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I couldn’t believe my good luck that my bride picked someplace so easy for our honeymoon. My brother Dima had invested in a vacation resort in Fiji just the year before, and after a few phone calls, I was able to get everything taken care of.

I should have been dead on my feet after barely getting a few winks of sleep the night before, but I was revitalized. Emerson looked so damn beautiful in the white dress Mila had pulled from her old stock after we did some reconnaissance the night before. I was glad she had talked some sense into me and kept me from beating the crap out of Arkadi, so I still had a reason for the marriage to go through.

At that point, nothing could have stopped me, though.

Emerson was finally mine.

After Mila’s more peaceful head prevailed, we poked around and did a bit of spying on Arkadi’s turf to find out what my old enemy was up to. It was a good thing, too, because some of his underlings were up to some shit that wouldn’t have made my brother Lev too happy if they’d succeeded.

Yes, there was a peace treaty, but it wasn’t hammered out in stone, or written in blood. It was more of a gentlemen’s agreement to leave each other’s businesses and properties alone. We didn’t always stick to it one hundred percent, either, but what Arkadi’s boys had in mind would have done some real damage. Mila insisted it was probably a coincidence, but I wasn’t convinced. I would have bet money that Arkadi was going to start ramping things up now that I’d bested him and humiliated him by sweeping Emerson out from under him.

Either way, we stopped one of Lev’s office buildings from being robbed and got to crack a few skulls, which was always satisfying, even if none of the skulls belonged to Arkadi. Mila spent the last part of the night trying to convince me that rushing into marriage wasn’t a good idea. I was the only one of us still single besides her, and she didn’t want to be the odd sibling out.

“She’s got to be mine,” I told my little sister. “Even if you don’t agree with that, you have to know how bad Arkadi is.”

She scowled, hating the man every bit as much as the rest of us did. “I know, and of course, I’ll support you.”

After she was sworn to secrecy, she begged to be part of the wedding, but I needed her to be on standby for my next task.

It had only been about an hour since Emerson and I returned as a married couple, but it felt ten times longer than that. There were still things to do to get ready to leave for Fiji, but I needed to see her like I needed oxygen.

Poking my head into the guest room, I was stunned to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, still wearing the white dress. Her shoes were kicked off, and her feet dangled an inch off the floor while she stared aimlessly at the wall. I wanted to reach for her and push some of that luxurious red hair behind her shoulder, clear a place on her soft neck to have a taste.

I also didn’t want her to launch herself at me in a new fit of rage, so I kept a tight grip on my self-control.

“Hey,” I said quietly. “Did I break your brain?”

With a huff, she snapped out of her trance and whipped around to scorch me with a fierce look. “What is going on? You know we have a private party of twenty tonight? That includes two of last year’s best actor nominees. Not to mention all the regular reservations. If you’re not letting me out of here to work, who’s going to run the kitchen?”

I marveled in silence at her for a moment before I was able to answer. She was going off because she was concerned about the restaurant, my baby. It was like a sock in the gut, but in a good way, to see she cared about my pride and joy almost as much as I did. Maybe more, because I honestly hadn’t given Khoroshiy a second thought since we raced away from there last night.

I knew I was right about her, and pleased I’d gone with my gut and trusted her with the head chef position, despite her lack of experience.

“Well?” she demanded, as I gazed at her like a lovesick puppy.

I grinned, making her scowl deepen. “Don’t worry about the kitchen. I’ve got it covered.” At least I would after a few more phone calls. “Right now, I’m just waiting on a delivery.”

As cute as she was as she sputtered out more questions, I left, smothering laughter at whatever she threw, thumping against the door as I pulled it shut. Just when I finished texting instructions to Kerri to take over service and made it back downstairs, Mila had arrived.

“Whoa,” I said. “I asked for a few outfits.”

She sighed, whipping her long blonde hair into a bun as she opened the first of three huge boxes she’d pulled from the leftover stock of her recently defunct boutique.

“But you didn’t mention where you were going. Does she need ski, swim, formal? I just brought it all.”

Seeing a true smile back on her face was great, having something to keep her mind off her worries. She bounced on her heels and demanded to meet Emerson, saying she’d need a woman to help her pick the right outfits.

“She’s perfectly capable of throwing a few things into a suitcase without you holding her hand,” I said. I laughed at the big-eyed look she’d been using against our older brothers since she was a toddler. “You know that doesn’t work on me. You can meet her when we get back if you keep your mouth zipped for now. It’s just you, Ivan, and Daria that knows.”

I leaned over, kissed her cheek, thanking her for bringing half the shop on such short notice. “Now, get lost. I have a honeymoon to go on.”

She left, grumbling the whole way to her car, but gave me a sunny smile as she got in. “Good luck, sucker! You’ll need it.”

No, she was in no danger of getting the virus that had infected my brothers, and now, possibly me. She thought I was being a supreme idiot, but was still going to support me like the best sister in the world. Maybe I was. The important thing was that Emerson was safe for now, and would be safer once we were holed up in our island paradise where no one knew where we were.

Hollering for a couple guards, we hauled the boxes up and lined them up in Emerson’s room.

“Pick some things and be ready to leave in half an hour,” I said.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at me, then the boxes. I had told myself not to touch her because the dam of my self-control might break, but she was just too tempting. Reaching over, I tapped her chin, then dragged my finger along her smooth jaw. Her mouth clicked shut, and her tongue darted out to lick her full lower lip.

Damn. She was so fucking gorgeous.

“Half an hour,” I reminded her, leaving before the dam burst, and I started the honeymoon before we even got on the plane.