“Then let’s get you changed. You look miserable in this thing.” Kara tugs on my arm.
“It’s not fair to put all the blame for that on the dress.” I scoot my chair back and push up to my feet, acutely aware of the eyes darting in my direction with my movement.
Not only do I have my uncle staring me down, but the men who stashed me in the back of Kaz’s SUV and dumped me here keep checking to be sure I haven’t run away.
As though there is anywhere in this country, or any other, I could run to that one of these men from either of these families couldn’t find me.
Once we’re alone in the ‘bridal room,’ Kara throws her arms around me again and squeezes until I have to tap her shoulder to make her stop.
“It’s okay, Kara. I’m okay.”
“You are not.” She frowns. “You’ve been thrown over enemy lines as some sort of peace offering. And to that man! He had to have known who you were last night! And those vows!” Her lips get thinner with each declaration of his atrocities.
“I thought for a second you were going to refuse to say them,” Rosa says as she lounges on the love seat.
The room has been set up for my every need. The dress I’m changing into hangs on the back of the door. A crystal vase with the bridal bouquet I chose not to use for the ceremony sits on the end table beside where Rosa sits. A bottle of champagne chills in the silver ice bucket along with several flutes.
Everything a bride might need.
Except a secluded exit by which she might escape into the void.
“Here, let’s get you out of this monstrosity.” Kara spins me around and searches for the zipper.
“It’s hooks. All hooks.” I drop my shoulders.
“Great.” She finds the top and makes her way down until I’m able to peel the itchy bodice from my skin.
“You should have insisted on getting your own gown,” Kara says as she maneuvers the fifteen-pound dress onto a wooden hanger.
“And do you think my uncle would have listened?” I sink onto the chair at the vanity set in my bra and panties, letting the cool air calm my irritated skin.
“It’s not like you to just go along with this sort of thing,” Rosa remarks.
“She’s not exactly in a position to fight,” Kara reminds her.
“I know. What I meant is, all of this is so frustrating. And having to say those vows. I think he did that on purpose.”
“What? Humiliate me in front of the entire congregation? Of course he did it on purpose.” I drop my head into my hands. “Can you get this veil off, please.”
“I’m on it.” Rosa jumps from the loveseat and gets to work on finding all the bobby pins used to secure the band to my head.
“They might as well have used staples,” Kara remarks, standing next to me watching Rosa work. “We should have spoken up when they brought this thing out of the box. It’s like something from the eighties.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.” I lean back, feeling like a bowling ball has been lifted off my head now that the veil is gone.
“So what are you going to do now?” Rosa stuffs the veil in the box someone left in the room.
“Nothing.” I sigh. “I’m going get dressed, go out there and eat whatever meal my uncle and his cohorts have put together for this thing, then I’m going to do whatever I can to be sure I see Tommy. Uncle Vicente assured me he hasn’t moved Tommy. I should be able to have access to him as soon as I get to Chicago.”
“Do the Volkovs know about him?” Kara pulls the dress from the hanger on the door.
It’s a simple cream, ankle-length gown. No beading or frills. Just satin material with a light overlay of lace that flares at my hips. Best part, it’s comfortable.
“About Tommy? Not that I know of. Seeing how things have turned out, Tony being the asshole that he was and hiding away his own son was probably a saving grace.”
Tommy’s mother died last year from an aggressive form of breast cancer, too far along to treat as it had alreadymetastasized. My brother’s first instinct was to let the government take over and put his son in the foster care system. I’d never been so relieved when he finally caved and agreed to let his full-time aide remain with him in the house he’d been living in with his mother.
All Tony had to do was pay the bills and be on call if there was an emergency that required parental involvement.
