"Yes, you can. And you will." I slide my ring onto my finger and give her a hard glare. "Put it on now."
Danica chews her bottom lip as tears brim in her eyes, and the registrar leans forward and her expression is surprisingly kind. "Miss, if you value your life and your freedom, you will just play along with what he wants."
Danica looks at her, confused. "What?"
"If MUP finds out you married him to get him citizenship, they'll arrest you." The woman isn't mincing words. "They'll bring you up on charges for immigration fraud. That ring is your security." Her eyes are wide now, boring into Danica, and I watch her shrink into herself as it dawns on her how serious this is.
"MUP?" Danica repeats the word like she doesn't understand.
"Ministry of Interior," I explain. "They handle immigration and they don't take kindly to fake marriages."
"But this is a fake marriage." Danica's voice rises. "You're forcing me to do this."
"The government doesn't know that." The registrar closes her book. "As far as they're concerned, you entered into this marriage willingly." The tone of her voice is sour. She knows better than Danica the penalty for this because what she’s just done is equally as illegal as the marriage Danica and I have entered into. Rushing a marriage like this could be seen as aiding us, though she'd probably get off easily because I coerced her.
As the news forces Danica to a place of deep understanding, I give her the last nudge necessary. "Put on the ring," I say again.
This time she obeys, and her hand is shaking when she slides the ring onto her finger. She hangs her head as if she can't stand the idea of seeing me, but then she looks up at me with tears running down her face and rage in her eyes.
"I hate you," she whispers.
"I know," I respond plainly before I turn to the registrar. "Are we done?"
"Almost." The registrar pulls out several documents and arranges them on the desk. "You both need to sign here and here."
We sign where indicated and the registrar witnesses each signature. When she's finished, she stamps the documents with an official seal and slides them into a folder. The whole process takes less than three minutes.
"Congratulations," the registrar says without any enthusiasm. If anything, there is a tone of contempt in her words. "You're now legally married."
I take the folder with our marriage certificate and tuck it under my arm. Danica's still standing there crying quietly, and I resist the urge to tell her to stop. She has every right to cry, and nothing I say will make her feel better. What's done is done, no taking it back, and it will help me finish my job for Yuri. In the end, Danica will be richer and better off for it. We'll have justice for a member of our family who deserves it, and I will be back in Russia outside of an extradition area so Serbian officials can't call me back, even if Danica snitches at that point.
"One more thing," the registrar says, and I turn back to look at her. "You'll need to submit the application for temporary residency within thirty days."
"How long does processing take?" I'm well aware of what I have to do to keep this looking legal, mainly because my stay is contingent upon following the letter of the law.
"Up to ninety days, typically." The registrar shuffles papers nervously. "But you can stay in the country while they process it. You're officially grandfathered into citizenship, though it's not automatic. They will look over your criminal record and such, though it takes awhile."
I grunt my acknowledgement and eye Jovan who is staring at me strangely. His eye is twitching nervously. Ninety days is more than enough time to find Lebedev and finish this job.
"Thank you for your cooperation." I pull out my wallet and count several large bills onto the desk. "I trust you'll remember our conversation about discretion."
The registrar pales and nods quickly. "Of course. I won't say anything to anyone about the circumstances."
"Good." I lean closer and lower my voice. "Because if you do, I'll come back here and we'll have a very different kind of conversation."
"I understand." The registrar is sweating heavily now, so unladylike. "You have my word."
I straighten up and gesture for Danica to follow me. She wipes her eyes and walks toward the door like she's heading to her own execution. Jovan and Vuk fall into step behind us as we walk out of the building and to my car.
When Danica stops at the curb and hugs her arms over her chest, acting like she's going to wait on the bus or something, I put my hand on the small of her back and continue guiding her rigid body.
"What are you doing?"
"I'll send one of my men to get your things," I say as I open the car door to help her in. Vuk climbs into the driver's seat and Jovan takes the passenger seat, allowing me to sit with my new wife in back.
"What?" Her eyes go wide again as she swipes tears off her cheeks. "No, I want to go home."
"You're not going back there." I guide her to get in my car, but she resists me. "From now on, you live with me."
