CHAPTER TWENTY - TWO

LORENZO GRAYSON\ VADIM KERZHAKOV ©

I slowly finished my drink while Alina kept talking about her time in Russia. I answered when I had to, though most of the time, I just listened. At some point, she found out I was from Russia too, but she still knew nothing about my real background.

I glanced toward the bar when I felt someone staring.

Nick. The kid quickly looked away the moment our eyes met.

Beside me, Alina had already started to get drunk. She rested her elbow on the counter and leaned her cheek against her palm while staring at me.

“You know… I like you,” she said with a lazy smile.

Nick paused in the middle of what he was doing and looked our way. The second I turned to him, he quickly went back to work.

“You’re drunk,” I said with a sigh as I stood up. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

“No, I’m not,” she said, waving a hand. “I’m very much okay.”

“And who wouldn’t like you, Enzo? You’re the kind of gentleman every woman wants.” she added as she pointed at my chest.

“Gentleman?” I muttered with a quiet scoff.

If only she knew the kind of man I was that has blood stained on his hands.

She grabbed my glasses and slipped them on.

“How do I look?” she asked with a grin.and I rubbed my forehead.

“Come on, Alina. Let’s go.” I reached for her arm to help her up.

“I love it when you say my name,” she mumbled between hiccups. “It sounds… different.”

She stopped mid-sentence, bent forward, and quickly covered her mouth before rushing toward the restroom.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. Then I heard a quiet snicker. I turned and saw Nick trying to look busy.

“Are you laughing?” I asked and he shook his head.

“Of course not,” he said and looked down at his phone. “Why would I?”

“What’s with you?” I asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.” I said and he frowned.

“No, I really don’t.”

I let out a slow breath and gave a short nod. Since I walked into this place, his mood and attitude felt off.

The way he kept glancing at me when he thought I would not notice. I had lost count of how many times our eyes met tonight.

“Enzo.” I turned and saw Kyle walking toward me. He glanced at Nick, who bowed politely.

“You two seem close,” Kyle said.

“No, we’re not,” I said at once.

I grabbed my coat and walked outside while Kyle followed behind.

The cool night air hit my face the second we stepped out.

“You're with the female professor,” Kyle said.

“Alina,” I corrected and he gave me a look before nodding.

“You seem upset.”

“I’m fine,” I said shortly.

I held out my hand. “Got a cigar? I need one.”

One of Kyle's men passed me a pack and I pulled one out and placed it between my lips.

“I explained everything to her. She agreed to help,” I said after lighting my cigar. “And… I agreed to be her partner.”

Kyle turned to me at once.

“Partner?” he asked, raising a brow.

I nodded and took a slow drag from the cigar.

“That’s all she wants?” he asked again.

“For now,” I answered. “That’s what she said.”

He stayed quiet for a moment before sighing.

“Be careful with the investigation,” he said. “If Antonio starts to suspect anything, you’ll be putting both yourself and her in danger.”

I let the smoke leave my lips slowly.

“For now, she’s safe,” I said. “He would not go after a minister’s daughter. I already told you, Antonio is planning something bigger. He would not risk drawing attention to himself.”

Kyle still did not look convinced.

“Still,” he said, patting my shoulder once, “be careful.”

“I still have people to attend to,” Kyle said. “I’ll leave the rest of the night to you.”

I gave a small nod, and he went back inside.

A few minutes later, I took one last drag from my cigar. I dropped it to the ground and crushed it under my shoe before heading back into the bar.

I stepped in to see Alina asleep at the counter, her head resting on the table.

I sighed and draped my coat gently over her shoulders.

Without thinking, my eyes searched the bar for Nick. The other bartender seemed to notice.

“Nick already left,” he said. “His shift ended.”

I gave a small nod.

Of course the brat had gone home.

I carefully lifted Alina into my arms. She mumbled sleepy words and loosely wrapped her arms around my neck, her head falling against my shoulder.

I carried her to the car and gently helped her into the passenger seat. I pulled the seatbelt across her and made sure it was secure before getting into the driver’s seat.

Since I did not have her driver’s number or even her home address, I had no real choice but to take her to my place.

About forty minutes later, we got home.

I carried her inside and laid her carefully on the bed in the guest room before leaving for the living room.

I dropped onto the couch and tried to get some sleep.

∆∆

~ COLLEGE ~

I woke up with a headache the next morning, thanks to the drinks from last night.

Likewise Alina, she had woken up confused, staring around my house like she had landed in the wrong place.

This morning, she insisted on going home to change instead of letting me buy her clothes from a boutique.

Later, we stopped at a restaurant for breakfast and food that could help with the hangover before heading to college.

“Thank you so much, Professor Grayson,” she said as we got out of the car.

“I prefer the Enzo you always call me,” I said and she laughed before nodded.

“Fine. Enzo.”

We started walking toward our offices, then she glanced at me, looking worried.

“Are you sure I didn’t say or do anything embarrassing?” she asked and I let out a small chuckle.

This had to be the fifth or sixth time she had asked me the same thing.

“No, Alina,” I said. “You didn’t.”

She looked relieved and gave a small nod. We went our separate ways and headed to our offices.

The moment I sat down, I let out a tired sigh.

The pile of student projects on my desk was still on the desk.

Being a lecturer was far more stressful than I thought.

Then, out of nowhere, Nick came to mind. He could help me with this.

I didn't hesitate before picking up my phone and sending him a message.

Me:

Mind coming to my office?

I walked to the vending machine and got myself a cup of coffee when my phone buzzed.

I checked the message and stared at the message for a moment.

Nick:

Why? The female professor isn’t there for you anymore?

I typed back without wasting time.

Me:

I need you in my office. Unless you want an F in this course.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and let out a quiet scoff.

That kid was really starting to test my patience. Maybe it was time I knocked some sense into him.