13. Blair
Blair
“ D o you still have that blue dress?” Andrei’s voice is right behind me, startling me as I drop the puzzle piece in my hand, jumping half out of my skin and knocking my knee against the coffee table. “The one you wore when Riot opened?”
I look at him with wild eyes while I try to rub away the sting, but if he notices, he doesn’t let on.
We got married on Tuesday, and this is the most he’s said to me in the four days since then. He’s always around the house, but he hasn’t acted like he wants to be anything other than a distant roommate who happens to get along with my son.
Niko hasn’t wanted anything to do with me since the funeral, and the way he trails after Andrei, asking him every question that pops into his head, is both adorable and isolating. Andrei’s patience is heartwarming, but I feel like an outsider in my own home.
“No,” I answer after my heart rate settles. “I threw it out when I got home that night. ”
He nods, running a hand through his hair. “Do you have anything like it?”
“What, something to wear to a club?”
He nods again.
“Why?” I ask slowly, a tendril of unease unfurling in my belly.
He watches me like one would a wild animal, walking around the couch and picking up the puzzle pieces that fell to the floor.
“We need to let everyone know that we got married.” Protests claw at the tip of my tongue, and I bite my lip to keep them back. “Alexei’s new club is opening tonight. Everyone will be there.” He shrugs. “It’s the perfect opportunity.”
I wipe my sweaty palms on my thighs, heart in my throat.
The night Daniil took me to Riot was the first time he brought me to a nightclub, and after the humiliation I felt, it was the last time, too. That night felt like he was throwing me to the wolves and telling them I was fair game. They don’t need another chance to take a bite of me.
“Blair, I know you don’t want to, but we’re not going to get a better opportunity than this. Alexei’s hired more security than he’ll know what to do with. Things with The Outfit are stable. And I’m not going to leave your side.”
That makes me pause.
“You won’t?”
“No. Not unless you ask me to.” He takes the piece from my hand, gently prying it away and laying on the table with the rest of the puzzle. “And Nadya will be there, so you don’t have to stick with me if you don’t want to.”
“She actually asked me to go with her tonight,” I confess.
One corner of his lips quirks up, a ghost of a smile .
“We only have to be there for an hour, tops. And you can spend most of the time with her.”
An hour, I think, blowing out a slow breath. I can manage an hour, right? I’ve done worse things for longer.
“I’ll go look through my closet. I probably have something.”
Reluctantly, I pull my hand away from his, and his relief is stark in the way his shoulders sag.
***
The mass of writhing bodies moves with the pulsing beat of the music as I lean against an exposed brick wall, counting my breaths and forcing myself to focus on Andrei’s presence beside me.
I can’t relax. I’m constantly looking around, keeping my eyes peeled for threats.
I thought I saw Pavel when we walked in, and it doesn’t matter how much I want to loosen up, I’m not willing to risk running into him with a trip to the bar.
It’s been twenty minutes, and true to his word, Andrei’s been stuck to me like glue, using his menacing glare to keep anyone from approaching us.
This probably isn’t the way he expected us to debut as a couple. In fact, I’m starting to think we shouldn’t have bothered coming at all. If Andrei wanted to make a splash, he would’ve been better off sending a mass text.
If the glower on Andrei’s face is any indication, he thinks so, too .
He takes my hand into his, and the warmth of his touch is like a bolt of lightning down my spine.
“C’mon, let’s go get a drink.” I open my mouth to refuse but stop when I see the gentle way he’s looking at me.
He tucks me against his side and presses his lips to the top of my head, and I can’t find it in me to resist. “Relax, Blair. I’ve got you.
” His arm is a warm band around my waist as he pulls me toward the bar, cutting through the crowd with ease.
They part around him like water, giving me a glimpse of Alexei smiling warmly at the small group of people gathered around him.
Tonight might be a bust for Andrei and I, but it’s nothing short of a rousing success for Alexei.
The club is flooded with people enjoying the stunning atmosphere he’s curated for them.
The main area is decked out in stunning reds and oranges, dark walls with warm lights highlighting the decor. No detail has been overlooked, and the care that’s been put into the appearance alone is a testament to how much work he’s done to make everything perfect.
His smile dims slightly when he sees Andrei’s arm wrapped around me, his eyes narrowing. I want to duck out of his view, but before I can, Andrei lifts his chin in acknowledgment. Alexei returns the gesture before turning back to his audience.
Andrei turns to me as he makes space for us at the bar, bringing me in front of him, my back plastered against his chest. “What would you like?” he asks, breath hot against my ear.
“Water would be great,” I smile tightly .
“Blair.” His eyes are hard as he looks down at me, the top of my head just meeting his shoulder. I’ve never noticed how tall he is before. He towers over me, even when I’m in heels.
How haven’t I noticed that before? I swallow, forcing myself to meet his stare head on.
“Yes?” I answer.
His hands barricade me against the bar, his thumb tapping impatiently against the shiny surface.
“You’re so tense you look like you’re going to snap in half.” The deep timbre of his voice is so close it’s effortless to hear him, even over the din of the crowd. “Pick something you like, or I’m going to pick the most obnoxiously colored thing I can find.”
I frown in confusion, brows drawing together.
“Why would you pick based on color?”
“Because embarrassment can be an excellent motivator.”
“I might be out of practice, but I’m pretty sure the colorful drinks tend to get you drunk the fastest.”
His eyes drift to the side for a moment. “I’m not trying to get you drunk, just trying to help you relax.”
“Comforting,” I mumble, twisting the rings on my finger.
The weight of them is still unfamiliar, different enough from what I’m used to that I can’t forget that they’re there.
The stone in my new ring is roughly the same size as what Daniil got me, but it’s denser, catching me off guard every time I move my hand.
At the thought of Daniil’s rings, I reach for the chain tucked into the collar of my dress, making sure they’re still there .
I eventually shrug, resigned. “I don’t have a preference.” He nods and pulls back, allowing me breathing room as he leans forward, commanding the bartender’s attention.
I wrap my arms around my waist, feeling cold without him there. Before he turns back, a pair of thin arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me backward. I gasp, instinct making me struggle before I register Nadya’s voice chirping in my ear.
“Blair! I thought you weren’t coming tonight!” Her eyes are bright, her cheeks flushed as she greets me with a wide smile. “I’m so glad you’re here, though. The rest of these people suck. What changed your mind?”
I have to force myself to smile at her, feeling like a fraud in the face of her genuine enthusiasm. I point at Andrei’s back. “He talked me into it.” She looks at him and nods, gasping when she looks back at me.
“Woah, where’d you get that?” She grabs my hand, pulling it closer while she inspects my ring. “You weren’t wearing this the other night, were you? It’s gorgeous.”
She’s right. It is gorgeous, especially under the dramatic lights that line the bar.
The padparadscha sapphire glints a slightly different shade of orange and pink whenever the angle changes.
The smaller diamonds on either side of it sparkle as she twists my hand around to really study it.
At first glance, it’s not the most ostentatious ring, but it’s stunning when you take the time to look at it.
Whenever I take the time to sit still and think, I end up staring at it, unable to believe it’s mine, that Andrei picked it.
“It’s new, actually,” I find myself telling her. “We, uh…” I glance at Andrei, blindly fishing for what to say .
“We got married,” Andrei announces, turning around to hand me a bright red drink. Nadya’s eyes dart between us, mouth gaping while I shrug.
“Yeah, what he said.”
I take a healthy sip of my drink, surprised by the cloying taste of maraschino cherries and vodka.
I don’t realize how quiet the crowd immediately around us has gotten until Alexei steps closer. “What was that?” His eyes blaze with a quiet fury that sends shivers down my spine. Without thinking, I take a step backward, colliding with Andrei who puts a possessive hand on my hip.
“We got married. We didn’t want to wait, so we had a small ceremony the other day.
” He presses a kiss against my hair as if we’re the very portrait of happy newlyweds, not the barely functional, mismatched pair that we really are.
I force myself to smile up at him, trying to appear more relaxed than I am.
Nadya recovers first, pasting a smile on her face and pulling me into a tight hug.
“Congrats!” Her voice has an air of false cheer to it that makes my stomach drop.
“Thanks,” I mutter quietly.
Chancing a glance at Alexei, I swallow thickly. He’s glaring daggers at the two of us, and I want to crawl home and bury my head in the sand so I don’t have to deal with his seething anger.
“Andrei, a word?” he bites out, jaw tight and fists practically vibrating like he’s clinging to the last threads of his temper. Andrei looks down at me, raising a brow in question .
Irrationally, I want to cling to him so that I’m not alone among the piranhas, but that would just bring more of Alexei’s fury down on me.