All my chips on the table, cards poised to lose.
My throat would be laid bare for whatever weapon fate would yield to cut it.
I knew luck was the only way I could survive this, and the only way that Katya and I could be together.
Because the dominos were stacked against us.
Alexander and Marisha arrived first, taking seats near the aisle. Then Eduard and Evelina next to them. On the opposite side of the walkway, the seats remained vacant. The guarding soldiers stood near the Bratva King and Queen. There were more than seemed necessary, maybe due to the issues at the engagement dinner. Viktor’s smaller detail hung back towards the resort, waiting for their employer no doubt.
I’d been missing for quite some time from the condo now, and I was surprised that I hadn’t been discovered. Hell, maybe my absence was known and everyone was too goddamn scared to say anything to Eduard on the day of his daughter’s nuptials.
But they’d still be looking for me… trying to discreetly correct their fuck-up. There was no time to overthink it though. Viktor had appeared, his guards following closely behind.
My emotions jostling around like an out-of-control bumper car, I did my best to hide my face while I watched him move. Self-important bastard. His expression verged on disdain as he moved past the Vasilievs and took his place near the trellis. The priest arrived next, already sweating beneath his cassock.
The string quartet was staged past the dining tables. When they began to play the bridal chorus, I stiffened, as if concrete was being poured into my body and flooding through my limbs to turn me into a statue. I was grateful for the hardening of my limbs so that I might stand there, frozen and helpless, as the love of my life began walking towards her husband-to-be.
It gave me a reason not to move.
To take in the sight of her before I wrecked the glass house around me.
God, she was beautiful.
Even though the dress was more conservative than I knew Katya would have liked, she was regal and fucking stunning.
The off-the-shoulder bodice was sheer with long lace sleeves and a small dip in the front to show the faintest hint of cleavage. It fit closely down to the curves of her hips and then flowed down in a shimmering full skirt that trailed out behind her in a wave of blush pink. Her hair was loosely curled to trail down and swish against beautiful, tan bare skin, revealed by the open back.
I smiled when my eyes flashed down to see how her bare feet were revealed beneath the full skirt as she moved. I knew Evelina would have a fit when she saw how her daughter had held onto herself with this small show of a last weak rebellion.
It dawned on me that Eduard wasn’t walking his daughter down the aisle. Had his anger blinded him so much that he could not perform this fatherly duty? I hated him for that; for taking this moment away from her.
I began to move, to put a stop to this now, but the resort employee beside me whispered harshly. “Don’t move. The ceremony has started for fuck’s sake.”
I bristled, but then considered her words. All of the guards were glancing around, waiting for trouble. Likely, waiting to see if I’d somehow appear and disrupt everything, like I’d done once before. I had to be careful. If I wasn’t, I’d be gunned down before I even made it to Katya.
But each word the priest said cut at my soul.
And moved Katya closer to being irrevocably bound to Viktor.
It was when the rings came into play. The rings, and the wedding crowns, that I could no longer hold back. I could no longer wait for a safer moment. Because next would come those binding words.“The servant of God, Viktor, is married to the servant of God, Katya.”It was the way of the Russian Orthodox.
I bounded forward, hoping that the rings and the crowns would be enough of a distraction to buy me time before someone registered what was happening. That I wasn’t a resort waiter, but Viktor’s rival for Katya’s hand.
Whispers rose around me as I moved. Resort employees wondering what the hell one of their own was doing rushing towards a damn mafia wedding.
Alexander saw me first, turning in his seat to see what the disturbance was. His gaze grew wide, his mouth falling open and slack. He held up a hand as if to stop me, to tell me to turn back.
But there was no turning back.
Not now, not ever.
I didn’t mind dying, not if it meanttryingto follow my heart.
My heart.
God, how things had changed.
“Un-fucking-real.” Viktor clapped eyes on me, pulling Katya behind his body and facing me with fury reddening his face. “This is the goddamn final straw, Eduard. I can no longer forgive these transgressions.” He glanced at his guards and jerked his head towards me. They came forward fast, pushing their jackets to the side and reaching towards the guns in their side holsters.
