CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Phoebe had racked her brain on a way to get out of the house. She had set up surveillance every day on the rooftop balcony to see how far their guards were spread out. The bastards were right, they had so many guards strategically positioned in every possible place of escape.

Michael had been visiting more now, bringing good tidings in the form of chocolates and flowers, she took the flowers and made a show of cutting them off their stems and shredding them, she then sprinkles them on the chocolate and drops it right outside her door. For some stupid reason, her parents thought that he took the room next to hers, so that would be the first thing he saw when he stepped out of his room.

Phoebe also spent her days formulating the perfect plan of escape. Seeing as it would be impossible for her to escape the fortress, she would have to do it on her wedding day. A wedding that was in two weeks. They had already gotten her gown and planned everything because she had been quite clear that they should do whatever it was they wanted to do with the wedding and she'd just show up and say, 'I do.'

That didn't sit well with Michael or any member of both our families but Phoebe had gone past caring. She had already planned her escape. She had carefully snuck a knife from the kitchen and she had it hidden in her room. The success of her plan depended on that knife.

***

Phoebe stood in front of the mirror in her wedding dress as her mother and the designers fawned over her. she was getting sick of it. They had 'graciously released' her some time back because I agreed to marry the bastard, Michael. What hurt me the most was how my parents didn't even think of what I wanted. At all.

"Honey, you look so beautiful…"

"Of course, I do, isn't this what you and that bitch that calls himself my father wanted?!"

The designers and make-up artists were wise enough to leave the room once the confrontation began, giving Phoebe the freedom to say all the things she wanted to say since she caught on to their secret that day.

"You think I don't know…"

"Know what, Phoebe?"

"How you let them 'kidnap' you to blackmail me into marrying that scum of the earth!"

Phoebe's mother opened her mouth and closed it, not quite finding the words to defend herself with. Phoebe looked at her mother and went to sit on her bed, she didn't bother about the wedding dress so she didn't care if it got ruined in any way, she swung her legs on the bed and lay down. Still looking at her mother.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

"Phoebe…"

"Oh, no Mom, you don't get to do that. You don't get to come up with an apology with those crocodile tears when you're not the one about to give your life away."

"I'm so sorry, honey. It's what best for you."

"What's best for me is Jamie, and I'm doing this for him alone. I've known about your lie a long time ago, but I think of Jamie and I have the strength to go through this."

Phoebe saw the shock and hurt on her mother's face, and then the tears that followed but she wasn't moved. Her mother swiftly and deftly left her room, leaving her to enjoy her last moments of single bliss. The make-up artists came back in a few minutes later and did the finishing touches to her hair and makeup and she was ready to be married.

When they were done, Phoebe sent them out of the room and slid the knife under her dress, securing it to her thigh with a strip of lace. She looked at herself in the mirror for only God knows how long before the opening of her door brought back her attention to the real world. Her father stood there in his pristine white suit. Since the day of her engagement, she could never quite look at him the same way again.

"It's time, Phoebe."

"Time to sell me off like a piece of meat."

"Phoebe, it's not…"

"Don't bother explaining, Johnny. And just to inform you, I'll be walking myself down the aisle. Your services are no longer required."

Phoebe brushed past him and went down the stair and out into the waiting limo that drove her and her parents to the chapel. She ignored her father's hand and walked haphazardly down the aisle, also refusing to accept Michael's hand when he offered it to her. if Michael took offense, he was wise not to comment on it, Phoebe was looking for any excuse to go off at the moment.

"Let's just get this over with."

The priest looked perplexed and looked from her to Michael, sensing the tension between the couple but began reciting the vows anyway. He smiled when he was done and was about to declare them man and wife when there was a loud explosion outside, the impact was greatly felt inside the hall and everyone dived for cover.

Without been told, Phoebe already knew who it was and she stood to begin running towards the door when she was forcefully pulled back by Michael.

"Just where the fuck do you think you're going, bitch?!"

Phoebe was a little stunned at the hostility but was weirdly happy that he had shown it now so her parents could see it. She looked around, looking for either her parents or Jamie but in the rush and the crush, it was almost impossible to find anyone with all the smoke and dust and the gunshots going off just outside the door. Michael was crouched low in a corner, using her as a body shield and pointing a semi-automatic weapon at the entrance. Jamie won't see her where they hid and he would get hurt.

Phoebe saw that Michael was seemingly focused on the threat just outside the door so she pulled out her knife from underneath her gown and quickly slashed his right hand, making him instantly drop the gun. Just at that moment, Jamie burst through the door looking raged. She immediately took Michael's gun and ran straight into his arms. Jamie hugged her tight and breathed in her scent but they quickly separated because they were not in the clear just yet.

"I've missed you so much, Phoebe."

"Me too, Jamie. I was beginning to think you were not going to come or that you didn't really know where I was."

Phoebe watched him but also kept her senses open as she observed the men around them, she saw them drag Michael with his bleeding arm out of the room and she tried her best not to laugh at the situation.

"I knew where you've been all this while, but it wouldn't have been wise for me to try and take you from there. There would have been too many casualties."

Phoebe leaned up and kissed him, he grabbed onto her waist and held her when she tried to pull away but she eventually managed to.

"Let's get out of here."

"But what about my parents?"

"I already sent Kieran for them."

Phoebe held his hand and followed him out of the chapel, there were bodies and blood everywhere, all of them were Michael's men. They should have known better than to try and beat a man like Jamie. He was a god on these streets.

They entered Jamie's McLaren. Trust Jamie to bring a fancy car to this kind of 'event'. They both fastened their seatbelt but instead of starting the car, Jamie pulled out a jeweler's box from the box compartment and opened it. Phoebe's mouth opened and closed as she stared at the most beautiful ring she has ever seen.

"Phoebe Whitman, would you do me the most honor in the world and marry me?"

Phoebe nodded as tears sprung to her eyes, he slipped the ring onto her finger, throwing Michael's ring out of the window with a scoff, then he leaned in and kissed her. Another explosion sounded close to them and they both broke apart, remembering where they were and what was going on. Jamie immediately started the car and zoomed off.

Phoebe stared at the ring and that was the last thing she remembered before she drifted into a nap. That, and Jamie's voice lulling her to sleep with his words.

"I love you, Phoebe."