Nina looks between her sister, me, and back at Alek before she shakes her head. “Susanna is telling the truth. She didn’t ruin Katya’s dress. Both me and Susanna saw Katya rip her own dress to shreds. She claims you kidnapped her. She’s not happy to be here.”
All the air leaves my body. It’s not like I thought Nina and I were friends but the fact that she so quickly turned on me makes me feel betrayed. Hurt. Beaten down.
Alek runs a hand over his face. “Someone is not telling the truth here. That much is obvious. Nina, Susanna, go back to your seats. We’ll talk later.”
Both girls give me a smug smile before walking away.
“They’re lying,” I say. “Susanna ripped my dress. I don’t want you to hurt me. I wouldn’t do this to myself. I… I really liked this dress.”
“I believe you.”
His admission catches me off guard. “You do?”
“I do. I know that Susanna and Nina can be… difficult at times. And I can see the fear in your eyes. You didn’t do this to your dress.” He holds his arm out to me.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to walk down the aisle together and we’re going to get married. You’ll become mine.”
“But my dress…”
“There’s no stopping it now. I want you, Katya, even if you were naked right before me. I am going to marry you today. Nothing is going to stop me.” He grabs my arm and places it through his. “Now, let us get married.”
Chapter Seven
Katya
Walking down the aisle in my torn wedding dress with so many eyes on me is overwhelming. My heart is going to explode out of my chest from how hard it’s pounding. My hands are clammy and my feet are like blocks of ice. The only thing keeping me upright is Alek’s arm wrapped around mine.
It’s a strange sensation. How he can make me feel stronger and yet is the reason I’m in this predicament in the first place. He’s trying to beat my brother in this war between them and I’m the collateral damage. Yet, he’s also the one trying to lift me up.
I don’t understand it at all.
We reach the end of the aisle and I look up into the eyes of the priest staring down at me. There’s no empathy in his eyes. Whatkind of priest did Alek get that would do a wedding on such short notice? Probably one who wouldn’t ask any questions.
Alek helps me walk up the steps but my foot slips and I stumble forward. I hear snickering behind me. A glance over my shoulder tells me that it’s Nina and Susanna. I know for a fact that they’re not my friends. Susanna made that obvious yesterday and Nina made it obvious today when she flat out lied to Alek about Susanna ripping my dress. They are not to be trusted. I don’t have anybody.
I’m completely on my own.
Alek shoots the girls a look that makes them stop laughing. There’s an anger inside of him, radiating out. I just hope that I’m not on the receiving end of that anger.
“Let us begin, Father,” Alek says to the priest.
I drown out the words of the priest as I look around the church. So many eyes on me. No way to escape. I’m no longer in my hidden room. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to return to it.
I sway on my feet and almost fall backwards but Alek grabs my hands and steadies me. Focus, I tell myself. I need to focus. I can’t pass out from this. Anything could happen then.
I keep praying that Dimitri will burst through those church doors and save me. Alek is not making this wedding a secret. He’s taunting Dimitri. But will Dimitri get here in time? My brother has never let me down before.
Yet, he never encouraged me to leave my room for all those years. Maybe my brother was letting me down all along and I just never saw it. Never understood it.
Not until now.
My eyes meet Alek’s and his intense gaze makes me lose my breath. How can one man be this handsome and yet scary at the same time? How can he be my kidnapper and also the man who’s trying to save me from myself?
“Do you, Alek Morozov, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
The priest’s words come rushing back into my mind. This is real. This is happening. I’m marrying a man I’ve only known for two days.
