Page 77 of Scorch

“A graze wound,” she says, examining Nikita. “It can be tricky with animals, especially with thick fur like this. It looks worse than it is, but we’ll clean it thoroughly and keep her overnight for observation.”

“Oh, thank God.” Lydia turns to me and buries her head on my chest, her shoulders shaking. I cup the back of her head, and my heart warms. She loves Nikita, just like I do. Vera watches over us, her own eyes shining.

“I think you should keep her here for the night, just for observation. We will call you if anything changes.”

“We will stay here.” I’m not leaving Nikita, and I suspect Lydia agrees.

Lydia shakes her head, whispering to me. “I don’t trust her apart from us, Viktor,” she says. “This was intentional. We’re playing right into their hands. If we stay here, we’re sitting ducks.”

The vet’s eyes widen, but Vera quickly assures her. “It’s not you they don’t trust. But Lydia is right. I’ll go back with them, and I’ll know what to do if there are any changes with Nikita.”

The vet prescribes some medication, and slowly, one by one, we leave.

As we leave the vet, I feel a wave of relief. Nikita will be fine. She’s been hit but not seriously injured.

We’ve been lucky this time.

But we need to stay vigilant. Our enemies are out there, watching, waiting for their next move.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Lydia

“I’ll go back to Mom’s. Keep an eye on her and Polina,” Lev says. “I’ll be there, too.”

Nikko nods. “Vera and I can stay with you, too, Viktor, if it’s alright with you.”

“That would be perfect,” I say with a smile. I want to catch up with my sister. “We have a wedding to plan. How long can you stay?”

We’re in the parking lot outside the vet’s. “I’ve got a week,” Vera says. “I wish I could stay longer. But it’s alright, Mom is almost home, and she will come, too. You aren’t far from her now, either.”

We situate the sleeping Nikita in the back seat between us. Nikko’s driving, Viktor in the passenger seat.

“What details do you still need to finalize for the wedding?”

I catch her up to speed. “Polina and Ekaterina are mostly handling all the details. It’s not like I really know anyone who’s coming.”

I’d rather it be like this. Small. Close family, no more, no less.

I’m listening in on Viktor and Nikko’s conversation.

“Obviously, security is the main concern,” Viktor says, his voice low and intense. He’s pissed. “I don’t trust the Ledyanoye Bratstvo to stay quiet for long. We need to ensure everyone’s safe. He’s doing exactly what we hoped he would do,” he admits. “But I’m pissed we haven’t gotten him yet.”

Nikko nods. “I’ve already got men scouting the location. We’ll set up a perimeter and have checkpoints. We’ll make sure security’s locked down in all places. No one gets in without clearance.”

Viktor glances back at me, then continues, “I want Lydia to feel safe on our wedding day. No surprises. This is her day, and nothing should ruin it.”

Vera smiles at me. My heart warms at his words.

“We’ll also consider a decoy route so we can keep our movements unpredictable.”

Vera chimes in. “What about the guest list? Are we sure everyone invited is trustworthy?”

Viktor answers, “We’ve vetted everyone, and it’s a small guest list.”

Nikko looks thoughtful. “And the caterers? Staff? Anyone working the event?”

“Polina and Ekaterina are handling the vendors. They’ve been given strict instructions to hire only from trusted sources,” Vera responds.

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