Page 82 of Dice & Dekes

The guy shakes his head, though his expression suggests he’s taking no joy in this denial. “I’m sorry, but I can only allow family members back here without express permission.”

“Knova?” Viktor calls. His voice sounds slurred and distorted.

My feet are moving before I can consider my actions. Viktor’s calling for me, ergo, I’m going. There’s no middle ground.

The security guard moves with me. “Did you hear me? Family only—”

“I heard you,” I snap. “But unless you’re trying to get tackled by a five-foot-nine former combat pilot with unresolved rage issues, I suggest you move.” My voice drops to a whisper. “He’s calling for me. He doesn’t know what’s going on. He needs someone who loves him, and that’s me. Because I’m his wife!”

The security guard blinks a couple of times, then turns to his friend, who simply shrugs. Vivian, to my surprise, seems to have taken this revelation in stride. Instead of demanding an explanation, she just smiles.

Violet pokes her head out through the door of the little room. “How come every time someone gets injured and a woman runs down here, there’s a possible wife situation? I want to be a wife!”

I stumble past her and make a beeline for Viktor’s side. I’m prepared for the worst… but to my relief, he’s sitting up, with no signs of extreme head trauma.

“Hey,” he rasps. “Knova. Did you just lay claim to me in a public space?”

He’s coherent. Thank God. I crouch beside the bed and reach for his hand. “Not sure I’d call this public, but I guess Viv knows now.”

Viktor clears his throat and nods to the corner of the room… and to our audience. I was so focused on getting to him that I didn’t register the three men standing in the corner of the room. His father, Noah, is staring goggle-eyed at me. Noah also happens to be the goalie coach. Next to him are two family friends, Ranger—the assistant coach, who took my parents in when the house was under repair—and Briggs. I’m not really sure what Briggs does around here. PR, maybe?

“Viktor?” Noah looks almost as dazed as his son, despite having taken only an emotional blow, rather than a physical one. “Is she serious? Are you…?”

“Married?” Viktor manages a weak grin. “Surprise!”

The silence is deafening. Violet drops her clipboard. Noah sits down hard on the rolling stool like someone cut his strings. Briggs makes a wheezing noise that might be laughter. “I need popcorn,” he mutters. “And Noah needs a defibrillator.”

Noah looks from me to Viktor and back again. “How long have you kept this from us?”

“Only, um, six weeks? Eight?” Viktor’s brow furrows.

Violet whistles and crosses her arms. “Damn, that stereotype about men not being able to keep track of anniversaries is real, huh?”

Viktor turns his head against the pillow to glare at her. “I have head trauma.”

“Excuses, excuses,” Vivian singsongs as she approaches their father. “Dad, take a breath. This is Knova. We always thought they were going to end up together.”

“Did we?” Noah doesn’t seem convinced.

“Well, I did, anyway.” Vivian rubs her father’s back. “And I suspect that if you think about it, you’ll decide you’re not as surprised as you think you are.”

Noah rubs the stubble on his jaw and gazes at his son. “This might kill your mother.”

“She’ll get over it,” Vivian says. “If she can forgive him for how badly he chapped her nipples, she can forgive him for a secret wedding.”

“Oh my God.” Viktor closes his eyes. “Can you lay off the nipples, already?”

Briggs chuckles. “That’s what your mom said, if I recall correctly.”

“But why?” Noah exclaims. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Ranger, who’s been silent so far, pipes up. “Does Cash know?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

He whistles. “Oh, man. He’s going to have words about this.”

Briggs holds up three fingers. “Three words. Exactly three. In other words. You. Are. Fucked.”

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