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Ariana climbed out from underneath the first pew. Somehow she’d managed to crawl under them all with the dress and the candle.
Bella opened her mouth to call out to her.
Ari shook her head and signaled for her to stay quiet.
She did.
Neil shoved Bella against the pulpit. The corner dug into her side. “I told you to stop squirming!”
Her breath hitched. She hadn’t even realized she’d started squirming again.
Ariana leaped to her feet and pushed Neil with both hands.
He stumbled back, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Run!” Ari shoved the dress into Bella’s hands.
She clung to it and bolted away from her captor.
Bang!
A bullet whizzed by, missing her only by inches.
Bella’s knees turned to rubber. She almost dropped the dress. Only managed to cling to it because it was as close to clothes as she could get.
“You think I’ll miss next time?” Neil snarled.
Ariana grabbed Bella’s hand and pulled her around the altar.
A woman blocked the door. No, not just any woman.
Mother.
She leaned against it, arms crossed, staring at Bella like she was the devil incarnate.
“You really think you can get away with this carnage, Isabella?”
“Carnage?”
“Just because Margarita managed to destroy our family name doesn’t mean you get to do the same. You will follow our orders.” She turned her attention to Ariana. “Nothing, and no one, will get in our way.”
Bella glanced back. Neil and his gun were surely not far behind. “Mother, move! Neil is crazy.”
“Because ofyou.” Mother gave her such a cutting look, it felt like a slap across the face.
“It isn’t right that you’re trying to force me to marry someone I don’t love.”
“Love is a joke.”
“No it isn’t!”
Ariana stepped forward, holding the candle flame to Bella’s mother. “You need to move!”
Mother laughed, not taking her gaze from Bella. “Nobody’s going anywhere until you and Neil are married.”
A lump formed in Bella’s throat. “That’s never going to happen.”
“You don’t call the shots.”
