Forced Vows

Nadia.

I stared out the bedroom window of the sprawling estate, tracing the morning frost on the thick glass. I had been wrong about Cassian Thorne. So wrong it made my chest ache. To the unforgiving outside world, he was a stone-cold mafia boss. To the corporate sector, he was a ruthless CEO who destroyed rival companies for sport. But standing by Cassia’s hospital bed over the past week, he was a different man. He dotted on her. He spoke in soft, soothing tones. He rearranged his massive criminal and business empire just to sit by a sick baby’s side. He adored our daughter.

But today, I was marrying him.

He had not asked me with a ring and a promise of love. He had delivered a cold, undeniable mandate. Become his legal wife, or lose my daughter forever. I swallowed the rising lump in my throat, letting the heavy silk of the white robe slide against my skin. If I wanted to remain in my baby's life, I had to walk down the aisle and bind myself to the most dangerous man in the city.

The heavy mahogany door clicked shut behind me.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Martha asked.

I turned away from the window and walked over to the ornate dressing mirror. Martha, the head housekeeper of Cassian's villa, offered a warm, motherly smile. She had known Cassian since he was a child, and in the short week I had lived in this fortress, she had become my only comfort.

"No, I am not having second thoughts. Even if I were, it is too late. Today is the wedding." I sat on the velvet stool, gripping the edges of the vanity table to stop my hands from shaking.

Martha stepped behind me and rested her warm hands on my bare shoulders. "You look beautiful, Nadia. You always do, but today you look like an angel. Remember why you are doing this. You are keeping your baby safe."

I nodded slowly. The news of Cassian Thorne getting married had taken the nation by storm. He was the city's most eligible, untouchable bachelor. The media was in a frenzy trying to uncover the identity of the woman who had captured his heart. They did not know the truth. They did not know this was a transaction born of blackmail and mafia protection. Just Martha, Cassian's right-hand man Jaxon, and a few inner-circle members even knew Cassia existed. This sudden union was Cassian’s method of securing his bloodline against his enemies.

Two maids hurried into the room carrying the massive, beaded wedding gown. I stood up and let them lace me into the corset. The fabric was heavy, binding my ribs like a pristine cage. Martha carefully pinned the long lace veil into my hair, smoothing the edges over my face. I took one last deep breath, staring at the stranger in the mirror. I was ready to become Mrs. Thorne.

I gathered the voluminous skirts of the dress and walked down the grand staircase toward the front courtyard.

Jaxon leaned against the side of the black luxury sedan waiting to take me to the church. He checked his expensive watch and gave me a long, grumpy once-over.

"I was told to escort you to the church. You are one unique woman, Nadia. I never thought Cassian had the trait of a gentleman in him until you showed up. You are actually making the boss wait at the altar." Jaxon snorted, shaking his head as he pulled the back door open.

"This is the first time you have said a full sentence to me since I arrived," I pointed out.

Jaxon rolled his eyes. "Get in."

Martha helped bundle the heavy layers of tulle and silk into the spacious backseat. Just as I settled in, I caught sight of Petra walking out of the villa. She stalked toward one of the trailing security SUVs. She did not bother to hide her bitter, venomous glare. Her jaw was tight, and her eyes burned with raw jealousy. She had been standoffish and rude to me all week. Whatever relationship she had with Cassian, she clearly despised the fact that I was the one wearing the white dress today.

The drive to the church was a blur of towering skyscrapers and gray clouds. My heart hammered against my ribs with every passing mile. The nerves spiked to astronomical levels the moment Jaxon parked the car in front of the cathedral.

I stepped out of the sedan into a blinding frenzy of flashing cameras. A swarm of paparazzi pressed against the wrought-iron gates, shouting my name and Cassian's name. The noise was deafening. Heavily armed guards formed a human wall on both sides of the red carpet, shoving the aggressive reporters back as I hurried up the stone steps and into the quiet sanctuary of the church.

The heavy oak doors closed behind me, cutting off the media circus. The organ music swelled.

My breath caught in my throat the moment I looked down the long, flower-lined aisle. Cassian stood waiting at the altar. He wore a tailored black tuxedo with a black vest that hugged his broad shoulders and muscular chest. His dark hair was slicked back, catching the dim light filtering through the stained glass windows. He looked devastatingly handsome and terrifyingly imposing. His dark, clouded eyes tracked my every movement, locking onto me with a predatory focus.

I forced my chin up, plastered a fake smile on my lips, and walked down the aisle.

I reached the altar and stood beside him. The officiating priest smiled warmly at me.

"You look gorgeous, Miss," the priest whispered.

"Thank you," I murmured.

Cassian did not smile. He glared at the older man. "Get to work. Hurry it up."

The priest cleared his throat nervously and rushed through the ceremony. The wedding was a rapid blur of Latin phrases and heavy gold rings. Jaxon handed over the bands. Cassian slid the cold metal onto my ring finger, his large, calloused hand gripping mine with unyielding strength. In a matter of mere minutes, the transition was complete. I was no longer Nadia Russo. I was Nadia Thorne.

I turned to face the crowded pews as the priest announced us to the room. My blood ran cold. My stomach twisted into tight knots. Sitting in the very front row, wearing smug, calculating expressions, were my abusive adoptive family. Vito, Beatrix, and Zane.

"Did you invite my family?" I whispered to Cassian, keeping my fake smile firmly in place.

Cassian slid his hand around my lower back, his grip territorial. "I did. Vito is not worthy to lead you down the aisle, but I wanted him to sit right there and watch you wed."

I glanced up at his sharp jawline. He had invited them intentionally. He was aggressively forcing Vito and his greedy children to watch me become legally untouchable. Being Cassian Thorne's wife meant the Russos could never lay a hand on me again.

"Go to the car. I will join you in a minute after I speak with the underbosses," Cassian instructed, releasing my waist.

I nodded and walked back down the aisle, flanked by four massive bodyguards. The moment the church doors opened, the chaos resumed. Cameras flashed repeatedly in my face. Reporters shouted questions about the sudden romance and the lavish ceremony. I kept my head down and walked briskly toward the waiting getaway car.

"Look who is a newlywed."

I stopped in my tracks. Beatrix and Zane aggressively shoved their way through the swarm of reporters, bypassing the outer ring of guards with entitled smirks on their faces.

"I must say I am shocked," Beatrix huffed, placing a manicured hand over her chest in mock surprise. "You knocked me off my feet. Who would have expected Cassian Thorne to marry a lowlife like you?"

"And leave you at the altar," Zane added, glancing over my shoulder toward the open church doors. He turned his greedy eyes back to me. "But she is beautiful, Beatrix. Give her that. And this is a very good thing for us. I am Cassian Thorne's brother-in-law now. I am really his brother-in-law. Isn't it too good to be true? The money and power we can access now will be endless."

A fierce, burning anger boiled in my gut. I hated them. They had treated me like dirt for years, beating me, starving me, and using me as a pawn. Now they fully expected to ride Cassian's powerful coattails to endless wealth.

I squared my shoulders and flashed them a sickeningly sweet smile. "Well, I am Cassian's wife. And you can only be Cassian's brother-in-law if I allow it."

Beatrix scoffed, her face twisting in ugly disbelief. "What the fuck are you saying, Nadia?"

I took a step forward, dropping the fake smile. "I am saying that I am going to cut ties with you. All of you. You will not get a single dime or a shred of protection from my husband."

"You would not dare!" Vito barked, pushing his way past a reporter to join his children.

My hands balled into tight fists at my sides. I did not want them anywhere near me. I especially did not want them finding out about Cassia. Vito worked for Cassian's arch-enemy, and if he discovered I had a child, he would use her against us in a heartbeat.

"Watch me," I spat.

I turned my back on them and started to walk toward the car.

Zane let out a furious snarl. He lunged forward and aggressively grabbed my arm, yanking me backward. He raised his heavy hand high in the air, his face contorted in rage, fully intending to strike me right there in front of the flashing cameras.

Instinct took over. I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the familiar, painful blow. My muscles tensed, waiting for the harsh impact against my cheek.

It never came.

Instead, a collective gasp ripped through the crowd of reporters. The camera shutters stopped. Dead silence fell over the courtyard.

I opened my eyes.

Cassian was standing right beside me. He was pressing the barrel of a loaded black handgun directly into Zane's temple. The safety was clicked off. Cassian's handsome face was twisted in sheer, unadulterated rage. The muscles in his thick neck bunched under his collar.

"What do you think you are doing to my wife?" Cassian growled. His voice was a low, lethal rumble that echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Zane's face drained of all color. He dropped my arm instantly and raised both his hands in quick, panicked surrender. "You are misunderstanding!" Zane stuttered, his knees shaking so hard his dress pants vibrated. "We were just having a conversation. A friendly family chat."

Cassian pressed the steel barrel harder against Zane's skin, forcing the taller man to tilt his head back. "A conversation? Who the fuck are you to have a conversation with her?"

Beatrix stepped forward, her voice trembling. "You have not met us before, Cassian. We are Nadia's siblings. We raised her—"

Cassian snapped his dark eyes to her. The murderous scowl on his face shut her up instantly.

"Do not think I do not know about what you made my woman go through in your house," Cassian said, his voice carrying clearly over the terrified crowd. "And do not think I will not make you pay for it. If any of you ever look at her again, I will put a bullet in your skulls and burn your bodies in the city dump. Get out of my sight."

Cassian lowered the lethal weapon and tucked it smoothly into his shoulder holster. His large, warm hand clamped securely and possessively onto my waist. He did not wait for the Russos to respond. He forcibly led me away from the frozen crowd and shoved me into the backseat of our waiting car. He climbed in right behind me and slammed the heavy armored door shut, cutting off the outside world.

The driver hit the gas, and the luxury sedan sped away from the curb.

I sat pinned against the leather seats, my chest heaving. The intense adrenaline spike left my hands shaking and my skin cold. My pride flared up, a defensive shield to cover my lingering terror.

"I did not need your help out there," I blurted out, staring straight ahead at the partition. "I could have handled Zane myself."

Cassian arched a dark brow, completely unfazed by my stubborn outburst. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and leaned back against the leather. "So I was supposed to stand there and let him lay his hands on you in front of half the city?"

I opened my mouth to form a sharp retort, but Cassian was not done.

He shifted his large frame across the seat, crowding my space. He leaned in incredibly close, trapping me against the door. The rich scent of his expensive cologne and gunpowder filled my senses. He asserted his utter dominance over me, his dark eyes trailing down my neck to the lace edge of my corset.

"You belong to me now, Nadia. No one can touch you except me," Cassian stated, his tone leaving zero room for debate.

He reached out and traced his thumb along my jawline, sending a violent shiver down my spine.

"And when I say touch you," his deep voice dropped a dark, dangerous octave, "I mean, *touch* you."

A sudden, heavy wetness pooled between my thighs. The raw heat flared deep in my core, an unwanted but undeniable biological reaction to his raw authority. My breathing turned shallow.

"I only married you because of Cassia," I protested weakly, trying to lean away from his intense heat. "This is just a deal."

Cassian smirked, a wicked, knowing curve of his lips that made my stomach flip. He trailed his fingers down to my collarbone, letting them rest right over my racing pulse.

"Oh, please. You didn't think I was going to be a saint to you in this marriage, did you?"