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As her wedding look slowly came together in the mirror and Maisy’s friends danced around her, she felt that she was looking down on the scene from a distance. Today was her wedding day. And although it was the perfect setting, with all her friends, and although even Maisy could admit that she looked gorgeous, it didn’t feel right.
“Okay, dress time!” one of the stylists sang. Lily hurried over, and together they helped Maisy step into the dress, then pulled it up and over her shoulders before lacing the back.
“Wow, you look beautiful!” Lily grabbed Maisy’s hands and pulled her to a full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Her bridesmaids gathered behind her, and they all took in the sight of Maisy in her wedding dress.
It really was a beautiful dress. A lacy bodice with off-shoulder sleeves and an elegant neckline leading down to emphasize Maisy’s waist, then cascading into an equally lacy skirt that brushed the floor in soft, floaty layers. Maisy’s face was adorned with subtle makeup that made her cheeks look rosy and her lips look full and pink. Mascara highlighted her long lashes, and eyeliner brought out her green eyes. The tiara glinted atop Maisy’s brown curls, which had been arranged into an elegant style. Maisy looked every bit the picture-perfect bride. She just didn’t look like herself.
As a child, Maisy had imagined wearing a dress like this and walking down an aisle to a man who loved her, whose face lit up at the sight of her. Today didn’t quite match that mental image.
It’s all going to work out, Maisy told herself silently. Your new life begins today.
“Okay, you have a few minutes, then it’ll be time to set up for the ceremony,” one of the stylists announced. The bridesmaids squealed with excitement, but Maisy felt another stab of worry. Hopefully, everything would go as planned. She didn’t think she could deal with any surprises today.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Lily ran to get it and, when she returned, she was smiling.
“Dad’s ready to walk you down the aisle. And he says it’s time to take our places.”
“Okay.” Maisy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Let’s do this.”
“Time to get you married!” Lily squeezed her hand. “I can’t believe this it really happening.”
Maisy took another deep breath. “Me neither.”
CHAPTER 4
XANDER
Xander groaned unhappily at his steadily beeping alarm. Usually, he would have shut it off for a few more minutes of sleep, but today was no day for lazing around. He had best-man duties to attend to, and perhaps most important of all was finding Niko and seeing how bad his hangover was.
He felt another flash of heaviness at the thought that his brother was getting married today — and at the memory of Niko’s cold feet last night. But he shook it off. Once today was over, Niko and Maisy would leave for their honeymoon, and Xander could return to his mostly carefree life. All he had to do was make sure that everything went off without a hitch today.
With that goal in mind, Xander got out of bed. A glance at the clock showed that he had enough time to hit the gym before meeting Niko at nine, so he grabbed his gym bag and changed into shorts and a T-shirt. Working out always helped clear his mind, and a clear mind was something Xander desperately needed today.
An hour later, he stepped into an icy shower. He was sweaty and tired from a hard session of weightlifting and a short jog on the treadmill — and his mind felt clearer. Now, all he had to do was make sure Niko was equally clearheaded.
Xander changed into his slacks and button-up, then draped his suit jacket over his arm. On his way to Niko’s room, where his brother was surely still sleeping, he stopped by the kitchen to pick up two cups of hot coffee and a stack of buttered toast. It was the twins’ classic hangover cure and worked wonders every time.
When Xander reached Niko’s suite at the top of the stairs, he knocked once. As expected, he didn’t get an answer. Niko slept the sleep of the dead after a night of drinking, and there was almost no chance he’d heard the knock.
“I’m coming in!” Xander called as he nudged the door open and stepped into his brother’s suite. The living room was as neatly organized as Niko himself was. Shelves of books lined the walls, mostly dry tomes on topics like international trade agreements and tax law. A desk in the corner was covered with papers in neat stacks, as well as Niko’s laptop, which was closed.
Xander set the coffees and toast on a small table in the corner of the room and continued on to Niko’s bedroom. There, he knocked again, more firmly this time.
“Wakey-wakey, big bro!” he called. “It’s your wedding day!”
There was no answer, so once again, Xander nudged the door open and stepped into Niko’s bedroom. To his surprise, the bed was neatly made, the blankets as smooth as the ocean on a still day and tucked firmly in at the corners. The pillow was fluffy with no sign of a head dent.
“Niko?”
Xander crossed the room to examine the bed more closely. Niko’s phone wasn’t there. The window shades were open, spilling warm morning light across the empty room.
“Interesting.” Xander’s voice sounded loud in the empty room. “Niko?”
But there was no reply. Perhaps Niko hadn’t gotten as drunk last night as Xander thought and was already up. Maybe he was settling his mind with exercise, just as Xander had. Yet a niggling feeling in Xander’s gut suggested that it might be something a little more worrisome than that.
He took a quick walk through the suite. He checked the bathroom, the living room (just in case Niko had been hiding in a closet or something), and the small kitchenette. Everything was spotlessly tidy and completely empty — there was no sign of Niko anywhere.
Xander took a deep breath. Then he got out his phone and sent his brother a text.
