Page 194 of Silenced

Cassie: Nikolai Veles.

Savannah: That sounds Russian.

Cassie: Probably because it is. He’s my partner. :)

Savannah: Your partner? I don’t hear from you in literal decades and when I do, you’re in a relationship, unafraid of returning to the city, and aren’t worried Harvey’s chasing after you?

Cassie: Decades?! Hardly.

Cassie: Run a search on his name. I’m sure you’ll figure out what happened.

Cassie: Anyway, tomorrow at 11?

Savannah: Sure. Now, don’t disturb me. I have Google searches to run.

52

MISHA

For the past ten years,I’ve anticipated chaos whenever Maxim and Nikolai share the same breathing space, but today’s different.

Somber.

I suppose that’s what happens when you’re in limbo like we are.

Nikolai, much as he always does, walks into the room as if he owns it. Doesn’t matter where he is or on whose turf he’s standing, he just has that presence—a tsar in the flesh. His magnetic draw sucked me in when I was a child, sucked Maxim in too. Never mind the dozens of orphans who found their way to us over the years.

But it’s not for me or Maxim that those same kids helped us out in Moskva—that was for Nikolai.

That was and is and forever will be his power.

The craziest thing of all? He doesn’t even know he has it.

He strides over to Maxim, leans down, and kisses him on the forehead.

Maxim doesn’t pull away.

My first clue that nothing will be the same today.

“Brat moy,” he greets, voice gruff.

Brother mine.

Maxim grabs Niko’s good hand—another shock. “Any news on Dmitri?”

“He’s awake. That’s all that we can ask for at the moment. And you? Are you better? Did the intruders injure you?”

He grimaces. “They didn’t. But I’m still in pain from what happened in Moskva. I could use more time, but I have to maintain control. Misha’s helping.” He doesn’t say that Kirill and Tima are as much use assamovarsmade out of chocolate.

“Who broke in and attacked?”

“Pushkin and Barkov.”

“They’re dead?”

Because I had fun with the men who thought they could harm my brother, I grin. “Of course.”

Nikolai rolls his eyes. “Your poor girlfriend.”

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