Page 3 of Savage Reign

And then it’s the part where we say, “I do.” Nikolai says it first—those two words carry more weight than they should. I have to say it now, but when I open my mouth, the words get stuck in my throat.

Say it, Sofiya, and be done with it.

What does it matter anyhow? Everything in my life has already gone up in flames. “I do.”

Nikolai grasps my hand, his touch warmer than I expected, and slides a gold band onto my finger. He doesn’t look at me as he picks up the second ring, slipping it onto his own finger, his attention shifting briefly to the guards.

My gaze drops to the ring. All of this feels like a dream. A bad one. If someone told me this was in my future a few days ago, I would have laughed, but there’s nothing funny about it now.

The priest says something that I don’t understand, though I get the insinuation—this is the “you may kiss the bride” part. As scary as that is, like everything else, I don’t have a choice.

Nikolai moves toward me slowly. His attention drifts to the door, then back to me. What’s he waiting for? Backup? The priest looks between us and says the words again clearly, that we need to kiss. Nikolai takes in the guards sitting in the front pew, stone-faced and bored.

As he closes the small gap between us, his demeanor softens. His mouth lingers inches from mine, giving me a moment to brace myself. I wet my lips and look up at him. A shiver skates down my spine. It’s not quite fear but something else that pulses under my skin.

I tip my head up, my eyes fluttering closed as his lips press softly against mine, the gentleness unexpected. His fingers graze my cheek, and almost instinctively, my hand rests on his chest, sending a warmth through me that I wasn’t prepared for.

POW POW POW.

A series of explosions echo in the distance, and Nikolai breaks away sharply, his head snapping up as he locks onto the guards seated in front of us.

It all happens so fast. Nikolai shoves me down behind the altar, yanks a pistol from the back of his waistband, and fires toward the pews.

Holy shit! My heart pounds furiously in my ears. I can’t help but peek out from behind the altar, my stomach twisting as I take in the guards, each one slumped forward, a bullet hole in their heads.

Nikolai waves off the priest, who scrambles out the back without a second glance. Then he kneels in front of me, his hands cupping my face as he murmurs something I can barely make out. Whatever it is, it doesn’t penetrate the horror of what I just witnessed.

“Breathe, just breathe. It was kill or be killed,moya sladost.”

Sweetheart.

He brushes the hair off my face. “Those explosions you heard were Roman and his men attacking Anatoly and the other guards. These guys here would’ve figured out what was happening pretty quickly. I said I would keep you safe, and I did, but now we have to get out of here.”

I nod, numb and heavy with shock. Despite everything, a strange calm roots itself in me. He’s a cold-blooded killer, but he risked his life to protect me.

When he lifts me into his arms, I don’t fight or struggle. I lean into his chest and let him take me away.

CHAPTER

ONE

Present Day

SOFIYA

There’sa knock at the door, and I hurry to answer, knowing it’s my sister, Liza. Before I can get a word out, she wraps me in a hug, squeezing me like her life depends on it.

I pull back with a laugh. “You’re acting like we’ve been separated for months. I saw you and Roman last week for dinner.”

“Well, it feels like longer,” she pouts, stepping into my apartment. The apartment she and her husband, Roman Vasiliev, pay for to ensure I live somewhere with top-notch security in one of Moscow’s safest neighborhoods. With Roman being one of the heads of the Belov Syndicate, it’s a necessity, not a luxury. Same goes for the ever-present bodyguard, something I resent but understand. “You’ve been so busy getting ready for the final recital that I almost considered enrolling in your classes just to spend time with you.”

“I’d love to see you dancingbarynyain Madame Orlova’s folk dancing class,” I snort.

“Folk dancing, seriously?”

“It was an elective. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea.” I shrug.

Liza presents me with an overflowing bouquet of flowers.

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