Page 7

No matter how hard I tried, I somehow ended up back in the iron arms again. Nik carried me up a wide staircase with a marble banister that looked perfect for sliding down, according to my inner ten-year-old, who quickly shut up when I was plopped down in the middle of a big bed.

Before panic could freeze me in place, I scrambled up just as Nik was hurriedly backing out of the room.

“Don’t you do it,” I said, racing toward the door before he could shut it.

Too late. He gave me a long, stern look and slammed me in. Pressing my ear to the door, I could hear him mumbling something to someone, and then everyone fell silent in the hallway outside.

I spun around, eyes searching wildly for a way out. Flying to the window, I yanked on it, but it was locked tight, and probably had an alarm like the window downstairs that had completely ratted me out. Back to the door, I flung it open, ecstatic that it wasn’t locked from the outside. However, a burly, scowling man stood out there and slowly shook his head at me.

This wasn’t a way out. I slammed the door shut again, but not before giving him my filthiest glare. I’d remember that face to add to my police report when I got out of here.

If I got out of here.

Despite how rattled I was, I was also exhausted. After a full dinner service at the restaurant, I usually didn’t stay up too late, and normally, I didn’t have to fight for my freedom, either. A yawn crept over me, and when I opened my eyes, I took in the room I was trapped in.

It wasn’t too shabby as far as prison cells went. It was a beautifully decorated guest room with the massive bed I’d already been bounced onto, sleek, light wood furniture, and cool beige walls. Silver framed photos of some mountains that I assumed were the ones nearby lined one wall, and on the other, there were shots of the ocean. Of course, I’d been to see the Pacific; that was one of the first things I did. But I hadn’t had time to go hiking anywhere, but the Hollywood Hills, and that was only once.

All my time was spent holed up in my tiny efficiency apartment, studying recipes or recovering from work. Shopping was out while I was paying off my debts, and I had only been to one movie with Kerri and one night out with my coworkers since I moved to LA. It was kind of a bleak existence, but I considered it paying my dues. One day, I’d come home to something other than the dinghy four walls I currently called home.

Maybe one day I’d come home to a place like this. Hell, if I ever managed to move into a one-bedroom, I’d get the same pretty, pale green bedspread and raw silk throw pillows. Maybe my mind had given up, but I was starting to relax in the soothing surroundings, even imagining I was on a little vacation.

Cooking was dirty work, and the adjoining bathroom was calling to me. I stripped down, letting my toes sink into the plush white rug as I waited for the rainfall shower to be steaming hot. There were bottles of salon shampoo and conditioner, as well as a designer body wash that smelled like pure luxury.

In the linen closet, a fluffy white robe waited and I was so glad I didn’t have to put my nasty work clothes back on, I almost smiled. Things weren’t awesome, but they weren’t awful, either. Surely, if Nik had something unsavory planned for me, he would have been doing it by now.

Absolutely bone weary, I fell into bed, pulling the satiny cover up to my chin and melting into the million thread count sheets. Thankfully, my mind didn’t click back into gear, and I started spinning out. I was asleep within minutes.

It almost felt like only a few minutes had passed when I woke up, but the sun was streaming through the curtains. My phone was in my bag, which might have been in Nik’s car, since I lost track of it after he tossed me in and zoomed away. A little silver clock on the bedside table told me it was past eleven, which was way later than I ever slept in. I might have felt revitalized, but reality crashed in on me.

Why was I still here?

I wasn’t freaking out anymore, because it seemed like I just had a super overprotective boss who was valiantly protecting me from an evil crime lord. Nik probably thought I was so upset I needed to sleep in, but as soon as I let him know I was awake, he’d surely take me home.

Right? That guard outside the door last night was for my protection, and not to keep me locked in. Nik would probably beef up security at the restaurant for a while, and if he was serious about the raise he promised, I could eventually afford to move to a nicer place that was a little bit closer.

He couldn’t have been serious about marrying me. There was no way.

A brisk knock shocked me out of my musings, and when I squeaked out a response, a different stone-faced guard shoved a large shopping bag through the door and slammed it shut again.

Inside the bag was a knee-length white wrap dress and nude pumps, along with some lacy undies that made my cheeks start to burn. Ugh, did he pick these things out for me? Or did he have a closet full of women’s clothes in different sizes for moments like this?

I didn’t like that thought, but it was no big deal because all I had was my dirty kitchen clothes. The outfit was much more sophisticated than anything I’d ever worn before, more suitable for a garden party … or a wedding.

No, no, no. He couldn’t be serious.

It was either wear the bathrobe, the dirty chef gear, or the beautiful new dress down to confront Nik and find out what was going on. I ended up putting on the dress, and no sooner than I had wrangled the zipper up by myself, there was another knock at the door.

“It’s open,” I sighed, as if the guard didn’t already know that.

It wasn’t the guard who opened it that time, though. It was Nik, decked out in a dark suit that hugged his wide shoulders and trim waist. His blond waves fell past his collar, and his strong jaw was freshly shaven. I had thought he was handsome with the bit of stubble he usually had, but this was something else entirely. He would have taken my breath away if I weren’t so confused. Seeing the smug smile curl his lips upward made fresh anger boil up in me.

“The joke has gone far enough,” I said.

“When was I joking?” he replied, clasping his hands together at his waist.

If there was something I couldn’t help but constantly notice about my hot boss, it was his strong hands and long fingers. My eyes were drawn to them as usual and I gasped to see the knuckles were scraped and bruised. He flexed his hands showily and let them fall to his sides.

“It didn’t do any good. It actually might have strengthened Arkadi’s resolve to possess you.”

That sure wasn’t good news, so why did he look so amused by it?

“You shouldn’t have done it then,” I argued.

He only held out his arm and motioned for me to go with him. All my questions went unanswered from then on, and to keep from getting tossed over his shoulder, I walked beside him, positive we must be on the way to my place. That hope fizzled out within twenty minutes, because as soon as we were out of his neighborhood, we weren’t going the right way at all.

“I live in North Hollywood,” I said.

He only nodded and kept going the wrong way, finally pulling up in front of a cute little church.

“This was the best I could do on short notice. I figured you’d like this more than city hall.”

“I don’t,” I said, clinging onto my seat once again when he hurried around to open my car door. “I don’t at all.”

An elegant blonde woman jogged down the steps of the church with a big smile on her face, followed by another huge Russian who could have only been related to Nik somehow. Nik raised a brow at me as I continued to hold on for dear life, refusing to get out of the car.

“Are you going to make a scene in front of my brother and sister-in-law?”

“Hell yes, I am,” I hissed. “I told you back at your compound that the joke is over.”

“And I asked you when I was joking?”

The woman peeked under Nik’s arm, giving me a commiserating smile. “I’m Daria, Ivan’s wife. Better just come on into the church,” she said. “Nik said you like pink, so I have a nice bouquet ready for you.”

This was crazy. Too much. I was ready to shove past them all and run screaming down the sidewalk when I looked up at Nik, hoping to see a shred of reason in his blue eyes. Instead, he looked down at me, stone cold, and with impatience brewing in the tick of his jaw. His brother Ivan looked even more irritated.

“We hired a babysitter for this,” he grumbled, more to Nik than to me.

My spit dried up, and I was unable to tell him he could go home and dismiss her, because whatever Nik thought was going to happen in that church wasn’t going to happen. Daria pushed Nik out of the way like he wasn’t nearly twice her size and reached out her hand to me.

“Better go along with things for your own good,” she said, her smile not looking so friendly all of a sudden.

Was that a threat? At that point, it hardly mattered. On trembling legs, I got out of the car and let Daria firmly link her arm around mine. As I looked in the direction I had been thinking about running, Ivan closed in on that side of the sidewalk. Nik took my other arm and led me inside.

The church was dim and cool, and someone was practicing the organ somewhere. Just like she promised, Daria handed me a bouquet of pink wildflowers while Nik and his brother headed into the sanctuary. Pink was my favorite color, but how did he know that? Daria nudged me to the middle of the doors and lifted my hand so I could hold the bouquet properly. The organ player abruptly switched to the wedding march, causing a frisson of fear to race down my spine.

Holy crap, this was real.

Nik had a compound crawling with armed guards, unlike any restaurateur I’d ever heard of. His knuckles were scraped and bloody, and he’d only laughed it off, as if that was a regular occurrence. He somehow decided we were getting married, and here I was, holding a bouquet and wearing a white dress.

My heart beat so fast, and hard there was no way I’d make it down the aisle, which was probably barely ten yards but looked about a mile long. Nik was clear as day, though, grinning at me from his place by the pulpit. Through my growing terror, anger rose up to stiffen my spine.

I took a step back and swiveled on my spidery high heels. This man thought he already owned me.

Before I got a foot from the door, Daria glanced at the outer doors. Sure enough, two bulky men in gray suits with suspicious bulges at their hips stood just outside. I was trapped, with nowhere to run, even if I made it past Nik’s hired goons.

“Listen to me,” Daria said with concern in her eyes. “You can’t possibly imagine how bad Arkadi Mikhailov is. Let Nik protect you.”

The breath I’d been holding burst out of me. I’d almost forgotten all about Arkadi. The guards must have been for him, not me. But that still didn’t mean I could leave. A second round of the wedding march started up, and Daria’s grip on my arm tightened.

This was all so ridiculous and wrong. And yet, no way out. The ceremony went by in a blur, except for the part where the priest told Nik he could kiss his bride.

Me.

I was his bride. Our lips touched, and I was fully prepared to recoil as soon as the tradition was fulfilled. Instead, I found myself leaning close to him when his hands rested lightly at my waist, slowly moving upward. My hands rose to press against his chest, tightening my grip on his lapels.

The smattering of applause from Daria, Ivan, and the organist up in her perch shook me out of my trance. There was the slightest grazing of teeth across my bottom lip as Nik pulled away, his grin knocking the sense right back into me.

This was all sorts of fucked up. We had a champagne toast in the reception area, but I refused to play along, barely taking a sip and not looking at anyone until the stupid charade was over. I needed my wits about me to plot my escape, but I couldn’t stop dwelling on that kiss. Our second kiss, and I didn’t want either one, but that didn’t keep me from liking both of them, damn it.

How could I hate someone so much and want to kiss him again? Because at that moment, I actively despised my new husband.

Daria and Ivan hustled off to their baby as soon as the toast was finished, and after Nik thanked the priest, we were on our way.

“Back to prison?” I muttered, glaring at one of the guards as Nik pulled away from the curb. I turned the glare onto Nik, who pressed his thumb between my brows.

“You’re much too pretty like that. It’s distracting.”

I made my face go limp. “So, what now? How do you keep Arkadi away from me?”

“You’re mine now, Emerson. He won’t dare come near you again. And if he does, it just gives me a reason.”

A reason for what? I didn’t dare ask, but a moment later, he turned to me again as we were pulling onto the highway.

“Where do you want to go on our honeymoon? Anywhere in the world. If you say Siberia to be a brat, I’ll actually take you there, so choose wisely.”

I clamped my lips together because Siberia was actually about to come out of my mouth. Instead, I only snorted bitterly until I realized he was serious. I wracked my mind for the most ridiculous place I could think of to make him admit he didn’t mean it.

“Fiji,” I blurted out.

I’d always loved looking at pictures of those magical huts right on the crystal blue water. I didn’t know if I hoped every last one of them was booked for the next three years or that Nik could really pull it off.

He nodded, and we continued in silence back to the mansion. Since he didn’t ask me any more questions I assumed he was joking after all, and I was surprised that I was a tiny bit let down. I mean, I didn’t want to go to a romantic island getaway with him. Not really. I needed to find a way to get myself out of this, after all.

At the door, the guards kept their eyes front as Nik swept me into his arms to carry me over the threshold. It was so dumb, but also kind of bittersweet. I liked old fashioned traditions like that and he’d just stolen what should have been a perfect moment between me and my real husband. I punched him in the shoulder, knowing it would only hurt me and not caring.

Inside, I struggled to get down out of his arms, but the iron bands were as strong as ever. My heart started climbing out of my throat as we headed upstairs, not ready at all for what he might have been thinking. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, waiting breathlessly to see where we ended up, gathering all my courage and strength to fight him to the death if I had to.

Which was why it was so shocking how disappointed I was when he just dumped me back in my guest room and left me all alone.