Page 10 of Accidentally Kidnapping the Groom

I shouldn't be here. Not in the back of this van, and certainly not getting married in less than an hour. My phone buzzes with an incoming message from Nick. I turn off the display without reading it. I can’t face him right now.

Charlotte is like a sister to both of us, but Nick has an extra sweet spot for her. If he knew I was sitting here, thinking about another woman when I’m about to get married to her, he’d kick my ass so hard I’d never be able to shit again.

Hell, I want to kick my own ass for being so stupid. I should never have touched April, but now that I have, that’s all I want to do. Get my hands on her skin, again. And my lips on her mouth. And my cock deep inside her pussy.

I’m so fucking screwed. Because I’m in love with her.

April.

Her name is a bullet lodged in my chest, a wound that I only just realized was fatal. It had been so easy to push it aside, to pretend I didn’t feel it, until now. Now that I’ve had her in my arms. Now that I know what I’m missing.

Now that I’m about to get married to someone else.

Leaning my head back against the metal side of the van, I let out a slow, unsteady breath. I shouldn’t be thinking about her. I should be thinking about Charlotte. About the huge fuckingfavor she’s doing me and how much I owe her for that. But all I can think about is how it felt to kiss April. How it felt to be inside her.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up in my chest. Why did I let it get this far? Why did I keep telling myself that what I felt for April was just an attraction?

I shake my head. I could get out of this van, find April, tell her?—

The van lurches forward.

“What the—” I barely have time to react before the movement throws me backward. My shoulder slams into a metal shelf, and a tray of hors d’oeuvres crashes onto the floor beside me. Who the hell is driving?

I scramble to my feet, gripping the side of the van for balance, but the driver must have hit a speed bump or swerved because the next thing I know, my feet slip out from under me. My head smacks against something hard—a crate, maybe, or the side of the van—and a burst of pain explodes behind my eyes.

The world goes dark.

Idon’t know how long I’m out, but when I come to, my head is throbbing, and I can’t move my arms. They’re tied to something and so are my legs. I try to open my eyes, but the pounding in my skull makes it impossible.

Panic claws at my chest as I try to assess the situation. Where the fuck am I? And more importantly, who the fuck has tied me up?

Think, Jay. Fucking think.

I push through the pain and force my eyes open.

April’s sitting across from me. Her blue eyes wide and filled with tears.

“What the fuck happend?” I croak.

She rushes to my side. “Oh my god. I’m so glad you woke up. I thought you were dead.”

Chapter 6

APRIL

The good news is that Jay is not dead.

The bad news is that I have somehow kidnapped my boss, and he’s furious. Which I kind of expected, so that’s why I tied him up. To make sure he’ll listen to me.

I felt so relieved when I first noticed Jay's eyes flutter open, dazed and unfocused at first. His breathing was slow, shallow—then it sharpened. A jolt ran through him. His muscles went rigid as awareness slammed into his face like a brick wall.

An enraged brick wall.

And that’s when I realized I should still be worried. I don’t think Jay is in a frame of mind to listen.

He’s wearing a tux, so I must have abducted him from someone’s wedding. Which makes sense, since the van I borrowed was parked outside the small wedding chapel in town.

Maybe borrowed is playing loose with the truth. Okay, I stole it. But it was sitting there with the keys inside. If I wasn’t so afraid of Viktor catching up with me, I’d never have taken it. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life. When your mom and uncle are gunned down in front of you because of your dad living a life of crime, you walk the straight and narrow path for the rest of your life. Or, maybe you fully embrace the criminal life to get revenge,but I’m just one girl. Taking on the Russian mob of Chicago was not an option. so, I ran and stayed away from crime.

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