by Kimber Chin
It was a short search. Nikky's grandfather stood right outside the door, talking to a man in a long trench coat. A trench coat at a summer wedding. Tatyana blinked. What was he carrying in that thing? A bazooka?
"Ready, Granddaughter?" Nikky's grandfather stubbed out his cigar. Igroek glared at the trench coat-clad man with unconcealed hatred.
"Ready." She tried to slip her hand away from Igroek. He held on tightly. "Igroek."
"One of my regrets is not being by my little girl's side as she got married." Igroek pulled the sentimental big guns.
"She asked me, Igroek." Nikky's grandfather wasn't stepping aside.
"Stand by your own granddaughters, Kaerta."
"Did you have a look in the church, jackass?" Tatyana had. The pews had been satisfyingly full. A pleasing turn out for a midnight ceremony. "Kaertas make boys. I don't have any granddaughters to stand by."
Tatyana closed her eyes as the men nattered away at each other. If only she had her gun. Or a time machine. Because the organ player was repeating the opening strains of a sugary sweet ballad over and over and over again. The wrong auntie had been put in charge of music.
"Enough." She broke into the bickering. "Both of you can stand by me." What was one more stubborn ass holding the crown, signing the papers, or glowering at guests from the front of the church?
The two grinned. They were a little too satisfied with her solution. She narrowed her eyes at Nikky's grandfather, suspecting his plotting. She would have told them off but then that damn music started up again.
A happy day. Her wedding day. With a hand on each grandfather's arm, she floated toward the vestibule, toward Nikky. Tatyana fixed her bride smile on her face, the one she'd practiced for the past hour. She was demure, classy, with a touch of mystery. She grinned broader at the thought of her death curse. Now that she knew the truth, she knew she could protect Nikky. And he would live.
However, maintaining the smile proved difficult to achieve as the old men continued talking.
"A historic moment, isn't it, Igroek, old friend?"
"Stuff it, Kaerta. This doesn't make us friends."
"You're absolutely right." Nikky's grandfather chuckled in amusement. "This makes us family. Things are about to get interesting."
Things did not get interesting. They got irritating. Really quickly. They were surrounded by both families, all of them looking for direction, all of them hanging off their every word.
Tatyana had enough of it. She wanted to spend time alone with her new husband. "Nikky, the wedding night starts in five minutes," she announced to the room in general, the ass in particular. "Five minutes," she repeated, tapping her bare wrist.
"I hear you, Brat." But she could tell from his distracted manner, he hadn't. Both of their grandfathers were vying for his attention and he was as exhausted as she was.
"What time is it, Boris?" she asked her bodyguard.
The young man grinned. "2:33, Boss."
That late. "Please tell me when it is 2:38."
She waited. She kissed cheeks. She cooed over babies. She nodded as the crazy gnome's people, her people now she supposed, tried to impress her with their sucking up abilities.
"It's 2:38, Boss." A group of Nikky's men circled them. Boris must have spread the word.
Because there was going to be a show. "Nikky."
"Yes, Brat." He didn't even turn his head, the ass.
"The wedding night is starting." She plucked her veil off her head and threw it to the floor.
Or tried to. It floated, ruining the effect. So she kicked off her cute little shoes, one of them flying so far it clipped him in the shins.
That got his attention. "Lose a shoe, Brat?"
"I'm going to lose a lot more, ass." She reached behind her to undo her dress. She struggled.
"Boris, unzip me."
Boris darted a quick, nervous glance at a now attentive Nikky. "Boss?"
"Don't look at that ass for direction, Boris. You work for me." She waved her finger.
"Yes, Boss." He managed to unzip the dress without touching her.
Tatyana caught the front as it fell.
"You will not get naked here, Brat." A sparkle returned to Nikky's tired eyes.
Did he think because they were married, he could boss her around? Like hell. She tilted her chin. "We're having our wedding night now, Nikky. You chose the location. Not one I would have decided upon butȄ"
"Brat." He growled in warning.
She dropped her hands.
The brat. Nik yanked up her dress. Not before she flashed the entire room, though. Yes, that silk bustier was more concealing than a swimsuit, but it was meant for his eyes and his eyes only, damn it. "RespectȄ"
"Is earned, ass." She crushed against him as though she couldn't get close enough, her face soft, her eyes dreamy. "Are you going to earn my respect, Nikky?"
She was an absolute terror. But so beautiful. "I guess I'll have to, won't I?" He swung her into his arms. Although her full skirt was unwieldy, she weighed nothing. He could lift her with one hand. He'd proven that recently.
"I guess you will." She put her arms around his neck.
"Kaerta," Tatyana's aggressive grandfather barked. He had plans, plans to keep the family safe, Tatyana safe.
But those could wait. "Tomorrow." Nik didn't look back. Tatyana smiled. "Or the next day."
