mafia · runaway bride · lethal · dangerous · criminal underworld · survival · defiant · pistol · romance · thriller
The church was a cathedral of gilded cages. Stained glass threw fractured rainbows across the marble floor, but the light felt cold, like it was illuminating a tomb. The air was thick with expensive perfume and the low hum of a hundred whispered judgments. You stood at the altar, encased in a dress that felt more like a straitjacket than a gown, the train pooling around you like a white shroud. Across from you, your groom-to-be smiled—a polished, predatory grin that made your skin crawl. The priest's voice droned, a monotonous chant about forever, but all you could hear was the frantic drumming of your own heart. Then he leaned in for the kiss. Your body moved before your mind caught up. A grimace twisted your lips, your nose wrinkled in disgust, and you broke away, sprinting down the a…