Page 26 of The Pakhan's Dangerous Secret
The door opens exactly ten minutes later. Andrey looks me over, his gaze lingering on my body in a way that makes heat pool low in my belly. I hate that I react to him like this.
"Come on," he says, gesturing for me to follow.
I step into the hallway, and the beast, Matvey, is there, standing like a silent sentinel. His dark eyes track my movement, but his expression remains as blank as always. The three of us walk through the estate, and I try to memorize the route again, but it's useless. This place is too big, too confusing.
We exit through a side door I haven't seen before, and there's a black SUV waiting in the driveway. Andrey opens the back door and gestures for me to get in. I hesitate, my mind screaming atme that this is a bad idea, that getting in that car could be the last thing I ever do.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Andrey says quietly, reading my hesitation. "I promise."
I don't believe him. But what choice do I have? I climb into the backseat, and he slides in beside me. Matvey takes the driver's seat, and within seconds, we're pulling out of the estate and onto the main road.
I watch the scenery pass by the window, trying to figure out where we're going. We drive through the city, past familiar streets and buildings, and then we're heading out toward the outskirts. The buildings become fewer and farther between, replaced by open fields and scattered trees.
My anxiety ratchets up with each passing mile. We're going somewhere remote. Somewhere no one will hear me scream.
"Where are we going?" I finally ask, my voice tight.
"You'll see," Andrey says.
That's not reassuring. Not even a little bit.
We drive for another twenty minutes, the landscape becoming more and more desolate. Finally, Matvey turns off the main road onto a dirt path that's barely visible through the overgrown grass. The SUV bounces over ruts and holes, and I have to grip the door handle to keep from being thrown around.
When we finally stop, we're in the middle of nowhere, just an empty field stretching out in all directions with a few scraggly trees and tall grass swaying in the breeze. And in the center of it all, there's an old shack. It looks like it's been abandoned for decades, the wood rotting and the roof sagging dangerously.
My blood runs cold.
They brought me here to kill me. That's the only explanation. They're going to bury my body out here where no one will ever find it. How many others are buried in this field? How many people have been here, in my shoes, realizing too late what's about to happen?
I don't move when Andrey opens the door. I can't move. My body is frozen, every muscle locked tight with terror.
"Mariya," Andrey says, his voice gentle, "come on."
"No." The word comes out as barely a whisper.
He crouches down so we're at eye level, his blue eyes searching my face. "I told you, I'm not going to hurt you. We're here to look for something."
"Look for what?" I demand, my voice shaking. "There's nothing out here but dirt and that death trap of a shack."
"That's what we're here to find out." He holds out his hand. "Trust me."
Trust him? Is he insane? I don't trust him. I can't trust him. But what am I supposed to do? Run? I wouldn't make it ten feet before the beast caught me. And even if I did somehow escape, where would I go? We're miles from anywhere.
I take his hand, hating myself for it, and let him help me out of the SUV. My legs are shaking so badly, I can barely stand. I scan the field, looking for any sign of disturbed earth, any indication that this is a burial ground. But all I see are grass and weeds.
Andrey keeps hold of my hand as we walk toward the shack. The beast follows behind us, silent as always. The closer we get, theworse the structure looks. The wood is gray and splintered, the windows are broken, and the whole thing leans slightly to one side, as if a strong wind could knock it over.
"I'm not going in there," I say, stopping several feet away.
Andrey turns to look at me. "Why not?"
"Because it's going to collapse the second we step inside." I pull my hand free from his. "I'm not getting crushed to death in some abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere."
"It's sturdier than it looks," he says, but even he doesn't sound entirely convinced.
"Then you go in first."
He studies me for a moment, then nods. "Fair enough."
