Chapter 12 - Konstantin

Pulling into the garage, I felt the spasms running through my muscles. It had been a while since I had fought so many men at once, and my body was complaining. The job didn't go as planned. We walked into a whole lot of trouble.

But being us, we handled it and walked away without a scratch. Exiting my car, I grinned at my reflection in the window. Once before, I had felt like this. Thinking back, I remembered a time when Piotr was still part of the underground fighting. We had a similar walk-in with some hotshot fighters who wanted to take him out.

Of course, that didn't happen either. However, I had to admit that my muscles were screaming. A long soak in a salt bath would cure them in a hush. Yet, I wanted Dahlia. She was constantly on my mind these days.

Entering the house, an eerie silence surrounded me. I wondered where Mila had gone and if Dahlia was with her. The house was too quiet for comfort. I quickly walked through the rooms on the bottom floor, but they were empty.

I called out as I moved. "Dahlia, Mila, you here?" But there was no answer.

Heading to the second floor, I checked the reading nook in the library, as I had found her there before. This floor was also void of life. Heading up, I felt my stomach turning as concern entered my mind. I moved to her room as it was the only other place she could be.

The door was open, so I walked in without knocking. Scanning the room, I found it also empty. Dread filled my body, and I felt it turning cold as ice ran through my veins. If Mila had taken her somewhere, she would have left a note. Thinking back to all the rooms, I didn't recall seeing one.

I stood frozen as my mind muddled through a million ideas. Hearing a whiny gurgling sound followed by a cough, I was pulled from my deep, dark thoughts. Turning, I noticed the bathroom door was closed. I was so focused on finding Dahlia that I had not even noticed the door was closed.

Stepping closer, I listened. There it was again, that awful gurgling sound. New pangs of worry shot through me as I shoved open the door and walked in. Dahlia was sitting on the floor next to the toilet. Her face appeared whiter than the sheets on her bed.

I rushed to her side. My mind whirled with new thoughts. But these were even more disturbing than the previous ones. "What's wrong? Must I call the doctor?" I huffed out. Without waiting for a reply, I continued to answer myself. I was freaking out. "Of course, you need to call the doctor! But first, get her to the bed."

Something was wrong with her or the baby. Grabbing the hand towel, I dampened it and wiped her face. "Dahlia, sugar, let me help you up," I added as I placed my hands under her arms. I couldn't lose her, I thought, looking into her eyes.

"Stop," Dahlia said softly, squeezing my shoulders. "Slow down, Konstantin, I'm fine."

"No, no, hold on, sugar," I breathed out. She was now standing before me. Without thinking, I placed one arm under her arms and lifted her legs with the other. I picked her up and headed for the bed. "Hold on, we'll get there soon. You're going to be fine."

Dahlia started laughing as I walked to her bed. Hearing her laughter calmed me slightly. I felt her warm hand on my cheek as I lowered her to the bed. "It's only morning sickness. No need for a doctor. It's normal," she whispered.

Pulling back, I tilted my head a little as I spoke. "What do you mean, sugar? It's no longer morning. How can you have morning sickness?"

Dahlia giggled. "It's called that, but you can get it any time of the day. It's the changes in the body that cause morning sickness, and it's normal for pregnancy." She breathed in deeply, smiling at me. She continued in a sweet, soft tone. "If something feels wrong, I will tell you, I promise."

Feeling the stress leaving my body, I remembered my aching muscles. But my main concern was still with her. "Are you sure sugar? Is there anything I can get you?" I inquired as she lay back.

"No, Konstantin. Stop stressing; all is good. I don't need anything. But thank you."

I saw something in her expression that made the little voice in my mind stand on edge. There was something she wasn't saying. "Okay," I replied a little reluctantly. "But I am going to stay in your room, at least until you fall asleep," I pronounced, flopping down in the chair by the window. I didn't want to leave, I actually wanted to cuddle next to her and hold her in my arms.

Dahlia didn't seem pleased with my revelation, but I didn't care. There was no room for arguing. My tone of voice made this clear. I could see she wanted to argue; she was searching for the right words but couldn't seem to find them.

Before she could, I decided to clarify my previous statement. Clearing my throat, I spoke with authority. "I can see you're not happy with my decision. But if I don't stay here, I will check in on you every couple of seconds. That way, neither of us will sleep. But if you prefer, I can do that?"

I could see she was considering all I had said with care. After a while, she looked at me and gave me a weak smile as she spoke. "Okay, but then we're not just going to sit here in silence as I am not tired yet."

There was a strange glistening in her eyes as she spoke. "Okay," I replied warily. "What would you like to do then?"

Lifting her hand, she placed her chin in her palm and tapped her cheek with her fingers. At that moment, it looked like she was up to mischief. Lowering her hand quickly, she smiled at me. "Tell me about your life and what you do, as I don't really know you all that well?"

"Okay," I replied cautiously. "But you have to tell me about yourself."

Dahlia shook her head in agreement. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she sat thinking. Small lines formed on her forehead, and I couldn't help but smile. She was such a beautiful woman.

"Well," I started. "I grew up in an orphanage with Piotr, Leon, and Mila. It was a small orphanage of about twenty children. Most were varying in age from two to fifteen. I like to think that fate brought the four of us together. We were the closest in age, and we found comfort in each other."

Taking a deep breath, I looked out the window as I continued. "Piotr was a wild one," I chuckled as I remembered all the fights he dragged us into. "He had a habit of starting fights. But, if not for that, I don't think any of us would have been so good at what we do as we are."

Glancing at Dahlia, I noted the soft smile on her luscious lips. She was twirling a strand of hair between two fingers as she listened. "Leon," I said, continuing our story. "Well, he was a different breed. He could make anyone tell you their deepest, darkest secrets. You see, he has a trusting face. But somewhere inside, he holds a mean streak. Kids were a little wary of him."

Shifting my position in the chair, I swung my legs over the side for a more comfortable position. "Mila was always trying to escape. She has always been a handful and hard to control. She has a strong will but is exceptional in hacking, seduction, and spying."

Sitting up, I leaned forward. "I am the weapons expert. I have always liked to take things apart and build stuff. Thus, weapons were my choice in trade. Growing up wasn't easy, but we had each other. We survived and managed to build our empire using our skills."

Dahlia sat smiling at me. "Any questions?" I asked.

Swinging her feet back off the bed, she moved to the edge. Reaching out, she took my hands in hers. Her touch was warm and loving. "Was the transition from the orphanage to being here difficult?" she asked softly.

Looking into her eyes, I could see she was intrigued to learn more. "We got into loads of trouble. We were young when we decided to run away, and the street was hard. But thinking back, it was better than where we were. At first, we stole, and Piotr took part in underground fighting. But after we almost lost him, we decided to get our lives in order."

"This is when you started the organization?" Dahlia asked.

Grinning at her, I replied in a lighter tone, not wanting to create a sorrow-filled atmosphere. "Yes, we changed our names and sought out paying jobs we knew we could accomplish. This is how we ended up working for the Morozov family from time to time."

"So, if I understand you correctly, Mila is a hacker and spy. Piotr is a fighter. Leon, I'm not sure about and you sell weapons?"

"Kind of," I replied, grinning. "But it's not all we do. We do planning, training, and analysis for companies. We retrieve items, gather information, and more."

Dahlia shook her head as if she understood, then turned it sideways. Her eyes narrowed; she smiled and then spoke in an upbeat tone. "So, the company you have is a front?"

Laughing, I shook my head from side to side. "No, our business is legit. But enough about us. Tell me about you."

Dahlia shifted back onto the bed, pulling her legs halfway under her. She turned her gaze down and fumbled with her fingers in her lap as she spoke. "Well, my life isn't half as interesting as yours."

She breathed in deeply but didn't look up. "My mother died the year I finished high school. It was difficult, and I had no one to help me. I never knew my father or any other family. My friend, Anucha, helped me through."

Dahlia looked up and stared out the window. I could see the sparkle in her eyes dimming as she sat thinking back.

"I'm sorry," I said, moving to sit next to her on the bed. My heart ached to see her in pain. I wished I could take it all away. Placing a hand on her knee brought her attention back.

She took my hand and squeezed it. "Thank you," she whispered as she took another deep breath. "I applied to college, and a couple of months passed. Just before I received my acceptance letter, I also received a call. It was from Aleksandr, my cousin. He said his father had passed, and he found my details between some of his things."

Dahlia gave me a soft smile before continuing. "He came through and met me. We discussed the family, and he offered to assist with college and a part-time job. I don't know how I would have gotten through if not for him." She shook her head lightly and smiled at me. "That's me!" she said.

Before I could say anything else, she continued. "Tell me more about the jobs you all do, the missions?" Dahlia pulled her face into a scrunch as she spoke, making me laugh.

"Well," I said, moving back and turning to face her. "We don't call it missions but jobs. Different ones are depending on what the client requires."

"Okay, what are you working on now?" she asked, raising her brows.

Grinning, I considered my answer with care. "We have to retrieve documents for a client. There is a party at this place tomorrow. Piotr, Leon, and I will be going in and collecting the documents. Mila and Alyssa wait in the van. They are usually our ears and eyes."

Dahlia looked like she was jumping up and down on the bed as she bounced. She spoke excitedly. "Can I come, please, please? I am bored out of my mind here. If I don't get out, I'll die. I promise not to cause any issues."

"Slow down, sugar. I don't know; I'll have to speak to the others as well."

My words were barely out when she jumped onto her knees and took me by the shoulders as she spoke. "Please, Konstantin. I will just sit in a corner of the van and observe; please say yes, please."

She pushed her lips out in a pout as she flickered her eyelids. I couldn't help but smile and agree. "Yes, okay, it's fine, sugar. You can come."

"Thank you," she exclaimed, kissing my cheek. Her breath was hot, and her lips felt like velvet. As she sat back, I moved to the chair, feeling my emotions running wild again.

"You ready for bed?" I asked, watching her.

Dahlia got into bed, smiling from ear to ear. Nodding, she spoke in a light tone. "Yes, sir, I am."

"Right, I'm going to turn off the light. But I will be sitting here until you fall asleep, okay?"

Dahlia nodded as I moved to the door. After switching off the light, I sat in the chair watching her. She was smiling widely as she turned and turned. After two or three turns, she finally calmed down and lay still. I sat until I heard her breathing change.

Rising slowly, I walked to the side of the bed and whispered. "Dahlia, are you sleeping?" I waited, but there was no reply. Deciding she was asleep, I headed for the door. Turning back, I looked to make sure she wasn't stirring.

"Sleep tight, sugar," I said before going to my room. I lay awake for a long time thinking about all we talked about. Sleep evaded me for most of the night. The sun was rising when I finally fell asleep.

The sun was high when I finally woke. Jumping out of bed, I was shocked. I had never slept in before. I rushed through the shower and headed to the kitchen. Everyone was present as I stormed in, sliding on the floor and almost falling over.

"Slow down, sleepy head," Leon said jokingly. "You still have some time before we have to go."

"Morning, everyone," I huffed out after finding my balance.

I felt my cheeks heat up as the room filled with laughter. "Have a seat and some coffee, brother," Piotr added, pulling out the chair beside him. "The planning has been done. Relax for now."