Page 5 of Shattered Vows

What the hell is she doing at a church?

I park in the far corner of the lot, away from their car, and wait a couple minutes to be sure they won’t come back out right away. When there’s no sign of them, I put on the baseball cap from the passenger seat, slide on my sunglasses, and exit the minivan.

I walk into the church, closing the doors behind me so they don’t make noise. A few people are scattered through the pews, but none of them are Rapsody or the mystery guy. I figure the next logical place for them to be is meeting with someone or a group. Quiet enough not to draw attention to myself, I leave the nave of the church to seek them out.

I turn to my left first, but there are only a few locked doors and some bathrooms, so I head back in the other direction. A door behind me creaks, and I duck into a narrow hallway that leads to a storage closet. I slide into the shadows, careful not to make any noise as the sound of clicking heels grows closer and closer.

Rapsody passes the hallway not bothering to glance my way. She adjusts the waistband of her pants and presses her lips together as though she’s nervous.

Once the clicking of her shoes has almost faded, I peek around the corner and see her walk into another doorway near the end of the hall. The door doesn’t close fully behind her, so I cautiously make my way in that direction.

Voices murmur between two males and Rapsody. The heavy wood door restricts me from hearing, even through the crack. The odd word makes its way to me—all set, ceremony, excited.

A lull in the conversation occurs, and I hurry back to the hallway I hid in before. A couple of minutes later, Rapsody and the mystery man pass by, along with a man I assume is the pastor. I wait five minutes to be sure, then walk back to the room they were in.

The door swings open. After a quick glance around, I step inside. It’s the pastor’s office, filled with old tomes on the bookshelves that line each wall, and a pair of chairs sit dutifully across from the desk.

I thought I’d have to crack into the computer system. But the absence of a computer tells me either this guy is against modern technology or someone else in the church handles those affairs. Stepping over to the desk while not letting myself get too distracted to listen for footsteps, I see it all on the desk—the reason Rapsody is here with the mystery man. A marriage license.

The oxygen leaves my lungs, and I wheeze, trying to draw in more air. My eyes narrow, and my hands fist at my sides. Rage boils in my belly like a cauldron.

My gaze flicks to the leather date book on the corner of the desk. I reach for it, sure that Rapsody’s big day will be in here given that there’s no computer on his desk and the calendar is marked full of appointments.

There it is. The woman who disappeared on our wedding day without explanation is marrying another man.

Two weeks from today.

A Saturday.

Get ready, Rapsody, it’s time you pay for your sins.

Chapter

Three

RAPSODY

CURRENT DAY

“I’ve finally found you.”

A shiver runs up my spine at the sound of Kol’s voice. A cry similar to a wounded animal erupts from my throat.

“This is how it’s going to play out. You’re not getting married today. You’re leaving with me.”

My eyes meet his in the mirror, widening in shock, and his delighted eyes shine at my distress. The vibrations from his chuckle thump on my back.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?”

Yes. No. I tried not to think about it. About any of it.

I’m not sure what answer he wants or how I’m supposed to answer him with his hand over my mouth. My answer might piss him off, and he’ll snap my neck. There’s no doubt that he could do it with one easy twist of his hands.

“We’re going to leave out the back way without incident. If you scream or fight me in any way, I won’t hesitate to knock you out, understand?”

My heart beats like a bass drum pounding against my rib cage, and my breathing increases. I nod, tears welling in my eyes.

This time, he shows zero reaction to my distress. His burnished copper eyes hold immense resentment and fury, making my stomach curdle. What is he going to do to me once we leave the church? With a man like Kol, it won’t be anything good.

---