you are truly married.”
He walks to the door and opens it.
“But…” Phoenix stutters, just as confused as I am.
I take Phoenix’s hand and drag her out the door. I look back one more time at the man who has an intense glint in his eyes. I don’t know what just happened, but I’m going to figure it out.
“Liesel, we have a problem…” I stop talking and let go of Phoenix’s hand when I round the house and don’t find Liesel or Maxwell.
“Liesel?” I shout louder, hoping they just found a more comfortable place to sit and wait for us, but that’s not Liesel’s style. She would be pacing impatiently just outside the door or looking for a way to break in.
“Where is she?”
A chill creeps down my spine as a thought crosses my mind—a clue to where she might have gone.
Phoenix steps up to my side and rubs my arms in a comforting manner.
“Do you think Maxwell took her?” she asks.
I examine the scene, looking for any sign of a struggle, any sign that Maxwell could have hurt her, but I know better.
“No.”
Phoenix narrows her eyes and pulls her brows together as she stares up at me.
“She went to get married so she can enter,” I say.
13
Liesel
I found a small white church in the center of the small town. I’ve talked with the priest, and he’s agreed to marry us. Now, I just have to wait for Maxwell to get back with the paperwork.
I sit in the very last pew, staring up at the stained glass window at the end of the small chapel. The light twinkles as it hits the glass and then flickers into my eyes, making me squint. This doesn’t seem real—it feels like a dream, or in reality, a nightmare.
I never wanted to get married. Definitely not to a man who might be more devil than angel. A man I can’t imagine kissing, let alone fucking.
We just need to get the paperwork done. That’s all this is. A contract that we can eventually annul.
But it won’t change the fact that for a short time, I’ll be married to Maxwell. I’ll promise my life and love to him.
I hear the door open behind me. My eyes water, but I quickly blink them away.
I never imagined myself married. Never thought of myself as a wife or mother. Never wanted the big white dress and lasting love. So marrying a man I don’t love just so I can find a treasure shouldn’t feel like I’m giving anything up.
But why is my throat tightening, my neck sweating, and my hands clamming up? Why does it feel like I’m losing something I never knew I wanted?
“Ready?” Maxwell asks as he towers over me.
I nod.
He holds out his hand to me.
I try to wipe the sweat off on my pants before I put my hand in his and he helps me stand.
He smiles at me, gently.
“Don’t worry, you’re still the boss. And I already know there won’t be any fucking.” He winks at me.
“That’s not what I’m worried about. I still don’t know if I can trust you.”
“You can. I didn’t realize who I’m working for. You have my complete loyalty.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re just a pawn I’m using to get inside that house. You’re still our prisoner. I will have no problem killing you when I no longer have a need for you.”
He grins. “I have no doubt that you will.”
We start walking down the aisle as a woman sits behind a piano and starts playing. The sudden music makes me falter in my step, but Maxwell keeps walking me forward until we are at the altar.
The music stops, and then our priest begins speaking.
I know he’s speaking, but I can’t hear his words over the beating of my own heart. I can’t believe I’m this nervous. All we are doing is speaking meaningless words before we sign a piece of paper.
I close my eyes and steel my heart, forcing it to close tighter than a bank vault. When I open my eyes, I feel strong and ready to do this. Ready to marry this man so I can do what I came here for—to get the damn treasure and protect Atlas in the process.
“Do you take Liesel Dunn—”
“Wait!”
I turn my head and see Langston jogging down the center aisle with Phoenix right behind him.
I blink rapidly.
Langston stops right in front of me, huffing profusely like he ran the whole way here. He doesn’t glance at Maxwell;