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“Five.... Four.... Three.... Two—”

“I’ll do it.” Such simple words to seal my fate.

There was no triumph in his voice when he said, “Get in the jeep.”

That was it. Done. My short taste of freedom was crashing and burning in an epic disaster. Life as I knew it was over. Body numb, I obeyed.

I couldn’t believe my luck before. I was going to stay. I was going to hide out here, feel like I was part of the community. But no, I was just a prize to be exploited after all. The monster wanted me, and he took me.

The drive passed in a blur. The hot, sticky air rushed around the open doors. Earlier tonight, I would have let loose, thrown my hands in the air, and enjoyed the ride. But I wasn’t sure if that light feeling was ever coming back. The weight of captivity settled on my chest, turning every drop of joy into a dead weight.

Consumed by the change of circumstances, I barely noticed the breathtaking cathedral as we drove across the parking lot. The vehicle pulled around the building to a smaller structure that was separated from the monolith. It began to settle in as Markos leapt from the driver’s seat and banged on the door. This was a church. That was a priest in a nightrobe.

And I was the girl who was going to marry a man who would kill my loved ones without hesitation, just to manipulate me into doing his bidding.

Chapter 21 – Markos

I pounded on the door. Dark thoughts and even darker emotions swirled through me like a category five. Tonight had been a series of explosions, each building on the last with terrible aftershocks. This next act was going to be a cataclysmic destruction.

Part of me wanted to stop. To take time for damage control. But we were already here.

I banged again, ready to tear the damn door open.

Father Georgios stumbled down the steps, cursing as he unlocked and opened. “My son, do you have any idea what time it is?”

I glared at the man. Granted, years and years ago, he was the one who’d dared spank me for goofing off during lesson time. He was wiser now, but he still had the balls to stand up to me. “I pay you to be available at all hours, presbyteros.”

He glowered at me from under a bushy, grizzled brow. But the next moment, his gaze slid past me to Serena, who, by the sound of it, was hopping out of the Jeep.

“What did you do?” the man of God snarled.

“Bless us, Father, for we are about to be wed,” I said coldly.

Georgios looked to the ceiling and let out an exasperated breath. “I bless thee, my son. Now get off my porch.”

“I don’t think you understand,” I began.

“We’re kind of in a rush,” Serena snapped. “Can you do this quickly, Dominus?”

A flicker of surprise rushed through my mind at the language. First Italian, now Latin? What other secrets was my little goddess hiding?

“You know who he is?” Georgios stabbed a finger at me.

The itch to break the digit was strong. A quick pop, and he would need to wear a cast for the next few weeks. I fisted my hand at my side.

“Yep, a sea monster who’s taken an interest in the fair land maiden and wants to bind her to his watery kingdom,” she drawled sarcastically.

“He’s in the—”

“I dare you to finish that, presbyteros.” I took a step forward, keenly aware how the light fell on my features. Although she was behind me, Serena no doubt saw my scars. The vicious reminder of who I was.

A sea monster—how fucking fitting.

I ground my molars and tipped my head to the side to crack my neck. It didn’t relieve the tension. Once we were married, she would find it harder to run away, to run back to...him. The tabloid model with a generous handful of zeroes behind his net worth. The rich fucker who dominated the business center of the Midwest. Leonard Baldwin had his fingers in everything. There were even rumors that he was connected to shadier business dealings, but those were unfounded, and anyone asking the questions found themselves suddenly retired. Anatole had sent even more information to my phone, stuff I would have to read later, no matter how painful. To understand Serena’s feelings, I would have to dig into her past.

“We’re getting married. Tonight,” Serena insisted.

“Of your own free will?” Georgios was pushing buttons, trusting in his authority to keep me from exploding.