Page 75 of Ruthless Bonds

The thought of someone trying to hurt him, especially his mother, made me realize something I’d been afraid to admit.

Apparently, my traitorous heart hadn’t gotten the memo that this was supposed to be fake.

And now I had feelings for him.

The realization settled over me, terrifying yet somehow comforting. While I’d been busy building up walls and trying to keep him out, he’d somehowmanaged to slip past all my defenses. The truth was, I didn’t think I wanted to run anymore.

He might be the most dangerous man in New York, but to me, he was becoming something else completely.

Home.

Chapter Fourteen

Alora

The cathedral sparkled like something out of a magazine. Every surface was draped in white, from the silk curtains that cascaded down from the windows to the columns wrapped in white roses and lilies that reached the vaulted ceilings. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting a warm glow across the space.

It was like something out of a fairytale, although I couldn’t recall ever reading one about a former thief who married a mafia boss.

The room was filled with hundreds of people, but I only recognized a handful of them. Kreos had mentioned there would be politicians, business associates, and heads of various criminal organizations here. It was strange seeing these different groups of people come together in one spot. I guessed they couldn’t resist seeing the woman who’d supposedly tamed the wild beast. If only they knew how untrue that was, though.

There were armed guards everywhere. Some of them blended in as ushers, while others blatantly walked around holding guns. It was a clear reminder to everyone to be on their best behavior.

Kreos had promised me it was all very typical, and that there would be no violence. Nobody would dare disrespect us on our wedding day. I hoped he wasright.

My heart pounded as I stood at the altar, praying I wouldn’t pass out. Dove stood to my left in a silver gown that made her look like an angel. I’d nearly bawled my eyes out when she’d shown up in my dressing room minus her typical hat. Instead, her blonde hair cascaded down her back in waves. I knew what it meant for her to take it off.

She felt safe.

Margot, Mira, and Bela stood next to her, all wearing matching gowns. The only person missing was Solene. She’d refused to come. My heart had broken a little when Mira had told me, although she tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal. Solene just needed time to adjust to my new life, she’d said. Some day I could explain all of this to her. But today was not that day.

Kreos squeezed my hand, and I let out a shaky breath, squeezing back. His entire presence commanded attention, and I couldn’t deny how unbelievably sexy he looked in his perfectly tailored black tuxedo.

I glanced up, finding him watching me intently. His gaze was piercing, the same familiar intensity that I feared and craved. Did he think I was going to run? The way he was holding on to my hand gave me that impression. A giggle escaped, and I bit my bottom lip as he raised his eyebrows with a smirk. I tried to convey with my eyes that I wasn’t going anywhere, but he refused to let my hand go.

Behind him stood Gavriil, looking stiff and unsmiling, as always. The rest of Kreos’ Vors stood by his side, all looking frighteningly handsome and lethal at the same time. They’d all nodded in appreciationwhen I’d walked down the aisle, a look of respect on each of their faces. It wasn’t lost on me that these men would give up their lives for Kreos, and now for me. I didn’t know how I felt about that.

Kreos’ parents sat in the front row, his father dressed in a crisp black tux and his mother wearing a red gown. She was decked out in diamonds and rubies, and if I didn’t know any better, I would have said she was trying to steal the show.

This was one of those times I missed my mom so much. Not a day went by where I didn’t think about her and her laugh. She’d been taken from me too soon. So had Jameson. I knew now wasn’t the time to succumb to sadness, so I glanced up, mouthing a quick “I love you” to the ceiling, and then focused my attention on the priest in front of us.

A collective murmur rippled through the room, along with a few chuckles, as Sasha strolled down the aisle. She was wearing a diamond collar with our wedding rings secured in a small pouch attached to it. When she got to us, she pushed her nose into our joined hands, and my heart swelled. I’d finally gotten the little monster to be nice to me, and it had only taken about twenty steaks. She sat down at our feet, the priest visibly gulping as she tilted her head to the side, watching him.

This was it. I was getting married to Kreos Zokrov. There was no turning back now.

The room felt entirely too warm, even though a shiver ran through me. Kreos leaned over, brushing his lips against my ear as he whispered, “If you’re thinking about running, just know I’ll chase you down and drag you right back.” There was a playful tone in his voice, soI knew he was trying to ease my nerves.

“Maybe I enjoy being chased,” I whispered, keeping my face neutral.

His hand tightened on mine as he chuckled. “That’s my good girl.”

My cheeks burned at his comment. Sometimes I hated how easy it was for him to send my mind and body into overdrive.

The priest cleared his throat, and we turned our attention to him. He began his sermon in a mixture of English and Russian, his voice echoing off the white stone walls. It was beautiful, but after a few minutes, I could sense the impatience rolling off Kreos.

“Marriage is sacred. It is a union of souls—”

“Father.” Kreos’ voice carried throughout the space. “While I appreciate the sanctity of this moment, if you don’t get to the part where I can kiss my beautiful bride, you and I are going to have a big problem.”

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