Pretender.
I had become good at pretending since I got with Akeem—pretending to love him and to be a certain way for the cameras. Hell, I had become so good at it that I should have been cast for some of the movies he played in.
“. . . If there is anyone who feels that these two should not be married, speak?—”
The doors burst open, and my fucking heart dropped to my feet at the sight of Zion and his goons—his best friends—entering the room.
No! Please, God, no!
It was too late to pray.
Zion had entered the building.
There was a hush that settled over the room, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of Zion’s hard-bottom shoes on the marble flooring. Even with the carpeted runner, I could feel those angry footsteps hitting my chest with each step he took.
When he finally made it to the altar, he gave me a look that I knew all too well.
It was the look that made me fall in love with him when we were kids.
Thatyou belong to me,look.
“Aye, my man. We’re sort of in the middle of something,” Akeem said.
Zion’s eyes never left mine as he stepped up onto the platform, moving Akeem to the side as if he was an extra in the cast for this crazy-ass movie we were starring in.
“What the hell?” Akeem yelled. “Jordin, what the hell is going on?”
I couldn’t find the words to speak. I was fucking flabbergasted as I stood with my mouth open in shock. I could see Akeem’s security team moving in, and I watched in horror as Meeko and Kasey brandished their guns.
“Back the fuck up before I paint this floor red with your blood, my nigga,” Kasey warned.
“Kasey, don’t!” I yelled.
Zion placed his finger under my chin to bring my attention back to him. “I’m not leaving here without you, Dinny. You’re either marrying me today, or leaving here, and we plan our own shit, but you won’t be marrying this nigga when you’re still tied to me.”
My eyes skirted around the venue as everyone was tuned into this shit show. My family stood with their eyes and mouths wide open, just like me. I felt the room spinning, my heart pounding, and sweat beads filling my forehead before I looked back at Zion, and everything turned black . . .