Happily Married

Katya woke up to the feeling of pain around her wrists and her ankles. Her heart was throbbing with a headache. 

Voices echoed in her ears, her eyelids felt too heavy but she forced herself to open them anyways. 

The moving images before were really blurry. 

What the fuck was this?!

"...and get rid of her as soon as possible."

Get rid of who?!

Were they talking about—

At that moment, she remembered Zoey and what she had done to her. Anger flared within her, she blinked a couple of times until she could see clearly once again. 

The voices were no longer echoes.

The distinct smell of cigar and a hint of gunpowder wafted through the air. That wasn't a good mix.

"She is awake," someone said. 

"Finally." A voice boomed. "Get the Priest."

"What is going on?" She managed to croak out. 

"We are getting married," the man that stepped in front of her said, looking down at her, where she had been tied to the bed. 

This must be him then; the last member of the Circle. His hair was slick back, with more black than gray. He had a mustache and a lowly trimmed beard that also had specks of gray. He was a muscular and tall man in his black shirt and black pants. He looked like was in his early fifties, if she was to get married to him then he would be the youngest of all her husbands. 

Smoke puffed out of his mouth and he flashed her a smile. "All you have to say is I Do."

"Haven't you heard that there is a plague in town that is after the men that get married to me? What is the desperation for?"

He bellowed, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Well, I heard you only have a couple of months to live."

Katya's heart dropped and she searched for Zoey in her peripheral sight. There she was, some distance by the door of this strange room that had steel for walls. 

There was only one person that knew that she was dying, only one person knew that the doctor said a tumor was growing in her brain and she had little time to live, only one person!

Once again, that fucking bitch! For fuck's sake, how much did they give her? What did they give her? Who was it?! Was it love? Was it fucking love?

Tears burnt her eyes and she forced herself to remain emotionless. 

It was hard. 

"We wouldn't want all that wealth going to waste now, would we? It should all go to your husband."

There was a beep at the door and one of the four other men in the room with guns in their hands, stepped away to open it. 

A priest staggered in at gunpoint. 

"Please! I have a family!" He begged. 

"Begin," the man said once again and the Priest started the "ceremony". 

Katya refused to speak and so they shaded her thumb with ink and forced it upon the certificate to evidence their union. 

"Is it done then? Are we married?"

"Y–yes! Married in the eyes of God and man." His teeth clattered as he spoke. 

Poor guy. 

Larison grinned. That was the name of "husband", Larison Topez. She had heard him say it while he was saying his vows. 

"Thank you, Father." He pulled the Priest into an embrace and the moment he pulled away, he planted his bullet straight through the man's head. 

"Clear this up," he commanded and the men in the room got into action, pulling the corpse out in no time. 

The bang of the gun rang continuously in Katya's mind. 

No.

Not this again. 

She wasn't going to live this life again. 

Fuck this!

"Are you going to do that to me next?" She asked as she watched him tuck away his gun. 

He chuckled, his hand trailing her bondaged ankle. "I'll wait a month or two. It will make things believable." 

Her heart was racing now. It was starting to feel too real. 

This psychopath! His laughter enraged her and his smile made her blood boil. 

Fuck, how would she get out of this?

Her mind darted to Freddy once again and the fear that he might be dead crossed through her mind once again. 

No! No! He had to be alive. 

"Why are you doing this? You want me? Money?"

"Yes, money." He sat on the wooden chair some distance away from her. "And the companies under your name, along with the secret drugs and illegal arms trafficking that goes on underneath." 

Well, her husbands weren't innocent people, but this one might just be the worst.

She laughed. "If you had just asked nicely, I would have simply given it to you."

He threw his head back in laughter. "Oh Katty. My daughter was right about you. You are so hilarious." 

Katya's head rang bells. 

Daughter? 

Did he just say "daughter"?

This time around Katya didn't try to look at her through her peripheral vision. She turned fully to Zoey who looked entirely guilty. 

It was suddenly so clear at that moment. 

Zoey had been planted into her life right from her first marriage. Larison had planned to acquire everything the Circle had and this was his way. 

He played the long game with Zoey and Zoey made her into a pawn. 

Katya gritted her teeth, her gaze filled with rage while Zoey's own was filled with apologies.

That bitch must die!