I was still trying to make sense of what Luca had said when he told me to get in the car with him.
"When did we get married?!" I inquired. None of it made sense; I was supposed to be married to Barry today, yet here I was, and this man had no intention of killing me; I believe he wanted to keep me to himself because somehow we are married.
"Aubrey, get out of the car," he said dryly as he stepped out and extended his hand to me. I turned around to see men in black suits exiting the cars that had stopped behind us and walking towards Luca, as well as a few from the hotel. I looked ahead at our surroundings and noticed a church ahead of us.
"I'm not getting out of this car until I know where we're going and what's going on!" With a frown, I snapped and folded my arms.
Luca smirked and rested his hands on the car seats. "I tell you exactly what I want you to know, exactly when I want you to know it." "I'm giving you one more chance to come out," he said, and my frown deepened as I leaned further away.
"Or, what?" I inquired. Luca smirked and straightened up, stepping away from the car. "Get her" was all it took for one man to open my door and a huge man to stop my arms and fling me over his shoulders like I was a sack. Even though I was kicking my legs in the air and hitting his back with my fists, he didn't seem phased.
"You're going to regret this, Luca!" I yelled. Passers-by appeared unconcerned about what was going on in front of their eyes.
Even as the troop walked up the stairs and into the church, where the congregation was singing along with the choir, I kept screaming. When two of his men closed the massive doors, the choir immediately stopped singing.
"Help! "This man is insane!" The congregation became alarmed when I screamed.
"They are well-armed!" Someone screamed from the pews, causing chaos. People began to cry, scream, and flee, but there was nowhere to go. The commotion increased when Luca fired his gun into the air. Mothers clutching their infants and fathers attempting to protect their families.
I never imagined my life could get this bad.
"Anyone moves, and they die!" Luca grumbled.
"What is the significance of this?" Barry's animalistic voice echoed around the room. They were both furious; there was no way this was going to end well.
A power struggle was about to break out.
"I've brought the bride," Luca said, and the man who was holding me let go. Now I could see Luna and Rielle's terrified expressions, as well as Barry's, which resembled a ferocious lion about to pounce on his prey.
"Then hand her to me," Barry said, glaring at Luca, who smirked as he grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side.
"Are you certain you want her? "How badly do you desire her?" Luca asked, pointing the cold tip of his gun to my temple, and I froze, my eyes closed. Luna and Rielle squealed. Oh my god. That was the end of it. I never trusted him in the first place.
"What exactly does that mean?" Barry inquired calmly, as if I weren't being held at gunpoint. He didn't seem to care about me.
"Her life or yours?" With a smirk and a quirked brow, Luca inquired. I was trembling, and it could have been my imagination, but Luca caressed my skin with his thumb for a few seconds. My heart could have jumped out of my chest at this point because it was beating so fast. I blinked open my eyes at the sound of Barry's hysterical laughter, which I despised.
"Do you think she's worth it?" "You can do whatever you want with her; I'm done here," Barry stated. Luca smirked.
"That was the incorrect answer,'' Luca said sternly, pointing his gun at Barry. Barry's men pointed their weapons at Luca, while Luca's men pointed their weapons at Barry and his men. It was three men versus ten men. There was only one possible outcome.
"What exactly do you want?" Barry inquired. He sounded surprisingly confident for a man outnumbered.
"I expect you to respect my possessions." "Tie them all together." Luca gave the order, and his men immediately seized Barry and his men. All the while, the rest of us stood there with our hearts in our hands, watching.
"You're not going to get away with this!" Barry growled as he struggled with the men. He kneed one of them in the balls, prompting another to punch him hard.
"Stop hurting him!" I screamed as tears streamed down my cheeks, sick of this nonsense. Luca gave me a look before signaling to his men to ease up on Barry.
"Aubrey, come here, these people have come for a wedding." Looking around the congregation, Luca raised his voice. "I'd hate to disappoint them." He smiled at me and extended his hand. I would have been foolish not to accept it.
"You don't have to do this," I protested as he hauled me to the altar. Barry and his men sat in the front row, their hands and legs bound. Amita and Rielle were sobbing quietly and shaking in fear.
"I am not going to marry you!" I screamed, yanking my hand away from Luca's. Luca signaled one of his men, who pointed a gun at Barry's temple. My breath became choppy in my throat.
"Should I just kill him instead?" Luca arched his brow.
"No-" I started.
"b***h, Just do what he says so that we can all get out of here alive!" Barry growled, his gaze fixed on me.
My brows furrowed. I couldn't believe I was worried about him while he insulted me, but I didn't want anyone to die because of me, not even Barry.
"Call her one more time, and I'll shoot you myself," Luca said, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Barry. Luca's men tied Barry's mouth shut, as if they already knew what their boss wanted.
"Where is the priest?!" No one dared to look as Luca growled, scanning the room and pointing his gun at everyone. Two of his men dragged the whimpering priest, his face flushed from fear and crying, from beneath the altar table.
"For...for the love of God, please stop this" When the priest begged Luca, who was staring at him angrily, one of the men hit him on the head with their gun, causing him to stumble.
"Now why would you do that! I can't get married if you kill him" Luca quirked a brow and held his arms out dramatically, the humor wasn't lost in his tone. It was obvious he was enjoying every bit of this.
The priest was dragged in front of us. He kept his head down, unable to look Luca or me in the eyes.
"Are...are you ready to embark on the path of marriage..." The priest continued speaking, but the million thoughts racing through my mind drowned out his voice as I stared at Luca's beautiful but terrifying face. I never thought someone could look like an angel and a devil at the same time, but Luca continues to amaze me.
"...do you consider her to be your legally married wife?" The priest inquired, staring at Luca.
"I do," Luca said, smirking at me.
"And do you accept him as your legally married husband?" The priest inquired, his eyes welling up as if pleading with me to comply.
Everyone was waiting for my response, and I felt like I was holding some people's lives in my hands. There was only one way to escape alive.
"I do," I replied, and Luca's grin widened.
Luca drew me against him and crashed his lips against mine after the priest granted permission to kiss the bride. I didn't hate the feel of his lips on mine; I just didn't enjoy it because I was doing it to protect others from him.
Luca's men applauded and clapped. They also forced the congregation to do so.
"Your life will change from now on," Luca said as he drew away, and I raised my brows.
"Really? "I didn't notice," I said, looking around the room, and Luca frowned.
"Don't be sarcastic with me," Luca warned sternly, and I nervously bit my lower lip.
"I will rule my empire with you by my side, I have made you a queen," Luca said as he held out his arm and I watched his men bow in front of us. So much power...
"They'll rise when you're ready," Luca explained. I fixed my gaze on him. He smirked and nodded confidently.
"What? Now I have a chance to speak?" Luca's smirk vanished when I snapped. I didn't want to provoke him; all I wanted was for this to be over.
"You may rise...and open the doors," I said, and they complied. Luca extended his hand to me, and I looked at the man who was still holding Barry at gunpoint.
"Untie them and let them go," I said, but he remained motionless. We both turned to face Luca.
Luca's face was expressionless as he looked at me.
"Let them go," I said again, this time more urgently.
"Luca?" My heartbeat was accelerating.
"My precious?"
"Why won't you just let them go?" I inquired.
"Why should I, he tampered with what is mine," Luca shrugged calmly.
I took a step back and frowned. "You...you said you weren't going to hurt anyone!" Luca frowned as I screamed.
"I never said that, but I won't, but my men will," Luca said, motioning to his man. Barry's men were killed by his man. Barry was terrified at this point.
"No!" I screamed as I fell to my knees and sobbed again. When the next round was fired, I turned to see Barry's lifeless body on the pew. I'd had enough. I knew I had to take action. Luca had his gun in his back pocket.
"Always save the best for last," Luca said as he turned to face me.
"Come on, Aubrey, we're done here" Luca said. I stared at him as he extended his hand to me.
"I despise you," I declared.
"My precious, you have an eternity to learn to love me," Luca said as he lifted me off the ground. This was my opportunity, and I didn't think he'd see it coming. I grabbed his gun and pointed it at him after twisting his arm and tackling him to the ground.
"Always save the best for last, right?" I asked as I corked my gun, but he'd turned away from me.
"Stop!" Luca issued the command, his eyes wide with fear, an emotion I had no idea he possessed. The order was clearly not directed at me because his gaze was elsewhere.
There was a gunshot, but it wasn't mine. When Luca's gaze fell on me, I looked down to see my red-stained dress and blood on my hand. My vision became blurry, and I collapsed to the ground.
"You naive fools!" Luca growled. That was the last thing I heard before everything went dark.....