Page 143 of Ruined Vows

“I object!”

My heart all but leaps out of my chest as my head whips toward the back of the church. It can’t be.

But it is.

It’s Isaak.

I don’t know how he’s here, or how he could have kept believing in us after every horrible thing I said to push him away, but he is.

And he’s in danger.

“Security!” Drew shouts.

I use this moment of distraction to shove away from him. Drew swipes for me, catching a bit of organza that tears away in his grasp as I sprint down the aisle toward the man that I love.

Gasps erupt from all sides, and phones pop out to record us. Which is when I realize… If I pull a runaway bride right now, Isaak and I could be on the run forever.

And we aren’t the ones in the wrong.

Halfway down the aisle, I stop, breathless, and turn back towards the altar with an accusing finger.

“I’ve had a stalker all year and last week I found out it was Drew! He drugged me when I tried to run away from him! And he’s been holding me hostage all week after I tried to call off the wedding. He only wants to marry me to prove to his father he’s a real man!”

Each revelation elicits more surprised gasps and murmurs that get louder and louder.

But even I’m surprised when the crowd suddenly leaps to their feet and starts screaming. I finally hear something that causes my body to freeze. “Gun!”

Gun? Oh shit, Isaak didn’t bring a gun with him, did he? He just got out of jail. He’s not that stupid.

But when I look back at him, he doesn’t have a gun. He’s sprinting toward me, and there’s absolute terror in his eyes.

Oh. He’s not the one I should be worried about.

But by the time I swing my head back around to the front of the church, it’s too late.

Drew is standing there with a gun aimed right at me.

I hear an explosive noise go off, but I don’t feel anything at first.

I’m just on the floor suddenly, a hard blow knocking me down. When I hold my hands in front of my face, all I see is blood coating them.

My ears ring so loud I can barely tell up from down in the chaos of everyone screaming and the pounding feet fleeing to get away.

I’m still waiting to feel the pain. Expecting it. I sit up awkwardly, and the front of my gown is covered in red.

It’s then I see the body slumped in front of me.

“Isaak!”

I turn him on his back and scream to find his face pale and his breathing short as he clutches his side.

“No!” I scream.

He took a bullet for me.

He leaped in front of me and took the bullet.

My hands scramble across his torso, feeling for the wound. He’s wearing a black shirt, so it’s only when I see where his hands are clutching that I find where he was shot.

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