He still wore his boots and lingered in the doorway with the air of a man who did not want to stay.
I frowned and spoke Russian. “What is wrong with you?”
For the first time I could remember, Viktor glared back at me. “What do you care?”
“I do not. Other people do. Fix your face.”
Lida turned her head, her liquid gaze finding mine. I waited for her growl, but it did not come. Another vehicle outside distracted her.
Saint elbowed me. “Be nice.”
“I am nice.”
“Be nice tohim.”
“Why? He would think he was dying.”
Saint took a moment to force out his next words. “You managed it the other day.”
“I did not tell you that so you could use it against me for the rest of my life.”
“It’s enough that you stay with us that long.”
I turned to face him properly. “That has nothing to do with Viktor.”
“I—” Saint stumbled, letting me know whatever he had to say was important.
I waited.
And waited.
He shook his head.
“All right, wingman. I will be nice. And you have him in this secret Santa nonsense, soyoucan be nice to him on my behalf.”
“Don’t murder his present.”
“What does that mean?”
Whether Saint would’ve answered me, I would never know. The front door banged open and Ivy tornadoed inside. “Saint! SAINT! You have to come here rightnow.So does Uncle Cam.”
The house was full—and loud—enough that Ivy’s screech should not have reached Cam in the kitchen. But somehow it did, and he emerged with Rubi in tow, both men, coincidentally perhaps, clutching knives.
“What is it? What happened?”
Ivy shoved her way to where Saint had shot to his feet and made it halfway across the room. She leapt at her very favourite uncle, right into his waiting arms. “My dads are getting married!”
25
ALEXEI
Not rightnow, which was different to the last time a child had burst into a room to say such a thing. But the room erupted all the same, bodies piling onto Decoy and Folk as they entered the house.
Saint hung back with Ivy, and I wondered if that was why she’d come to him. All the children we were blessed to love were astute in their own ways, but Ivy knew Saint best.
“You won,” I told him quietly enough that Ivy would not hear.
Saint’s magical smile returned. “Twenty quid.”