Page 57 of Touch Me Not (Manwhore #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Nikoli paced in front of the church, glancing at his watch every five seconds. They were running late. The women were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. What if something happened? What if the limo was in an accident? What if she was taken again? What if…

“ Brat , calm your shit.” Conner’s large hand landed on his shoulder. “It’s fine. They’ve just hit some traffic.”

“How do you know that? Something could have…”

“Viktor has one of his men, Jasper Watkins, trailing them. He reported in a few minutes ago. They’ve hit some traffic.”

Relief hit him like a brick wall, and he stumbled. Conner caught him. “It’s fine, Nikoli. She’s safe.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her again.”

“You’re not going to.”

“I think about that bastard who took her and how he got bail while he’s waiting on his trial, and it’s all I can do to keep from screaming some days.”

“He got bail?” Conner’s eyes hardened, and a darkness slithered through them.

“He got a new lawyer, and he was able to reverse the judge’s previous decision. I haven’t told Lily. I didn’t want to upset her. That’s why I’m so nervous about her being late. Greggory took her once, and he might try again.”

“Don’t you worry, brat . The fucker won’t get near her again. I swear it.”

Nikoli paused at the dark promise in his brother’s voice.

Conner had changed since he’d returned home from the Marines.

He wasn’t the fun-loving person he’d been.

Nikoli hadn’t seen much of him since he came home, but the few times he had, he’d noticed the change.

It was more evident now than ever. His brother looked deadly, almost cruel.

Before Nikoli could say anything, Viktor appeared.

“You can’t be cussing like that in front of a church,” he whispered. “Mama and Babby are around. If they hear you saying ‘fucker,’ they’ll…”

Whap!

“Owwwee!” Viktor squealed when the wooden spoon smacked him.

“Did I no teach you better manners, Viktor? It is church!”

The tiny woman looked fierce as she glared at her grandson. Their babushka could be downright funny, but when it came to religion, she was hardcore.

“I was telling them not to say ‘fuckers,’ Babby , not…”

Whap! Whap! Whap!

“Stop whacking me!”

“What is going on here?” Ronin Kincaid had on his drill sergeant face. Their father was taller than most of them, except for Dimitri, who had a good two inches on their father. His raven hair now was streaked with gray, but his onyx eyes were still as sharp as they were when the boys were little.

“I was telling them not to be cussing, and Babby is whacking me!”

“You were the one who said the bad word!”

“Viktor, I am disappointed.”

Viktor hung his head at his mother’s words. Nik kept his mouth shut about his own cuss words, as did Conner. Neither of them wanted to disappoint their mother.

“I think we should move this along into the church.” Dimitri stood behind them watching with a grin. He winked at Babby . “The limo is rounding the corner, and the groom cannot see the bride before the wedding. It’s bad luck.”

“Inside!” Babby waved her wooden spoon at Nikoli, and he took off up the steps before she could whack him. That damn spoon hurt. How Mama had let her bring it was beyond him.

He was just grateful Lily was here, and she was safe.

And she was soon gonna be his.

Lily stood before the mirror, speechless.

“You’re beautiful, baby girl.”

Her mother smiled at her, but Lily couldn’t take her eyes off the girl in the mirror. The mermaid-style wedding dress hugged her curves and made her look innocent, but a little sexy at the same time. The beaded bodice had real diamonds on it. The gown was satin and lace. She loved lace.

Nikoli refused to let her get a dress from David’s Bridal that cost a couple hundred dollars.

He’d given Angel his credit card and sent them to the fanciest shop in Boston.

When Lily tried on the dress, she’d loved it.

Angel never told her the price of the dress, and she was glad. She’d have probably passed out.

Her fingers touched her hair. It was done in some kind of fancy braid that circled her head like a crown. The rest of her hair was piled up in curls with a lace ribbon running through it. It was beautiful. Her makeup was light, but perfect. She really did look beautiful.

“Don’t you dare cry,” Janet warned her. “The makeup lady just left, and I don’t think I can do what she did.”

“Knock-knock, you ladies decent?” Adam called from the other side of the door.

Her mother opened it and let him in. He looked dashing in his tux.

“Hey, Mama Jo.” He kissed her cheek. “Looking gorgeous as ever.”

Her mother blushed at the compliment.

When his gaze landed on Lily, she felt bad about the flash of pain she saw in them.

He loved her, or he thought he did. No, he did.

She’d admit that to herself. She loved him too; she just wasn’t in love with him.

She might have been before Nikoli, but he changed her world.

He became her world. And she wouldn’t feel bad about that.

“You look beautiful, Lils.” She watched him shove his pain down and come into the room. He took her hand and squeezed it. “You ready?”

“Promise not to let me fall?”

“Promise.”

Adam insisted he walk her down the aisle since her own father was no longer with them. Martin Holmes would be proud of the boy he’d thought of as his own son because he stepped up despite how much it hurt.

And Lily loved him for it.

“Lily, Lily!”

Mia and Mitchell came running into the room, their little faces flushed, and Mitchell had a spot of dirt on his nose.

The twins were excited to be part of the wedding.

Mia was the flower girl and Mitchell the ring bearer.

They took their roles seriously too. Her mother told her they’d been practicing all week.

Her mama wasn’t particularly happy she was being married by a Catholic priest, as they weren’t Catholic, but it was important to Nikoli, and she’d given in.

Their children would be exposed to both the Catholic religion and the Presbyterian church as well.

It was their compromise. She doubted his mother would be happy about that, though, but marriage was about compromise.

“All right, everyone, time to get the show on the road!” Janet fired off like a general. “Let’s get moving. Nik is already a Nervous Nancy, so let’s not make him wait anymore.”

“Nervous Nancy?” Lily whispered.

“He panicked a little when you guys were late. He didn’t know where you were, and that seems to scare him.”

Lily knew she should have texted him they were in traffic, but Janet took her phone while they were still at the hotel, saying no contact until they saw each other when she walked down the aisle. She hated that he was worried, today of all days.

“He’s fine now, Lils. Let’s just concentrate on getting you down the aisle, yeah?”

She nodded and took a deep breath, holding on to Adam as he escorted her out of the room they’d been assigned and into the main hall leading to the interior of the church.

She only had two bridesmaids, but that was okay.

Angel and Janet were all she needed. Lily didn’t want a large wedding.

There were exactly fifty guests including their family, and that was what she wanted.

They’d not given in to the mothers’ demands that it needed to be bigger.

This was big enough, maybe even too big.

Fifty people were a lot of people.

The wedding march began, and the chapel doors opened.

So many people staring at her.

The ring bearers went out.

Strangers, people she didn’t know but Nikoli’s family did.

Her hands started to shake.

“Easy, Lily. It’s okay. I got you.”

Adam hugged her to him, and still she wasn’t ready. It was too much.

Too soon.

She couldn’t do this.

Janet and Mike went out.

Her breath came out in short gasps.

Adam moved so he was standing in front of her, blocking out the view of the church and the waiting people.

“Hey, you want to go hop a cab and run away with me to Mexico? The offer is always open.” He grinned down at her, his eyes twinkling, and she focused on him and not her panic.

“Nikoli would beat you.”

“Hey, I’m a pro baller. I can take him.” Adam winked, and she laughed, her lungs loosening enough so she could breathe.

“He’s a race car driver. I think he’d catch up to us before we even made it to the airport, though. Still, we can go right now if you want to.”

Angel and Kade went out.

Her hands stopped shaking.

Thank God for Adam. He’d distracted her enough that some of her panic fled, allowing her to breathe and calm down.

“Thank you.”

“Best friend. It’s what I’m here for. Now, you ready to go, Snoopy?”

She laughed at his old nickname for her. She’d loved Charlie Brown when she was little and had a habit of falling asleep on top of things like Snoopy. Her dad gave her the nickname, but no one had called her that since he died.

“Daddy would be so proud of you.”

“I hope. I loved him as much as I do my own dad.”

“He would, and he’d be honored you’re standing in for him.”

Adam blinked and looked away. Lily was sure she’d seen a tear there, but when he turned back to her, his eyes were clear.

“Ready now?”

“I am. Just…”

“Don’t let you fall. I’m not going to, Lily. I’ll never let you fall.”

They stepped up to the doorway, and Lily saw Nik standing at the end of the aisle looking her way.

It was time to become Mrs. Nikoli Kincaid.