Page 7 of Betraying Family Vows
He studies my face for a beat.
"Change of plans." My voice is steady. "I'm going with them when they take him."
"What? That wasn't part of the deal."
"I'm changing it. You either let me come or turn around."
The car slows near the grand entrance.
"Fine. If you want to come when we take him, then come. But once you're in, you're in. You'll have to see it through. You ready for that?"
I yank my arm away.
"Don't worry about me. Just get us when I call."
I step out of the car, steadying myself on my heels. The gravel crunches beneath them.
"Remember," John calls as I walk away. "Look for the tattoos. Neck, arms, hands. He'll be the one not smiling."
I don't look back. I know who I'm hunting. I've seen his damn picture.
The guard at the entrance barely glances at my invitation. A perfect forgery. His eyes are too busy following the line of my dress.
Inside, the wedding reception is in full swing.
Champagne flows. Music plays. Beautiful people dance and laugh, unaware of what's coming.
I scan the crowd, looking for my target.
And then I see him.
Standing at the bar.
Tall, broad-shouldered, scowling at the world.
Tattoos creeping up his neck from beneath his collar, covering his hands as he holds a drink.
Dimitri Kastaris.
He's much hotter in person. A shame what I'll have to do to him. But it won't stop me.
A flicker of doubt claws at my gut. I bury it deep.
I take a breath, tilt my head, and let my smile spread across my lips. The one I've practiced a thousand times in the mirror.
"Make them want you," my mother whispers in my head. "Before they forget you."
The countdown to his death begins now.
3
DIMITRI
Pain comes first.
An ache that makes me feel like my head was split open with a sledgehammer.
I try to move, but my arms don't budge.
