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“Well,” he raises his hands and drops them back to his sides, “do you feel better now?”
This guy is seriously unreal.
The only way I’d feel better is if he was dead at my feet.
Footsteps sound on the level right above our heads, and Tyler gasps.
He smiles at me, bloody teeth and all. “Here comes the bride.”
The short-lived satisfaction of making him bleed disappears, as excitement to see Eve blends with worry.
We will survive today. We will fucking survive today.
Pushing back on my feet isn’t easy, but I manage. The handkerchief from my breast pocket is the only tissue alternative I have, so I use it to wipe as much blood from my face as possible. It’s quite the task without a mirror.
The footsteps are on the steps leading to us now, so I give up on my face and jam the fabric back into my pocket.
My gaze is zeroed in on the doorway because, despite the sickening circumstances, I don’t want to miss a single glance of my bride.
Eve turns the corner, and my breath catches in my throat.
Her deep-crimson gown matches my bow tie, and her dark hair frames her face in silky waves. She’s absolutely breathtaking.
Our gazes collide, and the shy smile vanishes the second she gets a good look at me.
“Oh my God, what happened?” Without pause, she grabs two handfuls of her thick skirt, lifts it, and hurries over. “Phoenix, are you okay?”
Her focus is entirely on me, and since Tyler’s clearing his throat, I’m guessing he doesn’t like that fact.
We both eye him, but his gaze is on Eve only.
“Get out of line again like this, and you’ll regret it. Are we clear?”
Eve swallows and nods, her focus dropping to the floor.
Tyler motions behind him. “Come on, babe, we don’t have all day. Let’s get this party started.”
Ruby steps closer, and I narrow my eyes at the state of her face. That bastard put his hands on her? One moment is all I need. One moment without handcuffs where I won’t risk anyone’s life, and this guy is dead.
Tyler pulls a stack of note cards from his back pocket and clears his throat. “Everyone in position.”
Ruby makes her way to a spot near the end of the room and motions for Eve and me to follow. We join her, and Ruby glances at us.
“Just pretend you’re walking down an aisle toward him from here. First groom, then the bride.”
Something unspoken passes between Ruby and Eve, and I wonder if they had a chance to talk. Were they able to come up with a plan to escape? Ruby squeezes Eve’s arm and hurries toward Tyler.
Eve studies me and whispers, “You okay?”
I nod. Instead of answering her question, I say, “You look beautiful.”
What if this is the last time I see her? We both know Tyler isn’t marrying us out of the goodness of his heart. He must have something else planned, but what? This could be his grand finale. I just don’t know what happens after, which is incredibly nerve-racking.
Eve does a crap job hiding her worry and fear too.
She barely manages a smile because of her trembling chin. “Thank you.”
“Phoenix, over here.” Tyler’s voice grates on my ears.