Page 79 of Hostage of the Russian
His phone buzzed again, more insistently this time. With a sigh, he reached for it, careful not to disturb Azriel.
The message was from Viktor:Need to talk. New development with the Hartford situation. Not urgent, but soon.
Kostya frowned, his thumb hovering over the screen. The Hartford situation was supposed to be closed. Danny was dead,his associates either killed in the warehouse firefight or scattered to the wind. What new development could there be?
“Work?” Azriel’s voice was drowsy, content.
“Nothing that can’t wait until morning.” He set the phone aside and tightened his arms around her. Whatever Viktor had discovered, it would keep. Tonight was about them, about the love they’d finally acknowledged and the life they were going to build together.
But even as he closed his eyes, a small part of his mind remained alert, processing possibilities. In their world, loose ends had a way of becoming nooses. Danny Hartford was dead, but the network he’d been part of, the rivals who had helped orchestrate Azriel’s kidnapping, they were still out there.
And if Viktor was calling it a development worth discussing, it meant the game was far from over.
Kostya’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. Let them come. He’d shown mercy once, tried to handle Danny’s betrayal with restraint, and it had nearly cost him everything. If others thought they could threaten what was his, they were about to learn that Kostya Nikolai’s capacity for mercy had limits.
But that was tomorrow’s war. Tonight, he had everything he needed right here in his arms.
“Sleep,solnyshka,” he murmured against Azriel’s hair, using the Russian endearment that meant sunshine. “I’ve got you.”
She made a soft sound of contentment, burrowing deeper into his embrace. Within minutes, her breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep.
Kostya lay awake longer, listening to the steady beat of her heart against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of herbreathing. This woman had changed everything for him, had shown him what it meant to have something worth protecting beyond family loyalty and Bratva honor.
Whatever storm was brewing on the horizon, whatever enemies were gathering in the shadows, they would face it together. He’d make sure of that.
His phone buzzed one final time, but he didn’t reach for it. The world outside could wait. Right now, there was only this: the woman he loved safe in his arms, the quiet peace of a battle won, and the promise of whatever came next.
In the distance, thunder rumbled across the Chicago skyline, but inside the mansion, all was still.
For now.
Epilogue - Azriel
The sound of laughter echoed through the grand dining room of the Nikolai estate, warm and genuine in a way that still caught Azriel off guard sometimes. Six months ago, she never could have imagined sitting at this table, surrounded by people who had become more than family to her. They had become home.
“Pass the bread, solnyshka,” Kostya murmured in her ear, his hand sliding across her lower back as he leaned closer than necessary. The casual endearment and touch still sent shivers through her, even after all this time, especially after all this time.
She handed him the basket, trying to ignore the knowing looks from across the table. Ivan was grinning like the troublemaker he was, while Adrian simply shook his head with amusement. The wives were no better. Valentina raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk that said she was filing this moment away for later teasing.
“You two are disgusting,” Irina announced, though her tone was filled with affection. “Get a room.”
“We have several,” Kostya replied without missing a beat, his fingers tracing patterns on her spine that made her breath catch. “Would you like detailed descriptions of how we use each one?”
“Kostya!” Azriel swatted his arm while heat flooded her cheeks, earning another round of laughter from the table.
“What? I’m being helpful,” he said innocently, though his dark eyes were dancing with mischief. The lighter shade they took on when he was being playful never failed to make her heart skip a beat. “Irina asked.”
“I most certainly did not ask for that,” his sister protested, but she was laughing too.
This was what Azriel loved most about these gatherings. The easy banter, the way they all accepted her without question, the feeling of belonging somewhere. For someone who had spent most of her life feeling like an outsider in her own home, it was a gift she never took for granted.
“Speaking of rooms,” Mikhail interjected from the head of the table, his voice carrying the authority that came naturally to the Bratva leader, “how are things at the office, Azriel? I heard congratulations are in order.”
Her chest swelled with pride and satisfaction. “Thank you. The promotion to legal consultant still feels surreal sometimes.” She glanced at Kostya, who was watching her with such obvious pride it made her heart flutter. “I never imagined I’d be here when I first walked into that interview.”
“When you tried to act all professional while eye-fucking your husband,” Viktor added dryly, earning a scandalized laugh from Amy.
“Viktor!” But Azriel was laughing too, remembering that day and how flustered she’d been trying to maintain composure during what was supposed to be a serious job interview.
