Page 1 of Deadly Don's Savage Vows

Chapter 1

Isabella

The reflection I see in the mirror is foreign to me. It doesn’t look like me at all. The wedding dress is beautiful - expensive, luxurious, designed especially for me - but I hate it.

I hate it because I had no say in any of it. The design, the wedding, the entire marriage. It was arranged for me and in my heart I know that if I go through with this, it will end in my death.

The man I am supposed to marry today is cruel, violent, abusive, and controlling. I’m terrified of him. But I am even more terrified of not doing anything and letting this happen.

If I go through with this today, there is no chance of me ever getting away from Marcus. Once I am locked into a marriage with this man, it will be my fate sealed until my death. And I honestly believe my death will come far too soon. He doesn’t care about me. He cares aboutowningthings.Controllingthings.Possessingthings. People are only tools for him. He doesn’t love me. I understand that. If he truly loved me, he would never do the things he’s done to me. He would never make me feel so broken, so lost, and so worthless.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes.I can’t go through with this.

This, right now, is the moment where I have to make a choice.

Tears spill down my cheeks as I battle with the internal terror of doing what I want to do against doing what I’m supposed to do.

“Hey, I grabbed a few. What the hell?”

Lina walks into the hotel room carrying my bouquet, but when she sees my face, she rushes straight over to me.

“What’s going on, Bella?” She asks with strain knotted across her face.

“I can’t—” I choke on my words. I’ve told no one about Marcus’ dark side. They all see him as this upstanding, generous person. He isn’t. He’s damned good at manipulating people.

“You can’t what, honey? Talk to me.”

“I can’t marry him - he’s not who you think he is - he’s - he’s violent, Lina.”

“Violent?” She whispers. “I fuckingknewit. Ever since you met him, things changed. You haven’t been yourself.” She huffs angrily.

“You - you believe me?” I ask in shock.

“Bella, I’ve been your best friend for how many years now? Of course, I believe you. I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I don’t—I just—”

“It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that you can’t marry this man.”

I sigh, wiping the tears from my face. “There isn’t a way out, Lina - I mean - this wedding is arranged. Even if I wanted to get away - where would I go? I’d need to disappear. It’simpossible.” I sigh, trying to pull myself together. It’s not the first time I’ve broken down. It’s not the first time I’ve wanted to run away.

But every time it happens, I come to the same conclusion - there is no way out. Marcus is too powerful. He would find me, and it would be much worse than it is now if I disobeyed him. I have no choice but to marry him.

Lina is quiet. Thinking. Her brows are knotted tightly.

“There is a way out. I have to make a phone call.”

“Lina—” Does she understand how powerful Marcus is?

“No. This is ending tonight. I won’t watch you marry that man.” She stands ups and paces the hotel room up and down, up and down while punching at her phone. She presses it to her ear and waits.

“Nico - it’s me. I have a huge favor to ask, but it has to be right now.” Her voice is tight. I listen as she explains the situation in a hurry, desperate to get Nico to understand. Nico is her older brother. I’ve met him only once and only for a minute or two. He wasn’t friendly. He was kind of cold and distant and disinterested.

I don’t know why she thinks he would help me. He doesn’t know me at all. But still, I stand there with my heart flipping over and upside down and spinning around while I bite at my fingernails. Thick nervous tension is flooding me.

Is this really happening?

Is he going to help us?

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