Page 28 of Twins for the Bratva

“If Piotr is where I think he is, according to the cameras, he is about to enter a room with a fake wall. This is most likely a trap. He should head back and take the stairs down one level. There will be three doors. One will enter the underground car park. One will lead to storage rooms and the other to a long passage.”

I could hear my tone changing as I spoke. I hoped I didn’t sound pushy, but they had to listen. Mila grabbed the plans from me and studied them. I saw concern on Alyssa’s face as she studied the camera angles. “There’s no camera once you enter the passage,” she proclaimed, looking at me.

“I expected that,” I replied confidently. “Most of the time, this is the place you need to search. According to the plans, there should be only one door down that passage. It may have a padlock entry.”

“Piotr, move now,” I heard Alyssa speaking in a rushed tone.

Glancing at the monitors, I noticed the two men heading his way. “Men are coming towards you from the front. Turn and head back to Konstantin.”

We held our breaths as he moved back through the hallway and stepped back into the room. Konstantin was waiting at the door, keeping anyone heading that way distracted. Leon also joined them as he spoke up. “So where to Dahlia?”

“The next door leads to the stairs. There should be a sign showing the parking area on it.” I replied.

Everyone in the van was silent as I directed Piotr and Leon through. Leon waited at the door as Piotr entered the hallway. “Just keep going,” I said. “In front, there will be a single door; let us know if it has a padlock.”

Alyssa and I kept our eyes glued to the monitors. Leon looked nervous as he shifted from leg to leg. Konstantin stood at the door leading to the stairs, smiling and greeting everyone who passed him.

“Right, I’m here,” Piotr whispered. “The door has a silver pad with numbers on it.”

“Spray it with the color spray; only the recently used numbers will color as they don’t stick to dust,” Konstantin added.

“The numbers are two, four, five, and nine. It’s a Simplex,” Piotr replied.

“Good, it’s a four code,” Mila added.

“Try the numbers in order,” I added, not knowing where that idea came from. I felt sweat building up on the nape of my neck. I had never felt so nervous and excited at the same time. Working with them was thrilling.

“I’m in!” Piotr exclaimed. “Just give me a second to find the files.”

We heard rustling and drawers opening and closing. “Found it,” Piotr eventually said.

“Great stuff, now get the hell out,” Mila huffed. “Take your seats, ladies; we’re heading home. See you on the other side, guys.”

“No problem,” Konstantin answered.

As we secured everything in place, I noticed the three heading for the doors. We sat down and buckled in before heading home.

Chapter 14 - Konstantin

After our near escape, my body was pumping with adrenalin. I wanted nothing more than to get home and hold Dahlia. Things could have turned out very differently if it wasn’t for her meddling.

We ended up retrieving the files from a completely different location. What she did was quite amazing. Leon took the documents, and would deliver them to Ashan. Piotr followed to ensure they weren’t followed, and I headed home.

Mila, Alyssa, and Dahlia headed home in the van as we exited the building. They knew better than to hang around. As I drove, all I could think of was how remarkable Dahlia had been in coping with this mission. My sweet sugar saved our asses.

She was everything I could have asked for and more. Overcome with feelings of gratitude, my emotions were wreaking havoc. I was completely turned on by her brilliance and intended to show her.

I rushed into the house, wanting to embrace her as soon as possible. The three women were in the kitchen. “Dahlia,” I said as I walked in. “Can we talk?”

She nodded and followed me to the next room. Once I knew we were out of sight of the others, I reached out and pulled her into my arms. “You were so,” Before I could continue, she pushed me away.

“No, you don’t get to do that,” she said sternly before turning. She walked back to the kitchen without another word. My chest tightened. I didn’t know what I had done wrong. Why was she suddenly acting like this?

I followed her, wondering how to approach the situation. She sat down next to Alyssa. Walking around the island, I went to stand before her on the other side. I smiled at her, hoping to get her attention.

Dahlia seemed to ignore me as she spoke to Mila. “If there is anything I can assist with, please let me know.”

“Dahlia,” I said a bit too harshly. Smiling, I tried to control the sudden fear pushing up in me. “What is going on? What did I do?”

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