Page 149 of Nemesis

“Fine,” he gives in. “I don’t care. You two ready?” He slinks over to us.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited.

“We’re ready,” Octavia whispers back, without taking her eyes off mine.

Alex scribbles something on a cocktail napkin before leaning over to hand it to the priest. “Their full names,” he clarifies, gesturing to the inky scrawls.

“Alright. Do you, Octavia Clarke Siderov, take⁠—”

“I do,” she says immediately, cutting him off. A chuckle works its way up my chest, even as the man exhales in frustration.

“Okay…do you, Vasiliy Morozov, take⁠—”

“He does, too,” she cuts in again.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Skip ahead,” I growl, pulling Octavia into my arms.

“Fine. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss…”

I don’t wait for him to finish before wrapping my hand around the back of her head and pulling her lips into mine.

Our kiss is nothing like the slow, languid touches from the night before. My tongue slips past the seal of her plush lips with no resistance, and she brushes hers against mine with a claiming swipe. Then my teeth close over her bottom lip, biting down until I taste the salty copper of blood. Her neck vibrates around the moan that slips free.

Suddenly, a crash tears us apart in surprise.

Ivan smiles broadly from his seat at the front of the plane, hand dangling over the mess of shards that used to form the shape of his glass. “Huzzah!”

The flight attendant, apparently having reached her limit, peeks out from a nearby cabinet to glare at him.

“Sorry,” the blond man backtracks, lowering his head repentantly. “I’ll clean it up.”

“You have got to stop bringing random men back home with you every time you fly out of town, cousin,” Nik says from the head of the table. Dad’s seat.

Everyone was already gathered by the time we returned to the compound. The cleaning crew did a fantastic job, because all signs of bloodshed have been scrubbed clean. Even the broken window has been replaced. It feels like I should be able to pad up the grand staircase and slip into Dad’s office for our latest chess rematch.

“This is Ivan Petrov,” I say, gesturing to the tattooed, blond man towering in the chair beside mine.

“And I was just starting to grow attached to your last escapade,” Nik says from across the table. His smile doesn’t meet his eyes. “How did you manage to replace him so quickly?”

“Petrov?” Maksim pushes off his perch against the wall, giving Ivan a strange look.

I nod. “He’s Solokov’s Second. My last escapade is working on our hostage situation in the cellar.” I sent Vas down as soon as we arrived. I might have the bias of loving him, but when it comes to cutting out information, no one is his equal. I know he’ll get me something useful.

For the first time in the handful of months I’ve known them, my cousins go quiet. They’re all staring at Ivan with the same intense look. To my surprise, it’s Maksim who breaks the silence.

“No fucking way.”

“Way,” Ivan returns.

Maksim blinks. Then he walks over to the table and slides into the chair across from mine. “How…the fuck…is Ivan Petrov sitting at our dinner table right now?”

I frown. It’s unnerving to see Maksim so vocal. “Do you know him?”

“Do I…” He trails off, shaking his head. “That’s Ivan Petrov.”

I blink.