Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Gianna
The wedding dress isn’t perfect like my last one was. This one is too poofy and the neckline doesn’t sit right and the waist is a little too big. I guess Marco didn’t know my dress size. Unlike Will who guessed it perfectly when he bought me new clothes.
The only good thing about this is dress is that there’s no buttons at the back, making it easy to get it on. But that will only mean it will be easy for Marco to take it off me.
I shudder at the thought. Will’s kiss is haunting my mind. Why did he kiss me at all? And why was it so passionate that it left me breathless?
And why did I kiss him back?
I’ve never been kissed before. Francesca and Enzo protected me so much, they never let me live. But now that I’ve been kissed, I want to experience it again.
And I want it to be Will who does the kissing. It was magical. It was electric. It made me feel alive for the first time in my entire life.
But now I have to marry Marco and I’ll never get my life back. I’ll never be happy again – not that I would have been happy with Will. But at least I got to make the choice to kiss him back. With Marco, I’m not sure I’ll ever get a choice in anything anymore.
I leave the bedroom to find Will and Marco standing in the foyer, waiting for me. Both men look tense, though I’m sure for different reasons. Will wouldn’t have kissed me if he didn’t care for me a little.
Unless he hates me that much that he kissed me, gave me hope, and is going to take it away from me again.
Marco looks nervous because he knows there’s a chance my brother could find him again and stop the wedding from happening once more. God, I hope that happens. I need Enzo to save me.
Except, if my brother does find me, he’ll only marry me to Nico and I don’t want that either.
“The dress isn’t perfect,” Marco comments. “But it will have to do. Come along. Will, you too.”
Will only nods without a word. He’s more like a statue than an actual human being. Of course Will isn’t a human. If he were, he would have let me go by now.
Marco takes my arm and leads me out of the house.
I only feel numb. There’s no way out of this.
No way I’m making it back to my family. No way I’m ever finding my own freedom.
This has been my destiny since the beginning: to be controlled by a man.
I have to come to terms with it. Everything will be easier if I do.
Will drives us to the church where Marco is going to marry me. Marco sits right beside me in the back seat, almost like he’s afraid I’ll jump from the car and he’s doing everything in his power to prevent that from happening.
The car ride is quiet. Will keeps flicking his eyes to mine in the rearview mirror but every time he does it, I look away. He doesn’t get to kiss me and then hand me over to Marco. I will not be played with.
The last thing I can be feeling right now is a wanting desire for Will.
We arrive at the church. Marco is the only one smiling. I feel like I am going to die a little inside.
The church is empty except for a priest at the end of the aisle. It’s the same one from before, I realize. Marco must have paid him off to marry us without any questions. Unfortunately, this isn’t the same church as before and I’m not sure Enzo is going to get to me in time.
“Do you have a witness?” the priest asks.
Marco nods at Will, who stands still and silent with his jaw clenched. I turn away from Will. He is not worth my time.
Marco tucks my arm under his. “It’s time, Father. Get on with the ceremony.”
The priest clears his throat before he begins. He goes on and on about the sanctity of marriage and how we should love and respect each other. It’s all fake. I will never love Marco.
And I will definitely never love Will. The second I’m married to Marco, I’m putting Will out of my mind.
“Do you, Marco Amato, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the priest asks.
Marco smiles down at me. “I do.”
“And do you, Gianna Bianchi, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
I can’t get the words out. If it was just a week ago, I would have said ‘I do’ without any hesitation if it was my duty to marry Marco. But it’s not my duty to marry him. I’m being forced into this and I want a voice of my own. I refuse to let it go after finding it for the first time in my life.
“She does,” Marco says, turning to the priest. “Now we’re married.”
“She has to say it,” the priest says. “I’m sorry, Marco. But she has to say it.”
Marco sighs. “Gianna, say the words.” When I don’t say anything, Marco tugs me in closer to him. “Gianna.” His hand on my arm tightens, making me cry out in pain.
“Let her go.” Will’s low voice fills the church.
Marco slowly turns to Will… only to find Will pointing a gun at him. The sight of Will with his gun drawn makes my heart speed up. What is he doing?
“Will?” Marco asks. “Lower you gun. What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You’re being ridiculous.”
“No. I’m seeing things clearly for the first time and I will not let you marry Gianna. I will not let you force her into this.”
Marco huffs. “You won’t let me? You don’t get to tell me what to do. You work for me, remember?”
“I quit. Now, let Gianna go.”
“No.”
“I will shoot you,” Will threatens. “Let her go.”
“You think you’re being brave? Why are you doing this? Why risk everything… for what?” Slowly, Marco’s eyes widen and he looks back and forth between me and Will. “Unless something happened. Did you take her, Will? Before I could?”
“I didn’t take her. But I am saving her. I see that now. She cannot marry you. I will not stand back and let it happen. So, either let her go or I will shoot you and you know I’m a perfect shot.”
“We have a witness.” Marco nods at the priest. “So unless you plan on killing an innocent man too, you can’t kill me. He’ll tell the police about you.”
“You paid him off,” Will counters. “He won’t go to the police.” But that’s when I see Will hesitate. He knows that Marco makes a good point. Will’s self-preservation is strong and yet… he’s willing to be selfless for me?
“Do you want to test out that theory?” Marco asks.
“Just let Gianna go.”
“She is not yours. She is mine.”
“She is not yours. Let her go.”
I try tugging my arm from Marco’s grasp but he only tightens it. I can’t stop myself from crying out again.
That’s when Will acts. He pulls the trigger, hitting Marco in the arm.
Marco stumbles back and pulls his own gun out of his pocket.
He aims it at Will but Will dives behind a pew to avoid getting hit.
I curl into a ball with my hands around my head.
The last thing I want is to get shot by an accidental bullet.
Will manages to shoot Marco in the hand, making Marco drop his gun. In one quick motion, Will grabs my arm and tugs me along. But Marco still gives chase. That is until Will shoots Marco in the leg, sending Marco to the ground.
“You fucker!” Marco screeches. “I will kill you for this.”
Will doesn’t say a word as he gets me out of the church and back into the car.
“What if he dies?” I ask.
“He won’t die. I purposefully didn’t kill him. An asshole like him doesn’t go down easily. I’m getting you out of here.”
“Are you taking me back to my brother?” I ask with a hopeful gasp.
“Not right now. I need to ditch this car. Marco owns this car and it won’t be hard for him to find it. I need to get you somewhere he won’t get to you.”
“So take me to my brother.”
He hesitates. “Enzo will shoot me on sight. So for right now, let me get you somewhere safe Marco won’t find you and then we’ll go from there.”
“Am I still your prisoner?” When Will doesn’t respond, I ask again. “Am I still your prisoner?”
“I don’t know what you are,” he admits.
“So why did you save me back there?”
“Because I couldn’t stand the idea of you marrying a man you hate. I couldn’t let you be forced into it. I just couldn’t.”
“Why? Do you care for me? Or do you want to control me like everyone else does?”
He can’t give me an answer and that’s almost more terrifying than anything else.
Will doesn’t stop driving until we reach a parking garage. “Follow me.” He leaves Marco’s car behind and goes over to a nondescript white car. I go with him because my only other choice is to run and risk Marco finding me. It’s smarter to stay with Will, even if I’m still confused by him.
He breaks into the car with ease and gets it up and running.
“We can’t steal someone’s car,” I hiss.
“For your safety, we have to. I’ll buy something else after we get away. But Marco is still alive and I know he’s called for backup. More people will be coming for you. He isn’t a man who gives up easily. Now, get in the car.”
My eyes flick towards the stairwell of the parking garage. I could make a run for it.
And yet… Will did save me from Marco. He didn’t have to. He risked his life when he pointed that gun at Marco. That has to mean something.
Slowly, I get into the car and Will drives us out of the parking garage. He doesn’t stop driving until we reach a motel around an hour away from where the church is. “This will do for the night.”
“My wedding dress. It will draw attention.”
“Then we tell people we’re on our honeymoon.”
“To a motel?” I ask with a scrunch of my nose.
“I didn’t realize you were a snob.”
I flush. “I’m not. I just don’t think the story is plausible. I mean, I hate you. I would never marry you.”
“It’s just a story and it only needs to work for tonight. Now come on.”
We go to the front office where a man in a greasy, dirty shirt sits behind the counter. He doesn’t comment at all on my wedding dress as Will buys a room for us.
Once we’re inside the motel room, Will turns to me, his eyes raking over my dress. I feel the urge to cover myself while I also want him to look. It’s a confusing feeling.
“What now?” I ask.
“Now… I tie you to the bed.”
“What?” I ask, my heart rate spiking.
“I have to find us a new car and get you new clothes and I can’t risk you leaving.”
“But I could return to my brother. Then you wouldn’t be there and you wouldn’t be killed by him. I could tell Enzo how you saved my life. He’d repay you. He’d help you with Marco.”
“You could but I also can’t risk Marco finding you again. So you will stay here and the only way is for me to tie you to the bed. I’m sorry, Gianna.”
“I won’t be your prisoner any longer.”
“It’s just for your own safety.”
“No. You saved my life today and I’m grateful. Show me trust in return. I won’t leave. I know it’s too dangerous.”
“I just can’t trust you. I’m sorry.” He grabs a knife from his boot and cuts off a piece of fabric from the bed sheet. “I need to tie you up. I’m sorry.”
“I hate you. Our kiss doesn’t change anything. The fact you saved me doesn’t change anything.”
“Then I can live with that. As long as you’re safe.”
I glare at Will as he ties my wrists to the bed and then leaves the motel room, taking all my hope with him.