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“I am aware.”
At the edge of the stage, Sabrina’s father kissed her cheek and headed to his seat. She hesitated, looking back and forth between the Prince brothers. They kept their voices low, although when Ryder glanced over his shoulder, he realized the minister was listening with rapt attention.
“Bro, I don’t want to ruin your wedding. You’ll remember this day forever.” He tossed his chin back toward Sabrina. “Your wife will remember this day forever.”
Noah glanced between his very confused-looking bride and his brother for a moment. Then apparently, he came to a decision. He grabbed Ryder by his lapel and pulled him close.
“You’ll ruin my wedding if you screw up this chance, and that’s how I’ll have to remember this day forever.” Ryder searched Noah’s eyes, his heart racing. “And Sabrina is a huge sap who would never forgive me if I didn’t make you do this. You know, after I explain it all to her.”
Ryder looked back at the hallway Vicky had disappeared down. It had been two, maybe three minutes. He could probably still catch up with her, but only if he left right now. “Are you sure? Sabrina won’t kill me?”
“Oh, yeah. Ava can vouch for her too. Right, Ava?”
Oh good God, he’d been so caught up in everything he’d completely forgotten the maid of honor was also standing within earshot.
She nodded enthusiastically, though. “Oh, hell yeah! For true love? Pff. She’d be outraged if you didn’t go.”
True love?
Huh. True love . . .
Noah slapped him hard across the chest. “Go!”
Right. Ryder nodded once, turned, and ran for it. He got as far as the edge of the stage.
“Whoa!” Sabrina held up her bouquet.
She was fairly terrifying for a tiny woman in a poofy dress, and whoever was doing the music took this as their cue to pause. If they hadn’t been before, all eyes were now on him.
“He’s going after Vicky!” Noah shouted.
“She was here! She came to see him!” added the minister enthusiastically.
“He loves her!” screamed Ava.
Ryder, who it was safe to say had built a reputation around being as unselfconscious as it got, felt his face flush.
Sabrina leaned in close so only he could hear. “Do you?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I think I might.”
She blinked. Then she beamed. “Then what are you waiting for?”
He gave her a peck on the cheek and darted down into the hallway Vic had fled through. Behind him, he heard Sabrina yell for the music to start again.
Chapter Thirty
Vicky rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop at a heavy door marked “boiler room.” Another dead end. This was getting ridiculous. There had to be a way out. Weren’t there fire codes or something? She had had to switch hallways after knocking over a bunch of swords in her path. She knew some poor staff member was going to have to clean up after her, and she felt awful, but it couldn’t be helped. She had, however, made a mental note to make a large donation to the Public Theater to make up for her path of destruction. Which wouldn’t matter much if she never made it out of here . . .
* * *
Well, the big scary puppet explained the scream he’d heard. Ryder stepped carefully around it and continued on.
* * *
Down another hallway, Vicky tried a door. The knob turned . . .
Oh for the love of God! It was that storage room full of lumber. She had been here before!
