Chapter 3 The Mission

~Vincent~

The door creaked. I clutched the sink, my heart beating frantically.

Did they find me?

The door opened wider, and a familiar face appeared.

Hugh.

I nearly sagged with relief.

“Hey, what's up? I thought I told you to stay put, not run around the hallway like you just came out of a horror film.” He chuckled.

“I…”

Maybe I shouldn't tell him. If that dangerous man was still looking for me, I'd only put Hugh in trouble.

“Hehe… I was drunk, so I wanted to, uh… exercise.”

Hugh raised an eyebrow.

“You've been my best friend for years, Vince. You really think I'm going to believe that?”

“I swear. You know I can't go back home drunk.”

“Yeah, yeah. But that aside, Vince, let's talk about your wedding. You said you had something to tell me.”

Phew.

At least I'd gotten past that.

“Don't think it's because I don't trust you or anything.” I fiddled with my nails, my head hanging low.

Hugh's expression softened.

“Then just tell me.”

I swallowed.

“You know I've been looking into my mother's disappearance.”

His teasing smile faded.

“Yeah.”

“I found something.”

“What?”

I hesitated.

“A name.”

Hugh waited.

I rubbed my thumb against my fingernail.

“Volkov.”

The silence between us shifted instantly.

Hugh straightened.

“Volkov?”

I nodded.

“The same name?”

“The same one.”

He stared at me for a moment.

“Vincent, are you sure?”

“I spent three years on this. Three years chasing dead ends, bribing people, digging through records that were never supposed to be seen.” My voice dropped. “And every time I got close, that name showed up.”

Hugh's jaw tightened.

“That's why you won't run.”

I looked away.

“I thought about it on my way here. If I disappear now, I'll lose my only shot.”

“You're marrying into the exact family you think is connected to your mother's disappearance.”

“I know.”

“You could be walking straight into a trap.”

“Maybe.”

Hugh shook his head.

“Vince…”

“I need to know what happened to her.” My fingers curled into my palms. “I need to know who was behind it, who made her disappear.”

He went quiet. I finally looked at him.

“She didn't deserve whatever happened to her.”

Hugh exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

“And your father just happens to be marrying you into the Volkov family?”

“Convenient, right?”

“That's not convenient. That's insane.”

A humorless laugh slipped out of me.

“Yeah, probably.”

Hugh stared at me for a few seconds before asking quietly, “What happens if you find out they're responsible?”

My fingers curled into fists.

“Then I'll make sure they regret ever touching my family.”

---

Two Days Later

I stood in front of the cathedral, today marking the first step toward achieving my goal. I could still remember the words my father had said to me that morning.

“You will behave yourself when we appear before the crowd,” Vangand said quietly. “You don't want to disappoint me now, do you?”

“No, Father.”

“Good.”

A laugh escaped him.

“It's a miracle you finally complied. I thought I'd have to lock you in the dungeon.”

His hand patted my shoulder before retracting almost immediately.

“Emerald, dear. You and Lucy should go ahead to the cathedral. We'll be right behind you.”

“Break a leg, Vincent. I mean it,” Lucy said.

Oh, I'll break a leg all right. Maybe hers.

Lucy snickered as she climbed into the car with Emerald. The car pulled away.

And here I was, dressed in a white suit with a veil draped over my head.

I was finally doing this.

The organ music coming from inside sounded like the background music to my own doom and misery. At this point, nothing was going to stop me from achieving my goal.

“Let's hope the truth doesn't take long,” I muttered.

A strange voice came from behind me.

“What truth?”

I spun around instantly, but the veil obstructed my view of the person standing before me.

“Uh… nothing.”

“Sure doesn't seem like it.” A pause. “Aren't you pretty?”

Heat crept across my face beneath the stranger's burning gaze.

“Let me get a glimpse of that pretty face. Hmm?”

I took a quick step back.

“It's rude and considered a bad omen for anyone to see the bride before the wedding.”

He didn't answer immediately. He simply stood there.

Who was this man, anyway?

I'd expected the people attending my supposed wedding to have the littlest interest in me.

“I see.”

A quiet chuckle followed.

Had I said something funny? This lunatic was teasing me.

“Don't fret. I'll leave you to yourself now, little bird.”

Little bird?

He stepped past me.

“Hope to see that face of yours soon.”

His strong cologne swept past me before the cathedral doors opened.

Vangand appeared beside me.

“It's time.”

My father's fingers closed around my arm.

The organ music swelled. I took a breath and stepped forward.

Rows of dark suits filled the pews, faces turning toward me as I walked down the aisle. The veil hid most of the room from view.

At the end of the aisle stood the man I was about to marry.

I couldn't see his face clearly. That was fine.

I didn't want to.

My father's hand guided me up the final steps before placing my hand into the groom's.

A large hand closed around mine. It was firm and warm.

I swallowed.

Fantastic. Apparently, my hands had decided to develop a nervous system of their own.

The priest began speaking. His words echoed beneath the vaulted ceiling, but most of them passed over me.

My mind was elsewhere.

My mother.

The file.

Volkov.

This was my chance.

The priest turned toward me.

“Vincent Danio, do you take Luciano Volkov to be your husband?”

My throat tightened.

“I do.”

The words barely sounded like my own. The priest turned toward the man beside me.

“And do you, Luciano Volkov, take Vincent Danio to be your husband?”

There wasn't even a pause.

“I do.”

His voice was deep and controlled.

Of course he sounded calm. Why wouldn't he?

I was the one getting married off like a particularly unwanted family heirloom.

A ring was placed into his palm. He took my hand, his fingers closing around mine as he slid the band onto my finger.

The cold metal settled against my skin. Then it was my turn.

My fingers trembled as I pushed the ring onto his.

The priest smiled faintly.

I'd have given him the middle finger if I wasn't supposed to behave myself.

“By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband.”

My stomach twisted. The words felt unreal.

“You may kiss your husband.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Wait.

I'd totally forgotten there was always the kissing part. Of course there was a kissing part.

Because apparently signing away my freedom wasn't humiliating enough. Just when I was about to cook up some sort of excuse, Luciano spoke.

“The veil first.”

Thank goodness!

His fingers reached for the edge of the white fabric.

I held my breath. The veil lifted.

Then came the horror. I'm taking my thank goodness back.

Those same knee-weakening eyes stared back at me.

That silver streak at his temple. The same face I'd seen in the VIP room. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

My hands began to shake. Of all the men in this city, it had to be him.

The man whose men had nearly put a bullet through me. The man I'd been foolish enough to stumble into. And now he was my husband.

My stomach twisted.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I'd planned to walk into the Volkov estate clean. I'd planned to investigate them from the inside.

I hadn't planned on walking straight into the arms of the man I'd already managed to anger.

Had he come to hunt me?

Damn it.

I'm sorry, Mama.

I've gotten caught by a really dangerous man, and I'm not sure his men are going to miss this time.

I couldn't even hear the priest anymore.

Luciano's gaze remained fixed on mine. Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

“The veil came off eventually, little bird.”