Page 16 of Ashes

He started babbling about the sanctity of marriage, its power, and the beauty of true love. I shut him out, not needing to hear him any longer. I was only here to say the two words that would seal my fate.

I do.

The urge to take my hand out of Mateo’s and drum my finger against my thigh surged through me, but I couldn’t do it without attracting attention. My heart thumped heavily against my rib cage, gearing up to make a run for it.

A sigh of relief escaped me when the time came for our vows.

“Do you, Mateo Barrera, take Sienna Bruni as your wife, from this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health to love and cherish until death do you part?”

“I do,” he said without hesitation.

The officiant then turned to me. “Do you, Sienna Bruni, take Mateo Barrera as your lawful husband?”

My gaze met his.

Eyes glittering with fabricated lies, I opened my lips to add to the deceit by sayingI do, but a voice erupted from the back of the room, interrupting me.

“Well, well, well,” the intruder started, each word punctuated with a short clap. “Isn’t this lovely?”

The smooth, deep voice sent a deadly thrill through my body. It had the barest hint of a French accent and I slowly turned my attention to where it was coming from.

Murmurs broke out from the audience while my eyes narrowed to try and find who was interfering before I was able to get this over with. I stared at the back of the room to find someone—a man—leaning against the doorframe of the exit door to the far left.

“Who’s this?” my father and Omar asked simultaneously, both rising from their seats to face the intruder.

A dim light flickered and I watched the voice materialize into one of the most dangerously attractive men I’d ever laid eyes on.

He made his way toward us. Something about his presence consumed the room, something that went beyond his height and considerable bulk.

Power.

Precision.

Brutality.

My lips parted on a gasp, and for a long moment, all I could do was stare. My eyes swept over his features. Dark brown hair buzzed short, soft and inviting lips, and a stubble darkening the ridges of his strong jawline.

He was dressed in a dark navy suit that showcased his smooth brown skin. His pressed white shirt clung to his physique and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone, a small golden chain nestled around his neck. His thighs strained against his tailored slacks as he inched closer.

It was only then that I realized he was staring straight at me.

Dark piercing eyes locked with mine, daring me to defy them. Suddenly, something stirred in me, his familiarity demanding to break free in my mind.

The newcomer’s gaze roamed over my body, searing my skin like he’d just set it on fire. I frowned, urging my brain to remember where I’d seen this man.

My eyes widened when the memory finally surfaced.

Him.

The man in front of me was the same man I’d seen last night at Fenice.

He shoved his hand into his pocket and fixed his gaze on my father as he delivered another blow to my life.

“Such a shame you don’t remember me, Antoni. Especially after everything I’ve done for you.” He paused and smirked. “I’m here to collect what’s mine.”

CHAPTER 4

JAMAL