Page 22 of Sinful Promise

I need to come up with something quick. I can’t use Katsia’s last name. It would be too easy for my family to locate me. Until I know what’s going on, I need to play along with a false name and a fake story. If I can pull this off, maybe the story will have a fairytale ending.

“Dasha Varona,” I answer as confidently as possible to cover my deceit. It’s a common name, and I hope it will keep me off the radar when Papa tries to look for me.

“Well, Dasha, today is your lucky day.”

“Why do you say that?” As far as I’m concerned, I’m still in danger. I can’t rely on luck to save me. I have to save myself, but it’s impossible to do without friends who can help, and I need money.

“Look, you’re pretty, even if your dress is not. But pretty will only get you so far.”

I cross my arms defensively. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re in luck. Roman is a wealthy man who can get you out of whatever trouble you are in. His family has a plane and a yacht.”

“I’m not in trouble. I just don’t want to marry that pig,” I say in my own defense.

“Who’s the pig?” He twists in his seat to look at me, giving me his full attention. “Ratmim?”

“Yeah,” I blurt, flustered by his sharp tone. “Ratmim.”

I can’t tell him that Ratmim is my father. Knowledge is power, and I don’t know him. It might not be safe.

“Is that where we’re headed, to Roman’s yacht?” I ask.

“Yes.”

The car door opens, and Roman gets in. He drops a huge shopping bag on my lap. “What did I miss?” Roman looks at me, then at Alex.

“Her name is Dasha,” Alex says, then turns back around and drives the car. “And she was supposed to marry Ratmim.”

“Ratmim?” Roman’s voice is silky. “Really?”

“Wow, look at all these clothes,” I exclaim to change the subject, opening the bag and rooting through the contents. The bag is full. I’ve never had so many new clothes.

“Lose the wedding dress and put something else on,” Roman barks.

“What? In the car?” I stare into his eyes, and my gut tells me he’s serious.

“Yes, and quickly. I’ll help,” he says while fumbling to find the zipper.

I unbuckle my seatbelt as he brushes the hair that fell out of my updo to the side. His hand finds the zipper without fumbling around. I hear the zipper as it glides down my back. Normally, I’d be afraid of a man’s hands near my body, given how many times Papa has slapped me over stupid stuff.

Roman doesn’t invoke fear in me, and there’s something kind of sexy about the moment. If Alex weren’t here and we weren’t being chased like rabbits, I could picture him pulling my dress off and making out with me in the back seat of a parked car.

Instead, my hair gets caught in the zipper, and he carefully untangles it before he yanks the dress to my shoulders.

“Oh,” I murmur in surprise. I fumble inside the bag and find a blouse and jeans. I rip off the tags, and Roman holds the wedding dress up like a tent to give me privacy. I slip into the shirt, buttoning all but the top two buttons. Papa would disapprove of me changing in front of a strange man. Fuck him. Papa is in my rearview mirror for the time being.

I bend forward to untie my trusty sneakers. I leave them where they fall on the car floor. I shake out the jeans, holding them by the waist, and shimmy into them. When I’m finished, I push the dress off me, and Roman grabs it, balls it up, and places it on the seat between us.

I straighten myself out and click the seatbelt into place. Alex is driving at breakneck speeds and making lots of turns. I assume he’s staying off the main roads to avoid being seen.

“Who do you work for, the government?” I ask Roman.

“No, just the opposite. All you need to know is that I can help you if you want to get away from here.”

I try to hide my internal panic. My mind is racing, and every one of my senses is on high alert. I regret not thinking this far ahead. The truth is, I never thought I’d make it past the church’s lawn. Papa keeps a thumb on me and has had me thinking I can’t do anything on my own for so long that I am in shock.

I acted on impulse and took advantage of an opportunity to run. Now what?

---