Book VI
A Gathering of Scoundrels
by Carla Jane
A Breaking Storm
As strange as the circumstances were, Victor was forced to admit that he was
enjoying himself right now. That was something he hadn't expected when his
twin's superior, Nicki, had dispatched the pair of them on this assignment.
Of course he missed his sister, Alice, but in the past, he'd gone months at
time without seeing or talking to her so that wasn't a big change. What
mattered was that the day was beautiful, the food was excellent, and the
company was interesting.
Marie was intelligent, lovely and charming. She was a wellspring of tales
about her travels around the world, fitting into the places she visited and
she even told an occasional story of mischief that she and Alex had caused in
their youth. Surprisingly enough, while supplying all these amusing snippets,
Marie never seemed to linger on her criminal activities. Her voice was soft
and musical. Their waiter was falling all over himself to earn her smiles and
goodwill. Marie constantly had to acknowledge greetings tossed her way by the
people passing by the open-air café.
"So here I am with this bowl full of bugs, some of which are trying to crawl
away... "
Victor had to smile at the face the petite beauty made as she described the
long ago meal. "They were alive." He laughed at Marie's grimace.
"I suppose... " The third member of their party spoke up. "That's one way to be
certain that they're fresh." Her smile was much more subdued. "I somehow
doubt they had a refrigerator."
Victor glanced over at the teenager and was rewarded with a slight
brightening of the girl's greenish brown eyes. After spending all this time
in their company he was proud to be able to pick out which of the Catherine
clones was which. At least he could distinguish them once they spoke.
Riene was a sweet tempered imp, who flirted outrageously and practically
purred whenever she talked to him. Kate seemed nice enough but was much more
reserved with her emotions. Even though the girls were sharing a wardrobe,
Victor had learned that Kate preferred simple utilitarian shirts and pants
while Riene showed as much skin as possible from between bits of brightly
coloured cloth.
"Maria!" Yet another person hailed the tiny brunette. This one came over and
began a chatty conversation in Spanish.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that he and Kate were out with Marie,
in such a high profile place, to establish an alibi for Alex and Riene. Due
to meticulous shuffling and carefully planned appearances by The Family the
locals had yet to clue into the fact that there were two each of Alex/Victor
and Riene/Kate. That was a situation the group was using to its full
potential.
After weeks of meetings, Zamora, a local drug producer, had exhausted the
last of Marie's patience. She and Alex had been playing negotiation games
with the arrogant, foul-tempered man for too long now. Victor wasn't privy to
the exact details of the disagreement but it had something to do with
shipping cocaine into territory that the Romanovs didn't want it to go and a
dispute over money. Victor was fairly certain that Alex and Riene had gone to
discipline Zamora. Explosives were involved if his quick look inside Alex's
backpack was anything to go by.
"They're all right," Kate murmured softly below the musical chattering of the
two women. Her body had shifted so she could speak right into Victor's ear.
"What?" The ex-cop dragged his full attention onto the teenager beside him.
"Alex and Riene are professionals." Kate reminded him. "I can tell by your
expression that you're worried about them, Viktor. You needn't be. By the
time they're finished, Zamora's business will be ruined, and he won't give us
any more trouble."
"Your accent is slipping again," he pointed out to distract her. Victor had
observed that Kate didn't seem as comfortable flipping languages and accents
as Marie and Riene were. Of course Alex was a complete chameleon. It was
comforting in a way to see a lack of perfection within this eerie family.
Victor half wondered if the girl exaggerated the small flaw because it made
him smile to have a chance to correct her.
"Gracias." Kate acknowledged with mild affection. "Would you like some more
coffee or might we take a walk?"
"Anywhere in particular?" Victor asked, pushing back from the small table.
Marie was engrossed in the conversation she was having with the newly arrived
woman.
"That flower shop two streets over." The Catherine clone climbed to her feet.
"Alexei needs a few gifts sent out. Remember? He tucked a list in your pocket
this morning."
A hint of pink coloured Victor's cheeks. This morning. Oh jeez. He'd
forgotten there had been a purpose behind Alex invading his space and
practically groping him before they had parted ways. As much as it shamed him
to admit it, even to himself, Victor was no longer struggling hard enough
against his twin's physical overtures. When Alex had slipped up against
Victor's spine and snaked his hand into the snug pocket of Victor's trousers
it was all he could do not to press back into the unnatural heat of Alex's
body. The lapse was intolerable, Victor told himself later, but at the time
he'd reacted to the blatant affection without thinking of the consequences,
enjoying the touch both as an indication of their connection and for the
physical pleasure it had invoked. The Russian had whispered something about
an errand against the curve of Victor's ear as his fingers had stroked
sensually over his twin's hip but the exact words had been lost in the buzz
of sensation that the contact had provoked in both his mind and his soul.
It was claustrophobic living in the same small townhouse as Alexei and the
girls, but the Canadian was completely enjoying it. Victor had shared a
building with both Mac and Li Ann back in Atlantic City but the three of them
had each retreated to their own apartments on a regular basis. Victor hadn't
lived in such an intertwined state as this with other human beings since his
birth father had died, and even then, servants and constant travel had
tempered their closeness. When his mother had remarried it seemed an even
cooler distance had sprung up. Half the time Victor would come home from
school only to see no one but the housekeeper all night. The seductive warmth
of helping to cook a meal, and then all of them sitting down to eat it and
talk together was addictive.
The emotional bonding wasn't the complete extent of it either. Every form of
physical contact flourished within their small group, from the casual through
to the frankly sexual. Marie lounged against Alex while the radio played. All
the Russians touched incessantly while conversing with each other or with
Victor, fingers brushing his arms or shoulder. Riene laid like a puppy across
whoever happened to be handy during their evenings at home. All three of the
women stroked Alex as if he were a favoured pet whenever he was within reach.
Kisses were bestowed all around constantly, without needing any reason. As
near as Victor could tell none of them spent an entire night alone for more
than two days in a row. One morning he had gone in to wake Alex only to find
his twin tangled up with both Marie and one of the Catherines.
For Victor, the most insidious and erotic of the temptations came at night.
Hearing the guttural sounds that penetrated the too- thin walls and deciding
over the course of the session who the participants were had turned from a
disturbing irritation into something Victor actively listened for in the
darkness. Last night it had been Marie and one of the girls putting on a
performance.
There was also the dilemma of constantly tasting his brother on Riene's skin.
It should have been yet another factor to dissuade him from touching the girl
but instead it was driving Victor slowly insane. Nor could he bring himself
to turn the teenager away when she came to him at night, as much as the
liaison embarrassed him.
There was no way that Riene was unaware of her position as a go- between.
Quite the opposite, the teenager was playing her role for all it was worth.
Victor knew for a fact that her haste to depart and lack of words after going
down on him the other night indicated that she had neither swallowed or spat
out his semen. The point was further enforced by what had happened as soon as
the door had shut behind her that night. There was the immediate muffled
thump of a body against Victor's closed door. Riene let out a smothered
squeak and Alex's frantic moan of pleasure was devastating. The rhythmic
creaks that came next suggested that Alexei had taken the girl right there
against Victor's bedroom door. Even more telling was that not a single
coherent word was spoken by either party, despite how vocal the Russians
normally were during sex. Not a sound, save what could have emerged from
sealed mouths, escaped either Riene or Alex while the pair of them had sex
against the thin portal.
Victor had desperately wanted to blame his quickly re-evoked arousal that
night on the noise of creaking wood and the remembrance of Riene's eager
attentions, but it was getting harder to convince himself of that every day.
"Viktor." Kate's tugging on his sleeve yanked his attention back into
reality. "If you're going to stand here daydreaming all day I would just as
soon sit back down and order another coffee," she teased.
"I'm sorry." The ex-cop shifted so he could extract Alex's paper from his
pocket. The local names on it were familiar for the most part. Victor had
been kept accurately briefed on Alex's activities and had even impersonated
his twin with several of the people on the list. Only one name and address
stumped him and it was for an American location. "Who's Inga Fossa?" Victor
questioned that particular notation.
Marie actually paused in her conversation momentarily at the sound of that
name to exchange a look with Kate. The teenager's nose wrinkled and she
flicked her finger impatiently indicating that Marie's companion had noticed
her inattention. "She's just a source The Family is courting." Kate dismissed
it. "Nothing you need to worry about, Viktor dear. It's something about
computer software. I'll compose the note for that one."
A frown marked his face as he looked down at the paper. "I don't like it. He
wants us to send her black roses and a Glock," Victor persisted. "Is Alex
being bizarre or is it some kind of death threat? "
Her gaze swept the surrounding café, attempting to discern if anyone appeared
to understand their exchange. Small mercy they were speaking English.
"They're actually dark red." Kate plucked the list from Victor's fingers.
"Dusted with a black powder for effect. They're quite expensive," she
explained. "And unique. Alexei is attempting to make an impression on a woman
who isn't easily ensnared by frivolities. This woman has already shot down
every normal business overture that Anastasia has tried to make. Only Lexi
seems to rate even a passing acknowledgement from her and we're not even sure
as to why that is."
"But you can't just send a handgun out like you'd order a pizza, Kate. It's
illegal. What the hell kind of florist is going to... "
Victor didn't get a chance to finish his complaint. The first indication they
had that something was wrong was the screech of tires. The front corner of
the knee-wall around the café suffered a shattering crash. A table and
several chairs went flying. Car doors whipped open and men in dark, shiny
suits poured out of the vehicle.
Victor's body reacted before his mind had time to process any of the events
unfolding about them. He shoved Kate aside, behind the skimpy safety of an
overturned table, then yanked his gun out from inside his thin jacket. From
the corner of his eye he saw that Kate had also produced a pistol although he
had no idea where the girl had been hiding it.
The flurry of gunfire began from their attackers and the complete
unsuitability of their shelter was displayed as bullets tore through the
tabletop as if it were paper. Marie was the first to return fire. Her gun
barked as she scrambled for more suitable cover.
"Get out of here!" Victor ordered his young companion before popping up to
shoot. Kate, ignoring the command, duplicated his actions. Guttural screams
of pain and two falling bodies rewarded their response. Unfortunately,
another barrage of gunfire resulted as well.
Victor heard an especially loud shot, the sharp ping of pierced metal, and an
instant later he felt a flare of pain so intense he couldn't help but cry out
in response.
Alexei and Riene crawled through underbrush and filth attempting to ignore
the deafening hum of insects, and at the same time their senses stretched out
for some response to their infiltration. The bag that Alex dragged behind him
was mostly empty now. Only a few grenades remained of the cache of explosives
he'd brought out to the site. They had to move quickly through the clinging
muck, as only a short delay had been practical on the timers. Leaving a half
dozen unexploded bombs unattended for too long would be the same as inviting
Zamora's people to discover and disarm them.
Riene had begun to speak a few times over the course of the mission but
Alexei had glared her into silence. There was nothing the teenager could say
that Alex wanted to hear. Lately there had been very little Riene could say
that would hold his interest, except things concerning Victor. Victor was
both their connecting factor and the thing that was pushing them apart.
Alexei was using his apprentice as a tool to touch the one person he wanted
more than anyone else in the world, but his jealousy at her position as
Victor's lover tore at Alex with teeth and razor claws. With time and luck
Alexei was hoping that Riene's position as a buffer would be rendered
unnecessary, but in the meantime it was damaging his relationship with his
apprentice.
This morning had bubbled with promise. Alex was sure it wasn't his
imagination. Vicka had been hovering on the verge of pressing back against
him when they had touched this morning. If Alexei wasn't careful to keep his
mind on his job the visceral delight he'd experienced when pressing his
fingers into Victor's pocket would completely blindside him even after a day
long separation. Alexei could almost taste the object of his desire on the
tips of his fingers.
"Lexi." Riene attempted to capture her teacher's attention yet again. "Lexi,
it's important."
"We're not far enough away yet." His boot kicked up a small clod of dirt as
Alexei scrambled upright for the first time in hours. "It's time to run now,"
he instructed after a glance at his watch.
Riene had barely got to her feet when the first of the explosions boomed
through the heavy air. Before their ears stopped ringing from the first blast
another detonated. One after another the many outbuildings of Zamora's
compound went up. The fuel stores and weapons caches were igniting and
helping the destruction along.
A hiss of pleasure escaped the teenager. She wished they could stop for a
moment and admire their handiwork. Unfortunately, they had to get clear
before Zamora's people realised that the situation was beyond salvaging and
came looking for someone to lay the blame on.
Riene reached out and caught her mentor's vest to slow him down just a
little. With his long legs Alexei would leave her far behind if he got up to
full speed. "Vicka and Kate have us covered," she reminded him.
"We shouldn't rely on that," he snapped in his 'teacher' voice. "It's
sloppy." Alexei caught hold of the girl's arm to drag her faster. "You'll be
working alone most of the time. Don't get used to relying on anyone in the
field, Bodkin."
"Except you, Lover," she corrected, a bit hopefully.
"For two years. If you're lucky." His grip was almost bruising. "I was
enlisted by your age. I haven't had steady backup since then. I'm coddling
you, Bodkin. I've coddled you more than anyone else I've ever worked with."
The muscle in his jaw jumped as an unexpected explosion came too far behind
the rest. "Fire hit some more stores." Alex supposed aloud.
Their jeep wasn't too much further ahead. When they reached it Riene
clambered thankfully into the passenger seat. Her legs were rubbery after the
burst of activity and the previous hours of crawling and skulking. Insect
bites she didn't know she had received began to itch as soon as they shut the
doors on the surrounding jungle. Alex had them moving in seconds flat.
"Are we finished here, Lover?" Riene sagged back into her seat.
"Close." His eyes stayed on the poor excuse for a road they had to travel. "A
few more days. If we leave too soon Zamora will be certain that we were
involved in the attack." Besides which, Victor was going to push for a visit
to Atlantic City as soon as they were done here, and Alexei wasn't ready to
face up to what hooking back up with Li Ann might involve.
"Maybe we should ask Nicki for another urgent field assignment so we can keep
sweet Vicka out a little longer." Riene's tone was playful.
"You're my favourite Catherine, Riene, but don't push me." Alex shot a brief
sideways glare at his student. "There is no 'WE' where my Victor is
concerned, Bodkin. Vicka is MINE. You're nothing but a temporary convenience
in this situation. Never forget that."
"As if I could," she muttered under her breath.
The pair of saboteurs had to wait until dusk before slipping back into the
city. For some reason the blocks around their townhouse were thronged with
official vehicles. Alexei chafed impatiently at the delay in returning home,
but he understood the need to keep from being seen by anyone since they had
no idea where Victor and Kate were.
By the time they were able to slip in the back door Alexei was almost rabid
at the extended delay.
"VIKTOR! MARIE!" He stormed through the lower floor with Riene at his heels.
Alex had convinced himself over the course of the afternoon that something
was wrong and nothing Riene could say could soothe the premonition of trouble
he was feeling.
At the bottom of the stairs Alexei practically collided with an unfamiliar
woman holding a cloth covered tray. The stranger let out a yelp of surprise,
and then launched into a lecture about how getting out of his bed was
completely unacceptable.
{... And look at you! How did you get so filthy so quickly? I can't work under
these conditions!} The woman's Spanish was sharply pronounced as if it had
been only recently learned.
It only took a moment to register that he'd been mistaken for his twin.
Alexei's mouth thinned to a hard line. The Russian swung around and bounded
up the stairs without even granting the woman a single word of explanation.
Riene would see to straightening her out.
Alexei slammed through Victor's bedroom door at a full tilt run. His arrival
startled Marie up and off the edge of the bed. "WHAT HAPPENED?" Alex demanded
in Russian. As he had feared, Victor lay quietly in the centre of the bed.
One bandage was plastered to the left side of Victor's neck. Another showed
at his right shoulder and ran a short way down his upper arm. Alex stalked
over to his foster sister and ruthlessly seized Marie. "What the hell
happened? You were supposed to be protecting him!" He shook her. Panic that
he wouldn't dare to give voice to showed in his actions. "How bad is it?"
Marie knew better than to attempt to struggle against Alexei's too tight
grip; instead, she immediately slapped him as hard as she could across the
face with her single free hand. It was a tactic Marie had often seen Nicola
use on Alexei. "DON'T!" The order rang out with the strike.
Alex's eyes widened and he sucked in his breath.
"Let go of me, Alexei." Marie prompted in a calm tone, perfectly hiding her
guilt at using the ingrained training manoeuvre. "Victor's going to be fine.
The damage isn't serious. Just calm down and let go of me. I'll tell you
everything."
One finger at a time Alexei released his bruising grip. His game face
attempted to mask his expression of fury without much success. "Tell me."
"Gunmen tried to take us out at the café this afternoon. They seemed to be
concentrating on Victor." Marie didn't step backwards or rub at the bruises
she could feel forming on her wrist. "There were six of them. We killed four
of them. The last two cut and ran. Kate chased them and says she's sure she
wounded one but they got away." Marie recited. "Kate landed badly taking a
corner and had to give up the chase. She's limping a little bit but it isn't
serious."
"Whose men were they, Marie?"
"One of the corpses was dumb muscle. A thug Zamora has used occasionally, but
I didn't recognise the others." She knew most of the local talent. "I've a
friend trying to ID the bodies and I'm tracing the hardware." Her bottom lip
pushed out slightly. "It looks like our product."
The irony of the guns' origin earned only the briefest sniff of amusement
from Alexei. "So how badly is Victor hurt?"
"It looks worse than it is," Marie pacified. "We had a doctor come in to
patch him up. Kate and I also commandeered a nurse from his private staff.
The mark on his cheek and neck won't likely scar. It's pretty shallow. His
arm needed minor surgery."
Alex growled softly to himself, and then went to kneel on the edge of his
twin's bed. "What's he on?"
"A painkiller and antibiotics. Nothing addictive." Marie felt her shoulders
begin to unknot. "I watched the doctor break the seal on the drugs," She
elaborated. "He's going to be all right, Dearest." The Russian woman grew
more comfortable as her foster brother calmed down.
"I want a target, Angel." Alexei informed her unnecessarily. "I need to know
who's responsible for this."
Marie paced over and touched him lightly on the shoulder to get his
attention. "I will find the other shooters. Do you want to question them
personally or should I oversee it?"
Green eyes, hot enough to scorch, lifted. "Just point the way to the
shooters, Angel. I will work my way up the food chain to the responsible
party, PERSONALLY."
Marie nodded and stepped back. A faint wisp of pity for Alexei's future
targets fluttered at the edge of her mind but it was easily disregarded.
"I'll go make some more calls." The tiny brunette turned and padded out of
the room.
Once he was alone with his twin, Alexei allowed himself to actually feel and
deal with the tidal wave of emotion the incident had released. He wanted to
scream but consoled himself with a muffled whimper of distress that no one
would overhear. Alexei climbed the rest of the way onto the bed and settled a
trembling hand on his brother's chest. He tracked the slow rise and fall of
Victor's breathing with every sense available to him. Alex bent carefully
over until he could smell his Vicka underneath the harsh tang of
disinfectant.
"You're not just the other half of my soul, Love." Alex braced himself on his
artificial arm so he could whisper the words against his twin's slightly
parted lips. "You are the only soul I have left, moi Vicka. If you left me
alone now I swear I'd dry up into ashes and smoke. I can't exist without you
any more." The words could come now while Victor lay passively unconscious.
His twin would likely object if he were aware of the pained confessions.
The frustrations that those objections had been stirring inside Alexei were
peaking. Why couldn't Victor understand that Alex desperately needed to
completely immerse himself in this one pure thing in his life? Alex was aware
that he was tainted. The rot had infected him so completely that he couldn't
imagine a single cell of his body that remained without stain. It seemed the
only time he felt really alive anymore was when he could brush up against his
Vicka.
"If I lost you... " Alexei shuddered, wanting to clutch but aware he might
damage his twin with a careless move. "I'd want to die, my love. I wouldn't
want to live in a world without you... but that would be my punishment.
Wouldn't it? I'd have to stay behind alone. I'd have to drag this shell I
wear through days upon days of knowing that if I'd tried a little harder...
been a better person... managed to find the right words... we could have been
together, but I fucked up again." The temptation was impossible to resist. It
tore at him. Alex had to taste his Vicka's lips, so soft and unguarded below
him.
The kiss was sweeter than the first drops of water after his imprisonment in
the silo. Even this slack, one-sided contact made his heart race and the
blood thunder inside his veins. His fingers spasmed. His created ones dug
into the sheet beside Victor's head while the real ones trembled against his
twin's chest. There was so much more he wanted to do to his Vicka. A kiss
wasn't nearly enough.
The door shoved open without warning. Surprise made Alex jerk upright and
grab at the gun he had stashed in the back of his jeans. He had it pointed
between the intruder's eyes before the door finished swinging inward.
The strange woman that Alexei had run into downstairs let out a surprised
squeak of fright and the tray she held tipped precariously.
{ALEXEI! Put that down!} Kate slipped past and planted herself in his sight
line. Her Russian was brusque and commanding. {This is the nurse.} The slight
girl's expression was glacial. Her crisply pressed sleeves looked as if they
could slice the air when she crossed her arms over her chest.
A huff of air escaped Alex. He holstered his weapon and turned his attention
back down to his twin brother without a word of apology. Dark, slightly
sweaty hair was brushed tenderly back, quite unnecessarily. It was still too
short to get into Victor's eyes.
{You're in my way.} The nurse attempted a brave voice but the woman's fear
was betrayed by the fact she kept her distance.
"Alexei." Kate paced near enough to dig her fingers into his bicep. {I will
supervise her while she tends to Viktor, Dear,} she pacified in a slightly
condescending manner. {You should get cleaned up. You're absolutely filthy
and you're getting dirt all over his bed.}
{In a minute.} Alex's hand, which had been toying with Victor's cropped hair,
trailed down the side of the prone man's face to stop at the edge of the
bandage. {YOU... } He switched from Russian to Spanish. {... had best take good
care of him,} Alexei warned. His gaze rose to pin the nurse. The woman's fear
was palatable in the closed room. He could practically taste it in the air.
Good. {If anything goes wrong, I will see to tearing out your intestines and
strangling you with them,} he threatened.
Wide eyes darted from her patient to the doorway, and then back. {I... } The
nurse coughed and she drew herself up. {I know what I'm doing. Your brother
will be fine in a few days.}
Dismissing the audience as insignificant, Alexei bent to steal one more kiss
from Victor's unknowing lips. He then climbed off the bed. As Kate had
complained, grimy marks showed where he had been straddling his twin.
The nurse edged over to her patient and sat the tray that had been trembling
in her hands down on the nightstand. Still keeping a wary eye on Alexei, the
woman chose a needle from the small collection of instruments and
accessories.
{What's in that?} Alex demanded.
She jumped at his abrupt tone. {An antibiotic,} the nurse answered
immediately.
A sneer lifted Alex's upper lip. He shoved the stranger back and poked at the
swabs, ointments and tiny tools on the now uncovered tray. {He's already had
an antibiotic. Marie said the doctor gave him one.}
{He's not a native. His system needs extra protection from local infections,}
she justified, bolstered by a confirming nod from the Catherine clone.
{ARMS OUT!} Alexei ordered harshly.
{What?} She backed away.
{That's quite enough, Alexei!} Kate huffed, choosing Russian since it was the
language he had been trained with. {Leave the nurse be. Come get cleaned up
this instant. You absolutely reek.} The teenager closed the narrow distance
between them once more, seized his wrist and tugged hard. Her fingers weren't
long enough to enclose it but the authority in her tone backed up the action.
{You do not need to search her. She's here to help our Viktor.}
Alexei glowered but he did allow Kate to draw him to the bedroom door. When
the two Russians finally departed the nurse let out a sigh of relief. She
eyed the door momentarily and then, quickly, before someone else could come
in, the nurse produced the small hypo she had hidden inside her uniform. The
concoction shimmered a faint green.
Almost immediately after injecting him her patient moaned and began tossing
restlessly on the bed. The nurse cursed softly and grabbed after a basin of
cool water to clean up the light sweat beading up on her charge's body.
Alex sat down the power drill he'd been using on the body strapped down in a
chair before him and wiped his bloody hands on the towel Riene was holding
out to him.
"I should think you'd electrocute yourself if you weren't careful." Riene
observed, glancing at him sideways. "Blood is close to water which doesn't
really mix with electricity," she remarked vaguely.
"Don't use a cheap drill." Alexei countered, looking down at the mangled mess
the hole saw attachment had made of his victim's legs. The appendages still
twitched and bled despite the fact the man had passed out and was near death.
Riene nodded. Her movements were slinky and her eyes were glittering with
excitement. She eased up against his chest and crotch, wetting her lips in
anticipation. Her teacher began to respond instantly, tracing her jawline
while a smile of amusement tugged the corners of his mouth up. "That was
beautiful work, Demon." Tiny fingers coasted over his stained sleeves.
Her choice of endearments was a massive mistake. Using the pet name Mac had
bestowed on Alex got her shoved roughly away. "We don't have time for this."
Alex's spine stiffened as he locked down his desires. "We're on the job."
Riene sighed, and then attempted to regain her own professional demeanour.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Her thumb hitched, indicating the
crumpled form.
"Yes." Alexei conceded after a moment. The gunman had held up against the
hammer coming down on his finger bones but as soon as Alex had started
cutting into the flesh of the man's hip the shooter couldn't babble fast
enough. He was nothing but a hired gun. He'd been recruited by one of the
others, who was unfortunately, now a corpse. They'd been told a time and a
place as well as having been shown a photo of Alexei. The thug knew nothing
of their employer.
"Kill him." Giving the order made his already stiff erection twitch. His
fingers itched to finish the job himself but Riene needed seasoning. Alex
looked around the cluttered machine shop that they'd dragged their victim
into. A small portable torch lay nearby. He'd burn the drill and the few
other tools they had touched to clean up any obvious evidence. Considering
what he knew of the local authorities, burning the entire place down would
arouse unnecessary ire. They frowned on the destruction of property. Pity,
the chance to instigate a roaring blaze would be rather soothing right about
now.
Victor tossed on his bed, kicking at the sheets that had been tucked around
him yet again. He groaned as a frigid cloth pressed to his forehead.
"Don't!" Victor tried to bat the intrusion away without much success.
A few pacifying words tickled across his ears but they made no sense other
than their emotional overtone.
"My head hurts." Victor complained weakly.
"Shhh." The woman's voice soothed. More incomprehensible words came from
above, then hands were urging him to sit up. "Water?"
The tip of a straw pushed against his lips. Urging emotion was obvious in the
phrase that Victor's muddled brain finally pegged as Spanish. He sipped at
the tepid liquid and forced his eyes to open so he could gaze about. Luckily,
drawn curtains dimmed the room.
He was in his own bedroom at the townhouse, not a hospital, so his physical
situation couldn't be too rough. Of course, the Romanovs had shown a clear
dislike for hospitals in the past, so that was no guarantee. "Where's Alex?"
Victor attempted to inquire.
The dark-eyed nurse flicked one hand and frowned out some complaint that
included the name 'Alex' before she brightened. "Maria," the woman offered.
"Okay, Marie." Victor allowed, leaning back into the comfort of the pillows
as the nurse left. Marie should be able to explain what was going on.
The Russian appeared quickly enough that Victor suspected she had been
waiting impatiently to join him. "Vicka! Darling. How are you feeling?"
"Sore. Hot. My head is pounding." Victor announced dully. "How long have I
been out?"
"Not quite a day." Marie filled him in. "The nurse says that you're reacting
badly to one of your medicines but it's nothing to worry about."
"Where's Alex?" Victor rasped out. "Did something go wrong with the mission?
Is he hurt?"
"No. No." Marie sat down on the side of the bed and extended her hand to pet
him. "It's nothing like that. Lexi was here but what happened to you tossed
him into a temper that would put a hurricane to shame."
Victor groaned, realising where this was going. His brother had likely gone
off to pile up some bodies in retribution. "Call him back, Marie. He's
dangerous when he's in a mood... to himself and to everyone around him." Victor
tried to sit up. "Tell him I need him here."
"Easy Vicka." Marie attempted to calm him. "Hush, Darling. The nurse says you
need to rest quietly. I'll find Alex and make him come home if that's what
you want." Her palms pressed until he lay flat and unresisting once more.
"I'll get Kate to come in and sit with you while I find Alex and Riene. All
right?" Taking her hand off his chest, Marie moved it until she was stroking
his forehead. "I'll take care of everything." As the words came out of her
mouth something made her wrinkle her nose. "You're so like my Dearest."
Marie's thumb smoothed one of his brows. "Too much like Alexei I think." The
Russian bent down to press a kiss to Victor's forehead. When she sat up she
quite purposefully licked her lips. A frown darkened her features.
"What?" Victor had seen enough of Marie to recognize she was upset about
something.
"Lay quietly, Vicka. I'll find Lexi." She got off the bed in a sudden burst
of haste. "I have to talk to Lexi."
The door opened just as Marie blurted out the last sentence. When the tiny
woman turned and discovered a Catherine leaning in the doorway she went dead
still.
"Lexi's still hunting." The teenager said softly. Her brief shorts and too
thin t-shirt identified her as Riene. "He sent me back to tend to our Vicka.
The nurse says he has a fever and he's 'anxious' but I doubt it's anything we
need to bother dearest Alexei about. Right, Marie?"
Victor wished he could see Marie's face. It would help to explain why her
posture was suddenly so tense.
"We've got to keep family rank in mind." The girl continued on. "Some of us
are soldiers and some of us are management. Alexei is just doing what he does
the best."
Marie's tone was a wary whisper. "Lexi frets over Vicka, Catherine."
"I know. It's so very delectable." She slipped by her elder and walked over
to the bed with a wicked smile. "I'll mind Vicka for a while. You might want
to take the opportunity to check in with Nicki."
"He's hurt." Marie reminded the girl in a strangely stern tone.
"I'll be careful," came the casual reassurance. It was followed by a bit of
playful sounding Russian.
Marie slammed the door as she left.
"Riene. Don't. I feel really strange." Victor complained as the slender
teenager crawled up and straddled his hips. "I'm feverish and I ache all
over." He turned his face away from an attempted kiss.
"It's fine, moi komantnoe. I've just the cure you need."
Her body rocked in place and his responded to the contact with a tidal wave
of sensation. "JEEZ!" Victor's body arched and shuddered, causing pain to
shoot through him. Strangely enough, that didn't dampen his arousal at all.
"Stop it, Riene. That's... " He sought a word but none seemed suitable. "Stop
it."
The teenager fell forward to crouch over him. Her slight body dragged up his
entire length. Once they were face to face again a hot tongue flicked out to
taste his sweat. "Mmm. I see the attraction. Pity I missed New Year's after
all."
The implications of that remark slammed into Victor's muddled thoughts from
two different directions but he just couldn't gather the brain cells together
to process the information properly. Too quickly to be natural all that now
mattered to Victor was the warm body hovering over him.
Alexei regretted the delay that cleaning up and changing his clothes caused,
more so because when he arrived back at the townhouse Marie was in the middle
of a phone call. She had refused to even acknowledge his presence in her
office doorway. Still, he couldn't go to Victor stinking of smoke and
splattered with gore from his victim.
Riene had claimed the bathroom off the hallway so Alexei helped himself to
Marie's private bath. After having the quickest possible shower he ducked
into his room, dragged on a pair of loose trousers, and ran to his twin's
bedroom.
Alex tried to force himself into a state of calm but it was hard to keep a
leash on his body after the flush of adrenaline that torturing the gunman had
provoked. He should have showered with Riene, had the girl against the tiles,
and burned off some of the hyped excitement rushing through him, but anything
that delayed him from reaching Victor's side was unacceptable. Alex gently
eased open the door and slipped inside. He was completely unprepared for the
sight of Victor lying nude beside an equally naked teenage girl. "Riene! What
the fuck do you think..?"
{Be quiet, Alexei!} The Catherine snapped in Russian. {Viktor isn't feeling
well and he needs his rest.}
"Kate." Alexei concluded instantly. His spine stiffened and his jaw
hardened. {What's going on, Kate? You're not interested in Victor.}
Kate sat up and eased off the edge of the bed. {Do not get yourself all in a
fuss.} Her wrist snapped, flicking a sheet over Victor's exposed body in
order to keep Alex's attention on her rather than Victor. {As a matter of
fact you are the one who said that Viktor should be drawn all the way into
The Family,} she reminded him. {So in he comes. Olga ran some tests and has
decided that Viktor's genetic make-up will accept your chemical adjustments
without too much of a problem, so we've begun working on him. Nicola thinks
that it's an excellent idea to have an organ donor around that your body
chemistry will accept,} Kate admitted without shame. {He's accepting the
treatment as part of the medical care he needs, so Viktor won't even realise
what's being done to him until the changes have taken hold.} She glanced back
at the unconscious man. {It's a diluted compound of all your serums put
together. I think he needs the boost in memory capacity and the jumped up
healing the most. The way he is right now, he is a woefully inadequate field
agent. I mean, he only knows one language and his computer skills are far
below standard.}
His head was shaking before she finished the explanation. {This isn't a good
idea, Kate,} Alex protested mildly. {Viktor will function better without
enhancements. He's too old to start messing around with his genetic make-up.}
Kate's expression iced over at hearing him oppose her. {KNEEL!} She commanded
imperiously. Her hand gestured abruptly.
Alexei attempted to appease the teenager by obeying the order promptly. His
knees hurt a little at the sudden weight but he kept his face a bland mask.
{You... } Kate stepped up to lord over him. {... are forgetting your place again,
Alexei. Do you need another training session so soon?} She caught him by the
hair and tilted his face up. {I will do whatever I please with Viktor. We
WILL shift his blood chemistry closer to yours in order to use him to his
fullest potential. We will do whatever we need to do in order to bind him to
The Family. I intend to start sleeping with him. I intend to get pregnant by
him so he'll have a stake in The Family, as well. You will stop trying to
seduce him immediately and act the part of his devoted brother. Nothing
more.}
She tightened her fingers, using pain to get her point across. {I have
Nicola's approval in this, Lexi.} Kate stared into his eyes. {Is all this
clear, Father?} She wielded the usually ignored relationship like a lever.
{Because if you don't behave... First, I will reveal every little lie and
deception you helped pull over on sweet Vicka. Then I will kill him. If you
so much as open your mouth to object, Nicki will turn you and your entire
pile of fascinating medical records over to that smoking bastard in
Washington that you despise so much AND put out a contract on your precious
Agent Mulder.} Her smile was malicious. She shoved his head backward. {YOU
are machine gun fodder, Lexi. I am your owner. Are we clear?} When he didn't
respond instantaneously Kate pulled back her arm and slapped him hard across
the face. {Are we clear?}
"Da." Alex responded sullenly.
"Khorosho." Kate bent and planted a kiss on his forehead. {There's a good
boy. Now get out of here, Lexi. Go screw Riene or Marie, and then take
another shower. You stink of musk as strong as Viktor does,} she observed.
{I've seeds to plant and your Vicka is riding a pheromone wave right now so I
should be able to get another three sessions out of him before his sperm
becomes unstable.} She smirked, and then turned away. {Go. We don't need an
audience.}
Alex rose to his feet. His green eyes darted once to the bed, and then to
Kate's back. Two steps closed the distance. If he had time to think about
what he was about to do he would freeze up. Alexei grabbed the girl from
behind. His fake hand closed over her mouth, clamping down hard while the
fingers of his real hand pinched the teenager's nose shut. "I'll tell you
what's clear, you arrogant little bitch," he whispered into the shell of her
ear. English seemed appropriate to the scene.
Kate's struggles were easily restrained. "Vicka is mine! If you think I'm
going to stand by and let you ruin the only good thing in my life, you're
sadly mistaken, Infant." Her movements were fast growing frantic so Alexei
had to tighten his grip. She was trying to bite his artificial hand and her
nails were clawing at him. "It never mattered what you did to me but I won't
let you fuck up my Vicka's life." Alexei shook the girl in his arms when she
started to go limp. "You shouldn't have messed with my Vicka," he repeated
insistently. "You know what else, you conceited little brat?" Alex taunted
the dying girl. "I know which of the Catherines is the original and it isn't
YOU."
Kate had stopped struggling but Alexei didn't release the clamp he had on her
breathing until he counted to four hundred. Even then Alex checked to make
sure her pulse had stopped before he dropped her small frame to the floor.
When Victor tossed restlessly on the bed Alexei's head snapped up. He stepped
over the discarded corpse and went to kneel on the edge of the bed. A
half-familiar tang tainted the air about his wounded brother. "It's okay
Vicka. I'm here." Alex caught up a limp hand. "I'll protect you, Love."
"Alex?" Victor's eyelids fluttered heavily. He finally ended up looking at
Alexei through thick lashes. "Alex. I feel really strange." His voice was a
thin murmur.
"I'm fixing things, moi Vicka. You'll be no worse for wear. I'll make sure of
it," Alex whispered. He bent to hover, staring down with pained hunger. "I
love you, moi Vicka. I'd do anything for you." Need was curling tight around
his chest and squeezing. "Nye byispakoytyiss, moi Dusha." Alexei bit down
hard on his lower lip, not releasing it until the faint taste of blood
grounded him. He wanted to kiss Victor so badly that it felt like his heart
was going to tear its way out of his chest.
Victor's hand lifted and he ran his thumb across his brother's bruised lip in
a rather speculative fashion. "Why are you so much more beautiful than me?"
Victor pondered aloud. "It makes no sense."
Alex moaned uncontrollably and sucked in the thumb coasting across his mouth.
It was impossible to resist such a temptation.
The unexpected feeling of suction made Victor sigh and his hips bucked.
"Where's Riene?" Victor gasped out. One of his hands shoved at Alex's chest
although he let his twin continue to suckle on his other thumb. "I need to
see her again."
"Nyet!" Alexei denied. "Please Vicka. Let ME take care of you. Please," he
mumbled, reluctantly releasing the finger in his mouth. His palms moved
restlessly, brushing at the thin sheet covering the body below him with
shaking hands. "You keep telling me I have to make my own choices. You tell
me I've a mind of my own, but then in the next breath you insist that I can't
have you because some higher power dictates it's wrong. It doesn't make any
sense." Alex closed the distance between them so he could speak the words
against the hot skin of his twin's forehead. "Which is it, my best beloved?"
His lips parted and Alexei inhaled through his mouth. The scent shocked
across his senses. It was so familiar yet strange at the same time, the aroma
was altered by having beaded up on Victor's skin rather than his own. "I've
wanted you for so long now. It isn't just chemicals," he argued fiercely. "I
wanted you before they gave me my booster. I want YOU. Not just anyone's
body, only yours. Why can't you understand, moi Vicka?" His voice broke,
ending the declaration.
Victor's brow furrowed. He was having trouble concentrating, rational
thoughts were quickly getting lost in the wash of stimulation. "Don't. Just
don't. There are reasons. Good ones. I just can't quite... " How could he be
expected to think while Alex's lips were so close? Just one taste wouldn't
hurt their relationship. Just a quick kiss, and then he would send his
brother away and force himself to settle for his teenage substitute. Victor
was convinced he could still hold his defences intact for that long. "You
don't have to sleep with me to make me love you, Alex." It was a miracle he
managed to put together a proper sentence. His lungs were on fire and tremors
ran through him.
"But I know that, Vicka." Alexei's brushing contact shifted into feather soft
kisses across Victor's brow and down his small nose. "I know I don't HAVE to,
but I want to. I honestly do know the difference now, moi lyubov. I swear I
do. But I want the choice you claim I deserve. I choose to do this." He
climbed above his supine twin and, with an undulating movement, rubbed his
entire frame lightly across the one below him. Fuck, he wished he'd paused to
shuck his pants. Every barrier to the feel of bare skin on bare skin was
hateful.
The action, even through Alexei's trousers and a cotton sheet separated them,
provoked a full-throated scream from Victor. A firestorm was racing under his
skin and frying out his nerve endings. Victor attempted to gasp in a breath
of air only to realise that Alex's mouth was locked to his. The few seconds
of panic that followed the discovery that he was inhaling someone else's
breath rather than fresh air did nothing to quench his rising arousal either;
in fact, Victor was harder than he thought was physically possible.
Alex's entire frame was shuddering violently enough that it seemed as if he
would fly apart. Faint, pleading whimpers vibrated low his throat. "Moi
negodyaj." Alexei reluctantly broke the kiss, dragging his mouth to burrow
into the tender skin behind the other's undamaged ear. "Ya liubliu tebia. I
love you so much. No one has ever mattered more to me than you, my precious
one." His teeth scraped but didn't break Victor's skin. "I'd do anything for
you. I could give you the world. I will. No one will stand against you, mon
cher. I'll tear it all down and give it to you wrapped in silver paper."
Alexei babbled uncontrollably, on the verge of telling his love that he had
already killed to protect him.
"I don't want the world, Alex." Victor meant to shake his head but he didn't
dare move for fear he would shatter. The entire room had fallen away from his
perceptions. There was only himself, Alex and the prickle of fabric against
his skin. Victor shoved at the annoyance without realising what it was
anymore.
Alexei immediately began to help. He inched away the concealing sheet,
running his fingertips reverently over the skin that was revealed.
"Miloserdie! Tell me what you want, Vicka. Anything. I'll do anything, get
you anything" He promised wildly. Alex felt moisture and pulled back far
enough to lap at the salty drips on his twin's cheek. The taste of the tears
and within the sweaty mixture was electrifying.
"I don't know," Victor whimpered helplessly. "I don't know anymore. I'm tired
of being alone, but I don't dare... I just want some sanity. I want a life. I
want... something normal. JEEZUS!" His body spasmed as a gentle grip wrapped
around his cock. A wail broke from his throat. "Alex, no! My God! Don't! It's
too much."
"I know, Baby. It's okay. I know what it feels like," Alex murmured, shushing
the other. He felt like crying himself. This wasn't the way he wanted his
first time tasting Vicka to occur, but how could he be expected to refuse the
intoxicating body writhing below him? "It only hurts when you fight the need.
Let me take care of you." He wouldn't press too far, Alexei told himself. He
would just ease his tormented twin. Someone had to take care of Vicka's
desperate need. Victor would understand later. He had to. "Won't you trust
me? Please, Vicka. Please. Just let it wash over you." Alexei's breath
caught, waiting for some sign of consent. It came in the form of a trembling
hand threading through his sweaty hair. That had to be permission.
Victor shivered under the attention but he voiced no objections as Alex laid
a trail of open-mouthed kisses down his straining neck and chest. Victor's
only sounds were faint hisses of pleasure at the contact. When his twin
paused to probe Victor's belly button with his tongue it made the supine man
squirm and pant breathlessly but he dropped his palms flat to the mattress to
avoid pressing his hands to Alexei's skull.
"Mmm... " Alex rumbled his pleasure and continued to travel downward. The
scattering of short hair tickled his nose deliciously. "Mladenets. Moi
lyubov." His tongue flicked, brushing down to dampen the base of Victor's
erection. Alexei wanted to offer up everything he knew about pleasing a man
for this encounter, but it would be unacceptably cruel to drag out his twin's
need for satisfaction. Alex had waited so long on Victor's consent. It was a
harsh twist of fate that their first sexual encounter had to be under these
circumstances.
Nibbling provoked yet another one of those intoxicating moans. Alexei
squirmed around to line his mouth up properly and to allow his legs room to
move. He feasted on the stiff flesh cradled in his palm, soaking it with
saliva then dived down to suck Victor's balls into his eager mouth. Alex
lingered there, savouring the pleasure the act was causing to spark through
his brain, until he noticed his twin's fists clenching and Victor's breath
hitched painfully. "I'm sorry," Alexei whispered. His tongue ran wetly up the
other's bobbing cock.
Alex's fingers played up and down his brother while he suckled at the weeping
tip below his lips. The taste wasn't as purely 'Victor' as he hoped it would
be but it was still liquid paradise exploding in his mouth. A faint whine of
delight vibrated in his throat and his own groin humped the mattress below
him. Alexei opened his mouth and with a long, slick movement he let the
erection slip deep into him.
A fluttering cry from Victor was his reward. The supine man's good arm lifted
suddenly and Victor's hand snatched at the rungs on the headboard of the bed.
When Alex drew back to catch a breath the body below him raised, attempting
to follow him up.
Using the opportunity, Alexei slipped one of his own hands under his twin to
support the sweet curve of his darling's ass. His fingers spread wide,
needing to touch as much of that divine skin as possible.
Every panting breath seemed loud enough to echo in the room. All other sounds
seemed muted somehow, even the regular traffic outside the window. Victor's
every pleased gasp burned into Alexei's mind. He used those tiny indicators
to tailor his actions, offering his new lover the most possible pleasure that
time allowed. Keeping Vicka's cock snugly pressed with his tongue seemed to
please the Canadian, as did the way his thumb brushed carefully into the
crease of Victor's ass.
Tremors were starting to wrack Victor's legs. It wasn't wise to drag this
encounter out any further. Alexei's eyes locked onto his twin's face and
swallowed as far as he could, working his throat around the thick flesh that
blocked his air. Never in his life had he ever seen such a vision as his
brother's expression hovering at the very edge of orgasm.
Alex pulled back just enough to drag down a sustaining gulp of air, and then
sucked Victor down once again. His eyes watered a bit and he had to blink, so
he didn't anticipate what happened next. A warm hand settled on the back of
his skull, urging him on and Victor whispered out a single word.
"Lover."
It was too much excitement to contain. Alexei's jaw stayed open only through
force of will as his restrained cock scraped against the rumpled sheets under
him. Less than a moment later he soaked the front of his pants with semen.
Victor let out a sob and the hand resting in Alexei's hair tightened. Alex
felt the pulse begin against the roof of his mouth and drew back enough to
taste what he was being given. Sharp, slightly bitter flavours flooded his
senses. Alexei swallowed, and then licked gently to draw out every drop. When
he finally lifted his mouth away he noticed that Victor was quietly crying
again.
Shoving down the twinge of guilt that the sight aroused, Alexei crawled up
the bed and very carefully insinuated himself against the side of Victor that
was the least damaged. He stroked his hand across the other's shivering
stomach, and then squirmed around with his foot and leg to drag the sheet up
within easy reach. "It's going to be all right, moi Vicka." Alexei
practically crooned the assurance. "They didn't give you a full dose. It'll
be okay."
"We shouldn't have." The Canadian whispered, almost to himself.
Alex licked his lips, tasting the remaining traces, and then set a line of
kisses along his twin's cooling skin. "I wanted it. You needed it. It was
staggering. This was the right thing to do, Vicka, my darling. Trust me," he
assured yet again. "I do love you. I've never loved anyone more. There's no
one like you, mon cher. If this is the last thing I ever do with my life, I
won't regret it. I know I'm not nearly a good enough person for you, moi
Dusha, but can't you forgive me?"
"Alex." Victor knew he was supposed to be saying something. His brother's
last few words had too much weight behind them to be hollow endearments.
Victor cursed his slow, muddled thought processes. "Lexi." He tried out the
Russian name, despite how wrong it tasted, only to hear a huff of protest.
"Alex," came the gentle correction. "I'm your Alex, moi Vicka. I want to be
your Alex until the day I die." Fingertips traced over Victor's face as if
attempting to memorize every line. "Rest, beloved. No one is ever going to
hurt you again as long as I've breath in my body."
"We need to talk about this, Alex."
"Soon." The other promised. "Too soon." A sadness underscored the last two
words. "Please. I just want to lay beside you for a while." Alexei melded
himself as tightly as he could to his twin without risking damage. "I love
you."
Several long breaths eased out of Victor, suggesting he had lost his fight
with consciousness, then he murmured. "Love you too."
A tiny, wincing noise that combined delight and pain escaped Alex. Exhaustion
was tugging at him as well, but there was no way that Alexei was going to
waste one precious moment of this interlude in sleep.
Alex lingered longer than he should have, terribly aware that this might be
the only time he ever got to touch his beloved. Alexei didn't want to leave
his Vicka's side but the practicalities of life and death had to be dealt
with. He waited until Victor was in a sound sleep before reluctantly slipping
out of his twin's bed. The corpse on the floor had to be addressed.
Unfortunately, there weren't very many options. It was unlikely that his
housemates would ignore the fact if Kate disappeared.
Alex picked up the dead teenager, his nose wrinkling in distaste. He briefly
considered tossing her into the Catherines' bedroom and ignoring the problem
so he could return to the seductive warmth of Victor's arms, but dismissed
the idea as cowardice. Besides which, he didn't want to frighten Riene.
Watching carefully for the nurse, Alexei carted Kate downstairs and headed
towards Marie's office. That was where his favourite foster sister tended to
hole up when something was bothering her.
The door was closed but unlocked.
He waited until Marie swivelled around in her chair to see who was intruding
before he dropped the body like an offering onto the shiny floor. There was
nothing to say. Alex simply waited for Marie to absorb the facts in front of
her.
Dark eyes lifted slowly from the sprawled girl to Alexei. "Dead?" She needed
confirmation despite how things looked.
"It's Kate," Alex supplied. "I killed her." He removed any doubt.
"Why, Dearest?" Marie questioned in a gentle tone.
Considering all the possible responses took a few breaths. Alexei decided on
the most accurate. "To protect Vicka. You knew, didn't you? That's why you
wouldn't face me when I got back from taking out the shooter? You knew about
the drugs and that Kate was with him." His tone grew grave. "I won't let them
fuck around with Vicka. He's better than that, better than me. He's worth
more than every single one of us put together." Alex glanced down at the
Catherine clone. "I'll take all the heat for this, Marie. I just need you to
protect Victor. You have to hide him so well they'll never find him. Will you
do that for me, Angel?" His body was tensed up beyond belief and Alex was
making every effort not to let his foster sister see that. It would pain him
to no end to be forced to take out darling Marie, but if she didn't respond
properly hw was going to have to try, for his Vicka's sake.
Marie heaved out a sigh and ran her dusky eyes up his frame. She couldn't
help but notice he was holding himself tautly, like a panther about to
spring. "Lexi. My dearest love." Marie attempted to purposefully remind him
of their bond. "You know there's nowhere I could send him that Nicola
wouldn't find him." Her wording was diplomatic. "Not that Vicka would be
willing to stay down when you're in danger anyway." She shook her head. "You
didn't think this through. This is not only stupid but careless as well.
That's not like you." The scolding was tempered by affection.
Alexei didn't bother trying to argue. She was right.
Her chair pushed back and Marie stood. Her lips pursed. "I've been toying
with an idea in the very back of my head. It's not something I ever planned
on doing. I was just amusing myself, running scenarios," she qualified.
"We're not exactly young anymore, Dearest. Nicola has replacements for us all
nearly prepared." Fingers flicked absently towards the cold corpse. "Well, at
least she DID." A sniff of amusement escaped. "OLD active field agents are a
rare thing. It's getting harder every year to keep up the pace. I'm tired of
all the garbage I have to do to keep the money coming in. I need more sleep
than I used to. I haven't enjoyed the work in a long time." Marie continued
to ruminate. "I can't see myself still doing this in another ten or twenty
years."
Green eyes blinked. Sentiments like this weren't a new development, but they
were seldom spoken aloud, no matter how private the conversation was.
"I can see Olga still working at sixty, but us? No. Not with the kinds of
tasks we're assigned. Then I considered the likelihood that we'd be drawn up
into more administrative, less 'physical' jobs." Marie laughed out loud.
"Maybe Tatiana will, she seems to have gotten away from muck work lately, but
the things we do... I doubt we'll ever be offered anything more. We're going to
be kept on the front lines until it kills us."
The possibility of getting out wasn't even broached. Both of them knew that
idea was completely absurd.
"How loyal do think Riene is to you, Dearest?" Marie seemed to switch tracks.
"I mean balanced against her devotion to Nicola?"
Alex forced himself to be brutally honest. "It depends entirely on where her
own best interests lay and we've had some problems lately," he admitted.
Alexei eyed his favourite sister, considering carefully. "Could we take them
on? Would you even be willing to try?" He questioned.
"You've forced our hand." Marie indicated Kate's empty shell. "There is no
way I could ever contend with Nicola and Olga for leadership. I never even
considered that approach. I'm too far outside the mainline of our business.
You're the one that has to attempt it, Dearest. I always knew that if it ever
came down to a power struggle I would throw my support behind you. You're
such pivot point in The Family, Dearest. You're the most loyal of us one
moment, but then the next you're bucking at Nicola's control harder than any
of us have ever dared try. You're the only one independent enough to
challenge Nicki, but I never thought it would happen because you're so weak
in other ways." Her long dark hair fell to one side as she studied her foster
brother. "It's now or never. If you turn yourself over to them because of
this Nicki will terminate you. Everything will go to Hell, Dearest. I'll
never be any more than a soldier until the day the job kills me. It will
occur in the not so distant future, I suspect."
"Angel." Alexei stared at her, eyes wide.
"They will kill Vicka immediately. I can't protect him," she pushed. "He
won't survive without you shielding him."
Panic flashed across Alex's face and he shook his head in denial. His Vicka's
death was unacceptable. If Alexei had to destroy everything else to keep his
twin safe he would. "But just you and I... " He pulled in a shaky breath. The
monumental burden of the task Marie was suggesting terrified him.
"We will have Victor and Riene." Marie reminded him. " I also think Anastasia
might be persuaded to our side. She's not in line for anything the way things
stand," the tiny woman speculated. "Your Li Ann is still alive. I pushed at
some sources. Li Ann is back in the States and, Dearest, she has someone with
her that could prove more valuable than a small army under the right
circumstances. Nicki is furious."
"Nyet. We keep Mulder and Scully out of this." Alexei snapped. His mouth
pulled down into a frown.
Marie bit back an explanation and shifted her focus. "Then there's Peter."
"The boy." Alex's tone dripped with contempt. "He's nothing."
"Damn you, Lexi." Marie's hand hit her desktop. "He's a genius. If you'd just
get past your dislike of him. Not everything is about who's the best shot
with a Glock. He's not fully indoctrinated. Nicola fixed it so he's got
nowhere else to go. That boy can manipulate computers like a wizard." She
paused. "And he's got a crush on Victor's baby sister. That brings him into
our camp."
Alex's face dropped down. His gaze flickered over the body. "Is Mac alive,
Angel?" He had asked that question of Kate shortly after arriving in
Colombia, only to be smacked on the back of the head for admitting to his
curiosity. He hadn't received an answer either.
"I didn't ask. I can try to find out," she promised. "Do you think he would
help? We'll need all the help we can get if we're going to attempt a
takeover. If we just want to topple and smash the organization it'll be
easier," Marie observed. "But I think there are some things The Family has a
hand in that shouldn't just be casually destroyed. What do you want out of
this, Dearest?"
Alexei shivered. "I don't know. I just don't know anymore." Alexei closed his
eyes, overwhelmed. "Fuck, Angel. We're talking about taking on Nicki. She
owns us." He didn't hear Marie's approach. Suddenly her arms wrapped around
his bare waist. She leaned into him, her slight weight hardly noticeable, but
her petting of his back was soothing. Alex buried his face in thick, brown
hair.
"It's okay, Dearest. I know it's scary but when they find out you've turned
on Kate, that you killed the heir apparent," she whispered, gently stroking
across as much of his pale skin as she could reach in order to ground him.
"You're dead. Vicka is dead. Alla won't likely live past birthing that baby
she's carrying," Marie listed. "There's a contract being put out on Li Ann."
Her arms squeezed. "How would taking them on and losing be any different?
It's either do this or be killed. You're not risking anything you haven't
lost already." The pause stretched out a long time. Marie reached up to
tangle her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. "All we have to do is
convince Riene to impersonate Kate long enough for us to lay some groundwork.
You can you do that, Dearest. Riene adores you." She laid out the first steps
of the plan formulating in her head. "Then you and Vicka fly up to Atlantic
City with Riene, while I pull in some favours from down here." Her hug grew
stronger. "This is going to work, Lexi." Marie sniffed, then let out a soft
chuckle of amusement. The front of Lexi's white pants were stained. It
appeared as if the men might have finally reached some kind of understanding.
The unique scent of pheromone-laden sex clung to Alexei. "Go back to your
Vicka, Dearest. I'll see to Kate," she encouraged as she pulled away. "You
had best straighten things out with Vicka now because it's going to get very
complicated very fast."
It surprised Victor to awaken and find his twin still in the bed with him.
But here Alex was, sitting quietly, staring down at him. Those all
too-familiar green eyes were smudged with exhaustion but wide open, still
captivated by Victor. The Russian had stripped down. He seemed perfectly
comfortable in his own nudity.
As much as Alex had protested otherwise, Victor couldn't help but fear that
now that he had surrendered to his twin's desires, even to this small extent,
that Alex's fascination with him might diminish. A wisp of a nightmare still
clung to Victor even as he attempted to dispel the exhausted sleep he had
fallen into. Victor had dreamed that Alex had left him forever. That
possibility sent a wave of dread coursing through him.
Victor had suffered through too many desertions in his life. People turned
away from him so often that it was hard to believe it wouldn't happen again.
He was barely aquainted with his mother and the family she had married into.
Every one of his past love affairs had fallen apart, ruined by Victor's need
for more than what his partners were willing to give. He had lost both Li Ann
and Mac, the two friends he held dearest. One had abandoned him to be with
her lover and the other had died. If, by mishandling their relationship,
Victor lost his brother as well, it would destroy him.
"Alex?" Victor couldn't shake the feeling of alarm that pushed at the back of
his mind. "What is it? What's wrong?" There was something more to it than
what had happened between them. Something terrible was overshadowing his
twin's expression.
Alexei blinked slowly, trying to focus. "Promise you won't send me away. I
can't live without you. Please, Vicka. Promise me. Even if you won't let me
touch you ever again... just don't push me away."
"Alex, I won't leave you alone. Our staying together matters as much to me as
it does to you." The naked truth in that admission hurt him. "But I don't
want to ruin what we already have just for temporary satisfaction, no matter
how much I ache to touch you right now."
"Moi Dusha." Alex's eyes practically lit up from within. "I'll do you so
well. You won't regret it, Vicka."
Victor's hand lifted, palm out in a 'stay' gesture when it looked as if the
other was going to shift closer. "Stop." Maybe he was wrong, Victor mused,
maybe Alex's agitation was just about what they had done. His twin seemed to
be firmly entrenched in that single line of thought. "Don't start again. I'm
not finished." Alexei's brow crumpled up but he settled back. Victor couldn't
help but feel sorry for the misery that small action seemed to cause his
twin. He needed to explain. "What we did... "
"Was exquisite." Alexei cut him off. "I won't let you regret it. I wanted it.
You didn't take anything from me. You gave me something."
"Alex."
"Nyet... no." The attempt to keep to English was a purposeful thing that
required hard concentration. "We've circled around this so many times it
makes my heart hurt, my Vicka. Either I'm a grown man capable of making
rational decisions or not," he insisted. "I. Want. You." Alexei enunciated
carefully. "So the only point that can still be argued is 'did I rape you or
do you love me back?' Which is it?"
"It's not just one or the other. It's not that simple." Victor protested,
attempting to pull himself into more of an upright position. "You, of all
people, must know that nothing is that simple." He needed to shift the sheet
and a pillow to conceal the fact his body was again rousing, just from Alex's
proximity.
Alexei, sitting cross-legged, drew his legs up into the beginnings of a
protective, almost fetal posture. His body was making tiny rocking motions.
"This is! I'm not like you, Vicka. Why can't you understand that? You said
you loved me. I heard you."
"I do love you."
"And I love you too. So why do you torture me like this? If it got you off I
could understand that, but it's not making you happy either." Alexei's chest
heaved. "What do I have to do to convince you that this is what we both need?
That I'm not a child who has to be told what's good for him. Oh Vicka." The
exclamation was heavy with despair.
Victor sighed, afraid this was going to turn into a full-blown argument, and
his brother looked so completely dragged out. "For God's sake, Alex. You're a
wreck right now. You should not be making life altering decisions in this
state."
Alex's gaze drifted, lingering over the patch of floor near the bed. "I've
done things you would despise. Is that why you keep putting me off?" A weary
sigh escaped him. "It's because I'm not good enough. I'd change for you if I
could."
"No. That's not it. It's just... What we did earlier was reckless, Alex. I
don't want to use you like that. I'm just trying to do what's best for you."
"And you are the only judge of what's best for me?" The Russian snapped,
tired and frustrated beyond belief. "Don't you think I should have a say in
the decision?" He scrubbed his fingers back through his hair, and then
dragged them forward again, making it stand on end.
"I think... " Victor stated calmly. "... that both of us have to reach the same
decision at the same time in order for anything more to happen between us and
if... " The Canadian held up a finger of caution when his brother's expression
blazed with excitement. It was painful to snuff out that intense glow but the
expectation he saw there held its own hidden danger. "I said 'IF'. Calm down.
You're rushing too fast again." He shifted so he could reach over and touch
Alex's cheek. "The world isn't going to end tomorrow. Slow down, Alex."
Alexei's head tipped back ever so slightly, not wanting to pull away
completely from Victor's touch, and a croak of amusement barked out. He then
returned his attention to his twin's face, leaning into the other's hand like
a cat wanting to be stroked. "You know what my life is like, Vicka. I could
die tomorrow. How long are you going to make me wait?" Alex's tone was
imploring.
"I don't know. I don't have a timetable. I'm not doing this to tease you,
Alex." Victor cupped his hand around the side of his brother's face. "Lay
down with me. You look like you haven't slept in days. I hope you haven't
been sitting up, worried about me."
Alex's mouth opened, and then closed without any words emerging. A look of
distress flashed over his face.
"Alex." Victor coaxed, dropping his hand to tug at his twin's shoulder.
A shudder quaked through the Russian's frame. He then crawled up the bed to
mould himself to Victor's frame. It was no use attempting to disguise the
fact he had an erection; instead he chose to press his stiffness tight to the
other's hip.
Victor wrapped his brother in his healthy arm and squeezed gently. "Try to
relax. Just try."
"I know you want me back." Alexei observed, looking down at the other's groin
and seeing a matching hard-on. "Why can't we, Vicka?" His leg bent, sliding
up to brush gently then settle just below Victor's balls.
"Alex, please don't."
"Just fingers. Just let me touch you." He illustrated his offer with a
featherlike stroke across of the tip of Victor's cock, making the other moan
quietly. Alexei's hips tipped and he rubbed himself against his reluctant bed
partner. "Touch me back, moi Vicka. Pazhaluista."
Victor swore quietly. He hadn't felt this itchy for sex even when he was an
overheated teenager. What the Hell was going on today?
Alexei executed another provocative shift of his body.
It wasn't like this would be new ground. It was just hands and fingers. He'd
done that once already with his twin back in Mexico. The memory of the image
Alex had presented jacked his arousal up another unnecessary notch. Alexei
had looked liked some kind of fallen angel when he'd climaxed against
Victor's hand the last time. The difference here was that no protective layer
of material separated them. "Maybe we should wait another couple of nights.
Slowly Alex. We need to go slowly."
"This is slow!" The complaint hissed out from between clenched teeth. "What I
really want to do is to fuck until neither of us has the energy to stand
upright. Son of a bitch! I've been so good, Vicka. Nobody has screwed me
since Christmas. I haven't given my ass to any of these Colombian bastards no
matter how much easier it would have made things. I've waited and waited." He
shifted, moving so he covered his twin slightly. "I'm waiting for you, moi
Vicka. Give me something to cling to while you decide."
"Alex." Even as his voice protested, Victor smoothed his newly freed hand
down Alex's ribs and up his spine. The act drew the most amazing groan from
the Russian. Victor had to do it again just to hear that sweet noise. "You
feel so... God, Alex."
Alexei's face tilted and without any further warning dropped down. His lips
brushed across Victor's, his tongue flicking out to trace the other's lips.
He pushed gently, attempting to open the mouth below his. It took several
tries but finally, like the gates of heaven, they parted. Alex moaned and
slipped his tongue inside Victor's mouth.
Encouraged by the deepening kiss, Alexei cautiously centred himself and
rocked his lower body. The sensation was devastating for them both. Noises of
pleasure were swallowed as they rubbed against one another. Mindful of his
injury, Victor still managed to lift both his arms and wrap them around Alex.
Their cocks thrust together with long sizzling movements. Air was pulled in
through their noses since Alexei refused to break the kiss he had drawn his
twin into, even when the other made as if to pull away.
Despite all the sex he'd had over the last twelve hours Victor could feel the
end barrelling down on him already. Alex tasted so good he suspected he might
be able to get off on just kissing his twin, not that he had to. Alexei was
rubbing against him with the most excruciatingly erotic squirms and glides.
Too soon Victor had to arch up into the contact. He would have shouted out
his orgasm but Alex still hadn't released his mouth. Victor realized
somewhere in a corner of his mind that his fingers were digging into the
other's slickly hot back but he couldn't stop himself. His head was growing
light from the lack of oxygen.
Alexei was the one to finally break off the searing kiss. The Russian didn't
hold back at all. An oath, heavy with consonants, shrieked out of him as
burning come splashed between them. Alex's head tossed, sprinkling sweat all
about.
"Ebat'-kopat'. Vicka, moi Vicka." Alex fell down to the unsteady support of
his forearms and elbows, not willing to pull away but not wanting to drop his
weight onto his damaged twin.
Dragging long swallows of air into his lungs, Victor couldn't even frame
words. He winced as his injuries complained at what he'd just forced his body
to do. Alexei felt the shudder of pain and reluctantly eased down beside the
other. After using a side of the tangled sheet to do a quick, barely
satisfactory clean up, the Russian snuggled up tight to his brother and
delicately draped one arm over Victor's chest.
"Beat yourself up over this tomorrow, moi Vicka." Alexei whispered when he
sensed a protest forming. "Just let me lay here, Love. Just let me stay with
you," he pleaded, knowing full well that a whirlwind of activity awaited them
come morning.
He simply had to keep insinuating himself into his Vicka's bed, Alexei
concluded. Even if nothing else was allowed he needed to sleep with his twin
at every opportunity. There would come a time when it would seem the most
natural thing in the world to lay in each others' arms.
The kiss that Victor bestowed upon Alex's forehead sent another thrill
through Alexei, but he contained his excitement, intent on first establishing
his claim as bed partner since he couldn't think of anyplace more like heaven
than where he was right now.
That's it for now. Milk and cookies time.
Somewhere near Barranquilla, Colombia
January 1999
Putting aside all thoughts of the past and the future, and instead
concentrating on existing in the moment, allowed Victor the fantasy that he
was living a completely normal life. Certainly, the people surrounding them,
the other diners and the wait staff saw the illusion of a normal family. As a
matter of fact, several elderly ladies who were obviously part of some tour
group had pointed them out. They had smiled sweetly at the threesome while
chatting among themselves.
