Elena. “Did you hear?”
She nodded, her face pale but determined. “Tonight.”
“Listen carefully. There’s a shift change in alittle while, which gives us a small window before the trucks arrive.”
Elena’s eyes widened slightly. “You have a plan?”
“The beginnings of one.” I glanced toward the other captives. “I need your help. We need to get a message to the others but carefully. The younger ones who’ve been drugged might not be reliable.”
“I can talk to Sophia and Mira.” She indicated the women across from us. “They still have fight in them.”
As Elena began quietly communicating with the women across the aisle, I set to work on the lock of my cage. The mechanism was simple but sturdy, a padlock securing a sliding bolt.
It felt like forever before Roman returned alone. When he reached my cage, he crouched down, bringing his face level with mine.
“The boss wants to see you.” His breath reeked of cigarettes. “Get up.”
I kept my expression neutral, even as alarm bells rang in my mind. “Which boss?”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Marco Moretti himself. He wants to inspect his prizebefore the auction.”
Elena caught my eye from her cage, fear evident in her expression. I gave her the smallest shake of my head, a warning to stay calm, to stick to the plan.
Roman unlocked my cage, hauling me to my feet. “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned, patting the holstered pistol at his hip.
As he led me away, I caught a final glimpse of Elena. Her lips formed silent words: Be careful.
I was led through a series of corridors that confirmed my suspicions, an abandoned medical facility of some kind. I could see heavy forest outside through occasional gaps in boarded windows—isolated, remote.
We passed a woman in heels and a tailored coat—the same one I’d seen lingering near Marco at the Christmas party. She avoided my eyes, her face carefully blank as she turned down another hallway.
Marco Moretti waited in what had once been an administrative office, his expensive suit a stark contrast to the decaying surroundings.
“Leave us,” Marco instructed Roman. As the door closed, he gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit, Mrs. Volkov. Or do you preferKalantzis? I’m not sure how long your married name will apply.”
I remained standing. “Where is my husband?”
Marco’s lips curled into a smile that never reached his eyes. “Dead, I imagine. Or dying, at the very least. The Gray Wolves are thorough in their work.”
Though I’d suspected as much, the confirmation sent a wave of grief and rage through me that I struggled to contain. I balled my hands into fists, letting my nails dig into my hands. I needed to focus on a way to use this unexpected meeting to my advantage. Once I was free, I’d allow myself to grieve.
“What do you want, Marco?” I forced steel into my voice.
“I wanted to see you before the auction. To understand what makes you so special that your brother would risk so much for you. That Nazar Volkov would align with the Kalantzis family against his own interests.”
I kept my expression neutral, but my mind raced with questions. Just how much did he know?
Marco's lips stretched across his face as if he could read the questions on my face. "Imagine my luck when Sergei Popovapproached me with an intriguing proposition—eliminate two problems with one plan." He gave a slight shrug.
He rubbed his finger over his eyebrow. "The moment I saw Volkov with you, I knew he'd taken the bait. Every conversation with him only confirmed that he'd taken more than a professional interest in you." He sighed. "It's fascinating how history repeats itself in your family."
