No doubt it’s my cousin’s doing. She hates the family we were born into almost as much as I do.
Aurora’s eyes are too busy taking everything in with awe to see said cousin run toward us with her fiancé in tow.
“Severin!” Katya calls out and wraps her tiny ballerina hands around me.
Katerina is the prima ballerina here in New York. Beautiful with her long dark hair and baby blue eyes that still carry a few of her own demons.
“You made it! Aunt Tanya said you weren’t coming.”
“We wouldn’t miss it.”
Her eyes then quickly zero in on Aurora tucked into my side. “Would you care to introduce us?” Katya asks, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She knows bits and pieces of my past and knows I haven’t seen anyone since Nastya.
“This is my fiancée, Aurora. Lychik, this is my cousin Katya. The bride.”
“Your fiancée?” My cousin squeals and launches herself at Aurora who is too stunned to move, let alone speak.
“Princess, you’re going to smother Aurora,” Julius, the hip-hop dancer slash biker who stole my cousin’s heart grunts, pulling his fiancée back into his embrace.
As soon as Katya’s in his arms, I see the tension leave his body and he breathes a sigh of relief.
A faint smile ghosts across my lips, the grumpy fucker is so gone for my cousin, and I love that for her. He’s older than her and not from the family her parents would approve, but they fought their way through all the bullshit.
“I’m Julius,” he introduces himself. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Aurora, and same. Sorry, I kind of tagged along to your celebration.”
“You didn’t tag along.” I shoot her a look. “You’re mine.”
Katya and Julius are watching us for a beat before she says, “Sava is right. We’re very happy you’re here. There aren’t thatmany friendly faces around here, so I’ll take all that I can get.” When she spots Aurora’s confused frown she adds, “I tried to have a small gathering of friends and family. Buuut…” She flashes a fake smile. “It’s not the Mineav way, and this isn’t the hill I’m willing to die on. So—”
“Welcome to the shitshow,” Julius grumbles, finishing her sentence as he watches the cream of the crop of New York and Moscow milling around the place with barely disguised distain.
“Brother, wipe that scowl off your face before I do it for you.” A stunning redhead in a sharp white suit that fits her to perfection appears at his side, hand in hand with her just as good-looking husband.
Kira Clark and Vassar Levidis.
“I’d like to see you try,” he shoots back, and both share a secretive smile.
“Hey, you must be Severin?” Kira asks, and we get into a comfortable conversation. I can feel Aurora relax at my side as she joins in. Apparently, my lychik knows all about Kira Clark and is having a big fangirl moment over here.
I’ve recently learned that Aurora really enjoys cooking and she even let it slip a few times how fun it would be to own her own place and how she’d decorate it and what she’d serve and I as watch her chatting with Kira about the restaurant world, I make a mental note to call the woman later to consult on the place I’ve been eyeing in Boston to buy for Aurora’s café.
Vassar even shares that his little sister is going to die when she finds out he met me. Apparently, she’s the biggest fan of the Outlaws. All was going too well, so I should’ve known better that soon enough, our peaceful bubble would be ripped apart.
“Severinchik,” my mother cries as she hurries toward me with fake tears of joy in her eyes.
“Here we go,” I mutter, and feel Aurora give my hand a steadying squeeze. Yes, she’s with me.
“I’m so happy you made it,” she croons in Russian. “Who’s this?”
“This is my fiancée, Aurora,” I reply in English, and for a second my mother’s perfect mask slips.
“F-fiancée?” She looks Aurora up and down.
“Hi, nice to meet you, Mrs. Mineav,” Aurora says, but Mom’s eyes shoot to mine.
