Page 25 of Twins for the Bratva

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 mycheek 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 willcheck 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 asshe 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. Thisis 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.”

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