Page 56 of Shielded Secrets

Eva had to have noticed how shaky my voice was. She approached, frowning at me. “Kelly, this is?—”

Rurik pulled me aside before she could finish. “Are you sure?”

I sighed, nodding before anyone could think I wasn’t confident in my feelings for him. I did want him. I could see my future with him. And the more I tried to accept how this was happening, I told myself to get over the pettiness I was feeling to be upset about how we’d get married.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get this done,” Oleg said, snapping his fingers.

“Uncle Oleg!” Eva scolded.

Lev wasn’t blind. He’d noticed the tension in the air. “Eva, time isn’t on our side. We can’t have a long engagement and plan a wedding like we can for you.”

Rurik shook his head. “But wouldn’t our being engaged be enough for now if she’s not ready?”

Oleg narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s there to be ready for? Married is married. I hate to sound cold, but the ceremony is just a production to party over.”

Lev put his hand on Rurik’s shoulder. “It’s rushed. I know you didn’t want this to happen like this, but all that matters is making sure the cops—and anyone else—can’t get to her, right?”

Rurik sighed, frowning at me. “Of course. Kelly, your safety is my number-one priority, but?—”

I nodded, forcing a quick smile. “Then we’ll take care of that right now.” Like Oleg had so bluntly said. It was time to get my proposal, engagement, and weddingdone. As if it were just another task to cross off a to-do list.

Oleg gestured for us to step up to him. “Then if you’ll allow me the honors…” He held his hand out to another Baranov soldier who’d been standing in the back of the room. A pair of rings was placed in his hand, then a document.

“You…” I blinked. “You had a license filed?”

“Just in case,” Lev said. He shrugged, almost looking sheepish. “When we first realized you’d need protection…”

My jaw dropped again.

“Like I mentioned before,” Eva said. “We have connections at the court.”

Holy shit.They’d just made it happen? I opened and closed my mouth, feeling like I was still stuck between reality and a dream. This was surreal. Bizarre. And I just couldn’t keep up.

“Kelly Garnet, do you take Rurik Baranov to be your husband?” Oleg asked, holding up a ring for me to take.

I accepted it, mentally flailing at the speed with which this was happening. “I… you… are you even ordained?”

He nodded. “Do you take him for your husband?”

I was still holding Rurik’s hand, and as I tried to breathe through the panic that almost could’ve been excitement in othercircumstances, I realized I didn’t have the urge to run. I didn’t have that instinct to fight this, either.

“Yes.” I furrowed my brow, sliding the ring onto his finger.

Before letting me move my hand away, he gripped my fingers and pulled me close for a kiss. “Kelly, I know this is happening quickly, but?—”

“But you want to marry me as a backup plan you all orchestrated behind my back?” I shot back.

“I wanted to marry you regardless of?—”

Oleg cut him off, plowing on. “Rurik Baranov, do you take Kelly Garnet to be your wife?”

Rurik snatched the ring with the sparkling diamonds from the Boss’s hand.

Rurik stared at me as he slipped the ring on my finger. Before I could even look at it for more than a moment, he tipped my chin up and kissed me hard.

Under the familiar heat of his mouth over mine, I closed my eyes and clung to the hope that this wouldn’t be a mistake.

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