Page 38 of Hostage of the Russian (Nikolai Bratva Brides #7)

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.

“He’s not wrong,” Kostya said, his thumb stroking along her wrist where he’d captured her hand. “You kept biting your lip. Very distracting.”

“I was nervous!”

“You were turned on,” he corrected with that killer smile of his. “There’s a difference.”

The conversation flowed around them as dinner continued, but Azriel found herself caught up in watching Kostya interact with his family.

This version of him, relaxed and openly affectionate, was still something of a revelation.

Gone was the careful mask he’d worn when they first met, replaced by genuine warmth and an openness that took her breath away.

He caught her staring and leaned closer, his lips brushing her ear. “What’s that look for?”

“Just thinking about how different things are now,” she whispered back.

His expression softened, understanding passing between them.

They’d both changed so much from the people they’d been when he’d stormed into her apartment that night.

The scared girl who’d been grabbed from her bed was gone, replaced by a woman who knew her worth and wasn’t afraid to fight for what she wanted.

The ruthless man who’d claimed her as payment had evolved too, letting down walls she wasn’t sure he’d even realized he’d built.

“Better different?” he asked quietly.

“So much better.” She turned her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. “I love you.”

The words still felt new and precious on her tongue. For months, love had been something she’d been afraid to name, too terrified it would disappear if she acknowledged it. Now she said it freely, savoring the way his eyes lit up every single time.

“I love you too, solnyshka,” he murmured, using the Russian endearment that never failed to make her melt. “More than I ever thought possible.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Fedya announced suddenly. “If you two start making out at the dinner table, I’m leaving.”

“That would be a first,” Maeve said with a laugh, nudging her husband. “Usually, you’re the one causing scenes.”

“I don’t cause scenes. I end them.”

“By stabbing people,” Lev pointed out.

“Efficiently,” Fedya replied, completely serious.

The conversation devolved into the usual good-natured ribbing that characterized every Nikolai family gathering.

Azriel listened with half an ear, content to simply exist in this moment.

Tomorrow she would go back to work, continuing to build the career she’d dreamed of since she was a teenager.

Next year, she’d take the LSAT and hopefully start law school.

The future stretched ahead of her, bright and full of possibilities she’d never dared imagine.

But tonight, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

The evening wound down gradually, couples beginning to make their exits with promises to get together again soon. Kostya and Azriel were among the last to leave, lingering to help clean up despite protests from the staff.

“You know they’re paid to do this,” Kostya said as she carried plates to the kitchen.

“I know. I also know what it’s like to feel invisible,” she replied, thinking of all the times as a child when a kind word or acknowledgment would have meant the world to her. “A little gratitude never hurt anyone.”

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her with such intensity that it made her breath catch. “What?”

“Nothing. Just...” He shook his head, moving closer until he could frame her face with his hands. “Sometimes I still can’t believe you’re real. That you’re mine.”

“I’m real,” she assured him, rising on her toes to brush her lips against his. “And I’m yours. Always.”

The kiss deepened naturally, his arms sliding around her waist to pull her closer. She could taste the wine from dinner on his lips, feel the steady beat of his heart against her chest. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard.

“Home?” he asked, his voice rough with want.

“Home,” she agreed.

The drive back to their house passed in comfortable silence, his hand resting on her thigh while soft music played through the speakers.

She watched the city lights blur past the window and marveled again at how much her life had changed.

Six months ago, she’d been alone in a tiny student apartment, convinced that was all she deserved.

Now she lived in a beautiful home with a man who loved her fiercely, and she was building a career that fulfilled her.

“What are you thinking about?” Kostya asked as they pulled into their driveway.

“Just... everything. How different my life is now compared to what I thought it would be.”

He turned off the engine and shifted to face her fully. “Any regrets?”

The question was asked lightly, but she could hear the hint of vulnerability underneath. Despite everything they’d been through, part of him still worried that she might wake up one day and realize she’d settled for less than she deserved.

“Only one,” she said seriously, watching his expression tighten slightly. “I regret that it took so long for us to be honest with each other. All those weeks we wasted dancing around our feelings.”

Relief flooded his features. “We got there eventually.”

“We did.” She reached over to cup his cheek, feeling the slight roughness of his five o’clock shadow. “And it was worth the wait.”

Inside, he poured them each a glass of wine while she kicked off her heels and curled up on the couch.

The house felt different now than it had in those early days when she’d been his reluctant captive.

They’d made it theirs together, filling it with shared memories and quiet moments that had slowly transformed it from his space into their home.

“I have something for you,” he said suddenly, reaching into his jacket pocket.

“Kostya, we agreed no more gifts. You spoil me enough as it is.”

“This isn’t really a gift. More like... recognition of something you’ve already earned.” He pulled out a small velvet box, but instead of the jewelry she expected, it contained a key. “The deed to the house is being transferred into both our names. I wanted you to have this.”

She stared at the key, understanding flooding through her. This wasn’t just about property ownership. This was his way of giving her something she’d never had before: security. The knowledge that this place, this life they’d built together, belonged to her as much as it did to him.

“Kostya...” Her voice caught, tears pricking at her eyes.

“Hey, no crying,” he said softly, setting the box aside so he could pull her into his arms. “This is supposed to be a good thing.”

“They’re happy tears,” she assured him, letting him hold her close. “It’s just... no one’s ever given me anything like this before. Something that was really mine.”

“Everything I have is yours, solnyshka. I thought you knew that by now.”

She pulled back to look at him, this man who had turned her world upside down in the best possible way. “I love you so much it sometimes scares me.”

“Good scared or bad scared?”

“Good scared. Like standing at the edge of a cliff and knowing you’re about to fly.”

He smiled, that slow, devastating smile that had first caught her attention across a classroom. “Then jump with me.”

“I already did,” she whispered, and then his mouth was on hers.