Chapter 5: A Vow for Love and Money

ALICE

“Nico!” I screamed.

I ran to him, the wedding and my vows forgotten. I was so terrified I thought my heart would stop.

~Please be okay, please be okay.~

I gently lifted up his head, but before I could even yell for someone to call an ambulance, Nico opened his eyes. I sobbed with relief.

“Oh, Nico. Are you okay?”

Gideon appeared at my side, holding a cool glass of water. I took it from him gratefully and helped Nico drink.

“Sorry, Alice,” Nico said, looking sad. “I didn’t mean to ruin your special day.”

“Don’t think like that,” I said. “You didn’t ruin anything. Let’s get you to a hospital.”

“No, I’m okay,” Nico said. “I just got a little too excited.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’m just so excited for you,” Nico stated. “My sister is marrying someone she loves. I’m so happy!”

My heart broke a little. If Nico knew the truth, that I was marrying a stranger for money to get him his surgery, it would probably make him feel so guilty. He’d tell me not to get married. But he needed the surgery…

“Thank you,” I told him, trying to hold back my tears. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nico nodded, and he stood up. He really was looking better. Sometimes he felt faint because of his condition. It scared me witless, but the doctors assured me it wasn’t life threatening.

“I promise I’m okay.” He stood back and looked at Gideon. “Sorry, sir.”

“Not a problem, young man,” Gideon said. I glanced at him in surprise. He sounded sincere, and he looked genuinely concerned for Nico when he’d fainted.

Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person after all…

The priest looked at us uncertainly. “Would you like to continue?” he asked.

Gideon took my hand and led me back to the altar. “Absolutely. Continue.”

I glanced back at Nico and he nodded and smiled encouragingly.

The priest repeated some of the ceremony, and it got to the part where I was supposed to say “I do” again.

This time though, it wasn’t that hard to say it. Maybe because Nico had just fainted and I was reminded how badly he needed the surgery. Maybe it was because I’d seen a gentle, caring side of Gideon toward my brother.

No matter what the reason was, I said the words: “I do.”

Gideon repeated them as well. We exchanged rings. The priest gave Gideon permission to kiss me. Gideon bent his head and softly kissed me.

His kiss had butterflies fluttering in my belly, but those butterflies died the moment his lips left mine, which was after a few seconds.

Gideon’s kiss held no emotion, yet surprisingly, it awoke butterflies in my stomach that I didn’t even know existed.

The only person who hooted was Kieran; the others merely congratulated Gideon and me.

After the congratulating part was over, Gideon led me out of the church—which proved to be slightly difficult for me, as my puffy gown was becoming a pain in the arse.

The man did not even help carry the puffy, flowy material. Some gentleman he was!

There stood a sleek silver Aston Martin just as we stepped out of the church. The driver’s door opened, and a uniformed chauffeur stepped out. Tipping his chauffeur cap in Gideon’s direction, the chauffeur opened the back door.

“After you,” Gideon said to me.

Nodding, I slid inside the sleek car, Gideon following soon after me. Just as the door closed with a soft—almost inaudible—thud, my heart sank.

“Where is Nico?”

“He’s fine,” Gideon said. “He said so himself.”

“I know, but where is he?” I insisted.

“You do know we’re married, right?” Gideon asked. I sensed he meant it as a rhetorical question, but I was confused why he even asked that.

“What?” I was really lost.

“We are married now, which means I’m your first priority now, not your brother or anyone else. Me. Get that through your head, little fairy,” Gideon responded bluntly.

“Yes…but…my brother.” I really needed to know where he was. If Gideon would just tell me where he was, I would relax. I knew we were married, but I just couldn’t stop worrying about my brother, who had known me far longer than Gideon had.

Gideon sighed irritably. “He is in the other car with my dad and brothers,” he answered briskly.

“Thank you,” I muttered softly.

“You need to set your priorities straight, Alice, I hope you understand what I’m trying to say,” Gideon told me.

Nodding my head, I turned away from Gideon to look out of the window, watching as the trees and buildings blurred away as we moved forward.

I understood exactly what Gideon was trying to say. He wanted me to make him my first priority, something that was easier said than done.

Maybe, with time, Gideon would become my first priority, but I doubted it since we were going to be married for only a year. Then we would go our separate ways.

Maybe, after Nico’s surgery, I might be able to make Gideon my first priority. But I wouldn’t tell him that. I had to try my best to let Gideon know that he was my first priority.

This marriage might be fake or arranged, but I’d made a vow in front of God to love and cherish Gideon and stay with him through good times and bad times.

And I might not be able to love him, but I would cherish him and take care of him and would stand next to him through good and bad.

All too soon the car stopped. I blinked my eyes to come back to earth. Turning my head to look at the front, my eyes widened when I saw a stone castle. It was gigantic and was built similarly to medieval castles.

“You live here?” I asked Gideon, appalled by the giant structure.

“We are going to live here,” he replied, getting out of the car.

Live here?! In this gigantic castle?! Was he for real?! He was going to make me live here like a princess?!

Whoa, talk about Cinderella coming to life!

Still staring at the lofty castle, I shuffled out of the car. Once my feet were firmly planted on the ground, I bunched up the poofy material of my gown and began walking with Gideon toward the castle that was going to be my new home—for a year.

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.

“After asking so many, now you’re asking for permission?” This man had an uncanny ability to shift from being nice to being a total tosser.

“Why do you want your wife to be a virgin?” I asked.

“Because a virgin has a higher chance of becoming pregnant than a woman who is not a virgin,” he answered.

“That’s not true,” I argued.

“Maybe not, but I believe so,” he stated.

“A woman who is not a virgin has an equal chance of becoming pregnant.” I was not going to let this go.

“I don’t agree with you. Yes, a woman who is not a virgin would have a chance of becoming pregnant, but a virgin has a higher chance,” he responded.

“Does not,” I countered.

“How about we agree to disagree?” Gideon stopped in front of a huge wooden door that had a metal knocker in the shape of a lion.

Taking hold of the knocker, Gideon slammed it against the door a couple of times. Before I could turn my head to appreciate the beauty surrounding me, the door opened.

Gideon strolled inside, leaving me standing, gaping like an idiot.

Sensing that I wasn’t next to him, Gideon turned, looking at me with questioning eyes. “Are you coming?”

“Are you not going to carry me over the threshold?” I queried. The man talked about me making him my first priority, while he couldn’t even carry me over the bloody threshold. Unbelievable!

“You’re right,” Gideon said, coming toward me and scooping me up effortlessly in his arms. I gasped as I was snuggled into his chest. It felt kind of nice, being held against him like this in his strong arms.

“Nico is going to live with us, right?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

“Yes, but he will come here after two weeks,” Gideon answered.

“What? Why?” I asked. I was so focused on our conversation I couldn’t even admire the beautiful castle he was carrying me through.

“Because we are going to get to know each other in those two weeks. Plus, I need to make sure you stay quiet while we are having sex. Don’t want to scar the poor fella at such a young age,” Gideon muttered.

“What do you mean? Are the walls not thick enough?” I inquired.

“They are, but girls just can’t keep their lungs in check when I have sex with them. It’s like somebody inserted a loudspeaker or a blow horn in the place of their voice box. Their screams shake the walls up,” he replied.

“Wow, rich ~and~ cocky. A terrible combination,” I told him.

“I’m just stating facts.” Gideon continued walking up some steep stairs. He didn’t even break a sweat as he carried me up them.

“So you don’t like screamers?” I questioned, surprised at the ridiculous conversation we were having.

While I was in his arms, no less.

“I have no issue with screamers, but I prefer whimpers and erotic breathers,” he responded, as if proclaiming his sexual preferences was an everyday conversation.

“I wonder which one I am…,” I muttered to myself without thinking. My face turned red. “Uh, I mean—”

“We’re about to find out,” Gideon said.

Say what now?!

This whole time I hadn’t noticed where he was carrying me. Too late I realized we were in a lavish bedroom that could have been fit for the royal family.

“Gideon?” my voice squeaked embarrassingly.

He felt me tense up in his arms, and he looked down at me with an eyebrow raised. “We’re going to consummate the marriage,” he said matter-of-factly.

Before, my heart was thumping when Brenton came to pick me up for my wedding, but now my heart was thumping for a whole different reason.

I was going to have sex with Gideon.