UR HOURS

, dripping with venom. "We're calling off this wedding!" His sudden

, but she holds tight. Chaos explodes before her-literal chaos-just like i

istine and virginal, but on her it clings to her shaking form while her face

ice cracking as she lurches forward towards h

muscles furrowed tight with anger. His gaze meets with the officiating prie

I'll still marry you tomorrow? Yo

lls the silence between them is Alicia's sobbing. She falls on her

iggest Scandal of the year ri

ght there in front of the alter. "It's

.." Alicia

ing men in black, their faces about as animated and dangerous as stone statues. Th

thedral thickens with the shock, murmurs racing through everyone present. Cameras lig

e curb. She immediately brings her camera up once more, shooting shots of them gettin

it." Lily draws blood from her lower l

ould seem that the whole world has shifted. She had thought her bosses

impatience. "You had one job-get some feel-good pictures and interviews from the rehearsal for most anticipated wedding in Ameri

stomach twists into nervous knots. "It's the hugest scandal we've ever

hs. She narr

There's nothing to publish, and she's also a

ashed in on Lily. Fir

day after another. Instead, she snatches her camera bag and

up the courage to go home. Afterall there was n

u

ring over at the city. The sun is setting, casting acros

a dangle from her finger

a dis

e street. Viewed from one block away from the apartment down the street, it catches her gaze near an old wa

eering through the darkness to make out the shado

g, and big!. The jour

from the rooftop, her heart tumbling as she heads to th

he can see them- two people tied onto wooden chairs. No wait.. they're four: a

e bringing the camera into view. There's a figure coming out of the shadow

c: men with guns, yelling, the figur

reams of the family bound to chairs

he gunf

appalled, as just in front of her very e

nly when a cat springs out from behind the dumpster that she opens h

h

e of the

. Lily stumbles back; her camera falls fr

ng," another voic

n't think

nd of boots pounding pavement follows her. She barely clears a fence,

under a shallow, ragged truck. She can hear the men's voi

she remains still,

oast might be clear, she cra

t n

been trashed, but the wallet's st

tually, a sleazy motel bar, neon flashi

ion. She orders a beer, trying to still her jang

s, Lily didn't notice him at all

her heart stopping as she locks eyes with him. Damian Kalashni

at her, "Sma

tone was silky but held a glint of something hazardous beneath it. His whole body fe

hot! Or was

if he recognized her and wasn't about to

re.." sh

tain on his shoes? No. Probab

d a rough day," Damian say

rs, bone dry in the throat, at the way th

en them all twisted into some sort of weird, palpa

Damian trying to

coughing harshly and he immediately reached ou

s of water plea

ily mumbles as she

nds her a glass of water, lily

h sorry if I scared

a problem, so

all. I decided to just come over to the bar to U

us.. " Damian says with a smirk on his face. "Did you do anything

ther nervous lau

sed about some TV shows and some celebrities, to his '

ught up th

he whispers-almost unex

o move around with someone she just met

sing for weeks. Her mental heath d

and in Damian's, she needed to forget about her entir

on for her h

caught someone staring at he

eath h

e ta

, he's definitely one of t