Page 215 of Cashmere Ruin

April is the first to raise her hand. “I second the motion.” Then May starts laughing, imitating her as if she’s done something particularly funny. Her tiny hands reach for her uncle, almost out of habit, and Yuri’s eyes get just a little bit shinier.

“You don’t actually have to say it like that, you know.”

“Killjoy.”

Grisha shakes his head at our antics. “Well, let’s see. I’m not particularly thrilled with the way this all went down.Loyalty isn’t something you choose. It’s something you either have or don’t.”

Yuri starts nodding. “I understand.”

“And laying down your life for your comrades is exactly what being loyal means.” Grisha smiles. “You’re not a big, bad traitor, Yurochka.You’re just way too goddamn dense.”

“Ass!”

Here they go again. It’s nice to see some things never change.

“Petra?”

All eyes turn to her. She’s been quiet the longest, and also hurt the deepest. I can’t begin to imagine what her answer will be. If this has been too much for her, I’d understand.

“I have a condition,” she says eventually.

“Name it,” Yuri whispers.

“Marry me.” She grabs his hand before any of us can get over the shock, Yuri included. “Give me the wedding of my dreams. Or I swear, Yuri Romanov, you will see your kid grow up exclusively through postcards for as long as you live.”

It’s a weird proposal, to be sure.

It’s also very much Petra’s style.

And while any sane man would run in the other direction, IV drips be damned, my brother just cracks the biggest, stupidest grin in the world. “Third time’s the charm, right?”

“You bet your ass it is.”

Then she kisses him. If it can even be called a kiss. I feel like I’m watching a wildlife documentary about lions and gazelles—and Petra sure as fuck isn’t the gazelle.

“We should probably give them some space,” April mutters in my ear while blocking May’s view.

“Yeah. And find some acid for my eyes, while we’re at it.”

“I’m sure the hospital staff will have something.”

We head out of the room. “Grisha,” I call.

“What?” he huffs. “I was enjoying the show.”

“More like stacking up blackmail material.”

“I’m only human, boss.”

We ditch him to stand guard—faraway from the door—and walk out into the parking lot. “So weird,” April muses. “This is where I was kidnapped the first time.”

“Here?” I frown.

“Yeah. Right between those two spots. There was a black van and it just swallowed me up.”

“But you escaped.”

“Of course.” She flashes the cheekiest grin in the world. “Never mess with the pregnant ones.”

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