Page 45 of An Unhinged Wedding

People get married every day. Without a doubt, I know not everybody has this. The person who makes everything better. The person who gives them everything they need. Even more than that, the person who knows your needs before you do.

Trevor always seems to instinctively know what I need. Strength, vulnerability, whatever it is, he gives it to me.

When I reach him, he takes my hand and nods to Max. Leaning down, Trevor whispers in my ear, “You look stunning, Wife.”

I swallow hard, “You look so handsome.”

It never matters what Trevor is wearing. He always looks delicious. Sweats, jeans, but this tuxedo makes him look mouth-watering.

We say our vows, exchange rings, and twenty minutes later, we’re announced husband and wife. Again.

Trevor takes me into his arms and presses his lips to mine. I’m lost in him, and he’s lost in me. With only close friends and family in the pews, the cathedral is quiet while we kiss.

A gunshot echoes through the holy place. The priest falls dead to the floor with a shot to the head. Instantly, we break our kiss to find three men with rifles at the back of the cathedral.

Everybody has dropped behind the pews while Trevor and I stand out in the open. Jade pulls out her gun and fires one shot, shooting one of the gunmen in the chest. He drops to the floor with a loud thud.

“We are here for Chloe,” one of the remaining gunmen says.

I haven’t been called that name since the day I was taken by Cardinal Mayrand. A lot of people expected me to go back to my former name. A name not given to me by monsters, but it felt foreign. I barely remembered being called by Chloe. So, I stayed, Mia. I don’t know if this is related to the church or if they are calling me by my old name to rattle me further. As if coming into my wedding with guns isn’t enough.

Max glances at me, and I know this is exactly why he didn’t want Willow to come today.

“It’s Mia, asshole. Lower your weapons before I gut you like a fucking fish.”

He laughs, “You’ll be dead before you get close enough to stab us.”

I shake my head, “Oh, but that’s not your order, is it? You need me alive, right?”

The expression on his face betrays him, and I know what I’ve said is the truth. They want to take me. Torture me. Maybe even sell me. I know this is an order from Joey.

When I get my hands on that piece of shit, I’m going to enjoy his torment like nothing before.

“Chloe and Savannah. Let’s go.”

I begin to move, and Trevor grabs my hand, “Mia, no!”

Breaking free from his grip, I say, “I love you, Trevor. I will not allow them to have Savannah again.”

As I get closer, I order, “Lower your weapons. Nobody else needs to get hurt. Clearly, I’m unarmed and I’m coming with you, willingly.”

The thing with being in this life is you can never be unprepared. We must always be ready for an attack.

As I’m walking to them, I’m gauging their size and how I’m going to save us all.

Jade luckily shot the biggest one.

I’m tiny. Everybody jokes about my elf size, but it’s what makes all the men underestimate me. I stop in front of them. My dress is not your ordinary wedding gown. I had adjustments made to it for me. I rip the skirt off and toss it to the side. Before they get a chance to realize what’s happening, I spin and kick the short one in the jaw, grab my knife, and plunge it into the other’s stomach. The man I stabbed, lands on my dress, and I slit his throat. The other one lies knocked out on his back. I slice his throat too, and Trevor approaches and moves the man off my skirt.

“Kitten, you’re in your underwear. Put the fucking skirt back on.”

I giggle, “Sorry. It had to be done.”

I put myself back together. My gown is drenched with the blood of my enemies. I realize this would be a nightmare for your average bride—worst-case scenario. However, for me, this is beautiful. Again, Joey loses. Savannah is safe. We all are. I’m three dead men closer to Joey. His death will not be quick like these men. It will be brutal. I cannot wait.

MIA

Never had I doubted I wanted to be Trevor’s wife. I had never believed I could trust another person the way I did him. He became my everything. But that was before he pulled the rug out from under me. While I believe marriage is forever, things have a way of changing in an instant. Secrets, lies, and betrayal have a way of unraveling the greatest love. When my mother mentioned dark days, this isn’t what I imagined.

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