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“I promise.” He inclines his head. “You can talk to Liam. But I won’t promise anything else. He’s been lying to you, too, Valentina.” Andrei slides his fingers through my hair and tilts my face towards his, hovering an inch from my lips. “Anyone who lies to my queen will be punished for it.” His lips crash against mine, stealing the breath from my lungs. Leaning in, he demands more, deepening the kiss. His heartbeat pounds, steady and sure, beneath my palm.
When he pulls back, he brushes his palm against my cheek. “Do you understand?”
He’s not just talking about punishing Liam for lying.
He’s talking about punishing my grandmother, too.
“I understand.”
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand by and let it happen.
Chapter 26
Ezra
By the time Andrei is finished coordinating our plans for the evening and the sun has set, Valentina is nervous. She has no reason to be; all three of us will be with her at all times, and I doubt Katya will be up past midnight.
People sleep longer the closer they are to death, and Katya is very close to hers.
“Lisichka. Stop dancing.”
“She’s fidgeting,” Mikhail corrects with a teasing lilt to his voice, smiling crookedly at Valentina. “It’s delightful.”
“Both of you, shut up.” Valentina shifts her weight from foot to foot as we wait for our ride to appear. “I’m allowed to be nervous.”
I try not to sigh. The night will be long if she’s uncomfortable. “What is wrong?” We’ve already discussed Katya at length, going over what happened again and again while she picked at a croissant. I don’t know that she actually ate anything today, and that means that she’s not allowed to drink tonight.
If Valentina gets tipsy, things will become very complicated, very fast, especially if Liam is involved.
He could snatch her up in a heartbeat if we’re not careful.
My heart hardens. I will never let that happen.
Instead of answering my question, Valentina scowls at her fingernails and starts picking at her cuticles. “I just don’t like waiting.”
“It is five minutes.”
Mikhail chuckles, likely at some perverse thought running through his mind, and Valentina’s head snaps in his direction.
If she had fangs, they’d be bared in his direction right now.
It makes Mikhail laugh even harder.
“Come here, lisichka,” I grumble, holding out my hand. “You do not need worry.”
Even though she’s grumpy, Valentina slips into my arms and lets me hold her. I stare out at the driveway while she buries her face in my chest.
“What does that mean? Lisichka?”
Her pronunciation needs a lot of work, but I’m touched that she tries.
“Little fox,” I translate, resting my chin on the top of her head. “Because you try to be sneaky.”
Breaking into the estate, rummaging around my bedroom, going on unapproved trips with Mikhail, sneaking off with her grandmother...
Someone needs to keep a constant eye on her.
She chuffs. “I do not.”
