Page 82 of Devious Secrets

“You should know, he’s threatened to shoot me if I don’t marry him,” she announces once we’re standing in front of him.

The judge schools his features, but I can see his throat work as he swallows back his conscience.

“You can begin.” I gesture to him.

He clears his throat and begins.

“Marriage is a commitment to share your life together and to grow with each other in a lifelong partnership. Today, you are committing to that union, to love, honor, and cherish one another.”

Her body goes rigid as the judge speaks. She believes marriages can’t work, and ours isn’t exactly starting off with any sort of fairy-tale romance.

“Do you, Alexander Volkov, take Megan Reed to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in marriage, to honor her and to protect her with your very life if needed, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?”

Her brow wrinkles when she hears the vows I altered for our wedding. The standard commitment didn’t fit for us, and she needs to know I mean what I say when I speak these words.

I wait until she brings those sparkly blue eyes of hers to meet mine before answering.

“I do.”

“And do you, Megan Reed, take Alexander Volkov, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage, to honor him, to cherish him, and to obey him, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?”

Her lips pinch together.

“Obey him?” She starts to pull away again, but I bring her back, steadying her before she can trip on that god-awful dress.

“Say the words, Megan,” I warn.

She blows out a heavy sigh with an added eye roll.

“Fine.”

Elana giggles from somewhere behind me, matching Kaz’s laughter over the whole thing. One day he’ll find a woman who turns him inside out like this one does me, and then we’ll see who’s laughing.

“I think that’s as good as you’re getting, Judge,” Ivan says when the judge seems to be waiting for the right response from Megan. “Let’s wrap it up.”

The judge takes another peek at Megan’s glower and nods.

“Right. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may uh… well… kiss the bride.”

He hasn’t even gotten the last word out before I wrap my hand around her neck and pull her to me. At first, her hands push against my chest, but it only takes a little nibble to her lip to get her to soften against me.

When I break the kiss, she stares up at me for a moment, and I wish I could hear her thoughts. They seem to be all jumbled together. The thing about Megan is having a clear line works best. When there’s too much at one time, she doubts herself. And then she gets herself into trouble.

She lets out a little sigh.

I release her and she turns to the judge.

“So, do I go directly to you for a divorce, or should I get an attorney?” she asks Judge Slovene. Panicked eyes meet mine when he looks over her shoulder at me.

I can’t help the little smile pulling on my lips. I fold my arms over my chest as I await his answer.

He clears his throat.

“Well, I don’t usually handle that sort of thing…” he trails off with a plea in his gaze as he sweeps the room.

“She’s kidding,” Elana assures him, rushing forward and grasping Megan by the arm.

“Not really.” Megan lifts a shoulder.

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