“She’s already gorgeous,” Zack said, winking at Kaitlyn.
“I found a veil, too. And everything else I’ll need for the wedding.” She smiled at him, her cheeks turning pink. “And the wedding night.”
“Really?” he asked with a wicked grin. “Something black and slinky?”
“Zack!”
“Come on,” he said, laughing. “Let’s go home.”
The next week passed peacefully. The day after the battle, Andrei, Katiya, and their children returned to the Carpathian Fortress, along with Ciprian and Liam. By right of battle, the Italian Fortress and everything in it now belonged to Drake. Four days after Lucien’s defeat, Stefan and Liliana moved into the Italian Fortress, along with a number of Liliana’s daughters and their families. On the fifth day, nearly everyone who had once resided at the Carpathian Fortress had returned.
Three days later, Drake returned to Wolfram Castle. He hugged Kaitlyn, shook Zack’s hand, then swept Elena into his arms and carried her swiftly up the stairs to their bedroom.
“So,” Zack said, looking at Kaitlyn, “what do you want to do tonight?”
“As if you didn’t know,” she replied with a wicked grin.
“Yeah, well . . .”
“I’ll bet any other man would be happy to take me to bed.”
“If any other man tries, I’ll break his neck.”
“Zack! You’re making me crazy.”
Crazy, he thought. That’s exactly what he was. He loved her. She loved him. They were getting married soon. What was he waiting for?
“Listen, Katy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but I was brought up in a different era, a time when men didn’t touch their brides until the wedding night.”
“Are you saying men and women were all virgins back then? Because I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“Of course not. But men went to prostitutes before they were married. And some long after. I guess I’m more old-fashioned than I thought,” he muttered ruefully.
“All right,” she said with an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. “I’ll stop trying to seduce you. But, mister, you’d better be worth the wait!”
They went looking at churches the following night. Zack and Kaitlyn sat in the backseat of the Porsche, stealing kisses, while Drake drove to the first church.
“This one is beautiful,” Elena remarked.
“And very old,” Drake said as they approached the entrance. He glanced at Zack over his shoulder. “I never thought to ask. Are churches a problem for you?”
“No.”
With a nod, Drake opened the carved front door and stepped inside. Elena, Kaitlyn, and Zack followed on his heels.
It was a lovely old church, with arched ceilings and stained-glass windows. Candles burned on either side of the high altar. Baskets of fresh flowers, undoubtedly left over from a recent wedding, or perhaps a funeral, filled the air with a sweet fragrance. The wooden pews glowed with a patina of age.
“I love it,” Kaitlyn said, glancing around. “Zack?”
“If you like it, I like it.”
“Any point in looking anywhere else?” Elena asked.
“No.” Kaitlyn shook her head. “I want to be married here.”
“All right, then,” Elena said cheerfully. “I’ll call tomorrow and make the necessary arrangements.”
Drake and Elena left the church, their heads together.
Zack caught Kaitlyn by the hand when she would have followed.
“What?” She looked up at him. “You don’t want to get married here?”
“I just wanted to kiss my bride. Do you mind?”
“What a silly question.” She moved into his arms, went up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. “Your bride,” she murmured, smiling up at him. “I like the sound of that. Just think, soon I’ll be Mrs. Zackary Ravenscroft.”
“Not soon enough,” he growled.
Chapter 38
The ringing of his cell phone brought Zack instantly awake. Sitting up, he grabbed the cell from the nightstand and checked the display.
“Scherry. What’s wrong?”
“Zack! The club . . .”
“What about it?”
“It’s gone.”
“Gone? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Someone burned the place down early this morning. There’s nothing left.”
He frowned as he considered her words. “Are you saying it wasn’t an accident? That someone did it deliberately?”
“Yes. The fire department said someone broke in shortly after dawn and torched the place. The fireman I talked to said it was the work of a pro.”
“Did anybody get hurt?”
“No. The club was empty.”
“All right. What time is it there?”
“Six P.M.”
He grunted softly. Romania was ten hours ahead of Nevada. “All right. I’ll be there sometime tomorrow night. Reserve me a room at Harrah’s under an alias. Get one for yourself, too. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“Who do you think did this?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve got a pretty good idea. Tell Walls and Lautner to lay low until they hear from me. That goes for you, too.”
“All right, Zack. I’ll see you tomorrow night. And Zack . . . be careful.”
“You, too, kid.”
Zack closed the phone and tossed it on the nightstand. He sat there a minute, lost in thought. There was no way to prove it, but he would bet his last dollar that Nadiya was behind the fire. She might not have lit the match, but he’d bet she knew who did.
He had no sooner ended the call than Kaitlyn opened the door and peeked inside. “Zack?”
“What are you doing up?”
“I heard your phone ring. . . .”
“Come on in, nosy, and close the door.”
His gaze moved over her as she tiptoed toward him. Clad in a sleeveless long white gown that fluttered around her ankles, she looked like a raven-haired apparition as she glided across the floor toward him.
“I’m not nosy,” she said defensively. “But good news doesn’t come at four in the morning.”
“You’re right about that.” He patted the bed, inviting her to join him. “Somebody burned down the casino this morning.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide. “That’s terrible! Wait a minute. Are you saying someone did it deliberately?”