Fire Bound (Sea Haven Sisters)(92)

Wine was next, each drinking three times from a shared cup. “The cup represents life and symbolizes sorrow and joy that the two of you will always share from this day forward,” Viktor explained. “As you drink from the cup, be reminded that you will divide your sorrows and your joys will be doubled.”



Lissa liked that he explained the various ceremonies. She knew enough Russian to understand the priest, but she wasn’t familiar with the wedding rituals and what they meant. The priest spoke rapidly in his native language, making it harder to follow, so the explanations were very welcome.

Viktor and the priest led Casimir and Lissa around the altar three times. She noted that both a Bible and a cross were prominent on the altar. Everything clearly was done in threes. Viktor sang three hymns softly, his voice rich and deep, as they took their first steps as man and wife together.



The priest said a few more prayers over them, ending with the traditional, ancient phrase “May you live.”



He shook Viktor’s hand and then Casimir’s before he faded away, leaving the three together.



“I’ve got a villa for the night,” Casimir said. “No one will be there but us. Do you have time to visit?”



“I’m sorry,” Viktor said, shaking his head, his voice tinged with regret. “I took a chance coming. I have to be on the freighter before it sails. No one knows I’m in the country. Officially, of course, I’m not. I’ve got some friends taking me back, but they won’t be able to cover for me for long. I don’t dare miss my ride.” He put his hand on his brother’s shoulder as he leaned down to brush a kiss on Lissa’s cheek. “Lazzaro has a small room set aside where we can visit for a few minutes.”



Casimir held tightly to Lissa’s hand as they followed Viktor down a narrow hallway to a small room with four chairs and a coffee table. Other than those five pieces of furniture, the room was bare. Casimir helped Lissa to remove her crown and veil and sit in the most comfortable chair before he sank into the one beside her, taking off his crown as well.



“You haven’t checked in with anyone, Viktor.” Casimir knew it sounded like a reprimand – and it was. “All of us were worried. We weren’t even certain you were alive.”



Viktor shrugged. “It couldn’t be helped. In the beginning, when I first joined the motorcycle club, I was watched all the time. I’ve managed to work my way up in rank and I’m trusted far more than I was, but my target is very paranoid. He used to ride with the club all the time, but now he’s elusive. I’ve managed to slowly get my people in place and they have my back, so it isn’t as dangerous as it was in the beginning when I was out there with no one, surrounded by a hundred enemies.”



Casimir swore in Russian. “We would have come.”



Viktor nodded. “Precisely why I didn’t tell any of you what I was doing. Of course you would have come. I didn’t want that for you, for any of you. You’re the last one to find his woman. Tell me about the others.”



“You’re the last one to find his woman,” Casimir corrected. He didn’t want Viktor to give up his life because his brothers were settled.



Viktor shook his head. “I was the first,” he said. He pressed his thumb into the middle of his palm. “When this is over, I’m going to stake my claim. She won’t like it, me being gone so long, but…” He shrugged. His features were hard. Implacable.



Casimir didn’t think that boded very well for his woman. “Does this woman know she’s been claimed?”



“She’d better know it,” Viktor said.



“Really?” Lissa asked, her voice innocent. Too innocent. The sheer arrogance of the man rubbed her the wrong way. “So you kept in touch with her for the past… how long have you been undercover? Five years?”



Viktor narrowed his gaze. “Deep undercover means no communicating with the outside world that might put someone you care about in jeopardy.”



Lissa nodded. Casimir shifted closer to her, uncertain what exactly was taking place between his wife and his brother.



“So this woman of yours knew you were going undercover.”



“Wife. My fucking wife.”



Lissa’s eyebrows shot up and her fingers tightened around Casimir’s. Glancing down at her, he realized she was angry. “Your wife then. You told her you were going deep undercover, right? There were ways you would let her know you weren’t dead.”



“She knows.”



“Good. Otherwise she might be dating someone else, or maybe, if she didn’t know she was already someone’s wife, married to someone else.”