13. Konstantin
KONSTANTIN
A second passes where I want to kill Calvin, but it passes as Rose kisses my jaw and then twists herself on the counter.
"Thanks, Calvin," she says breathlessly as her core clenches around my cock. "We'll be right there."
"We will?" I murmur against her ear while glaring at Calvin's retreating form.
"This we will always have time for," she murmurs as she turns back to me. "But my family? That's limited." Both her hands run along my shoulders and slide up to cup my face. "But if you need time to recover?"
"From sex?" The insinuation is insulting.
"No!" Rose laughs softly. "From your wound and everything that happened."
"Oh."
Of course that's what she thinks of. As I glance down at my covered wound, I glimpse the sorry sight of the crushed rose peeking out from underneath Rose's thigh.
A sorrowful sound escapes me and I wind my arm around her waist, then lift her just enough to free the rose.
"Your gift." Several petals remain scattered across the counter while the broken stem hangs limp from my fingers. "I am sorry."
"I'm not," Rose grins up at me. She wiggles her hips and my softened cock slips from her in a hot rush, leaving me with a yearning for more time. "If my gifts are to be destroyed, I think this is a good trade-off."
Her eyes almost glow as they reflect the light, and affection warms my chest with each subsequent breath. "There will be more gifts?"
Rose winks at me and slides from the counter while using my arm as a brace. "Maybe."
After cleaning one another up and dressing in a fresh shirt and jacket, Rose and I head out to the party.
She holds onto my arm and we walk together into a crowd of dancing people.
She's really outdone herself. Typically I hire an event coordinator for parties but none of them feel like this.
Rose's personal touch shines through, as does her success.
Every general has a beautiful woman on their arm and a red rose dangling out of their pockets. They laugh and drink, and judging by the number of rolled-up sleeves and loose collars, no one around here suspects anything but a good time.
"Every girl has some specific questions to ask," Rose murmurs in a low voice as we walk. "Nothing obvious, cloaked as innocent curiosity. And while they're busy, Calvin and Ethan will work their magic planting their bugs.”
"I am impressed," I say as I take in the live music, the sculpture and one dancing general who doesn't even look up when Ethan passes by suspiciously close. "You have thought of everything."
"I'm not just a pretty face," Rose teases, cuddling into my arm. "I have ideas."
"It appears so." Her smile is dazzling and she greets people with such sweet politeness. Initially, my plan had been to spend a few years with her and then let her choose a place to live the rest of her life away from me.
I didn't expect to be struck with such a warm affection to keep her close, nor have her bring such value to my business of all things.
Ethan fears she is too sweet to survive in a world like this. While I share his concern, there's comfort knowing she's got a strong, calculated head on her shoulders.
A loop of the room finally brings us around to Rose's father, Maxim Chaika, who rests at the bar with a drink in hand.
Her brother, Mathew, stands next to him ,and his angular face lights up as soon as he spots us.
"Rose!" Mathew rushes forward and clutches Rose's shoulders, then plants a heavy kiss on her cheek. "We've been looking everywhere for you."
Her hand slips from my elbow and moves to her brother's. "I was busy. I am the hostess after all."
"Maxim." I approach her father with a polite nod. "I am sorry we did not get a chance to speak at the wedding. My men told me you were unwell and had to leave."
Maxim looks up from his glass and gazes at me with a heavy expression. Such turmoil twists behind his eyes and he sucks in a deep, ragged breath before he speaks.
“Yes. Was unfortunate."
"Indeed. I want to thank you for entrusting your charming daughter into my care. If I had known what a delight she was, I would have offered more in exchange." No value can be placed on a woman like Rose, I know this now, but the feeling remains.
"It's fine," Maxin replies and he blinks slowly. As he shifts, he looks past me toward Rose, who frees herself from her brother's grip and approaches quickly.
"Dad!" To my surprise, Rose launches herself at her father and hugs him tightly, but he only pats her back in response with slow, sluggish movements.
Drugs?
Maxim doesn't seem to be all here, and even his smile at Rose is somewhat lackluster. "Look at you," he drawls. "My beautiful daughter."
"Is Mom here?" Rose's face brightens and she glances around. "Or Beatie?"
"No," Mathew replies curtly. "Beatie is unwell, so Mom stayed behind to care for her."
Something alarming passes over Rose's face, something I can't quite decipher but it leaves a sharp, unsettled feeling in my gut.
Before I can press the issue, Rose grabs her father's hand and tugs him away from the bar.
"Dad, I have something I want to show you. The gardens here are so beautiful!" As he follows her, Mathew also steps up with them but he only makes it a few inches before Rose locks eyes with me. "I won't be long. You should get to know Mathew better!"
Mathew freezes in place and grimaces ever so slightly while Rose and her father vanish into the crowd.
As an only child, I've never had much experience with family dynamics, but Rose wanting some alone time with her father doesn't strike me as odd.
Mathew's expression seems to disagree, though, as he clenches his teeth so sharply that his jawbone nearly breaks out of his skin.
"Walk with me," I say with a heavy tone, showing Mathew that he has no choice but to agree.
Mathew stares at the spot in the crowd where Rose and her father vanished, then he grunts and grabs his drink from the bar. "Some party," he says with a deep sigh.
"Your sister is extremely talented," I agree. "In all my years of throwing things like this, I don't think there's ever been an atmosphere quite like this. People are engaged and having fun, dancing and living. It makes my last gala look like a wake."
Mathew snorts. "I wouldn't give her that much credit."
"You would not?"
"No." Mathew sighs again and the sound irritates me. "She's not all that. It's cool and all that you would talk her up like that to me, but you don't need to. I grew up with her, remember? I know exactly what she's like.”
My brows crease at the utter lack of warmth in Mathew's voice. "You two did not get along?"
"Maybe it's because she's my sister, but I always found her incredibly irritating. Always complaining and crying." He smirks suddenly as if remembering something. "I was great at shutting her up though."
A strange chill crawls down my spine and I clear my throat. "I trust all installments have reached your family intact?"
"Installments?" For a brief second, Mathew almost looks confused. "Oh right, the money. "
"Yes, the money."
"Yeah we got it."
"And it remains sufficient?"
"Why?" His eyes narrow as we walk the perimeter of the party. "You trying to change the deal?"
"Not in the slightest. I am merely ensuring that the monetary installments and the businesses I provided as my half of the deal for this marriage are sufficient. On a business level—and a personal one since regardless of deals, you are Rose's family. By extension, my protection covers you all."
"Oh. I mean, it's whatever. We don't need your protection, but it's cool. The money is fine, and the business is fine."
As we walk, Mathew's head is constantly on a swivel and he scans the crowds rather than focusing on me.
"You seem distracted."
"Huh?" He squawks at me.
"I said you seem distracted."
"Oh. I was… I miss Rose, y'know. It's not the same without her. You get it, right? Having family leave is weird. I was really hoping to talk to her tonight."
"There will be time," I assure him. "In fact—"
"Hold that thought," Mathew interrupts. He digs around his pockets and pulls out a vibrating phone that stops the moment he taps the screen. Something pops up, flashing a faint hue against his shirt.
Mathew's face drains of color, growing slightly ashen as he stares down at the device.
My stomach knots every so slightly. "Is something the matter?"
The words are barely out of my mouth, but Mathew has already darted away into the crowd and vanished.
My brow tightens.
Sinking my teeth into the side of my cheek, I follow him through the crowd the best I can, but he's a man on a mission and he vanishes within seconds.
Weird.
Something about Mathew's presence is unsettling, but I make the effort because of Rose.
I find her about five minutes later near the patio doors and my chest tightens at the crestfallen look on her beautiful face.
I've never seen her look so sad.
That look vanishes into a small smile the moment she spots me. "Kon."
"Is everything alright? Your brother got a message and vanished. I lost him in the crowd."
Rose nods, and I expect the sad look to return to her face, but she keeps that smile on like a mask. It seems that in the moments when she wasn't aware of my eyes on her, I gained a glimpse at what she was really feeling.
And I don't like it.
If she's sad, I need to fix it.
"Yeah uhm…" She clears her throat and glances over her shoulder as if expecting someone like her brother to return. "He just took my father and left so suddenly."
"Did he say why?"
She shakes her head and looks up at me. "No. Only that there was a family emergency. But he wouldn't tell me what."