To Become King (Book One)

Eighteen: Honor Among Thieves

Every little girl pictures her wedding day. They'd spend hours thinking about every detail and, throughout their lives, they'd get inspiration and find out what they wanted down to the centerpieces on the tables for the reception. They'd imagine the person they were going to marry and pick him out, saying they'd want to marry a doctor, a lawyer, or a CEO. Either way, it was always a picture of some rich prince to come and take them away from the life they were in. It would always end in living happily ever after with a man who'd love them for the rest of their lives. So how did mine come to this?

In a few moments, I would be walking down the aisle to get married to the king of every bad person in the country. I would be marrying a man who didn't love me. Half of his vows would be a lie. As the music started, I felt my heart sink from behind the curtain. I looked at the entrance of the church behind me, thinking of running, but there would be no point. Two strong men stood at the entrance with their guard up. They'd be ready to force me down the aisle anyway if I tried to go anywhere.

When it came time to walk, my dad extended his arm to me. I took a deep breath, accepting my fate. When we entered through the curtains to the crowd of people who had no relation to us—excepting the fact that they were all criminals— I felt my anxiety go through the roof. I was thinking about a million things at once and even stopped in the middle of walking, wanting desperately to run, but when I did, I looked up from the floor and saw him, standing there, waiting for me.

I was almost breathless seeing him in that suit. The look on his face was so determined, like there was no question in his mind that he wasn't ready for this. His eyes were beckoning me forward. When I fixated on him, I got the strength to move again, walking up the stairs to the alter and handing the red roses I was holding to Kay. I turned back to him and he took my hands. He quickly pulled me close for a moment to whisper in my ear.

"You look stunning."

His words echoed in my ear and replayed in my head when the priest began speaking. Our eyes were locked the entire time. I found myself searching them for any hesitation, any reluctance to marry me, but found nothing. How could there be? When the ceremony was over, he would obtain all of the power and all of the wealth that came with it. I could feel myself shaking and I think he could feel it too because he gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.

The closer we got to the end, the more I wanted to faint, but he kept me focused by caressing my hands with his thumbs.  The priest gave us the go ahead to exchange the rings.  I put the black metal band on his left ring finger.  He then took my hand and put on the special one of a kind ring on mine.  The ring sparkled in the light.  He then removed the old rings from our hands and put them in his pocket.

"Victor, do you take Grace as your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?" The priest asked him.

"I do." He answered immediately, giving me a small smile. The priest then recited the same to me and when it came time for me to say those words, I froze, looking down for a moment. Knight put his hand under my chin and gently made me lift my gaze to his. When I looked into those jade eyes again, I could feel myself give in.

"I do," I answered.

"Then on behalf of the Church and the United States of America, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Knight lifted me up by my hips to match our heights and pressed his lips against mine. I gasped and wrapped my arms around him. Applause erupted in the church and when he picked me up bridal style, I actually found myself laughing. I smiled at him as he carried me out of the church and he smiled back at me before putting me in the car to go to the reception.

***
After a long day of being around a lot of people, we went to a hotel. Staying at the nice hotel for the night was supposed to be our honeymoon before we went back to New York. I didn't know what was going to happen after tonight, but I did know that I was excited to get out of that dress. It was beautiful, but uncomfortable. I took a shower and changed into a long black nightgown with spaghetti straps.

I dried my hair and walked out into the living room where Knight was waiting for me. He'd taken a shower in the other room and sat on the couch wearing his suit pants and an open white button-up shirt. My jaw almost dropped at the site of his exposed chest.  We'd done this for a while, so why did seeing him like that make me nervous?  He smirked at me, leaning back on the couch with his arms spread across it.

"Come here, Kitten."  He said, beckoning me with those hypnotic jade eyes.  I neared him and he gently sat me down beside him.  "I've finally got you all to myself."  He whispered, wrapping his arm around me.  He leaned down to me and started kissing my neck.  I gasped as he kissed his way up to my jaw.  His hand moved over my clothed body, over my breasts and down my stomach.  I gripped the bottom of his shirt as his lips moved to mine.

I let out a small moan as he pulled me into his lap and had me straddle him.  He raised my nightgown a bit.  I slipped his shirt down his broad shoulders and put my hands on his bare chest.  He stripped me of my nightgown. I whimpered as he leaned down and began licking my left nipple and sucking on it.  He picked me up and carried me into the bedroom.

He sat down on the bed and pushed himself inside of me, making me let out a moan.

"Knight~" I gasped as he began thrusting and I moved my hips with him. I wrapped my arms around him and looked up into his green eyes. They were clouded with lust.

"You're my wife now," he groaned. "Call me 'Victor'." He started moving faster and harder, making me cry out in pleasure as he forced my chest against his.

"Say it." He growled, his deep voice in my ear as he gripped my chin, forcing me to keep looking into his eyes. He looked back into mine the entire time he was inside me.

"Victor~" I moaned as we got closer to our climax. He used all of his strength to move even faster. He groaned as he slammed his lips against mine. I moaned into his mouth, closing my eyes and falling into ecstasy as he filled my insides.

***
After the sex that night, I fell asleep, laying my head on his chest. I woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by the indecision going on inside me.  I didn't know what I was doing.  I didn't want this life.  I had it forced on me. I rubbed his strong chest and his abs, feeling toned body of the man I loved as I closed my eyes again. I traced his scars, thinking back to the first time we met.

I was so afraid of this man, for a long time. Even now, knowing what he has the stomach to do, knowing what he's done, I have some fear of him. Did I really want to do this for the rest of my life? Live with a man who didn't love me? Yes, the sex was good, but I'd be a fool to stay just for that.

I kissed his stomach, his abs, and his chest, causing him to wake up eventually. He looked at me and gave me a small kiss.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Can't sleep?"

"No." I moved on top of him and rested my chin on his chest. "Sorry if I woke you."

"Please," he sighed. "I don't care if you wake me. I don't get much sleep most nights either." He moved a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Do you need me to hold you?"

I nodded and turned my head to the side, laying my cheek on his chest.  He wrapped his large arms around me rested his chin on top of my head.  I continued to think about all of it, even after he fell asleep and that's when I knew.

For my own safety and to be free to live my own life, I had to leave in the morning.