Chapter 11
Eleven
Aria
The gunshots continue to ring out like thunder, echoing through the church.
Even though we're safe and in a different room, I can't help but freeze.
Screams echo and chaos ensues around us.
I close my eyes for a moment, unable to believe this has actually happened.
Sucking in a shaky breath, I try to steady myself, to remind myself I'm okay and I haven't been hurt.
Still, this is the kind of stuff that should be happening in the movies, not in my everyday life, and certainly not at my wedding.
My expensive wedding dress suddenly feels suffocating, like a corset that is continuously being tightened until I end up finally combusting.
I take in slow, deep breaths, still struggling to breathe.
How could this be happening?
How could someone want to harm us on our wedding day?
"Aria!" Maxim grabs my arm, his face tense with emotion. "We can't stay here. I know this is shocking, but we have to keep moving."
Maxim pauses, looking around at the rest of the group. "We all need to keep moving. The longer we stay in one spot, the more we're sitting ducks."
My brother clears his throat and looks right at my now husband, "Where the fuck are we going?"
Maxim clenches his jaw, "My main concern is getting the group of you out of here, and then I'll deal with the clusterfuck happening back there."
Sasha grits his teeth and looks at me before saying anything. "Then we'd best get going then, hmm?"
My mind is reeling with everything that's transpired in the last five minutes.
I want to keep asking myself all of these questions, about how, why, or who would want to do this, but there isn't any time.
Maxim is right. We have to keep moving.
Maxim tugs me along with him and the rest of our group follows suit, continuing to go down this vast hallway.
It's hard to believe not too long ago I was walking down the aisle, accepting the fact I was about to seal my fate with this stranger.
Now, look at us, running hand-in-hand down a hallway like we're two lovers.
Shots continue to ring out and Maxim heads for the first doorway, pushing the door open.
We're in a smaller room that looks more like an office, and there's a window showing us the courtyard behind the building.
"I'll see if we can open the windows," Sasha says as he walks over to them.
He places his hands on the locks, unlocks them and sure enough he's able to almost open it completely.
"We can get out this way," Sasha declares.
I can see the excitement in my brother's eyes, and for a split second, relief washes over me.
That is, until gunshots ring out close to us.
It only takes me a split second to realize they're coming from outside.
"Fuck!" Maxim roars, obviously furious and aggravated with the situation we're dealing with.
The bullets come flying in faster than we expect and Maxim shoves me down to the floor in an attempt to keep me from getting hit.
All of the girls drop to the ground with me, while Maxim, and now Sasha fire back at our assailants.
Who the fuck is behind this?
It has to be someone with power, to have enough people in the church and behind it.
"Stay on the ground!" Maxim hollers over the sound of bullets flying.
I struggle to breathe, taking in short, intense gasps.
Maxim, a man I initially wanted to hate, has now saved my life two times.
I judged him from the first moment I met him, hating him because of what my father was making me do—marrying him.
His cockiness and arrogance might have added to my initial hatred, but I'm feeling like a fool right now. How could I hate someone who's trying so hard to keep me safe?
There's more to Maxim than I realized, more than just this arranged marriage. Underneath his tough exterior, he's not so bad.
Gunshots cracked through the open windows behind them, but he remains calm as ever. "It's going to be okay. Just stay on the ground until I tell you otherwise,"
Maxim and my brother work together until suddenly, the gunshots stop.
I look around to my friends, who are all just as terrified as I am.
"Come on, get up," Maxim extends a hand and I take it.
He pulls me up and I struggle keeping tears at bay.
For the first time since knowing him, he shows me how pure his heart can be.
He runs his fingers underneath the corners of my eyes, brushing away any tears that might have escaped. "You are okay. I need you to keep telling yourself. You're fine, and I'm going to get you out of this. You trust me, don't you?"
I shouldn't, but I do.
Maxim isn't some stranger anymore.
He's my husband, and I doubt he's going to ever let anything bad happen to me.
There's too much at stake if one of us were to die.
I nod, "Yes,"
"All right, good. You're gonna go with your brother and friends. I'm?—"
"You're coming with us." I declare, searching his piercing blue eyes for confirmation.
Maxim shakes his head, "No, I'm not. I'm gonna stay here and try to figure out who's behind this fucking bullshit. You need to go, got it?"
I curl my lip up in frustration, "I'm so fucking tired of men telling me what to do."
Maxim grabs the side of my neck and looks directly into my eyes, inching his face closer by the moment.
"You and I can discuss that later, sweetheart.
Trust me, there is plenty of time for us to fight about whether or not I'm being a controlling asshole later.
Right now, your safety is my number one priority. "
I shake my head yet again, "No, Maxim. I don't like this. Please, just come with us."
His grip tightens on the side of my neck, not tearing his eyes away from mine. "Aria, you're going with your brother and friends, and that's the last of it."
I want to yell and scream at him, but the more time that passes, the more I realize he's right—I should probably just go with them.
Relief starts to flood through me. At least I'm going to be safe, but at the same time I'm worried about Maxim and whatever he's going to deal with when I'm away from him.
Maxim continues to look right into my eyes, "I need you to stay safe. You're not just some woman to me anymore. You're my wife and that means it's my job to make sure no harm comes to you."
Our marriage might have been chosen for us, but I know now more than ever that we're the two who decide how it goes.
The sun is just beginning to set and the ethereal glow comes in through the windows.
It would have been an amazing wedding photo if we weren't running for our lives.
"You heard him, Aria. Come on," Sasha urges me and I nod.
A cold chill runs down my spine from the fear and shock coursing through my veins.
This might have been a business deal between our families, but now the stakes are much higher than we anticipated.
I knew I was marrying a powerful man within the Brava, but I never expected I'd be caught in the crossfire.
Maxim scans the area one last time and then his gaze jumps to me.
His gaze softens and he squeezes my shoulder. "I know this is a lot to take in. But please, for the love of God, just trust me."
I don't know what it is, but there's something in his voice that makes me want to trust him.
He's not the cold, horrible man I initially thought he was.
I'm starting to think maybe all of that was nothing more than a front.
Maxim's jaw tightens as gunshots ring out from behind us. "Go with your brother and friends. I'll come for you soon."
Almost as if it's coming naturally to me, I grab his forearm. "Promise me you'll be careful."
Maxim nods, a silent promise that no harm will come to him while we flee.
I hope he's not going to break this promise.
Sasha takes my forearm and yanks me along with him, tearing me away from Maxim.
My gut twists and turns as I'm taken away from him. Sasha goes out through the window first, and then helps each of us ladies out.
Soon enough, we're out in the courtyard of the church, getting away from all of the shooting that's going on.
Sasha is at my side and the girls are only a few steps behind us.
I allow Sasha to usher us toward the back of the courtyard.
I'm holding the skirt of my dress up a tad, making it easier for me to run, and as I turn back, I notice the ladies are doing the same to their own dresses.
Our heels click against the pavement as our speed quickens.
"This way," Sasha says, guiding us to the gate at the back of the courtyard.
We're a good ways away from the front of the church, and yet I can still hear the gunshots ringing out in the air.
Lori, Emily, and Malia all look terrified, and I feel so bad for my friends.
None of them have a father who’s in the criminal world like mine is, so they don't understand what it's like to deal with these sorts of things.
Another chill runs down my spine, even though it's a bit warm tonight.
Still, I can't believe this is happening.
My wedding—which every little girl thinks is going to be the best day of their lives, has turned into a literal bloodbath.
Sure, I might not have gotten to choose every single thing that happened today, but I did want there to be some semblance of normalcy.
I glance back once, looking at the stone church, wondering what in the hell is going on in there, praying that Maxim is okay.
It's odd.
I shouldn't care so much and yet I do. In a way, I think I've cared ever since he ran into me on my girl's night out, since he protected me from that peeping Tom.
Who knows what kind of danger he's willingly walking back into, just to protect us.
The more I think about it, the more I do know I assumed the worst about him before meeting him.
I was so angry with my father and what he was making me do, that I hated Maxim because of it, when Maxim was never my enemy.
My enemy is my father and my God awful stepmother.
Can Maxim be so bad when he not only got me to safety, but made sure my loved ones were unharmed too? No, he can't.
My heart slams in my chest as we make our way through the iron gate.
Sasha leads us down the alleyway behind the church, constantly scanning the area for threats as we get further away from here.
Adrenaline continues to course through my veins, slamming down like runners in a 5k marathon.
Surely enough, I begin to feel numb.
I'm so overwhelmed by what's gone on that I lean against Sasha as we continue our trek down the sidewalk.
"Where the hell are we going?" Malia questions, pulling me out of my inner thoughts.
Sasha pulls us into the next alleyway and looks at the group of us girls. "Before the wedding Maxim and I spoke briefly. I know he bought a home for him and Aria. I was given the passcode to gain entry, in situations like these kinds of emergencies."
"So you're taking us to my new house?" I question, furrowing my brows.
Sasha nods. "Yes, I think it's the safest place for the group of you under the circumstances."
At least we’re all heading somewhere safe, and I can finally take a load off.
The only thing is, I’m worrying about Maxim and whatever the hell he’s going through back there.