Chapter 11 - Cindy

I had read about thirty pages or so when Mila stuck her head around the door. "You want lunch?" she asked dryly before turning and leaving.

She left the door open, and I followed her to the kitchen. Piotr was outside on the veranda, but I didn't see Konstantin anywhere. I helped her take the buns and sausages out and sat with them for lunch. Afterward, I cleaned up by myself and went back to the room.

The house was quiet, and I was sure they had more important things to do than babysit me. I considered going outside but decided against it. It wasn't that I would try escaping as I knew there was no way. But Leon might not like the idea, and I didn't want to cause any issues.

For some reason, Leon didn't want me but didn't want the others around me either. It was confusing as one moment, he would be all over me, and the next he was distant.

Leon came back later than expected. I wasn't called upon for supper and didn't go down when the time came either. I waited until Leon returned. I didn't want to intrude if not asked to join them. Leon returned with supper. He had bought us Chinese carryouts. It was a nice change to the regular suppers.

He was quiet and drawn back.

After supper, we watched a movie and went to bed. Leon kept to his side of the bed, and it felt like I had done something wrong.

At breakfast and lunch, I sat quietly, watching the four people interacting. They appeared to be more like a family and not just colleagues. Supper consisted of more carryout meals, and the next two or three days were more of the same.

Despite the comings and goings as they went along doing their Bratva business, they appeared in all other senses to be close-knit. I was starting to settle and assist where I could. I mostly helped with house chores and meals as I was no hacker, killer, spy, or fighter. In fact, I was more of a lover or peacekeeper.

I've been here just a little over a week now, and I admit, I felt more at home with each passing day. I was no longer afraid of them and doing my part. Most afternoons, I sat by Leon's bedroom window, staring out. I missed my life and wondered if things would ever return to normal.

Leon was gone when I woke up this morning, and I hadn't seen him all day. Heading to assist with supper, I found Mila alone in the kitchen. She was peeling potatoes while the onions fried next to her in the pan. The smell was strong but alluring.

"Can I help with supper?" I said, walking towards her.

"Sure," she replied, glancing at me. "I'm making stirfry. You can peel and julienne the carrots if you like."

Everyone in the house has accepted my presence here except for Mila. She barely spoke to me except for the occasional greeting or, like now, when we did something together. Leon mentioned that she was charming when she wanted to be, but I have not seen that side of her yet.

I didn't know if I ever would. She clearly didn't want me there but had accepted that I wasn't going anywhere soon, just as I had to. Coming to stand next to her, I started at my chore.

"Where's everyone?" I asked curiously. Each time I came down, two or more of them cooked together. It was the first time that I didn't hear or see the others looming around.

"They had business to take care of but would be home soon," Mila replied without looking up. Her tone was cold and distant.

Glancing at her, I couldn't help but ask as I had never seen siblings so close to each other as they were. "You must have grown up in a nice home, seeing that the four of you are so close?"

Mila laughed, but it was a dry, hoarse sound and not an excited kind of laugh. "Has Leon not shared anything with you?"

Shaking my head, I replied softly. "No, he only said you are all colleagues, but you seem more like family…." I hesitated for a moment and then continued. "You all have the same surname, so I presumed. Sorry."

"It's okay," Mila said in a lighter tone. "We all grew up in an orphanage, but it's not something we discuss with outsiders."

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to pry," I added quickly. I didn't want to ruin the seemingly light mood Mila was in.

She faintly shook her head, her strawberry-red curls bouncing as she did. "No, it's really okay; it's not like it's a state secret or anything."

Mila had a soft smile forming on her lips and a sparkle in her hazel eyes as she spoke. I could now see the charm Leon had mentioned. Her charm in that moment enhanced her beauty. I could see men falling over their feet for her.

Mila rinsed the last potato and started chopping them as she continued. "As I said, we grew up together; we used to have loads of fun, as we called it." She winked at me. "You know, teenagers, we vandalized and stole what we wanted. We took what was owed us as many children in our situations tend to do."

"I'm sorry," I added gently.

Mila looked at me. Her eyes appeared to be filled with a longing I didn't understand. "It was good days, mostly. That was until Piotr almost lost his life."

I gasped, dropping the carrot and knife to the counter as I pulled my hands to my mouth. Mila grinned at me.

"Yes, life on the outside of normal could be daunting. But…." She said, raising her tone. "We decided to make a change there and then!" She turned to me, swinging the knife in the air, and I had to step back.

Her mood lifted as she spoke, and I felt the love she held for the other three simply by listening. "We ran away and started our own little underground organization. We wanted to do better with our lives and our skills."

Turning back to the counter, she chopped the potato on the board with force as she continued. "Each of us has unique skills, and we offer our services to those who need them. I won't lie; it was hard in the beginning. That is also when we decided to change our last names. We took one for us all."

Mila stared at the kitchen wall, seemingly in her own world. Shaking her head, she continued. "Once we started doing business with the Morozov Bratva family, things changed. We found stability."

"It appears you found happiness to fight the sad," I said. Slicing the last carrot, I continued. "Looking at all the four of you accomplished, I am sure you could do better, don't you think?"

Mila tossed the potatoes and carrots in with the onions, swirling the pan a bit before facing me. "You're one to talk. Look at the people you mix with and the company you work for. You have no right to judge unless your life is clean and your conscience clear. You need to take a second look at your own morals, as you don't even know the kind of company you keep."

I watched her without a word as she walked to the fridge and took out beef strips. Once she added the meat and herbs to the pan, she swirled them more. She briefly flipped the mixture with a spatula and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Look at the world with eyes wide open. There is no such thing as black and white. Everyone has gray moments in life, and some more than others." Mila turned to me again. Her expression wasn't sad but seemed less upbeat than earlier as she continued. "Life doesn't always give you what you want, but when it does, be grateful."

For a moment, I saw her as a young girl and not a badass spy. She has been through a lot, and the others, too. I didn't know what I would have done if I had their lives, what choices I would have made.

Mila flipped the food, swirled the pan, and then put off the plate. "Supper is ready," she pronounced, turning to set the table.

I joined her at the island and lay down the cutlery while she put out plates and glasses. "Mila," I said as she collected a bottle of wine from the fridge.

She stopped and looked at me. "I'm sorry for punching you, I was scared…" Before I could explain further, the door to the garage swung open, and Leon stumbled in, breathing heavily.

Turning to him, I couldn't stop the puff of air that escaped my mouth. He was covered in blood. His clothes, hands, and even his shoes seemed to be soaked in it.

Mila spoke as she walked to him. "You know to rinse off out back before entering."

Leon gave her a look that, if it had a voice, would have told her to get lost. I stood frozen, not sure what to do.

"Okay, just get to where you're going so I can clean the floor," Mila added, tapping Leon on the shoulder. His face was drawn together as his brows pulled inward and his jaw clenched. He looked like he was about to explode.

Deciding to stay out of it, I stepped back and waited until he had left the room before speaking. "Do you think he is okay, or should I go see if he needs help?"

Mila grinned at me. "That's up to you. If you want, then go to him, but I'm sure he will be fine."

I stood for a moment, considering her words and his appearance with great care. Mila filled a bucket with cleaning materials and dragged a large mop across the blood footprints on the marble floors. As I started towards the stairs, Piotr waltzed in through the front.

"Good evening to you lovely ladies," he said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He glanced from Mila to me and back at Mila. "What on earth happened here?"

"Leon," she breathed out as she moved closer to the stairs.

Piotr shook his head as he stepped over the prints and headed to the kitchen. Mila stopped at the bottom of the stairs and assessed the couple of prints leading up. "Will need clean water," she said, picking up the bucket and walking back to the kitchen.

I carefully trodded up, stepping around the blood stains. Luckily, their home didn't contain any carpets, only tiles. I couldn't imagine trying to remove those stains from a carpet; they would have to be replaced.

Walking up to Leon's room, I placed my ear against the door and listened. The room was quiet; I couldn't hear any movement. I knocked gently and listened.