Page 54 of Deadly Don's Savage Vows

But I have a son.I am a mother. And for that reason I have to have hope that something will stop this. Something will happen - some kind of miracle. Nico will find me. The roof will cave in.Something will stop this.

I have to live to fight another day.

The priest, nervously, and softly, speaks. His voice is jittery, and I can’t hear him. His hands are shaking as he holds onto the book he is reading from.

“Louder, for fuck’s sake.” Marcus snaps at him. He jumps and flinches away from Marcus.

“We - we are - gather - gathered here tonight—” The priest starts again, stuttering in fear, but speaking louder.

I close my eyes, saying a silent prayer that Nico will find me before it’s too late. Before the end of this ceremony.

Once we are married - I will never get away. Till death do us part, the only way out of this will be to die. It’s as though that is the seal on my coffin. The end of my existence outside of Marcus’s world. It will be the end of me, and I will never see my son again once the last words are uttered, and we are married.

Chapter 22

Nico

“We’re almost there.” The driver confirms, watching the GPS. “Get ready.”

The area we are driving through is hellish. Only the worst of humanity live in places like this.

People who have been exiled because their lives don’t or can’t align with the rest of society. They choose the filth and dirt because here no one will question their habits or deeds. They can do as they please.

I stare out of the window as we pass the broken buildings and dark alleys. My hand is locked around my Glock.

We’re close. I’m coming, Bella.

The driver pulls to a stop behind a dark SUV that doesn’t belong in this part of town. It has to be Marcus’s vehicle.

I’m out of the car before he’s turned the engine off and my security team and I are running up the steps and into the abandoned church.

It reeks of decay in here. The smell slams into me the moment I step through those doors.

But I don’t have a second to be offended by it because ahead of me Isabelle is about to sayI do.

In the dim lighting of this old building I can see what he’s done to her and my heart shatters.

Gun fire erupts around me. I duck behind a row of old wooden seats and the bench above my head explodes as bullets slam into it, sending splinters of wood shooting around me.

I spin towards the person who fired and send two rounds racing through the air - one hits him in the cheek, ripping his face open in an arch of blood. The other slams into his neck and he drops his weapon, trying to wrap his hand around the open wound to stop the bleeding. But he’s drowning in his own blood.

Bullets fly towards me from different directions and I hear my team screaming, fighting back, shooting - everything is chaos.

I duck low and look towards the altar again but both Marcus and Bella are no longer there. They’ve run into the back of the church - trying to escape.

“Where is she? Can you see her?” I yell.

“They’ve taken her through the back.” Someone yells back.

I can’t lose her again. If Marcus gets away this time, it will be the last time I ever see Bella alive. He will kill her or make sure she is never found again.

With renewed fear and urgency I stand up, firing with deadly aim, taking down the remaining three men who were still fighting. Then I run towards the back of the church.

Thank fuck the back exit was blocked. A ceiling beam that fell years ago has covered the back door and Marcus is trapped, holding Bella against him and now using her as a shield. Except she is limp in his arms, her head lolled forward, lifeless, unconscious - or dead. I can’t tell from here.

“Let her go.” I shout at him.

“If I can’t have her - no one can. I will kill her before I let her go.”

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