CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
KYRA
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Tears leak from the corners of my eyes as I stand staring at myself in the floor-length mirror.
“You look so beautiful,” Penny sighs.
I probably do. I don’t care. The dress is beautiful. It’s cream with a figure-hugging mermaid skirt and covered in pearls and diamantes. The top is a sweetheart neckline emphasizing my small breasts.
The door opens and my father enters. “Are you ready?”
I clench my teeth. How typical of him. There’s no emotion. No compliments on my dress or questions about how I’m feeling.
“Doesn’t your daughter look lovely, Derek,” Mom says, taking yet another gulp of champagne.
I haven’t had a single bite to eat or sip of water all day. My head is pounding, and I think I’m going to vomit.
“Yes. Very nice,” Dad replies and runs his eyes up and down my dress.
Penny rubs my arm and gives me a pitiful smile in the mirror.
“You’re doing this for the family. I am proud of you,” Dad says.
Pride? Is he fucking kidding me? I’m marrying a man who raped me hours after being kidnapped. Who threatened everyone and, likely, has done it many times.
I’ve had all my freedoms taken from me—most I never had. I’ve been the good girl all my life and he can’t even show a single ounce of love.
Not even on my wedding day...to a man I despise. To the father of the man I...I... shit I think I might love.
That probably means I’m completely unhinged, and yet it’s how I feel. I would give anything to have Maddox beside me right now. To scoop me up in his arms and run away with me.
How insane.
I want the very man who first kidnapped me to do it again. Yup, I’m certifiable.
Something inside me snaps.
I meet my father’s gaze in the mirror and glare at him.
“Keep your pride. It’s your love that I wanted, but clearly that’s never going to happen.”
“Kyra!” Mom cries and Penny’s eyes widen.
“Love doesn’t pay the bills or keep this family safe. I’m doing what’s necessary. Which you have no understanding of as you’re a child with zero responsibilities,” Dad snaps. “You have five minutes. Make sure you’re downstairs.”
When he turns and walks out, I burst into tears and Mom races around to fix my makeup.
What a nightmare.
Six minutes later—because it is my wedding so I can be one minute late—I grip Penny’s hand as we stand just outside the doorway, waiting for the music to start.
“You’re shaking,” she whispers, squeezing my hand. “It’s going to be okay.”
It won’t, but I smile at her anyway.
The music begins.
Oh god. What am I doing?
More tears fill my eyes, and I force them back, swallowing and blinking.
“Let’s go,” my father says.
Penny squeezes my hand one last time, then walks out ahead of us.
Shit.
An overpowering need to bolt crashes through me and I turn, only to be stopped by my father, looping his arm through mine.
“Smile.” He orders me.
“Fuck you,” I spit out, and my eyes fly open.
Holy shit. I’ve never cursed at my father before. He stills and glares down at me. With my heart pounding, I force that same attitude back on my face, wiping away the shock I just gave myself.
“I guess I deserve that,” he replies then pulls me through the door.
Hundreds of faces appear as I shake harder.
“Walk,” Dad hisses, dragging me along step by step.
My legs almost give out under me as I look from face to face, searching for someone to help me.
To save me and stop what is about to happen. But I know I’m on my own, and the one chance I had to escape all this is gone. He is now my enemy.
A cry stuck in my chest makes me hiccup, and Dad presses his fingers into my arm painfully.
Then I spot Pierce standing at the front of the church and my stomach lurches. He looks so much like his son, and that just makes what happened the other night so much worse. Their silver eyes are the same, except Pierce’s are older and more like the devil.
I know Maddox is full of hate and revenge and thinks he’s a bad man, but he’s not. Not to me. He could have hurt me, but he never did. I trust him more than his father. Far more.
Even while making love to me, he never let his dominance overtake the need to pleasure me. I may have little experience, but a woman knows when a man is being a selfish or a generous lover. And I certainly know the different between a great fuck and rape.
Wait...did I say making love? Is that what I think it was? Do I think Maddox loves me?
I shake off my stupidity. If he loved me, he would’ve fought more and, I don’t know, kidnapped me again. Part of me was almost expecting it until he declared me his enemy.
If Maddox knew his father had touched me, he wouldn’t want me anymore. I know him. His hate for his dad is bone deep.
I spot my mother in the front row, and she doesn’t look at me. I let her wallow in her guilt as I fight the urge to shove my father and run back down the aisle away from everyone.
Then Pierce smirks at me and reaches out his hand while Dad almost launches me in his direction.
A small sob escapes me, and Pierce glares angrily at me.
“Pull yourself together,” he hisses.
I sniff, swallow, and glance out at the enormous number of guests. There must be over five hundred people. I know about six of them.
The priest clears his throat, and my eyes dart his way, pleading with him silently to help me. He holds my gaze for a moment and then glances out at the crowd.
My last hope comes crashing down.
I zone out as Pierce holds my sweaty hands, not hearing the words.
“Do you Kyra Louise Fox take Pierce John Sterling to be your be wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward, until death do you part.”
I can’t breathe.
Pierce crushes my fingers. I open my mouth but...I can’t speak. He hisses at me and the pressure on my fingers increases to intense pain.
I draw in a breath and start to hyperventilate.
The crowd begins to murmur.
“She does! Continue,” Pierce demands.
“No.” A deep voice booms from the back of the room. “She doesn’t.”
My head spins around as I gasp.
Oh, my god.
Maddox stands in the aisle dressed in the most stunning black suit, looking like some kind of model/gangster. His arms hang from his broad shoulders and there is so much power rolling from him that the entire room is silent.
Around him stand Parker, Travis, Killian, and Zayne. Also, all in black, like they’re ready for battle.
His eyes meet mine and my mouth falls open.
“Well, well, well,” Pierce mutters, almost amused beside me.
My father flies to his feet. “Security! Get these men out of here!”
My mother looks like she’s about to have a heart attack, swiveling around and then glancing back at me. I look at Maddox again and for the life of me, I don’t know why, but I smile.
His lips twitch and his left hand reaches out, inviting me to choose him.
The crowd shuffles, turning to work out what is happening, and their phones lift to take photos of the disruption.
I don’t care.
“Go to him and I will destroy your father.” Pierce grinds out. “Tell my son he needs to leave.”
“Why are you doing this?” I beg of him.
“Because”—he leans his mouth against my ear—“it makes my cock hard. The same one Maddox sucked over and over and over when he was a little boy.”