Page 69 of Deceptive Vows
Lucas nodded, his jaw tight. “I’ll push through the marriage license today. I know someone at the county clerk’s office.”
“Father Michalis will accommodate us,” Thea added. “He’s known our family for years, and if we explain it’s... urgent, he’ll understand. I mean, he presided over yours and Ari’s.”
“Without revealing the true reason,” I cautioned. “The fewer people who know about the threat, the better.”
She met my eyes then, and I caught a glimpse of something vulnerable beneath her composed exterior. This woman, who had faced down killers without flinching, now faced something that terrified her far more—surrendering her independence, even temporarily.
“What about Pasha?” Lucas turned to me. “Will he support this?”
I nodded. “Da. Without question. He understands what’s at stake.”
In truth, Pasha would do more than support it. He’d been pushing me toward Thea since the beginning, recognizing what I had tried to deny, that she was everything I’d ever wanted in a partner. What had started as a necessary alliance was becoming something else entirely, something neither of us had anticipated.
“I’ve already called the printer about the date change. We should contact Mr. Marcello,” Thea said, her voice softer now. “The rings...”
“I’ll handle that,” Lucas offered.
“We can tell everyone that Pasha won’t be able to attend at a laterdate. We’re accommodating him because he’s Nazar’s best friend and best man.”
Her brother nodded. “That’s plausible. Do you want me to let Claire and Anna know about the change?”
She waved him off and, with a flourish, sat in the chair next to mine. “No, I can do that. They’ll likely want to throw a bachelorette party.” Her lips curled slightly. “At least we have a place for the reception.”
The tension in the room eased fractionally, though the weight of what lay ahead still pressed down on us all. A wedding in three days. A real wedding, with real vows and a real marriage certificate.
Thea rose from her chair. “I should call Father Michalis.”
Her phone chimed, and she glanced at it. “Claire?” Her eyes narrowed as she brought her gaze to Lucas’s. “How interesting.”
“She said she planned to call you today about the bachelorette party. She wanted to start working on it.”
The phone rang again. “I’ll take this in the hall.” She looked at me. “I’ll be right back.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, Lucasleaned back, his expression still tight. "Before we get into anything else, talk to me about the plan. I'm not letting my family walk into a death trap."
Nor was I letting my Pakhan. "As soon as Thea talks to Father Michalis, we'll secure the venue. My men will coordinate with your people and do a full sweep the night before and again in the morning. We'll lock down an entry point. No one gets in unvetted."
"Gabriele will love that." He smirked.
"I think we both know he'll only be there for appearances' sake… just long enough to ensure we exchange vows. Once he leaves, we'll lock everything down and get everyone out as quickly as possible."
Lucas drummed his fingers on the desk. "This coup… Do you buy it?"
I shook my head. "Nyet.I don't believe Marco is so careless as to let that get out. If it were a real coup, no one would have known about it until Gabriele was found dead."
He grunted a chuckle as his gaze locked with mine. "Agreed."
"My gut says Marco knows he's been double-crossed."
Lucas nodded. "Yeah. Whichmeans we need to add extra security at the church and Lykos." He paused. "And we need to find those women."
"Da. I will double the men at both locations and personally inspect the limo. I'll see what I can find on the dark web. The last time I checked, there was nothing. Maybe with it getting closer, chatter will pick up."
"Maybe."
A brief silence followed as Lucas studied me, his expression unreadable. Then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
“You care for her.” It wasn’t a question.
