Page 36 of Fiercely Protective

He gripped my arm and pulled me to my feet. “You are crazy! I’m not doing this. There isn’t a priest in this country that will marry someone that adamantly refuses. And I will not agree to this.”

He began pulling me forward. “Like I said before. You can fight, kick, scream. I can drag you up the aisle, no doubt causing great embarrassment to both you and Father Michael, but the result will be the same. So, what will it be? Will you walk on your own or shall I carry you?”

I took a deep breath. Perhaps if I calmly and rationally tried to reason with him. “Please try and pay attention to me, I am not going to marry you.”

He came to a sudden stop, turned, and loomed over me and a shiver of fear moved up my spine. “Do you know what could happen to you if I give in to your demands and release you now? Let you walk out of here to return to your old apartment and your old life.”

I shook my head slowly.

“There are some very bad men looking to take from me. I suspect that I have been under surveillance for some time now, which means they have seen you. They already know you are someone important to me, someone they can use to hurt me or get whatever it is they want. Believe me, Bri, they will. If I release you, if you are no longer under my protection, they will not hesitate to take you and use you as a bargaining chip to get to me.”

He leaned closer and I swallowed hard.

“They will not be as kind as I have been to you. Do you honestly think you could withstand the torture they would inflictupon you? The cuts to your tender flesh, the breaking of your bones, or the removal of your nails. Perhaps they would let their men use you in ways that would destroy both your body and soul, or they could simply kill you. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, what about the man hunting you? He could have already found out where your old apartment is and just be waiting for your return. Do you think marriage to me is worse than either of those two fates?”

I reached for the pew behind me. My knees grew weaker with every word he spoke. He pushed me down to sit, then gripped my chin, turning my face up to his.

“As my wife, you will have the respect and protection of my organization and those who work for me, not to mention the use of my name. The choice is yours, Bri. I will allow you to walk out of this church right now, free of me, free of this life, but without my protection. Stay, agree to be my wife, and I will use my power and influence to keep you safe, to keep you alive and free from the danger that surrounds us both.”

“But couldn’t you protect me without taking such drastic and permanent measures?”

He shrugged his shoulders again. “That wasn’t one of the options you were given. I have presented you with your choices, Bri. Now you must decide.”

My heart was pounding, my breathing erratic, and I was sweating. He didn’t touch me, or say anything else; he just waited and watched. His eyes seemed to peer inside my soul. If I stayed, I would be forever tied to a man that scared the shit out of me but had never hurt me. If I left and took the freedom he was offering, I could be tortured and killed by whoever wastrying to hurt him or face Tony again. Was that really the only two options I had?

I saw him look at his watch and I knew he was running out of patience. I glanced up at the priest who was still waiting in front of the altar. His face was sympathetic, but he appeared to be ready to perform this sham of a ceremony anyway.

“Why me?” The question was quiet, my voice wobbly as I pushed back the tears that threatened to fall.

He leaned closer to me. His lips only an inch or so away from mine. “Because I have never wanted something so bad in my life. You are my obsession, a need I can’t explain. I am not sure why or the reason behind it, but I want you.”

“But you would still let me leave if I chose to?”

He narrowed his eyes and while he may theoretically have given me a choice, I’m not so certain he would abide by that promise.

“It seems as if I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

Rogue stepped off to the side, giving me a free path to run, to escape the fate that loomed before me. “We always have choices, Angel. Now is the time for you to make yours.”

I took a deep breath, wiped a stray tear away that had slipped past my lashes, and stood. “You say I have a choice, but I truly do not.” I brushed a hand through my hair and smoothed out the dress I was wearing. “Well, this isn’t exactly how I pictured meeting the man I would marry. But I suppose being married to you is a step up from being tortured.”

I pushed past him and walked toward the priest on my own. Each step heavier than the last. I could feel his presencebehind me, but he didn’t try to stop me. When I came face to face with Father Michael, Rogue caught up to me and took my hand. I didn’t try to pull away. His thumb glided over my knuckles as if he were trying to bring me some comfort.

Father Michael gave me a sad, concerned smile as he inclined his head toward me.

“Are you alright, Miss Rogers?”

My head shot up and just for a moment I contemplated begging him for his help, but if he was friends with Rogue, it would be useless to try.

“I am fine, thank you.”

He then turned his gaze back to Rogue, his eyes showing his disapproval. “Are you certain this is something you both wish to do?”

“Just perform the ceremony, Michael.” Rogue’s voice was curt, and I could detect a hint of annoyance in his tone.

The priest opened the bible he held in his hands before shooting daggers in Rogue’s direction. “It’s Father Michael to you, and I will thank you to remember that. I don’t usually perform marriage ceremonies under duress so you will give me a few minutes to make certain the bride is going to be alright. Right now, she looks as if she could kill you, and I have no wish to perform a wedding and administer last rites in one day.”

Rogue sighed heavily as if he knew that any more insistence on his part would not speed things along as he had hoped.

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