CHRISTOPHER'S POV
The big day had finally arrived: my wedding day. Yet, instead of pure joy, a knot of tension tightened in my gut, not the excited jitters one might expect. Still no word on Frederick from my men. He'd vanished as if he never existed, but my instincts screamed that he was closer than I thought. And the horrible nightmare… it clung to the back of my mind like a persistent shadow.
Driven by that unease, I'd doubled Eve's security detail: around her mansion, her estate, and along the route to the church. The diamond necklace and earrings I'd gifted her for the wedding weren't just beautiful; they were bugged, each piece embedded with a GPS tracker capable of pinging from anywhere, even underground. I wasn't taking any chances
"You about ready?" Frank asked, walking into the room. He was my best man, a solid presence amidst the swirling anxiety. My dad, Luca, Cole, and the twins rounded out the groomsmen.
"Yeah, just finished up," I said, glancing at my reflection in the mirror. The suit fit perfectly, but it couldn't mask the tension etched on my face.
"What about Eve? Heard from her?" Frank's question prompted me to pull out my phone and made a video call.
I was at my penthouse, while she, much to my dismay, had stayed back at her mansion. I'd wanted to spend the night with her, preparing for the wedding together, but the women insisted it was bad luck to see the bride in her gown beforehand. Grudgingly, I'd conceded.
"Hi beautiful," I said, my heart swelling as her face appeared on the screen. For a moment, the darkness receded.
"Hi handsome," she replied, smiling brightly. Then, she narrowed her eyes, studying me intently. I felt a jolt of nervousness. What was she looking at?
'Itmustbethehair,' I thought, inwardly grimacing. I'd argued with Frank about styling it this way; told him it wouldn't look good. There wasn't time to change it now, not if she hated it.
"Your hair," she said, her expression unreadable.
"What about it?" I asked, holding my breath.
"It looks really good on you. You should style it like this more often," she said, finally smiling with approval. A wave of relief washed over me, followed by a surge of happiness. Her approval meant the world.
'I'llgivehimaraise,' I thought, a grin tugging at my lips.
"Are you about ready to head out?" I asked.
"Almost. Just about to leave with the girls. We should be at the church in roughly thirty minutes," she said.
"Alright, wifey. I'll see you at the church then, Mrs. Luther," I said cheekily, watching her blush and giggle. God, I loved that sound.
"See you later, baby," she said, and the call ended.
"Feeling any better now?" I heard my dad say from behind me. Turning, I saw him smiling warmly. His presence was always a comfort.
"Dad, you look really good," I said, genuinely appreciating his sharp attire.
"Are you feeling nervous?" he asked, walking toward me.
I considered his question for a moment. Truthfully, I was a tangled mess of emotions. Part good nerves, excited to marry my soulmate in a matter of minutes. But mostly bad nerves, driven by the fear that something or someone would try to ruin it all.
"Yes, I am," I admitted, letting my guard down for a moment.
He patted me on the shoulder, his smile both reassuring and tinged with a hint of sadness. "You will be a good husband. Better than me."
"Let's go, son. Don't want to keep the reverend waiting," he said. With that, we headed downstairs to face the day.
Luca sat beside me in the car on our way to the church.
"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong. My men are situated everywhere to make sure she gets here safely," he assured me, but the knot in my stomach refused to loosen.
We arrived at the church quickly, the road mercifully clear so early on a weekend morning.
I walked in with my groomsmen and was relieved to see the Mikleson family already seated on the right side of the aisle, the Luthers on the left. Everyone was present except for the bride and her bridesmaids.
The Reverend inquired about the bride's whereabouts. We informed him that she was on her way, and he proceeded to begin the service.
"Welcome" the Reverend intoned as he started the mass. Nearing the end, he summoned me to the altar. I walked forward and stood facing the entrance doors, imagining how magnificent Eve would look walking toward me. The thought alone brought tears to my eyes.
I glanced at my watch. Almost an hour had passed, and she still wasn't here. My heart sank at the thought of something having happened to her, but I quickly banished the notion. I signaled to Frank to call her while also noticing Luca leave the church, phone pressed to his ear.
I waited impatiently at the altar for news from Frank or Luca. The look of dawning worry etched on their faces as they walked back into the church set off alarm bells.
Somethingmustbewrong, I thought, my gut twisting.
Luca beckoned me to the side. I left the altar and walked towards him and Frank in the front row.
"What's the matter? Where's Eve?" I demanded, my voice tight with apprehension.
"We have a problem," Frank said solemnly. I turned to Luca, whose face was ashen.
"They took her. Killed some of my men, others I had hired are looking," Luca said in a hushed voice, his tone grim.
The world seemed to tilt. My head swam, my heart seized, and I gasped for breath, trying to process his words.
"What did you just say?" I asked, gripping the collar of his shirt, my voice rising. The sound carried, causing a ripple of murmurs through the church. Cole and the twins were instantly at our side.
"What's going on?" Cole asked. Just then, his phone rang. He answered.
"Hello?" After a long moment, his expression hardened, the air around him turning glacial.
"I'm on my way," he said finally, his voice clipped. He looked up at me, and I saw my own rage reflected in his eyes.
"We need to leave," he said, turning and striding out of the church. I followed close behind, leaving a sea of bewildered faces in our wake.
Luca snatched the keys to the fastest car from the driver and roared out of the parking lot, Cole and I crammed inside. Frank and the others followed in the remaining cars.
"Your intel didn't tell you who was responsible?" Cole demanded, his voice steely.
"We need to get a hold of the CCTV first to ascertain who it was and where they took the girls," Luca stated, his voice firm and unwavering.
I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white, struggling to contain the inferno of rage building inside me.
I'mdefinitelygoingtokillFrederick, ivowedinwardly.
Minutes later, we screeched to a halt at the crime scene. The route wasn't right; this wasn't the road to the church. Police tape already cordoned off the area, officers swarming the scene while reporters erected their satellite trucks, eager to broadcast the breaking news.
Ignoring the shouted warnings, I tore through the yellow tape and charged toward the vehicle intended for Eve and the girls. The driver was slumped dead behind the wheel. Three of my men, assigned to protect them, lay lifeless beside a second car. At the back, scattered across the seats and floor, were purses and phones , their belongings, carelessly discarded. My heart twisted with a raw, visceral fear.
"Sir, you can't be here! Active crime scene!" A uniformed officer approached, his voice sharp.
"You don't get to tell me where I can and can't be," I snarled, barely suppressing my rage.
"I'm Cole Mickelson," Cole interjected, stepping between me and the officer. He deliberately blocked my path, as if anticipating my urge to unleash my fury on the nearest target.
"These are my family who have been abducted."
"Detective Sanders, Captain of the SWAT team," the officer replied, extending a hand to Cole.
"And this is my partner, Fletcher."
"What do you know?" Cole asked, his voice tight with controlled anxiety.
"We're aware of your relationship to the victims, sir. The investigation is preliminary, but it appears the vehicle was forced into this blind spot to facilitate the abduction." He gestured towards Eve's car.
"Blind spot?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.
"Outside CCTV coverage," Fletcher clarified.
The answer sent a surge of ice-cold fury through me. This was calculated, planned.
"A well-orchestrated operation, unfortunately," Fletcher added.
Just then, the Minister of Security arrived, surrounded by a contingent of men in suits. "I've been briefed. Every available resource is being deployed to find your fiancée and the other women and bring those responsible to justice. An immediate travel restriction is in place nationwide. No flights in or out, no vehicles permitted to cross city borders, until they're found."
His words faded into background noise. I turned and started walking away, Luca and Frank falling into step behind me. Then it hit me, the GPS necklace.
I spun around, pushing back through the small crowd gathering around Cole and the Minister. "I can find the girls." I pulled out my phone, thumbing open the tracking app.
"How?" Detective Sanders asked, skepticism etched on his face.
I activated the GPS tracker linked to the necklace. Instantly, a red dot pulsed on the screen, marking her location. It was moving , gradually, relentlessly, eastward.
"Where is that?" I demanded.
The Detective leaned closer, his eyes widening as he recognized the location on the map. Panic flared in his eyes.
"We need to move now! They're heading for the unrestricted border, the old abandoned crossing, to leave the country!" He barked orders at his team. The SWAT team and every other police team at the scene swung into action, adrenaline surging through them.
"I'm going with you," I said, stopping Sanders.
"Me too," Cole added.
"No, it's too dangerous," Sanders protested.
"I don't care." I turned and strode towards my car, Cole right behind me.
"I'm coming too!" Luca yelled, pounding after us.
I slammed into the driver's seat, the engine roaring to life as I followed the flashing lights of the SWAT team. I was coming for my wife