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Alone time is something I’ve always valued, and once the wedding starts, I won’t have any for hours.
“Do you want me to go?” the older woman asks.
I smile and shake my head. “No. You can help me with the back of the dress. I couldn’t quite reach the last few buttons.”
Before she came in, I’d been talking myself into going and asking someone in the other room for help.
“That was quite the toast our Owen gave last night,” Mrs. Hunt says as she closes the first button.
My heart plummets to my stomach. Does she suspect?
“He’s been a good friend over the years,” I say.
“And we’re always going to be grateful to him for the way he’s protected you. Just make sure you give Tobias the same chance to get to know you, and your marriage will be fine. At least you’ve known him most of your life.”
Then why does it feel like I’m marrying a stranger?I keep that thought to myself as she buttons my dress. Even after our date in Las Vegas, our time together has been limited to scheduled meetings to go over wedding details, and two dinner dates. I still don’t feel like I know Tobias at all.
“It’s not something I talk about often, but I met my husband two days before we got married, and he locked me in his bedroom because I tried to run away. I’m grateful we don’t do things like that anymore. Tobias wants you to be happy, I can guarantee it.”
I smile at her in the mirror. “Thanks for that. I’m glad we don’t do things that way anymore, too.”
But we still have a long way to go. The whole concept of arranged marriage is wrong. It’s my duty to see this through, though. I understand the stakes. People could die if I don’t go through with this wedding. So, I’ll play my part because I refuse to have blood on my hands.
That doesn’t mean I don’t miss Owen. My heart will ache for what we had for many years. Saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
The doors to my dressing room open again, and my mother and sisters pour in. They’re excited for today. It’s the last wedding for our immediate family. My sisters took their dutiful places beside their chosen husbands three and four years ago. But my wedding is probably the most important. The families that will be unified today will create a powerful alliance that will be unrivaled by any other criminal organization in the world.
I tried to talk my father into letting me marry Owen. But an alliance with the Thornes had already been solidified when my sister married his cousin.
“Darling, you look stunning. You made the right choice with the dress.”
“Thank you, mother,” I murmur as I adjust the tiara I’ve chosen to wear instead of a traditional veil.
“I understand that you’re not entirely thrilled about this day, Bellamy. But you’re going to make a wonderful wife, and your father is proud of you.”
My eyes narrow, and I clench my fist, digging my nails into my palm to keep from snapping. “I’m not going to talk about that. Today is what it is, and I will play my part.”
She’s smart enough to say nothing else.
The wedding is set to start in fifteen minutes, so I put the finishing touches on my hair and makeup, and we make our way to the foyer of the church where I will enter and walk down the aisle.
I didn’t want a church wedding, my thoughts on God are none too kind, but my husband-to-be and his family insisted, and I didn’t have the energy to fight them.
My father waits for me near the entrance and offers me his arm with a bright smile. “Bell, you look stunning. Tobias is going to be blown away by the beautiful bride he is getting today.”
“Jesus, I’m not a car.”
“Enough, Bellamy. That’s not how I meant it.” His voice is stern, and I want to jerk my arm away from his and walk down the aisle by myself. But that would be scandalous. The joining of the two families wouldn’t be complete if my father didn’t literally hand me to Tobias like I’m a piece of property.
Soon enough, it’s time to begin the processional. The bridesmaids go down the aisle, followed by a flower girl and ring bearer. Tobias’s niece and nephew, I think. The music changes, and now it’s my turn. The butterflies come to life in my stomach again and I grip my bouquet harder than necessary.
As we step into the church, my heart stops. But not because I catch sight of my future husband.
Owen is sitting in the third row.
He was invited, of course. The Thornes are important allies. But I begged him not to come. Especially after the scene he made last night. It could have been worse, but he still confessed his love for me in front of everyone. I should have known he would still show up given that he ignored all of my text messages last night. Part of me hoped he would go back to Las Vegas. But no. He’s right here, glaring as my father escorts me to marry another man.
We reach the end of the long aisle, and my legs tremble as Tobias stares at me with no expression on his face. The minister waits for the audience to sit back down, and I swear it takes ten minutes for everyone to settle.
