Deadly Vows (Avilov Bratva #2)

27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Talia

I bolted through the door, the adrenaline burning through my veins like fire. Every breath felt like it could be my last, each footfall a desperate attempt to escape the hell I was trapped in. The street stretched before me, dark and silent, the cold air biting at my skin as I ran.

I could feel every ounce of the baby’s weight now. My belly ached from the sudden movement, the pressure of each hurried step intensifying the discomfort. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t slow down. If I did, he’d find me. And if he found me, I’d die.

I won’t let him hurt my baby.

My eyes darted to the houses lining the street. Help. I needed help. Spotting the closest house, I veered toward it, my vision blurry with tears. My hands slammed against the door with desperate force.

“Help! Please!” I pounded hard, but there was no response. Panic clawed at my chest as I frantically knocked again. “Please, I need help! He’s coming!”

I twisted the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. Locked. A cold dread settled in my stomach as I stumbled back, glancing over my shoulder. He was getting closer. I couldn’t stay here.

I bolted toward the next house, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. When I reached the second house, I nearly collapsed against the door, banging on it with both fists.

“Help me!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “Someone, please!”

Nothing. The house was dark and silent, like a tomb. I yanked at the doorknob, but it, too, was locked. My breathing hitched as I glanced back at the street. The sound of footsteps echoed behind me, relentlessly closing in. My heart thundered in my chest, desperation threatening to choke me.

“I’m coming for you, Talia.” His voice was closer now, cold and amused. He was toying with me.

I stumbled away from the house and continued running. As I neared the end of the street, I glanced over my shoulder. My lungs screamed for air. At first, there was only silence, the wind howling through the trees. But then I heard it.

Footsteps.

No. God, no.

My legs screamed as I forced myself to move faster. Every fiber of my being told me to keep running, but my body was betraying me. The pregnancy was slowing me down, and I could feel myself faltering. But I couldn’t give up now. I wouldn’t.

I turned the corner at the end of the street, spotting a yard up ahead. Maybe I’d have a chance if I could just get behind those bushes. Maybe I could lose him long enough to hide or make a run for the next block. My heart pounded with desperate hope.

I heard him as he called out to me, in a sing-song way.

“I’m coming for you, Talia.” His voice echoed in the night, taunting me.

I pushed myself harder, my cheeks streaked with tears as I reached the perimeter of the yard. My fingers brushed the tall grass as I stumbled forward. Just a little further. Just one more step.

But I didn’t make it.

An electric shock ripped through my body, blinding me with white-hot pain. I gasped, but no sound came out. My legs crumpled, my body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. The shock coursed through me, paralyzing me, my muscles locked in a brutal, unrelenting spasm.

NO!!

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. The world around me spun. The ground felt cold, and I could hear Danny’s footsteps as they drew closer.

“That was fun,” he said. Kneeling beside me, he brushed my hair away from my face. “You always think you can run, don’t you? You’ll never get away from me,” he whispered into my ear.

I tried to scream, to thrash, but my body refused to respond. I could feel him lifting me, his arms wrapping around me in mock tenderness. My stomach turned at the contact, every instinct screaming for me to fight, but I couldn’t. The taser had rendered me completely helpless.

When we got inside the house, he carried me to bed. The handcuffs were hanging from the bedpost, ready to enslave me again. He laid me down carefully, like I was fragile and he hadn’t just shocked me into submission.

I felt the metal snap around my wrist, the sound of the lock clicking into place. The other handcuff followed, chaining me to the bed like some kind of animal.

“You’ll thank me for this one day,” he said, his voice soft, almost soothing as he stood over me. “You’ll realize that I did this for you…for us.”

I turned my face away. The only thing I wanted was to be free of him and be with Aleksandr, the man I loved and the father of my child.

Danny leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek. “Get some rest. You’re going to need your strength.”

He left the room, the door shutting behind him, and I was alone again. Alone in the darkness, chained to the bed, trapped.

I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stop, willing the pain in my chest to ease. But all I could think about was the baby and Aleksandr. I prayed silently that the baby was okay after being tasered. When will Aleksandr find me? I visualized him tearing through the city with that dangerous, determined look in his eyes.

Sleep came in fits and starts, nightmares blending with reality. I dreamed of Danny’s hands on me, of the baby growing inside me, of Aleksandr’s face fading away, disappearing into the shadows.

By the time morning came, the room was bathed in pale light, and my body ached from the restraints. My wrists were raw, and my throat was hoarse from crying silently into the pillow. I had spent the night going over every moment, every missed opportunity to escape, every terrible thing Danny had whispered to me.

The door opened, and he stepped inside, his expression unreadable. He carried a tray of food, setting it down on the nightstand like this was a normal routine and I wasn’t handcuffed to the bed. Like I hadn’t tried to run from him just hours before.

“You need to eat,” he said flatly. “It’s not just you anymore. You’ve got the baby to think about.”

I glared at him, my voice raspy as I spoke. “The baby? Do you know what an electric shock can do to a baby?“ I hissed through gritted teeth.

“Oh, come on, it was just a little shock. We were just having some fun. The baby is fine.”

My eyebrows snapped together as I gave him a death glare. “I’ll never love you, Danny.”

He stopped fussing with the sheets, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at me. He was eerily silent, and then he laughed. He actually laughed!

“I don’t need your love. I’ve given you a chance, but you refuse to take it. And that’s fine. Really, it is. Because I’ve realized something. Once that baby is born, I won’t need you anymore.”

My stomach twisted as his words sank in.

“What... what are you saying?” My voice wavered despite my best efforts to stay strong.

He smiled a twisted, hollow grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m saying I’ve been patient. I’ve tried to give you everything. But you don’t care. So, here’s what will happen - when the baby is born, I will take it. And you? Well, you won’t be around anymore.”

A sob caught in my throat as I shook my head. “You wouldn’t—“

“I would,” he cut me off, his tone ice-cold. “You’re nothing but a complication. But the baby? The baby’s mine . And I’ll raise it the way it should be raised. Without you poisoning it with your feelings for Aleksandr.”

I stared at him, horror coursing through me. How had I ever thought I could reason with him? How had I ever thought I could get away?

“You’ll never get away with this!” I shouted. “Aleksandr will find me, and he’ll kill you!” I thrashed against the handcuffs, kicking at Danny.

His expression hardened, the faint smile disappearing. “Maybe. But he’ll be too late. By the time he does, you’ll be dead.”

I felt the air leave my lungs, the world tilting on its axis as Danny’s threat hung in the air. He walked out of the room, leaving me there, chained to the bed, helpless and terrified.

I couldn’t let him win. I wouldn’t let him take my baby and destroy everything I loved. But I was trapped, handcuffed to the bed, powerless against this man.

As the door closed behind him, I closed my eyes, swallowing back the sobs threatening to consume me. Aleksandr will find me. He has to. Because if he didn’t, I knew I wouldn’t survive.

Time passed. My body ached from the restraints, and Danny’s threats plagued my thoughts. Every time I shifted, the handcuffs dug into my wrists, the metal biting into my skin. I thought of Aleksandr, hoping he was out there, searching for me. I refused to give up hope.

Then it started.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my lower abdomen, and I gasped. The pain was sudden and intense, radiating across my belly. I shifted, trying to find relief, but it only grew worse, like my insides were being twisted and pulled. Panic surged through me.

No. Please, no.

I closed my eyes, willing the pain to stop, but it didn’t. Instead, it intensified, each cramp sharper than the last. My breaths became shallow and labored as I struggled to stay calm. I couldn’t lose the baby.

“Danny!” I screamed, my voice trembling with fear. “Danny, help! Hurry!”

For a moment, there was no response. But then I heard his footsteps growing louder as he approached the bedroom. The door creaked open and Danny stepped inside, his face twisted with annoyance.

“What now?” he grumbled.

“I’m in pain,” I said, my voice shaking. “Something’s wrong with the baby. I need to go to the hospital.”

Danny raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorframe as if I were wasting his time. “You’re fine. Just rest. I’m sure you’re overreacting.”

I clenched my teeth as another cramp shot through me. “I’m not overreacting! It’s the baby. I think you hurt the baby!”

He scoffed, shaking his head as if I were being dramatic. “You’ll be fine. Just breathe through it. Women get cramps all the time during pregnancy. You’re not going to die.”

I wanted to lunge at him and make him understand the terror that was gripping me. But the pain was growing worse, the cramps coming quickly, making it harder to think. “Danny,” I pleaded, tears stinging my eyes. “Please. I need help.”

Something in my voice must have finally registered with him. His brow furrowed, and he took a hesitant step forward, eyeing me with concern. “Wait… are you really in pain?”

I nodded as another wave of agony hit. “Yes! Please, Danny. I need to go to the hospital. Something’s wrong with the baby.”

He just stood there for a moment, staring at me like he was trying to figure out if I was faking. Then his expression shifted from annoyance to something close to fear. He glanced at my stomach, and I saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

“If something happens to the baby…” he muttered, more to himself than to me. He paced the room, running a hand through his hair. “No hospital. I can’t risk that.”

I stared at him, disbelief flooding through me. “You can’t be serious! I need a doctor!”

He shook his head, muttering as he reached for his phone. “I’ll call someone. Just stay calm.”

“What do you mean, call someone? We need to go now!” I cried, my voice rising in panic.

He ignored me, his fingers moving quickly as he dialed a number. Pain twisted through me again, and I groaned, curling in on myself as best I could with the restraints.

Danny held the phone to his ear, pacing in front of the bed. “Hey, it’s Danny. I need a favor… yeah, it’s urgent. She’s in pain, and I think it’s the baby.” He paused, glancing at me. “No, not a hospital. Do you know anyone who can handle this off the books? Yeah? Good. Get him over here.”

I was shaking with fear and anger as I listened to him arrange some kind of back-alley solution.

He hung up the phone, turning to me as anxiety shone in his eyes. “A doctor’s on his way. Just hold on.”

I groaned through another wave of cramps, my entire body tense with pain. “What kind of doctor? Who did you call?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Danny snapped. “He’s a professional. He’s just… not the type who asks questions, alright?”

I didn’t have the strength to argue. The pain was all-consuming now, and I was terrified of what was happening to the baby. All I could do was pray that whoever this shady doctor was, he could help.

It wasn’t long before I heard a knock at the front door. Danny disappeared, and moments later, he returned with a tall, thin man with a weathered face and dark, shrewd eyes. He carried a small black bag in one hand, his expression calm and businesslike.

“This is Doc,” Danny said, motioning toward the man. “He’s going to check you out.”

Doc didn’t waste any time. He walked over to the bed, glancing briefly at my restraints before setting his bag down and pulling on a pair of gloves. “How long have you been having cramps?” he asked in a monotone voice.

“About an hour,” I whispered, wincing as another cramp hit. “I was tasered,” I hissed, glaring at Danny. “Is the baby okay?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gently pressed his hands against my belly, feeling for any signs of distress. His touch was clinical and cold. I watched his face, desperate for a sign that the baby was alright.

After a few minutes, he stood up and pulled out a pill bottle from his bag. “I’m going to give you something to ease the cramps. The baby seems stable, but you need to rest.”

“What is it?” I asked, eyeing the pill suspiciously.

“It’s just a muscle relaxer. It’ll stop the cramping and help you sleep.”

I hesitated, glancing at Danny, but I had no other choice. The pain was unbearable, and if this was the only way to make sure the baby was okay…

Doc handed me the pill, and I swallowed it dry. He nodded, zipping up his bag. “The baby should be fine, but no more shocks. Her body’s under a lot of stress.”

Danny stood near the door, his face pale and tight with worry. “So, she’s going to be okay?”

Doc gave a curt nod. “For now. But don’t push your luck. Keep her calm and let her rest. And lose the handcuffs. Being restrained could be adding to her stress.”

With that, Doc left, and the room fell silent again. I lay there, my body still trembling from cramps, my mind spinning. Danny unlocked the handcuffs and freed my wrists.

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to cry. The pain was fading, but fear remained. All I could do was cling to the hope that Aleksandr would find me soon.