Was that true? Nik thought of Igroek.
"You are no longer alone. You'll never be alone." Duscha played with Tatyana's hair. "The family will take care of you."
"Of us," Tatyana assured her. "You have our word." Nik had explained to Tatyana that Duscha would want for nothing financially. The Kaerta's took care of their own.
"Ivan's gift to me." A sniffle. "His last gift." Another hug, more tears. Nik stared upward.
There were cracks in the ceiling. He would send someone to fix that for Duscha.
It was an hour more before they exited. Nikky was restless, Tatyana saw him tap his feet on the oriental carpet, but he didn't rush them, giving Ivan's wifeȄno, Ivan's widowȄas much time as she needed.
Six families in one day. Tatyana never wanted to do that again.
"Thank you." Nikky drew her onto his lap. Pavel sat across from them, the big man's eyes suspiciously red.
"They lost their lives because of me." She laid her head on his shoulder. She should cry, but she couldn't. She was all cried out.
"It was part of the job, Brat. They accepted that risk when they took it." He stroked her hair.
He said that but he felt their loss as much as she did. Part of the job, her ass. She glared up at him. "Is it part of your job, Nikky?"
"Tatyana..."
That was a yes. "I can't be Duscha, Nikky. I can't sit silently at home, waiting for someone dressed in black to visit. I can't." It would drive her crazy.
"You? Sit silently?" His lips twitched.
"You better take me seriously." She waved her fist at him. She was so upset, she really would punch him in the nose this time.
Nikky sighed. "I can't make you any promises, Brat." He snuggled her closer to him. He was so warm and comforting.
"But some people say I'm like my grandfather." Some people? He was like his grandfather.
Both were stubborn asses. "If they're right, you won't have to worry about anything.
Grandfather is going to live forever."
No one lived forever. Tatyana didn't say that, only kissing his forehead. He didn't need to think about his grandfather's mortality now.
Less than an hour later, Tatyana contemplated ways of shortening the grandfather's mortality. "No." She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. "I don't know who this Igroek person is, but I'm staying with Nikky." Nikky's grandfather insisted they move to separate rooms, his guest of honor arriving tomorrow night.
A fist pounded the table. "I will not embarrass Igroek with your behavior."
"How would he know?" She leaned forward. "And why would he care?"
"He'll know." She didn't like the glance Nikky and his grandfather exchanged. Like they knew something she didn't. "And he'll care. I won't have him thinking my granddaughter is a whore."
"Do not insult my fiancee." Nikky's voice was deadly low.
"Then control her." His grandfather flung his hands in the air. "This has to be done."
"Control her?" Tatyana bristled. As though she was a child.
Nik put an arm around his tempestuous woman, holding her back. "Like you controlled grandmother?" It was an impossible task. "If someone had tried to force you and grandmother to sleep in separate rooms, would you have allowed them?" No matter how fiercely they fought, his grandparents shared a room up until the day grandmother died.
"Don't talk about your grandmother. This is different, Nikolay. You know that."
"I know nothing." He was told nothing. Only what to do. Like a damn dog. "She's my fiancee.
She stays with me." That was the right answer for him, for Tatyana. The hell with everyone else.
"You will sleep in separate rooms." Nik had never seen Grandfather so furious. "I'm not asking as your grandfather."
Grandfather was asking as his boss, as the head of the family. To refuse that request was to risk demotion, but this gamble was worth it. He wasn't letting her go. "I know. My answer is the same."
"Leave us, Granddaughter."
"I'm staying with Nikky." She was fearless, his woman.
"Nikolay."
If Grandfather advised to control her again, Nik suspected the brat would draw blood. He had to separate the two until emotions settled down.
"Tatyana, I need to speak to Grandfather. Could you wait in our..." He stared at the old man.
"... room?"
"I don't know." Doubt was written all over her expressive face. "You're not going to back down, are you?"
"It's been a long day, Brat." He didn't have the energy to fight both of them. "Do this for me."
He squeezed her waist. "Please."
"For you only." She turned to face Grandfather. "I'll wait in our room." Point made, she flounced off, slamming the door behind her.
"Damn, she's stubborn." There was admiration in Grandfather's voice.
"So am I." He wasn't backing down.
"You love her." Nik didn't reply. It was a statement, not a question. "If she is who I think she is, Igroek will be pissed."
Nik widened his stance, folded his arms. "She's mine, Grandfather. Igroek hasn't protected her. I have. I will continue to protect her and I can best do that with her sleeping in the same room."
"It's not the sleeping part I have issues with," Grandfather said under his breath. He lit a cigar, puffing on it. "He'll be even more pissed if you flaunt your relationship."
"I don't care." He wouldn't suck up to Igroek.
"You should care. Igroek can be a hardass. If he thinks you've disrespected her, disrespected him; he'll take Tatyana back with him immediately. You won't get the chance to plead your case."
And Igroek could then block any attempts made to contact her. Shit. Nik ran a hand through his hair. "We'll be careful."
"Throwing your physical relationship in his face is not careful. Igroek will be overly sensitive. This is his only grandchild you're involved with, his long lost grandchild."
That was true. Damn it. Nik didn't want to do this and he really didn't want to do this without letting the brat know why. "If I explained that to Tatyana, who Igroek isȄ"
"And if she isn't who we think she is?" A raised eyebrow. "If he rejects
