Blaine
Azira leans toward me. “Do you know what’s happening between those two?”
I shake my head. “No, he hasn’t spoken about her since the night at the cabin.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Natalya asks.
Oak approaches, sliding a hand onto his wife’s hip. “So, how are we going to celebrate you guys graduating?” His attention dips to the arm I have firmly around Azira’s back.
“Hadn’t really thought about it,” Eva says, smiling at her husband. “Any suggestions?”
Mia suddenly rushes over. “What the hell is going on?”
Azira sees her and her eyes light up. “Mia, you made it!” She wraps her in a tight hug.
Oops. I completely forgot about her sister being here.
Mia gives me an accusing look. “You didn’t tell her we were here?”
“We?” Azira asks, and I don’t miss the hope in her voice. Mia doesn’t either.
“Shit, sorry. It’s just Killian.”
Her throat bobs and she nods. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Killian walks over with his hands in his pockets. “Congratulations, Azira.”
She smiles widely, a smile that can set me on fire. “Thanks, Killian.”
An unreasonable flare of jealousy ignites seeing her smile at any other man than me, but I dampen it down because it’s insane. That’s her brother-in-law, for fuck’s sake.
“So, dinner and then drinks?” Oak suggests.
“Sounds good,” Eva says. “But where?”
“How about Vanders?” I ask.
Oak arches a brow. “Not sure everyone will be into Russian food.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why the fuck not?”
He chuckles. “It’s just not the standard food people are used to eating.”
I sigh heavily. “Where do you suggest, then?”
“I know the perfect place,” Eva says.
“Where?” Camila asks.
“Just trust me,” she says.
“Fine, can we just leave as I’m fucking starving?” Alex asks.
Adrianna and Archer return, both looking a little shifty. “What’s going on then?” Arch asks.
“The group of us are going to go for dinner and drinks,” Oak says, looking at Arch. “You are welcome to join.”
Arch nods. “Sounds good.”
Adrianna’s cheeks redden the moment he agrees, and something tells me that whatever was happening between them isn’t exactly over.
“Let’s go,” Oak says, glancing at me. “You going to drive too?”
I nod. “Sure.”
As a group, we head out of the hall and out front where Oak and I head to our cars, followed by passengers. Natalya, Alex, Killian, Mia and Azira come with me since my SUV can seat six. Arch and Adrianna go together in Oak’s car.
I drive into town, following Oak with my hand firmly placed on Azira’s thigh the entire time. She’s not my student anymore, so I’ll be damned if I don’t make it clear to everyone that sees us that she belongs to me.
Alex leans forward. “So you two are serious, then?”
I give him my most intimidating stare in the rear-view mirror, which forces him to sit back in his seat. “Yes,” I say simply.
Azira relaxes once I say that, and I still find it amusing that she believes I took on the Sidorov Mafia for someone I’m not serious about. The comment she made about Natalya and Alex’s wedding being a while away is because she doesn’t want to presume we’ll be together by then, which is fucking ridiculous.
“Thanks for the invite to the wedding, by the way. I’ll be there.” I squeeze Azira’s thigh as I say it and a soft smile twists onto her lips.
“Great!” Natalya says, actually sounding genuine.
“Yeah, great,” Alex adds, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
I notice Natalya nudge him in the ribs for it.
Mia and Killian are in the very back of the SUV and are oddly quiet. I sense that perhaps Killian is taking advantage of the short window of privacy they’ve got back there.
Oak pulls into the parking lot of the new all you can eat buffet that opened about two months ago on the outskirts of town called Cosmo. It’s supposed to serve everything from Asian to Mexican food. Makes sense. Eva suggested this place as it will have something for everyone.
Natalya sits up straighter in her seat, glancing out her window. “I’ve wanted to try this place ever since it opened.”
I park next to Oak and everyone jumps out. Azira is about to, but I grab her hand and yank her back into her seat. “Not so fast, malishka. I haven’t given you your gift.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Gift?”
“You graduated tonight, and I wanted to get you something special.” I pull the oblong box out of my pocket and pass it to her.
Instantly, her eyes fill with unshed tears, even though she hasn’t opened it yet. “You didn’t need to get me anything.”
“Open it, malishka.”
She opens the box to reveal the diamond collar necklace. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful.” Her eyes are wide as she glances at me. “It must have cost a fortune.”
Little does she know that I have a fortune stowed away. My brother and I didn’t leave Russia with nothing. It’s one of the reasons we needed the protection of the Sidorov Bratva, in case our past came for us.
“You’re worth every fucking cent.” I reach for the collar and pull it out. “Shall I?”
She nods, a tear spilling from her eyes and running down her cheek as she lifts her hair and turns so I can put it on and do it up. “I love you, Blaine,” she murmurs.
I pull her as close as I can over the center console and kiss her. As my lips linger just over hers, I murmur, “I love you, too.”
The tears well up in her eyes and, as if the floodgates are open, she sobs at the admittance of how I feel, but it feels like the right time to tell her. Love has been well and truly absent from my life since I can remember, but Azira is the only one that can heal me.
It was easy being on my own, but I was on a dangerous collision course, barely living. Azira accepting the monster that I am has made it easier to accept myself. I’d risk everything for her. She’s my world and without her, I can no longer exist.