Page 61 of Ties That Bind Us

When I woke up the next day, I was lying on his chest in the same position I had fallen asleep in. I wriggled out from under his arm and got ready, careful not to wake him.

An hour later, I was sitting in a bridal shop with my mother and sisters, starting the search for a wedding dress.

“What do you think?” I smiled nervously, turning around and facing my mother and sisters.

The whole process was slightly overwhelming. The boutique Bella had chosen must have had a thousand options. The dress consultant, as she was called, showed me all kinds of different styles, and thirty of them were sitting in the dressing room right now. Even though the first few dresses I tried weren’t my style at all, I was actually starting to get excited. This was one of the first big things I had done for the wedding, and it felt like it was finally becoming real. Nick and I were going to be married in just a few short months. Putting on a white dress, regardless of whether or not it was going to be the one I chose, made my heart flutter and gave me butterflies in my stomach. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine Nick waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and for the first time since this all began, my excitement outweighed my fear and uncertainty.

I had come in with an idea of what I wanted for a dress, but unfortunately, so had everyone else. My mother had dreamed of this day forever, and had a very specific idea of what she thought I should wear. One of those big, flowing princess dresses with long sleeves. The one she picked was stunning, but it was a little too dramatic for me. I leaned more on the side of simplicity, but decided to humor her and had put it on for everyone to see.

“Oh, Ava!” my mom gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Tears pooled in her eyes like it was my actual wedding day.

“She looks like a cupcake.” Bella laughed, sipping her champagne.

“I think the dress weighs as much as you.” Angie smiled from her perch on the side of the couch.

“Oh, stop, you two.” My mom glared at my sisters. “I think it’s perfect. You look like an angel.”

I held some of the fabric up from the skirt. “You don’t think it’s a little . . . big?”

Bella and Angie dissolved into giggles. “Mom, it’s ginormous and Ava is trying to be nice, but she thinks it looks hideous.” Bella stood up and started to look through a row of dresses. She stopped at one, pulling it out and putting it against her body. “How about this one?”

The dress was incredibly sheer, skintight, and a little too skimpy for my liking. Bella’s smirk suggested she was just trying to get a rise out of my mother.

“Isabella!” she scolded, shaking her head.

“How about something in between Princess Diana and a stripper?” Angie said, rolling her eyes. “Try the one I picked out.”

“Let’s get you out of this and try something a little simpler.” The consultant smiled, turning back to the dressing room.

All of a sudden, the sound of glass shattering rang through the store. I wasn’t well versed in my dad’s business, but I knew enough to recognize the sound of bullets and screeching tires. The front windows had been riddled with bullets from somewhere outside. Screams filled the air and people flew to the floor, looking for cover and protection. Just a few seconds later, everything was still and quiet again, and the chaos was over as quickly as it had begun.

I propped myself up a little bit, desperately searching for my mom and sisters. It took a moment to notice the crimson now staining the once-white dress. Had I been shot? The unmistakable smell of gun smoke was in the air.

“Ava!” I heard someone say my name but I couldn’t tell the direction it was coming from. My arm started to tingle and my vision got spotty.

I sucked in a sharp breath before slumping over to the side as everything turned black.

Chapter 23

Nick

I took a swig from the coffee cup sitting in front of me. We had been sitting here long enough that it had long gone cold, and our waitress was nowhere to be found.

My dad met Leo and me for breakfast for our standing Saturday morning meeting. As long as I could remember, we’d used this meeting as a catch-up, but in light of recent developments, we had business to attend to.

“Vince didn’t have any idea what Alessandro was planning, but he said we should be on the lookout.” I rubbed my forehead.

“Well, that’s not all.” Leo shifted his weight, frowning. “He met with Asnikov last week and didn’t mention it. He’s definitely up to something.”

“Why the fuck is he meeting with the Russians and not telling us?” I growled. Alessandro was turning out to be quite a problem. If his own son was willing to give us information, I was worried about how bad it could really get.

My dad furrowed his brow. Until now, he had been silent, taking everything Leo and I were saying in. “Is it possible Ava is involved?”

“What?” I spat. “Of course she’s not involved.”

“Easy, Nick.” My dad held his hand out. “You know I had to ask. You know her better than anyone, so I trust your judgment. I just don’t want us to get involved in any of Alessandro’s bullshit if we can help it.”

I gritted my teeth, not at all liking what my dad was insinuating. There was not a chance in the world Ava was involved with whatever her father was planning. She couldn’t stand him, and there was no way she would help him hurt us.

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