BIANCA
My chest burned as I sprinted as fast as I could while wearing the black wedding dress through the thick forest, my hair a wild, tangled mess around me. I kept casting quick looks over my shoulder to see if Dominic and the guys were chasing me.
As far as wedding traditions went, I wasn’t a fan of this one. A chance to escape my killer husband seemed like a trick, but I’d give it my best.
I tripped over a fallen log and fell to my knees, gasping for breath. It took me a moment of struggling to get up in the heavy dress, but I was on my feet, moving again within seconds, the hem hefted high so I could run. I’d kicked my heels off the second Dominic had turned his back on me.
Vincent and Levin had both given me varying looks of concern when I'd hesitated to flee, but fuck it. I was a fighter, so if Dominic wanted to fight, I’d give him a hell of a round.
A twig smacked me in the face, creating a burn across my cheek. Dominic had given me that head start, but I wasn’t so sure I could outrun him, considering I didn’t even know where we were. I’d been lucky so far and had to be a good ten minutes into my journey through the darkness.
My chest ached from the exertion, so I stopped, gulping in air as I leaned against a large tree trunk.
Something in the undergrowth snapped, making my heart pound harder. Could a bear get me out here? A wolf? Christ, what if fucking Sasquatch got me?
I pressed myself harder against the tree trunk, my breathing loud. I quickly covered my mouth to muffle myself and peeked around the trunk, trying to see. Another twig snapped. I swallowed a whimper and dropped my hand, urging myself to peer out farther. I pushed off the tree enough to get a good look around while leaning, listening as the leaves rustled in the breeze.
I started to ease back into my hiding spot but didn’t make it that far. A warm hand covered my mouth, silencing my scream before it could start as I kicked and bucked against the hard body.
Dominic turned me and pressed me against the tree trunk, his jacket and tie gone
“You’re fast, wasp, but not nearly fast enough,” he said in his low, accented growl.
I stared at him, my chest heaving.
He cocked his head at me, a tiny, wicked smile tilting his lips upward. “You’re so beautiful.”
It wasn’t what I expected him to say. His hand dropped from my mouth.
I tensed as he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss against the corner of my mouth before he trailed his lips down my jawline to my neck.
With his other hand in my hair, he gave it a gentle tug to angle my neck for him. I panted as he nipped at the sensitive skin, his fingers moving the strap of my dress aside so he could kiss my collarbone.
“Dominic—”
“Shh,” he said softly, brushing his lips along my neck again.
“Please,” I whispered. “Stop.”
“You’re my wife, and it’s our wedding night.” He kissed the corner of my lips again as he gave my breast a soft squeeze.
“I’m not your wife. I’m your captive.”
“You’re not, mia regina,” he murmured, placing a kiss on my lips and making butterflies flutter in my guts at his term of endearment. “You’re more than that.”
“You tried to have me killed.”
“I’m sorry.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You’re sorry? Dominic—”
“Shh.”
“No.”
I pushed against him, and he backed off, his green eyes drinking me in. His hair was a windswept mess. My heart skipped as I stared at him, but I was pissed, and good looks aside, he was a monster.
“You killed Fallon.”
“I didn’t,” he said softly.
“You ordered it,” I retorted, knowing he was going to argue that Levin was the one who pulled the trigger.
“I was upset.”
I scoffed. “So your response is to kill people? People I love—”
The moment the words were out of my mouth he shoved me back against the tree, his eyes darkening.
“You didn’t love him,” he snarled.
“I did,” I choked out as I peered up at him. “Just like I loved you.”
His lip twitched and trembled. “You still love me, and you know it, wasp. Good girls don’t tell lies. As for Fallon, he was a lord.”
“He was a good person.”
“He was going to give you up to hell.”
“He would've come back for me. And he trusted if he failed, you’d come for me.” At least that was the argument I kept having in my head.
“No.” Dominic shook his head at me. “He was a piece of shit who was sent to kill you.”