Married Off To The Devil

SVADBA

I didn’t know how long we stood there, seconds, minutes… God it felt like an eternity, but then the double doors were being pulled open, a man on each side holding them, their tuxedos pressed and sharp.

Their expressions were stoic as they glanced our way. My father had his hand curled around mine, which rested on his forearm. But I wasn’t foolish enough to think it was because he was trying to reassure me.

No, he was doing it so I didn’t run. Notthat I would get very far in these stilettos or with all the security. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly.

The day had finally come. I was about to wed Alexei, heir to the Desolation Russian mafia.

A man who was by all accounts… bad. And he was to be my husband, for better or worse. My father’s body was tense beside me, almost forbidding. I chanced a glance at him out of the corner of my eye, my veil making his visage cloudy, hazy in appearance.

He looked over at me for just a second. I could see the softening on his face, or maybe it was wishful thinking, a little girl looking up at her father, hoping and praying that he would tell her everything would be okay.But that wasn’t who Vincenzo Conti was.

Bodies lined the pews, each one standing up as the traditional wedding song started playing. My heart was racing overtime when I saw Alexei’s dark and imposing form at the end of the aisle. He waited for me, waited to take ownership of me. For better or worse.

It was my father tugging me forward that had me blinking back into the present, breathing out slowly, thankful for the veil, in fact, because it hid how nervous I no doubt looked.

If I hadn’t been holding onto my bouquet with one hand, and gripping my father’s forearm with the other, I knew my fingers would be shaking.

The walk down the aisle seemed to take an eternity. I felt everyone's gazes on me, their stares like a heavy presence, a weight that kept pushing me further down, down, down.

And then it was as if someone pressed fast forward. Everything was a blur as I was handed off by my father to my soon-to-be new husband, as Alexei led me up the two steps to the altar, as words spoken by the priest.

I was aware of the heavyweight of my hand in Alexei’s, and the only thing I could hear was the heavy rush of my breathing moving through my ears. In and out. In and out.

And then I felt Alexei give my hand a squeeze before he positioned me so I was fully facing him now. He stared down at me for long seconds before he lifted my veil.

“I do,” he said low and deep, his Russian accent seeming so thick in those two words. And when it was my turn I was on autopilot, murmuring those two words as I stared into his blue eyes.

More words were said by the priest, phrases in Latin, followed by traditional religious proceedings that had us going through the motions. And then it was done. Finalized, sealed by six little words spoken in English.

“You may now kiss your bride.” The corner of Alexei’s mouth slowly curled up into a smirk, his hands rested on either side of my face, his thumbs brushing along my cheekbones.

“For better or worse, printsessa.” A gentle sweep of his thumb against my bottom lip.

“You’re mine now, kroshka.” And then he was leaning down, his mouth pressing to mine, his lips surprisingly soft against mine.

A little shocked sound left me when I felt his tongue stroking over the seam of my mouth. I gasped then, my first kiss sending electricity traveling to the tips of my fingers and toes.

My eyes fluttered closed when he stroked his tongue along my lips once more, when I heard the low and deep groan rumble out of his throat.

My mouth parted on its own. And when he delved inside, taking that as my surrender, touching his tongue to mine, all I tasted was an addictive male. All I smelled was Alexei. All I felt was my husband.

And now I was irrevocably his.

****

“You’re going to get drunk, ptchika moya.” My mother‘s voice was hushed, but her tone was tight, as if she were angry that I was drinking my third glass of champagne. At my own wedding. We were surrounded by my aunties and distant cousins. Saying sweet nothings about how Alexei looked hot.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I murmured and started heading toward the main ballroom doors without waiting for their reply.

I suddenly had crushing pressure on my chest and picked up my pace. I smiled and nodded as people tried to stop me, congratulated me and wished me well.

No one tried to stop me. And the closer I got to the double doors that led to the hotel hallway, the more that pressure kept growing. I felt hot, beads of perspiration dotting my temples.

When I finally made it through the open double doors and away from the sound and lights, the noise, I took a deep breath in and felt that dizziness that was circulating around me faded. I was walking down the hall and rounding the corner before I realized I made the trek, but I didn’t stop.

I rested my head back and closed my eyes. Just breathing. The sounds of the wedding had faded so I barely heard anything, just the steady beat of my heart, the rush of blood through my veins as it filled my ears.

And it stayed like that for several long minutes until a feminine sigh, a little moan broke my contentment.

My feet went over the plush carpet silently, my fingers tight around the lace of my dress.

Then I heard it again, that female sound that was clearly from pleasure. It was followed by a gruff male grunt. Then matching harsh breathing. I was moving toward it before I knew what was happening.

The door I stopped in front of was partially open, just a sliver of a crack allowing me to see into the darkened room. The window off to the side allowed blue-hued moonlight to filter in and show me to bodies pressed against a large couch.

“Are you going to give it to me all?” I felt my heart race. I knew that voice.

“Come on. Just pull that dress up and let me.” Dimitri. This felt wrong, and not just because I was watching something very private.

“Oh Dimitri. I love you.” I slapped a hand over my mouth to still the sound of my shocked gasp when I heard Maria.

“I want you,” she whispered.

“That’s it. Yeah, that’s it.” And then the very distinct sound of them having s*x filled my ears.

“I love you Dimitri. God I love you.” I stumbled back, my heel getting caught on the end of my dress.

My arms flung out as I tried to right myself, my back hitting the wall loud enough all sounds ceased. I should have hurried away but I was frozen in place when I heard hushed, frantic whispers.

And then the door was opening and Dimitri was coming out, gun in hand, eyes frantic and crazed. His gaze locked on me and his eyes seemed to darken before his eyebrows pulled down in a scowl.

“Go back to the party.” I knew he wasn’t speaking to me even though his focus was trained on my face. A moment later Maria was slipping past him, her body freezing as she caught sight of me, her eyes widening.

“Amara,” she said softly, this frantic look on her face as she looked between myself and Dimitri. She took a step toward me.

“It’s not what you think. You can’t tell–” “I said go back to the f*****g party,” Edoardo snapped out and looked at Francesca with a deep scowl on his face.

I could see the way her throat moved as she swallowed, could practically feel her fear pouring off of her. This wasn’t just her hesitation and being afraid that I would tell anyone that her and Dimitri were having s*x, something totally forbidden, a treasure you only gave your husband. If this came out it would ruin her, destroy her family and their reputation.

They’d be shunned, looked down upon, and all because of this one act. And it didn’t matter if she told me she’d been with anyone like she had all but implied at the dress fitting-- like she’d all but bragged about it. Words were just that… words.

“I–I didn’t see anything.” I didn't know why I’d said those words .

He and I knew the truth, knew what I’d witnessed. It was clearly written across my face.

“Let’s not make a liar out of you, Bella” He took a step forward but I had nowhere to go. With a wall at my right, and Dimitri blocking my left and in front of me I was trapped.

“Shhh. We don't want anyone to hear a commotion.”

“I’m not going to say anything,” I said again and tipped my chin up in almost defiance.

“I’d never want to hurt Maria’s family that way.” He smirked, as if what he thought I said was funny.

“Let’s just go back to the reception. I’m sure Alexei is waiting for me.” I wasn’t ashamed to throw my husband's name out there, hoping it would put fear into Dimitri.

But all he did was take a step closer. His gaze roamed across my face and I curled my fingers into my palms, my nails biting into the flesh, the pain sparking into pleasure.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, Bella,” he said in a low voice as he reached up and rubbed a strand of my hair between his thumb and forefinger, his focus trained on the act.

“You’re going to stay quiet because I’m not going to lose my station. I’m not going to be punished by your f*****g father because I broke the rules. And you’re going to keep that pretty mouth shut or I’m going to do all kinds of things that you’re not going to like.”

He slowly lifted his gaze from that lock of hair to meet my gaze.

“But it’s definitely going to be things I like,” he whispered. A long pause of silence stretched between us, as if he wanted to let those words sink in, let that meaning really solidify.

“Do you understand what I mean, Bella” I wanted to slap him, to scream in his face, to tell him he couldn’t speak to me like that.

“What do you think will happen when I tell them the truth? What do you think they’ll do to you when I tell my husband that you threatened me?” Dimitri’s eyes darkened even further and he tightened his fingers on that strand of hair until it was being pulled, a sting to my scalp that had me gritting my teeth.

“f**k the Bratva,” he spit out.

“Your father is a weak man for making deals with those lowlifes.” Edoardo lifted that lock of hair up to his nose and inhaled deeply, this disgusting sound of pleasure leaving his throat. Motion in my peripheral had me glancing to the side.

Time seemed to stand still as I watched Alexei round the corner and slowly walk down the hallway, his focus on me, so intent, so deadly. He lifted a hand and I watched with what felt like huge eyes as he slipped his hand inside his tuxedo jacket.

I could hear Dimitri talking, his voice a distorted rumble that I couldn’t process anything else.

I heard this buzzing in my ear, drowning out everything else, making it impossible to know what he said. But I could feel him tugging on the strand of my hair, and I took my focus off of my husband for a second to see Dimitri grin at me lasciviously as heleaned in, his gaze now on my mouth.

“You’re going to listen to me and keep your mouth shut or I’m going to f**k you so hard you bleed for days afterward. Do you understand me?” My skin prickled, tingled as I looked back at Alexei, my eyes widening even more, my mouth slightly parted. He pulled out a gun, the silver metal catching the light.

“Or maybe you want me to do that. If you’re married to Russian scum, you probably like it rough and raw, don’t you?” Dimitri was too absorbed in his disgusting plans for me that he didn’t even sense the monster who stood right beside him.

It was only when Alexei lifted the gun and trained it at Dimitri’s temple that I felt the air around me change. And it took a millisecond for Dimitri to realize we weren’t alone. But it was too late. Because when Alexei gave me a slow grin and an arrogant wink, I knew this was the end. And then my husband pulled the trigger.

I didn’t hear the gunshot but I felt the blood, the hot spray of it along my neck and throat, no doubt covering my pristine white dress.

I felt the vibration of Dimitri’s body hitting the floor between Alexei and I, but still I couldn’t take my eyes off my husband‘s bright blue eyes. He’d brought death with him, and now he was bringing me down to hell to rule beside him.