And then he smirked. “Until death,” he specified. “I do.”

My lungs emptied, and I squeezed his hands only because I needed mine to stop shaking.

“Nikova Sarah Banks.” The older man turned to me. “Do you take Kai for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

I couldn’t believe this was happening.

He squeezed my hands back, signaling it was my turn to talk, and I pulled out of his grasp, shooting him a glare.

“Until death do us part,” I mumbled. “Which shouldn’t be long from now, so yes, I do.”

Kai smiled, laughing quietly at me.

Fuck you, it wasn’t a joke.

“May the Lord in his kindness strengthen the consent…”

The priest carried on with his blessing, and the rest passed in a blur as we exchanged rings, and the priest offered kind words to those in attendance.

The breath I’d been holding expelled, and I dropped my eyes. Shit.

We were married.

I glanced at Kai, both of us facing the priest again, and anger boiled under my skin. I’m going to be the worst fucking wife you ever have.

“Your kiss is your promise to each other,” the cleric said to Kai. “Go in peace to glorify your union, and you may now kiss your bride.”

Kai turned toward me, and my heart jumped into my throat, but…

But he didn’t stop turning.

He spun all the way around and charged off, back down the aisle from where I came, leaving me standing there like an idiot. I blinked long and hard, embarrassment warming my cheeks. Prick.

One by one, Michael, Will, and Rika fell in behind him, every one of his witnesses storming down the aisle and leaving the church. He didn’t look back, but I knew every other eye in the place was on me. The priest didn’t even know what to do. He just fucking stood there.

So, Kai was going to be the worst husband, too, from the looks of it. Slow clap for him. That was vile, and I was actually impressed.

Kai

Present

I reached into the large bowl, snatching up a wad of soba noodles and refilling my dish.

“Fucking hell,” I bit out through my teeth, thinking about the mess I’d gotten myself into. How the hell did everything spiral out of control? What was I even after anymore? What was the end goal?

I wanted to find Damon. That was it. Determine if there was more danger to Rika, Michael, or Will, and find out what he did with the body, so I could handle it and either turn myself in or come to terms with the sick bitch getting exactly what she deserved. And if so, then making sure she was well hidden and dealing with it if she wasn’t.

I didn’t even know what to do in a situation like that. The idea of seeing it all again, even talking about it…I closed my eyes. I didn’t get rid of bodies. Jesus.

A moment. My life was a series of huge mistakes made in sheer moments when I lost control.

Except today. When I looked at her and said those lies—vows I didn’t intend on keeping—but in that moment, I did. How perfect my world would’ve been if I could’ve swallowed my pride and told her I loved her and she let me hold her. No matter what, everything would’ve been okay if I could’ve seen her smile on her wedding day.

Lifting the chopsticks, I closed my mouth around some noodles and vegetables, looking at my phone and noting no other texts rolling in as I chewed. Will had waited for Banks to come out of the church, so he could bring her here. She would’ve argued and fought, but the threat of the cell phone loomed, and she would’ve eventually agreed.

It had been over an hour, though. If she wasn’t here soon, I would go get her.

But just then I heard a click, and I looked up from the dining room table and watched her open the door, slowly stepping into her new home.

She looked around, and I relaxed back in my chair as she closed the door and squared her shoulders. I smiled to myself. What was I going to do with her?

Her head finally turned, and she locked eyes with me. I swallowed my food.

“Come in,” I told her, pushing the bowl back.

Hesitantly, she stepped toward me, entering the dining room. “Which bedroom is mine?”

“Mine.”

Her stubborn shoulders fell a little. “I’m tired, Kai.”

“You’re also my wife.” I picked up my glass, taking a drink of water. “Your precious, big brother must be crawling the walls right now.”

She shook her head, looking disgusted by me. “I’m not your pawn, so trust me when I say marrying me won’t make me any less difficult.”

Oh, I hope not.

I stared at her, taking in the gown she wore today and nothing else. She’d come completely empty-handed, unless she had her little knives tucked in a garter under that dress. Did she think she wasn’t staying long enough to move in?

I’d have to have her clothes brought here. Or she could wear mine.

“I’m not worried,” I said. “You’ll bend.”

She scoffed, and I took a clean bowl and a fork, loading some of the yakisoba into the dish. “Come and eat.” I set the food and utensil on the table, nodding at the chair across from me.

She just glared at me.

“Eat, and I will show you which room is yours?” I bargained.

But she didn’t sit down. Instead, she walked over to the buffet table and grabbed two more bowls. Coming back over to the table, she took the fork and loaded up both bowls with noodles, piling them high, and taking nearly everything that was left.

I usually made enough for leftovers to last three days.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“My men are outside. They followed us here.” She stuck forks in both bowls and picked them up. “They need to eat, too.”

What—who?

“Your men?” I challenged. “Those pricks who work for Gabriel? Tell them to leave.”

I shot out of my chair and stalked toward the window, pulling back the curtain. And sure enough, that same black SUV sat in my driveway. I could see the bald one in the driver’s seat.

“You tell them,” she shot back. “They put themselves on the line for me tonight, and that’s how you reward loyalty?”

“Put themselves on the line? What do you mean? What happened?”

She looked away, shaking it off. “Nothing. Just…” she paused, searching for words. Then she looked straight at me. “They won’t leave. They work for me, and they can’t go back there. That’s it.”

She turned and walked for the front door, stacking one bowl on top of the other to open the door.

“They work for you?” I raised my voice. “How do you plan on paying them?”

“Easy,” she said, her eyes shooting around her to the house and everything around us. “Half of what’s yours is now mine.”

And she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

I just stood there, strangling the air in front of me. Son of a—fucking—God—what the fuck?

Dammit, she’s such a little shit! What the hell did I want with two guys hanging around my house all the time? They were going to be in my way, and I don’t like people in my space and messing my stuff up. I was just getting used to having her around, dammit!

I swung back my leg to kick the buffet table, but I caught myself, stopping. It was, like, expensive, and an antique and shit, so…

Pulling the curtain back again, I kept an eagle-eye out, making sure she didn’t try to run off with them or something. The passenger side window rolled down, and I spotted the younger one with the black Mohawk in the seat.

She slipped the bowls in through the window, and the kid sniffed it, looking pleased. She spoke to them for a few minutes, sparing a few glances back at me, and I finally let the curtain go, leaving her to it.

I didn’t like how they looked at her. Like they had more of a right to her attention.

But I guess, who wouldn’t want her attention? Nikova Banks was a beautiful woman.

Seeing her in that dress today in the church was as close as I’d come to losing complete control. I was at war with myself the entire ceremony. She hid so much under her clothes, but that dress certainly brought it all out. The smooth skin and incredible curves…