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"I'm yourȄ"

"Shut up, Igroek," Nikky's grandfather snapped. "You can marry with my blessing. I'd even stand up with you if you still want me to."

She did. "And you won't hunt us down?" They'd be free?

"There'd be no need. Marry after midnight and Nikolay is reinstated as my heir. You can return to the family."

Because he had concluded his no wedding ultimatum with 'today', sneaky bastard. "I don't want to wait until midnight," she pushed.

"It is less than three hours away. You'll need to fix your hair."

Her hair? She frowned. She touched a tendril. It was rock hard. She did want to look her best and if they married three hours from now, Nikky would return to being his grandfather's heir. He wouldn't have to give up anything. "You give us your word?"

"No need for that, Brat." Nikky's relief told her she made the right decision. "If Grandfather says that's what will happen, that's what will happen. I trust him."

"Glad to hear that," his grandfather grumbled.

Tatyana smiled. "Then he can live." Nikky's gun swung to Igroek. "I didn't really want to kill you, you know," she assured his grandfather. "It's just that I love Nikky very, very much."

"What did I say, Kaerta?" Igroek crowed. "They wouldn't have done it."

"You, however." Tatyana turned her entire attention to Igroek. "I really do want to kill. It crushed my mom that you didn't approve of Dad. He was a good man. And you allowed your own brother to kill them."

Igroek flinched. "I didn't allowȄ"

"Shut up." She didn't want to hear it. His excuses would make killing him all the harder.

Tatyana chewed on her bottom lip. "No talking from you. I can't believe a word you say. You killed your brother. You disowned my mother. You're capable of anything." But to kill him.

Her own grandfather. Did she have a choice? "What do you think I should do, Nikky?"

"Your call, Brat. I'll support whatever decision you make."

"I can't make a decision. I'm too close to this." She winced. This could affect her entire life and she wasn't thinking clearly. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally.

"Grandfather, Nikky and I trust your opinion. You know Igroek. You were partners once.

Should I kill him?"

Igroek groaned.

"Scared, Igroek?" Nikky's grandfather chuckled. "You should be. One word and your empire is in my hands. I'd have control of the entire country." The old man was enjoying himself.

"Nikolay, in situations like this, what do we do?"

"We examine the different outcomes and how it will affect the family," Nikky recited.

Nikky's grandfather searched his inside jacket pocket. "If we shoot Igroek now, his empire will have no clear heir. He assured that by killing his brother." He took out a cigar. "They'll be weak, distracted with infighting. I've been waiting for an opportunity like that. We'd strike fast and take their territory." He speared the air with his cigar. "Then, many decades from now if fate is kind, you and Nikolay inherit the combined empires."

"Nikky?" Tatyana didn't care about combined empires. She cared about Nikky.

"It's a good solution, Brat." He shrugged. "And we wouldn't have to worry about your family sending people after you. You'd be safe."

"But is it the best solution?" Nikky's grandfather lit his cigar. "If we convince Igroek to support your marriage and let him live, Tatyana will be his heir. Nikolay, you are my heir.

Eventually, the two of you will inherit the combined empires."

"Same results." But they wouldn't have to kill her grandfather. She preferred less killing.

There'd been enough death today. She glanced at her great-uncle's crumpled body then at the blood on Pavel's shoes. Too much.

"Not entirely. There'd be no war to weaken the empires." Smoke swirled around them, partially covering up the smell of blood.

"That's good." War meant death. No war meant no death.

"But," Nikky's grandfather paused dramatically. "Igroek would have an influence over both you and Nikolay."

The crazy gnome's eyes lit up. Tatyana glared at him. "I don't like that."

"No." Nikky's grandfather's lips twitched. "I don't either."

"And what if he double-crosses us? Tries to kill Nikky?" The thought alarmed Tatyana.

Igroek couldn't be trusted. He disowned her mother. He killed his brother. "No, I say we kill him."

"You can't kill everyone who might double-cross you, Granddaughter." Nikky's grandfather puffed on his cigar. "That possibility is always there. I could betray you, Boris, Chan, who knows." He shrugged.

"Chan?" Igroek choked.

"The man we spoke to at the church, the one with all the guns," Nikky's grandfather explained. "He was obsessed with your granddaughter even before he knew who she was."

"He isn't obsessed." Tatyana squirmed. That word was a little strong. Interested, perhaps.

"He kidnapped you twice, Brat," Nikky reminded her.

"Those were misunderstandings."

"One more misunderstanding and you'll have to kill him," Nikky's grandfather told her fiance. "Now that he knows who Tatyana is, he won't let her go."

"I'm aware of that." She didn't like the way Nikky readily agreed.

"You will not kill him." Chan killed his wife. He might hurt Nikky. "And he will let me go. He said I was only fair game until I got pregnant. After that, he'd leave me alone."

"Really?" All three of them stared at her.

Her face heated. "I'm still fair game," she clarified. "I think." She wasn't sure. It was too early to tell.

"Then I've got some work to do." Nikky grinned, the arrogant ass. "In the interest of keeping you safe."

"Great-grandsons," Igroek mumbled in wonder.

Great-grandsons, not great-granddaughters. Figures the male chauvinistic pig wanted boys.

"Igroek." Tatyana waved her gun in the old man's direction, bringing them back to the topic at hand. "What do we do about him?"

"No need to kill me. I'll support the marriage." It was an abrupt about face from the crazy gnome. "Your grandson will have my full protection, Kaerta. I give you my word."

"For what that's worth." Tatyana's eyes narrowed. "Backstabbing bastard."

"Let the bastard live, Granddaughter," Nikky's grandfather advised. "Nothing will happen.

Trust me. I wouldn't put your Nikolay in danger."

"I trust you." She didn't trust Igroek.

"Grandfather will keep him honest, Brat." Nikky lowered his gun. "Then it's settled. The wedding happens tonight."

"At midnight." She wanted him reinstated as heir. Nikky wouldn't be happy with any other position.

"Sooner."

Three hours. Nik sat at the poker table. Couples got married in drive-thru chapels every damn day, yet his bride claimed it'd take three hours for her to get ready. No, not his bride.

His mother. Accompanied by an amused Father Kaerta. A midnight ceremony. They were going to have a church wedding in the middle of the fucking night.

"She really would have shot me?" Igroek repeated for the thousandth time.

"Yes." Nik was glad she hadn't had to, as he was glad he hadn't had to shoot his own grandfather but, if pushed, they would have.

"Nikolay would have shot me," Grandfather said with pride. "His gun hand was rock steady."

"You trained him well," Igroek conceded.

Trained him. Like a damn dog. "You going to play or talk?" Nik scowled at his hand. He'd rather be holding Tatyana than cards.

"I fold." That would be talk. Grandfather tossed his cards on the table. "Guess I should be booking a flight to Philadelphia soon, huh, Igroek. Look over my new city."

"Go to hell, Kaerta." Igroek slammed chips down. "I raise."

Tatyana's grandfather bluffed. He had nothing. But he was too proud to fold. A weakness Nik would exploit in the future, to ensure Tatyana's happiness. .

"A new city, a new granddaughter." Grandfather sounded pleased. "I couldn't have arranged it better myself."

"You did arrange it yourself." Grandfather had been the one to suggest their engagement from the beginning. And he'd complied, obedient dog that he was.

"Did I? No, I believe the engagement was your idea, Nikolay." His chair creaked as Grandfather leaned back.

It wasn't like Grandfather to reinvent history. "It was the only solution." Igroek, as impatient as his granddaughter was, called.

"There is always more than one solution to every problem. That was yours. It wasn't mine."

What was he saying? Nik laid his cards on the table. There were groans. Igroek cursed. "You said nothing." What other solution was there? He gathered up the chips, stacking them.

"What could I say?" He bumped his cigar against the ashtray. "I knew who she was, I recognized the ears. I knew the mess that would follow. That I'd have to deal with him again." Grandfather's nose wrinkled in disgust. Igroek looked even less happy. "But you wanted her, Nikolay, we all saw that, and what you want, you get."

"She is an Igroek. Why wouldn't he want her?" Igroek motioned to his man, Mikhail, the bodyguard with the snarly face. "I have something I want you to give her." Igroek passed a long velvet box from the bodyguard to Nik. "To wear tonight. Don't tell her it is from me, you understand?"

Because if Tatyana knew it was from Igroek, she wouldn't wear it. And it meant something to the old man that she did. Nik opened the box. A pendant on a fine gold chain, a mauve enameled egg covered with tiny gemstones.

Igroek poked at the egg. It opened, revealing a tiny golden swan. "This is an heirloom?" Nik asked. It had to be. It was a miniature work of art.

"My wife wore it on our wedding day. My daughter was to wear it on hers, but..." Igroek stared at the egg, his lips moving with no words. "You will tell her to wear it tonight," he demanded.

No one told Tatyana to do anything. "She will wear it." It was beautiful. It wouldn't take much convincing. "You want it back?" That would be more difficult.

"Ah." Igroek waved his hand. "It is hers to keep. Give it to your sons to give to their wives."

"Or to our daughters to wear on their wedding day." Nik wanted his little girl.

"You will haveȄ"

"Igroek," Grandfather barked.

Fifteen

"Every leader makes mistakes. You learn from them or they kill you."ȄSergei Kaerta

"I'm glad you came to your senses, Nikolay, before the flowers wilted." His mother glowered at him. Like it was his fault the wedding had been delayed. "I misted them to keep them fresh."

"They look good, Mother." Nik didn't care about the flowers. As long as this night ended with him married to the brat, he'd be satisfied.

His apprehension over that happening grew as Joey Chan entered the church. He was flanked by four men, too many for a casual attendance. Their eyes met. Chan's chin lifted in a dare. Shit. There was trouble.

Nik glanced over at Pavel. The big man nodded, crossing his arms. He was aware of the danger.

"You're not angry, are you Nikolay? Because I helped Tatyana?" His mother worried, tweaking his boutonniere for the thousandth time, as his father talked to the priest.

Why would his mother helping Tatyana with the flowers make him angry? "Of course not."

It was ridiculous.

And distracting. Chan moved through the church. His casual pauses at the exits would have been imperceptible if Nik hadn't been watching for them.

"Good." His mother's shoulders lowered. "Maybe if you talked to your grandfather, he won't...he won't be upset with me, with your father."

"Grandfather?" That got Nik's full attention. "Why would he be upset about flowers?" He glanced back. Shit. Chan was gone, Pavel missing also. "We'll talk about this later, Mother."

He squeezed his mother's shoulder before slipping into the corridor. Tatyana would be in one of the private rooms, fixing that frizzy hair of hers one more time.

"You don't want Kaerta as an in-law." Nik heard Chan before he saw him. Who was he talking to? Nik inched along the wall, losing his boutonniere as it scraped against the stone.

"My granddaughter wants the Kaerta grandson as a husband. That is all that matters."

Igroek, defending him or negotiating for a better offer from Chan, Nik didn't know which. If it was the latter, he was negotiating from strength, positioned in front of the door, a brute to his left and to his right.

"Come on, Igroek." Chan chuckled. "We're businessmen and marriage is a business deal.

This is not about what the girl wants. This is about what we want."

"And what do you want?"

Negotiating, it was. Another backstabbing bastard. Damn it. The darkness to Nik's right shifted. Pavel. His number one man had his guns ready. A shoot out in the church on their wedding day with his wife-to-be's grandfather dead by his hand. Fuck. Tatyana would beat him into next Sunday.

"I want your support, financially and in manpower, for west coast expansion. That's it. I won't interfere with the east. That'll be your territory. You know Kaerta will promise no such thing. Rumor is...he has his eye on Philadelphia."

Philadelphia, the city Igroek already lost. Nik's top lip curled. Chan was a crafty bastard.

"And what do I get?" Igroek's face held no expression.

"You get everything, a united empire, my Asian connections, revenge upon Kaerta." Chan smiled, pleased with himself.

Nik waited for the agreement. That was all he needed. Then he'd take out Igroek, leaving Chan for Pavel.

"Is that everything? Money, power, revenge?" Igroek shook his bald head. "I used to think so. Now, I want more. I want more for my granddaughter. No, Chan, she'll marry Kaerta's heir, that's decided."

Nik let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"That's a mistake, old man." Chan didn't take the rejection well, approaching Igroek. "I was being polite. I don't need your permission to take what I want."

A flash of movement and Chan was thrown against the wall, Igroek's hands around his neck. The bodyguards pulled guns. "You underestimate me, Chan."

He wasn't the only one. Nik stared. Fuck, the old man was fast.

"You do need my permission. You now need my permission to breathe." Chan's face was red. "So, here's how today will go. The Kaerta boy marries my granddaughter. There will be no drama, no reason to upset the bride, understand?"