Chapter 13 – Blair #2
He wasn’t laughing as hard as the rest of us, but his smile and occasional chuckles suggested that he was having a good time. I didn’t think he had it in him to be so casual. Yet here he was, proving me wrong once again.
While the others’ voices droned on in the background, my eyes locked on him.
He was seated beside me, his lips curled into an authentic smile as he chuckled at one of Daniil’s silly jokes.
At that moment, he wasn’t the criminal mastermind that I knew him to be.
He was just a regular human being like the rest of us.
No mask. No filters. Just him. Nik Tarasov, enjoying the company of his folks.
The moment he noticed I was staring too long at him, I looked away, shifting my gaze to the beautiful old couple.
My heart skipped a beat when his hand rested on my lap under the table.
I glanced in his direction, but he was busy talking with the couple, pretending not to realize his hand was traveling up my thigh.
My eyes widened ever so slightly, a jolt of electricity surging through my blood.
His touch sent shivers down my spine, and my grip on my cutlery tightened.
I locked my jaw, struggling to stay composed as he dared to travel higher.
My breath hitched, and a sudden heat began spreading across my body.
Nik didn’t stop until his fingers rested on my underpants.
Fuck.
At this point, my heart was racing like a galloping horse. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, he shifted my panties and swiped his finger through my folds.
What the fuck?
A sweet sensation coursed through me like lightning, prompting my legs to part slightly. Everyone else at the table was so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t notice what was happening under the cloth.
I was soaking wet in no time.
The feeling was too much to bear, and I hated myself for enjoying it. My toes curled under the table, and my chest rose and fell with slow, uneven breaths in an attempt to hide my arousal.
My smiles and laughs became forced—almost dry—because while they were enjoying each other’s company, I was enjoying something else. I lowered my head and bit my lower lip, taking this fleeting moment to revel in the ecstasy washing over me.
I tried to stay as composed as I could, but his finger on my pussy was driving me nuts. My body was starting to shiver, betraying my quiet composure. His touch had lit a flame inside me, and the thrill had me losing focus.
My thighs brushed against each other in order to douse the bliss pulsing through me. And just like that, a quiet moan fell off my lips.
The table fell silent for a second.
“My dear, are you alright?” Larisa asked me, her voice tinged with concern.
It wasn’t until after she spoke that Nik pulled his hand from my tunnel.
I raised my head, rubbing my eyes with my fingers, aiming to feign feeling a bit under the weather. “Yeah,” I answered, stealing a glance at Nik. “I just had a migraine, that’s all.”
“Oh, dear, it happens to the best of us,” she teased, her lips curling into a faint grin.
I mirrored her gesture, shooting a quick look at Nik as he sipped from his glass like he hadn’t done anything embarrassing.
“So, Nik,” Anton called out. “You haven’t properly introduced us to the beautiful lady,” he said, his voice thick with the Russian accent.
“That’s right,” Daniil chipped in. “I’ve been waiting for an introduction.”
I reached for my glass, lifted it to my lips, and took a sip, anticipating his response. A part of me was eager to know how he’d introduce me to these people.
Yeah, Nik, who am I to you? I thought to myself, watching him over the rim of my glass.
“You silly geese,” Larisa said, smiling. “Isn’t it obvious, she’s his fiancée!”
The comment caught me mid-sip, and I almost choked on the wine. “Fiancée?” I raised my brows.
Larisa paused, then shifted her gaze between Nik and me. “Don’t tell me this is the part where you break my heart. You two look together.” She turned to her husband and Daniil for support. “Right?”
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
She looked at me with a soft expression. “If you’re not his fiancée, then what are you to him? Because you are the first woman he’s ever brought to our table.”
Wait—what?
“Plus, he looks more relaxed and, dare I say, happier than he’s been in years,” her husband chipped in.
“That’s not true, Anton,” he said, his expression as flat as his voice.
“Oh, really? Prior to tonight, when was the last time you had a good laugh?” Daniil asked him.
A lot was happening in this short period, and my brain was reeling with questions. Why would they assume that I was his fiancée? What did they mean that I was the first woman he’d brought here? Was this some sort of matchmaking tactic or what?
“So, dear, who are you to him?” Larisa insisted.
I would’ve loved it more if she’d pressured Nik into answering this and not me. He was in a better position to describe our situation.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “It’s um…it’s complicated. But for what it’s worth, he calls me his Dikaya.”
Silence.
They all exchanged glances amongst themselves.
“You must be a wild one then,” Larisa added amidst chuckles.
“So I’m told.”
“That’s why you two are perfect for each other,” Anton said to me. “Nik is a controlling son of a bitch who’s impossible to deal with. A stubborn and wild woman is exactly what he needs in his life right now.”
The others laughed. I did too.
“You’re right,” I said. “He really is controlling. And impossible to deal with.”
“Can you not talk about me like I’m not sitting right here?” Nik said, relaxed in his chair.
A scattered chuckle rose at the table, blending with the clinking of cutlery. As silence fell, Nik and I locked eyes, but neither of us said a word. My heart felt lighter, and the tension in my shoulders had evaporated into the air.
Honestly, I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Before now, I thought there was nothing good about these Mafia people. I believed they were evil and could only be that way.
Was I wrong? Or was all of this just an act to fool me?
I was so confused.
“Excuse me, I, uh…I need to powder my face—I’ve laughed so hard,” I said, beaming at them as I rose to my feet. “Can you point me toward the female restroom?” I asked Larisa.
“Yeah. Down the hall, first door on your left,” she answered, gesturing toward the direction.
“Thank you.” I left my purse on the table and walked away.
I could feel his gaze on me as I walked away, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. I rounded a corner down the hallway, completely out of his sight.
I’d barely taken two steps forward when I spotted a phone sitting on a nearby table. The screen was still alive, suggesting the owner might have just dropped it seconds ago and would return soon to pick it up.
My eyes narrowed, realizing this was my first and probably last opportunity to have access to the outside world. I glanced around to be sure that no one was watching. And when the coast was clear, I quickly snatched it off the table, my pace quickening as I rushed over to the restroom.
I swiped the screen to keep it awake, barged into the restroom, and locked myself in a stall. My fingers rattled across the keyboard as I typed the director’s number. I placed the phone to my ear and listened to it ring on the other end.
“Voss,” she answered, her voice curt on the other end.
“Director, it’s me,” I whispered.
She paused for a moment. “Blake?”
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Oh, my God! You’re alive—we were worried they got you,” she said, her tone laced with relief.
“I am, but it’s a long story, and I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you right now, but I’ve never gotten this close to breaking the case. He’s starting to trust me now—well, it’s still a work in progress, but he is.”
“I’m confused. Who are you talking about?”
“Nikolai Tarasov.”
Voss was silent for a second.
“The leader of the Tarasov Bratva?”
“Yes, him.”
“Damn, girl.” The shock and admiration in her voice were palpable.
“I don’t have much right now, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Can you maintain cover?”
I thought for a while. “For now…I think so.”
“Be careful, Blake. Remember, these people are monsters.”
I wasn’t so sure about that anymore. But by all means. “Copy that.”
“Stay focused. Gather proof. We’ll extract you when we have confirmation. And Blake….” She went silent before adding, “You’ve done well.”
The call ended with a soft click, leaving only the sound of my pulse in my ear. I rose from the toilet seat, exhaled sharply, and deleted the call history, then walked out of the stall.
I returned the phone to the exact spot I found it and then headed back to the table. They were laughing at a joke when I took my seat and blended into the atmosphere like I hadn’t just snitched on them a few seconds ago.
Nik’s eyes narrowed as he watched me intently with a blank expression. I had to be more cautious because the last thing I needed was for him to grow suspicious. The game was already becoming too risky, and I was walking a fine line.