Page 9 of Hostage of the Russian
Kostya smiled, unexpectedly charmed by her declaration. “I can live with that.”
She signed the document with sharp, angry strokes. As soon as she finished, Kostya took the contract, tucking it safely away in his desk drawer.
“A wise decision, Mrs. Nikolai,” he said, testing the sound of her new name.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
“It’s who you are now.” He stood, evaluating her with new eyes. She was no longer just the means to punish Danny Hartford; she was his wife. The thought stirred something unexpected within him.
“I’ll have someone show you to your room,” he said, pressing a button on his desk. “You’ll be given appropriate clothes and anything else you might need. Dinner will be served at seven. I expect you to be there.”
“And if I’m not?” she challenged, still defiant despite her defeat.
Kostya stepped closer, drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain. The electricity that had sparked between them earlier lingered, creating an unwelcome awareness of her proximity.
“Then I’ll come find you,” he said softly. “And you might not like what happens when I do.”
The door opened as his security chief, Viktor, appeared.
“Show Mrs. Nikolai to her suite,” Kostya instructed, never taking his eyes off Azriel. “Make sure she’s comfortable. And make sure she can’t leave.”
Viktor nodded, gesturing for Azriel to follow him.
“This isn’t over,” she promised as she walked toward the door.
“No,” Kostya agreed, a smile playing at his lips. “It’s only just beginning.”
After she left, Kostya poured himself a drink, reflecting on the unexpected turn of events. Taking Danny Hartford’sdaughter had been meant as punishment for the man, a way to make him suffer while recouping some of the losses he’d caused. Kostya had anticipated a simpering, fearful girl, one who was easily broken and controlled.
Instead, he’d found Azriel, fierce, defiant, and strangely compelling. The electric current that had passed between them when he’d grabbed her wrists lingered in his memory, an unwelcome distraction.
His phone buzzed with a message from his brother, Fedya.
We need to talk. Something’s happening with the Italians.
Kostya frowned, tucking the phone away. Lorenzo Romano had been a valuable ally for years, but lately, whispers of dissatisfaction had been circulating, along with rumors of new alliances forming in the shadows. Another problem to deal with.
But first, he had a new wife to contend with. One who, despite all logic, had managed to intrigue him in ways he hadn’t expected.
He downed his drink, pushing away the unwelcome thoughts. Azriel Hartford, now Azriel Nikolai, was nothing more than collateral damage in a business dispute. The unexpected attraction he felt was irrelevant, a distraction he couldn’t afford.
And yet, as he prepared for dinner, Kostya found himself looking forward to seeing her again, to watching those defiant gray eyes flash with anger, to feeling that strange electric current that had shocked them both.
It was a complication he hadn’t anticipated. But then, the best battles were always the unexpected ones.
Chapter 4 - Azriel
Azriel sat rigid in the back of the sleek black SUV, as far from Kostya as the limited space allowed. Her signature on those papers still burned in her mind, each letter a betrayal of everything she’d fought for—freedom, independence, a life without fear.
Gone. All gone because of Danny Hartford.
She stole a glance at her captor... her husband. The word felt like poison in her mind. Kostya Nikolai stared straight ahead, his profile sharp against the tinted window, seemingly unconcerned with her presence. The casual disregard somehow made everything worse.
Rage bubbled beneath her skin, a familiar companion after years of her father’s cruelty. But beneath that anger lurked something else, a thought she couldn’t quite suppress: Was this actually an escape? If Kostya truly despised Danny as much as he claimed, perhaps she’d inadvertently found shelter from her father’s reach.
The thought made her stomach twist. Trading one captor for another wasn’t freedom. Yet a small, traitorous voice whispered that any place without Danny Hartford might be better than the alternative.
“Your thoughts are very loud,” Kostya said suddenly, his deep voice breaking the silence without him bothering to look at her.
