“She called me, distraught,” Conor adds, fueling the fire. “She had to hack into your phone to find you.”
Why the hell is the line taking so long? “I don’t have time to explain,” I start.
“Yes, you do,” Fiona points out. “There are like five more couples in the line ahead of you.”
Goddamnit!
“Look, guys—”
“He’s doing it for me,” Elena, who’s been mostly silent during my exchange with my annoying siblings, cuts in. Allfocus shifts to her. “I…I’m sorry that he didn’t tell you about this. I begged him not to in case it got back to my father.”
“What do you mean?” Fiona asks. “Is this some kind rebellion because I have to say, as someone who finds joy in causing a little mayhem at home, marriage is not the answer.”
“My father wants me to marry Yuri Balshov.”
All conversation stops.. I have to say, I’ve never seen my siblings stunned into silence for this long. Still, I read the horror on Fiona’s face and the rage on my brother’s. We all know about Yuri and the kind of man he is. There have been rumors for a long time that the man has been involved in human trafficking, and everyone does their best to avoid dealing with him. The man has a mean streak and can hold a grudge.
“You can’t be serious,” Fiona gasps, finally finding her voice. “What kind of father would do that to his daughter?”
“Mine,” Elena says. “He already had the marriage license on hand and was waiting for Yuri and the officiant to arrive before Roarke helped me escape.”
“Fuck!” Conor curses, running a hand through his hair. “Yuri is like a manic when he sets his eyes on a woman.”
Don’t I know it. Still, I toss a warning look to Conor. I’ll worry about Yuri after Elena becomes my wife; it’s not necessary to add to her nerves. She is convinced Yuri will leave her alone if she gets married, and I can’t have her worrying about that now. Once she’s my bride, Yuri becomes my problem to deal with. “You have to promise me not to tell Da and Mum about this.”
“You’re getting married, Roarke, they’re going to find out,” he points out.
“Not until I get this sorted out.”
“Oh, Mum is going to skin your hide when she finds out her oldest son got married behind her back,” Fiona chirps, suspiciously excited by the prospect. Fuck, she’s right. As a seasoned military veteran, one who has faced more blood and horror than any man should in his lifetime, nothing scares me more than my Irish mother’s temper. She is indeed going to skin my hide for keeping this from them, but I’ll deal with the consequences when the time comes.
“I’ll tell her myself. You two are going to keep this from them until I’m ready.”
“Fine,” Fiona says with an eyeroll, stepping forward and sliding her arm into Elena’s before tugging her to her side. “Semantics aside, I’m really happy to meet you, Elena. I can already tell we’re going to be best friends.”
There is a sweet smile on Elena’s face as she turns to Fiona, and the heart I didn’t think I had tugs as I watch my siblings with my bride.
The same heart clenches with affection when we say our vows. Moments later, I find myself wishing that this were a real wedding with our families present to witness the event. We haven’t had time to talk about what this could mean outside of keeping Yuri away.
How long will we last once Yuri is no longer a threat?
I have questions, ones I should have asked before purchasing a marriage license. What happens after this? Do we live as a married couple, or will she insist on moving back home?
I want everything, I realize. Her heart, body, and soul. After the sex last night, I got the best night’s sleep in…I can’t remember. Six full hours of nothing but blissful rest, and I’m selfish enough to want more nights like those. More morningswhen I wake up to her beautiful face. More days when I get to call her mine, both on paper and in reality.
A chroí.
She keeps the demons and the darkness they bring at bay with her light. I can’t lose her. I won’t! Even if I have to fight Yuri to the death, Elena stays with me.
Mine!
Chapter Seven
Elena
I did something insane. I forced my bodyguard to marry me. But the way he looks at me as we walk across the hotel lobby makes me think that maybe he doesn’t hold it against me.
This isn’t what he signed up for when he agreed to provide security for my sisters and me, yet he got tangled up with the Marino’s drama anyway. I can’t imagine what I would have done if he hadn’t been there to save me.
