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“Don’t say it like that.”
“Like what?” She pulls back. “I’m worried about my brother.”
“You’re saying it like I’m terminal.”
“You are. Kind of.” She wags her brows playfully. “Terminallyin love.” Just like she did as a kid, Anya makes kissy faces at me until she can’t help but laugh at herself.
I roll my eyes. “Are you done?”
“Done with the air kisses? Or done teasing you?” she asks. “Because I’m done with the air kissesfor now.But I will be making fun of you every day for the rest of your life. Or my life. Whichever comes first.”
“If you don’t stop being annoying, then the end of your life is rapidly approaching.”
She grins, proud of herself, but holds up her hands in surrender. “How about this?” She leans forward, face flat and expressionless. In her most robotic voice, she asks, “How are you doing, IvanBot?”
“Better,” I declare. “And I’m okay. How are you?”
She sinks down into the leather chair across from my desk and sighs. “I’m okay, too. Scared, but we don’t have to talk about that. We’ll keep it light and fun. Otherwise, bored. I miss planning your wedding to Cora.”
“Myfakewedding to Cora.”
She waves me away. “Yeah, yeah. I know it was all fake, but coming up with the designs and the colors was so fun. It felt real.”
It did. But it’s never going to happen. This is something even Anya won’t be able to charm into existence.
“You can help Francia with her planning. I’m sure there are ice sculptures to commission and you’ll need to give the Bolshoi Ballet time to choreograph a special number for the reception.”
“Don’t remind me,” she grumbles. “She’s left me three messages.”
“She actually called you?”
Anya nods. “She wants us to go out for lunch so we can ‘get to know each other.’ I’d rather gargle bleach. Also, I know plenty about her already. Like, I know she’s a fucking psychopath, for starters. I also know I wish she was dead.” She raises her brows in challenge. “Should I keep going?”
“You’re preaching to the choir,moya sestra.” I grimace. “If I’m not careful, she’s going to plan this entire wedding behind my back. I’ll walk out of my room one day and find myself in the middle of the ceremony.”
“I doubt it. She’d need help to plan a ceremony and she isn’t getting any of that from anyone around here. Niles said her breaking into your room sealed the deal for a lot of the staff. They hate her.”
“That could be a problem.”
Anya frowns. “How is that a problem? It’s a good thing. Francia is insane. Now, people realize that.”
“You’re right. She’s insane,” I say slowly. “Which means I don’t have any fucking idea what she’ll do when she realizes her plan isn’t working out. She could attack my staff. She could hurt Cora.”
“She wouldn’t do that.” Anya looks at me with wide eyes. “…Would she?”
“I can’t be certain,” I admit. “Which is why, aside from last night, I’ve tried to keep her calm. I need her to be placated so I can do what I need to do.”
She nods sadly. “That makes sense. If you need anything from me, just let me know. I’m happy to—” Anya stops when she sees my face. The offer to help lodges in her throat. Then she shakes her head vehemently. “Nope. Nuh-uh. No way. I didn’t mean it. I don’t want to help. Find someone else.”
“She already asked to meet up, Anya. It’s the perfect plan.”
“Yeah, except for the part where I have to beanywhere near Francia.”
“It wasn’t a question, Anya.”
My sister groans and melts out of her chair until her ass hits the floor. “This is going to be terrible.”
I nod. “Probably.”
