The Wedding Trap (Second Service #1)(38)
Author: Adrienne Bell

"You need to tell me what the hell is going on right now, Beth. I’m starting to freak out.” Isobel said on the other end.

"Nothing. Everything is fine," she said breathlessly into the phone. Running with the vest on was almost impossible. It weighed a ton. Her lungs struggled to expand.

"Like hell it is. My parents heard you screaming on the balcony. Jordan saw you running back to your room with Charlie. I don’t care about delaying the ceremony if I have to. I just want to know that you’re okay."

"I’m fine. I swear. I’ll be there in one minute. Two minutes tops."

"You need to put the phone away," Alex said at her side.

"Is that Charlie?” Isobel demanded. "This is because of him, isn’t it? I don’t know what you’ve gotten into with this guy, Beth, but you’ve got to ditch him."

"I can’t do that."

"Of course you can. Just lean back and kick him straight in the—“

Whatever target Isobel had in mind was lost as Alex ripped the phone out of her hands and tossed it over the railing. It disappeared into a blooming azalea bush.

Beth shrieked in alarm.

"I hate that damned phone," he said.

The wedding party was waiting by a copse of trees at the edge of the rose garden. Beth was totally out of breath by the time she reached them. Everyone turned and stared at her like she was crazy.

She’d made it. Just barely, but she’d made it.

Alex tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I’ll be in the front with John,” he said. “He’s got this place well covered. You’re going to be fine. I’ll come and get you the second this is over."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.

There were a couple of gasps, one loud cough and, after he had pulled away, a whole lot of eye rolling. For the first time since she could remember, none of it bothered her. She had bigger worries.

Isobel started toward her, glaring at Alex.

"You better go," Beth whispered. She didn’t want to be the cause of an even bigger scene before the ceremony.

He nodded, but didn’t move. He opened his mouth like he was just about to say something. Something important. But Isobel was there before he could get it out.

"You," she said, looking straight at Alex. “You need to leave.”

“You’re right,” he said. But he didn’t look happy about it. His hand was still linked with hers. She didn’t want to pull away. "I won’t be far away. I promise."

Isobel waved her hands like she was shooing away a stray dog. "Go," she said.

Alex slowly turned and walked away. It was the first time in three days that she’d been away from him. Three days, but it felt like forever. In a good way. In a way that left her wondering how she ever got this far without him, or how miserable it was going to be to go on without him.

Fortunately, she didn’t have much time to dwell on it. Isobel swiveled around, and it was Beth’s turn to face her.

Beth gave her a wan smile.

“Beth, I don’t know what you think you are doing, but I do know that that guy is nothing but bad news. He—" Isobel’s face faded from red to white in an instant as she took in Beth’s dress. "What the hell are you wearing under there?"

"Nothing."

Isobel pulled back the sweater. Her eyes went wide. "Is that a bulletproof vest?"

Beth pressed a finger to her lips. "We’ll talk about it later," she said.

"Why on earth are you wearing a bulletproof vest?"

"Later," Beth repeated. “I promise I will explain everything later.

Isobel didn’t look convinced, but Beth was saved when the music started up. Everyone in the wedding procession took their places. Beth found her spot next to Spencer. He looked her up and down and laughed.

"You look like a hot mess, Beth," he said.

Beth smiled as she took his arm. "Go f**k yourself, Spencer."

There wasn’t time for any more pleasantries as they made their way down the aisle. She earned a few odd looks and whispers, but Beth didn’t pay them any mind. She kept her eyes open for the man that she’d seen from the balcony. But he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Neither was Salvatore Munoz.

Alex was there, sitting in the second row. John stood at the edge of the roses, not doing anything to hide his presence. His team was easy enough to spot. They were ones scattered around the perimeter of the garden looking away from the ceremony.

Beth’s attention was pulled away from the crowd as Isobel started her march toward the altar. Her best friend looked more beautiful than ever. Every trace of worry and anger was swept from Isobel’s face the second that her eyes locked on Jordan.

Beth smiled as the strings stopped playing and Isobel’s father placed her hand in Jordan’s. She felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. Isobel walked up the three gazebo steps to her place in front of the priest. Beth dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of the sweater.

Everything was right. Just as it should be.

“Dearly beloved,” the priest began. Everyone sat.

And Beth was hit.

It came out of nowhere. There was no sound. No slow motion shot of the bullet ripping through the air at her heart. One moment she was fine, ready to bawl her eyes out as her best friend got married, and the next it felt as though someone was bashing her square in the chest with an iron hammer.

Beth crumpled to the ground. She couldn’t breathe. She opened her mouth, desperate for air, but nothing happened. No sounds, no screams. Panic took over. She opened her eyes wide, but all she saw was the bright blue blanket of sky above her.

A few blinks later, Alex’s face came into view.

She saw him mouth her name, but she couldn’t hear his voice.

Shock, she realized. She was in shock.

There wasn’t any comfort to be found in Alex’s face. He looked every bit as panicked as she felt. His fingers ripped at the bodice of her dress, searching for a wound, feeling for blood. He loosened the sides of the vest, and shoved it aside. Some of the pressure left her chest. His hands pulled away clean.

"Look at me, Beth," he said. His voice sounded tinny and far away, but at least she could hear him now.

Her eyes went to his. He cupped his hand around the back of her neck.

"Try to breathe," he said, his voice shaking.

She opened her mouth again, but nothing happened.

"Again," he said.

Nothing.

"You just got the wind knocked out of you," he said. "You’re going to be okay."

This time when she tried the air rushed in. And everything else came with it.