Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
“Surprise,” Phoenix said in a tone that didn’t seem surprised at all. “They already are.”
“Let me guess, need to know?” I crossed my arms.
He just shrugged and then looked down at the two folders. “They won’t come into the fold willingly.”
I was afraid to ask, but I asked regardless. “Why?”
“That,” Phoenix tapped his fingers against the folders. “Is a story for another time. Let’s get you married.”
He didn’t want to say in front of everyone.
Which meant it was bad.
I didn’t have time to ask because the guys were suddenly surrounding me with congratulations and shots of vodka while the wives took Alice and started talking about wedding dresses and tiaras? Really? Then again, if I was technically royalty… I shook my head. It was too much to think about.
“So, I was researching…” Sergio said. “You know, just in case.”
“Nerd.” Dante coughed.
Sergio smacked him first, Chase was next.
“As I said…” Sergio locked eyes with me. “I found some intriguing little wedding traditions in my search. Is it true we get to kidnap her?”
Tex’s eyes snapped to mine. “No shit? What else?”
“Hell,” I muttered. “I have to pay to get her back, yes, that’s true but if you haven’t noticed we’re in Chicago, not Russia.”
They ignored me while Sergio kept talking. “We get to set up an obstacle course, typically they have to get the bride from her place of residence and the wedding party sets up obstacles until he makes it to her apartment floor since we don’t live in giant apartment buildings I was going to set up a paintball field.”
I glared.
Willed him to stop talking.
But he didn’t.
And since they wanted the full Russian experience. I was told I had one week to semi-heal before I was put through hell again.
I looked across the room.
At least this time I knew the ending.
And exactly where my heaven would be standing: at the altar.
And I, the sacrifice, would finally be welcomed into heaven’s arms.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Alice
In my wildest dreams — I couldn’t have conjured up what my wedding day would be like. Most days I thought it was out of my reach.
“It’s time.” Mo and Trace fixed my floor length dress. It had a small train. I didn’t need anything special, but they wouldn’t let me argue. It was strapless, and because Andrei had a thing for red.
It was as red as blood.
As red as the blood we’d joined all those days ago.
Now we were making it legal on the outside the way it was on the inside.
I held the white roses in my hands and waited while the rest of the guys, all dressed in black and white tuxes moved around the mine field of obstacles.
They went from a Ninja course to a strong man competition, then back to Ninja with paintball guns, but finally settled on more of an obstacle course that wouldn’t be too hard for Andrei to get through. He had a log he had to walk across, a net to climb, then bars that formed a high A where he had to swing onto a trampoline and try to grab a rope and yet again swing to the final mat where Tex was waiting with one of those gladiator sticks that’s used to throw someone off.
The rest of the guys were at different parts in the course, ready to boo his efforts.
“Is this really necessary?” I breathed out as I saw Nixon put his hands on Andrei’s shoulders and point him in my direction. He could have been miles away.
He was still healing, and now he had to go through more?
It didn’t seem fair.
“Tradition.” Trace said kindly from next to me. “It’s about tradition, and this is Andrei we’re talking about. He’ll thank us later.”
“Maybe.” Bee laughed and shook her head. “It’s not like the rest of us had to go through this.” She winced when she locked eyes with Luc, Chase’s wife.
She’d been tortured, not as bad as Andrei but bad enough. The fact that she had De Lange blood made me feel better about Chase’s place in all our lives, though I still felt on edge when he was around, especially since he was still hell bent on cleansing the entire line.
For good reason.
But still.
El and Val were on the other side of Mo waiting while Renee made her way over to us, her expression amused. “Andrei’s restless. Vic had to give him two shots of vodka and even then he started yelling about how unfair it was to make him go through this after hanging from chains bleeding all over the place.”
“He’s yelling,” I pointed out. “In Andrei speak that means he’s happy.”
The girls all burst out laughing while I clung to my roses and waited for him. It was like I was waiting at the end of the aisle, only a really intense aisle.
If Andrei could make it past Tex, then Tex agreed to marry us right there on the course, if not, well we hadn’t really gotten beyond that, but I’m sure Andrei was prepared.