Page 10 of Keeping My Enemies Closer: Pt. 2

Sitting down next to me, he grabbed my legs, then placed them over his lap, something that he did every time that he found me in here.“Your color is getting better.”

“I’m feeling better,” I told him.“At least, physically.”

After a few seconds of silence, he said, “Viktor will be visiting us in the morning, Zoya.”

“To check on you?”I hedged.

“No,lepestok,”he replied.“He will be here to speak to you about that night.”

“Is...is he mad?”

Kasimir’s brows rose a bit.“That you didn’t tell us everything?No, he’s not.”

“Really?”I asked, hardly believing it since I knew of his reputation.

“He’s...concerned,” he said, probably trying to soften the blow of the truth, which was that Viktor really was pissed at me.“We’re not ones to sit idly by when someone has harmed our family.”

“I’m not your family,” I pointed out.

“You will be,” he countered smoothly.

“And what if I said that I needed a couple of more days?”

“I’d say that your time is up,lepestok,”he answered.“Viktor is not going to wait any longer, and even if he was so inclined to, my father won’t.”

“Your...your father?”I stammered.

Kasimir gave me a quick nod as one of his hands slid up the pantleg of my pajamas.“I’ve made my intentions clear with my family where you are concerned, and so you not being a Korolev yet is merely a formality at this point.Had you and your mother not been attacked, we’d be married already.”

I could only gawk at him.“You were serious about that?”

“I’m nothing but serious when it comes to you, Zoya,” he stated firmly.“The only reason that I am holding off making it official is because I do not want our anniversary so close to the same date as the death of your mother.I do not want sadness overshadowing something that is meant to be celebrated every year.”

Not having the energy for that conversation, I asked, “Does that mean that your father is coming over tomorrow, too?”

Kasimir shook his head.“No, only Viktor.”

“Because, obviously, Viktor Korolev isn’t the type who needs help,” I grumbled.

The crazy man just grinned.“We all need help every now and again,lepestok.”

Yeah, everyonebutthe Korolevs.