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Why not just have a courthouse wedding?

Why do any of this?

Yet, at the same time, he had placed my grandmother in the best facility.

The staff had impeccable standards and were not overworked; my grandmother got the attention she needed. Pavel had her placed in the best room, ensuring she received the highest level of care.

"You know," Marina said quietly as Viktoria carefully positioned the veil, "I was terrified too. Right up until I walked down that aisle. I kept thinking about running, about fighting, about anything except saying those vows."

Nadia laughed. "Strictly speaking you didn't exactlywalkdown the aisle."

Yelena poked her head from around me to glare at Marina. "I still haven't forgiven you for how you ruined that beautiful veil I made by tearing it off your damn head in the middle of the ceremony."

Samara handed her more pins. "Be nice. The veil would have gotten in the way when she slapped Kostya."

My eyes widened as I stared at Marina in the mirror's reflection.

I couldn't imagine her slapping Pavel's brother Kostya, who was every bit as big and scary as Pavel. How did sheeven reach him to slap him? He was so much taller than her.

I couldn't resist asking even as my cheeks warmed. "Did he…" I hesitated. I didn't want to use the wordpunish. Even the word brought illicit images of Pavel forcing me to bend over a table as he strapped me with his belt like a misbehaving child. "Did he…get mad?"

Nadia bumped Marina's shoulder with her own then winked. "I think he was way more pissed off when she ditched him and returned to Chicago in the middle of their honeymoon."

Marina winked back. "He got my point, didn't he? At least I didn't try screaming the rafters down in the church like Viktoria."

I blinked and turned in my dress, which earned me a pinch from Yelena. "Eyes forward."

Viktoria passed out the champagne flutes. "Artem wouldn't know what to do with himself if I quietly did what I was told."

They all laughed.

What. The. Fuck.

It was like I'd stumbled into some parallel universe.

These women were joking about provoking their incredibly violent and terrifying husbands.

Even the idea of disobeying Pavel made me want to break out in hives.

"I wasn't even given a warning about my wedding," Samara added with a laugh that seemed genuine despite the horrifying circumstances. "Gregor just announced we were getting married after he practically kidnapped meonto his private plane. The officiant was waiting for us when we landed."

"At least you weren't carried down the aisle in an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt like a sack of potatoes while he threatened the priest," Viktoria chimed in, her eyes dancing with mischief.

Samara gestured with her champagne flute as she laughed. "That poor priest's face every time you kept answering NEVER to all his vow questions."

The sound grated against my nerves, highlighting just how alone I felt in my terror.

Jesus Christ. It just kept getting worse and worse.

"How?" The question burst out before I could stop it, raw and desperate. "How are you all so happy? They're killers. Monsters. They took your choices away, forced you into marriage, and you're laughing about it like it's some romantic comedy."

The laughter faded, replaced by understanding smiles that somehow left me feeling even more isolated.

"Because," Viktoria said gently, her voice carrying the weight of experience, "they're not just killers. They're complicated. Possessive, yes. Controlling, absolutely. Dangerous in ways that should terrify us. But devoted in ways that..."

"That what?" I pressed, genuinely desperate to understand how they'd made peace with their situations.

"That make you feel like the most precious thing in their world," Marina finished softly. "Like they would tear apart anyone who even thought about hurting you. Like you're not just wanted, but needed."