Page 125 of Midnight Wedding

She snorts slightly and tilts her chin up. “Take me home now, please. I’m tired. I want your odd poisoner to make me some pancakes.”

“You really shouldn’t call her that. If she ever hears it, she just might take up her old occupation.”

I’m teasing and Lena knows it, but her face drops anyway. “Seriously? You think so?”

“Of course not. That woman adores you.” I wrap my arm around Lena and steer her toward the elevators. “I adore you too. So will the whole Brotherhood once they get to know you better.”

“What if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll kill them.”

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”

I kiss her eyebrow. “I’m not.”

“Crazy bastard,” she says, leaning into me.

Chapter 43

Lena

Six Months Later

I lugmy big-ass body up the steps and pause at the top to catch my breath. “No, I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just a beached whale rumbling around on the floor.”

“You won’t get any sympathy from me. I told you to use the elevator, but you insisted.” Sona leans against the wall, arms crossed as she waits for me to straighten up.

I grunt, one hand on my back, knuckling the knot that won’t seem to loosen up no matter what I do. It’s been like that all freaking day, plus some mild cramping. It’s not a big deal. I had hoped a little minor exercise might help. That’s what Mom said might work, anyway. Ever since she went into remission four months back, she’s been extremely into my pregnancy, which is a mixed blessing. Like, a little bit too involved, if I’m being honest, but I’ll gladly let her obsess and bug me all the time if that means she’s still around when the baby’s born.

The baby’s kicking more than usual today.

He’s due in two weeks.

Which means I’m basically about to burst.

Unfortunately, nothing’s making me feel any better right now.

“Trust me, I know,” I grumble as I waddle after her. We head past a perky secretary toward one of the conference rooms.

“Arsen was enormous, you know. It’s a Sarkissian trait. Big, hairy skulls. That baby’s going to blast your cervix open and it won’t ever be the same.”

I grimace, one hand on my belly. “Can you not?”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were so soft you couldn’t handle the truth.” Sona’s smiling slightly now. I know she’s only teasing me. The woman comes off like a vicious snake—and that’s exactly what she is.

But she’s also loyal, caring, and occasionally funny.

Mostly a snake, though.

Still, over the last few months, we’ve gotten close. Much closer than I thought was possible when Arsen first suggested I start working with her.

“How much were you briefed on this?” I ask her as we approach the meeting.

“All I know is we’re seeing Vartan and Haik to discuss new territory alignment.”

“Their sons and several of their soldiers are here too. Arsen says they’ve been pretty unhappy since the realignment started.”

“Since when did we use business jargon?” Sona murmurs. We stop outside of the conference room.

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