Page 28 of Hostage of the Russian
Something warm unfurled in Kostya’s chest at her words. He was about to respond when she spoke again.
“I liked your stories. About your family.”
“You were listening?”
“Some part of me was always listening.” Her eyes met his, and there was something different in them now, less guarded, more open. “Even when I couldn’t respond, I could hear your voice. It helped.”
The air between them shifted, becoming charged with something Kostya couldn’t quite name. He found himself leaning forward, drawn by the way the morning light caught the silver in her eyes.
“Azriel...”
The door burst open with enough force to rattle the frame. “Kostya, what the fuck?“
Viktor stopped dead in the doorway, his words dying as he took in the scene before him. His gaze moved from Kostya to Azriel, then back to Kostya, his expression shifting from concern to confusion to something that might have been amusement.
“Well, well,” Viktor said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. “Dr. Petrov mentioned you brought a woman here, but I thought...” His eyes narrowed as he studied Azriel more closely. “Who is she?”
Kostya felt Azriel tense beside him, her earlier openness evaporating like morning mist. He stood slowly, putting himself between his brother and the bed.
“Viktor.“
“Is this some kind of side piece? Because you know the rules about bringing random women to family facilities.” Viktor’s tone was casual, but Kostya could hear the edge underneath. “If she’s just some—”
“She’s not just some anything.” Kostya’s voice cut through his brother’s words like a blade. “She’s my wife.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Viktor’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline.
“Your what?”
“My wife.” Kostya reached back and took Azriel’s hand, squeezing gently when she started to pull away. “Viktor, meet Azriel. Azriel, this is my brother Viktor.”
Viktor stared at them for a long moment, his mouth slightly open. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
“Holy shit. Kostya got married and didn’t tell anyone.” He laughed, the sound filling the room. “Wait until the others hear about this. Mikhail’s going to lose his mind.”
“Viktor,“ Kostya started, but his brother was already pulling out his phone.
“I have to call everyone. This is the best thing that’s happened all year.” Viktor paused, looking at Azriel with something that might have been approval. “Welcome to the family, sister-in-law. Hope you’re ready for the chaos.”
As Viktor headed for the door, still muttering about phone calls and family meetings, Kostya felt Azriel’s hand tighten in his.
“So,” she said quietly, “I guess the secret’s out.”
“Yeah.” Kostya looked down at their joined hands, at the way her fingers fit perfectly between his. “I guess it is.”
Outside the room, he could hear Viktor’s voice carrying down the hallway as he started making calls. Soon, the entire Nikolai family would know about Azriel’s existence. There would be questions, demands for explanations, probably more than a few arguments about protocol and security.
But for now, in this quiet room with the morning sun streaming through the windows, it was just the two of them. And for the first time since this whole mess had started, that felt like enough.
Chapter 10 - Azriel
A week after the shooting, Azriel found herself standing before the imposing wrought-iron gates of the Nikolai family estate, her palms damp with nervous sweat. The sprawling mansion beyond looked like something torn from the pages of a Russian fairytale, all stone turrets and gleaming windows that caught the afternoon sun. She had known Kostya was wealthy, but this level of opulence still managed to take her breath away.
“You’re quiet,” Kostya observed from beside her as they walked up the marble steps. His hand rested lightly on the small of her back, a gesture that had become natural between them during her recovery.
“Just nervous,” she admitted, smoothing down her dress for the third time. The wound in her side gave a small twinge, still tender but healing well. “Meeting your family feels... significant.”
Kostya’s dark eyes softened, and she caught a glimpse of that lighter shade she’d begun to associate with his more playful moods. “They’ll love you. Irina especially has been dying to meet the woman who managed to put up with me for more than five minutes.”
