Chapter Fourteen Konstantin’s POV
Chapter Fourteen
Konstantin’s POV
I’d heard men complain about their women driving them crazy for different reasons, from money to having crazy mood swings.
I’d even heard Mikhail accuse Isabella of driving him nuts because she was disrupting his wardrobe.
I never thought any of the scenarios were cute, nor did I wish for any of them.
But now, I’d gladly have Alina drive me crazy for any of these reasons.
I’d happily trade my current place with that of any of them.
Alina was driving me crazy on a whole different level.
Unlike a hostage, she didn’t plead or posture.
She simply went about smiling with my domestic staff like they were her friends and lashing out at me like I was a devil.
If all she did was lash out at me with her words, it might have been okay.
But, no. There were times, like the last time she was in my office and earlier in the morning in the dining room, when she looked up at me with a soft expression, like she saw a different person inside of me.
Those moments made me want to step closer to her and bask in her presence.
However, the most frustrating times were those when she didn’t exactly do anything.
Times she just looked on instead of talking to me or acknowledging me in any way—something that was normal for someone in her position.
Times when she told me to stop asking her how she was because I clearly couldn’t care less.
What was most frustrating about these times was that I was the one going out of my way.
I was the one who wanted her to talk to me, even yell at me.
I was the one who wanted to know how she slept when it shouldn’t be my business.
Still, it made me want to pull my hair out that she had so much effect on me.
I found myself walking to her door before heading to my bedroom after the day’s work.
I totally had no reason to, but I always found myself at her door, every night, trying to hear if she was sleeping or just moving around—not that I ever did.
I remembered the other night when I got back and saw her, relaxed on the couch with Greta, every part of me begged to drive all the others away and take a seat close to her.
Even when she attributed my concern for her staying up too late to ‘hostage protection’ and yelled at me to stop calling her name, my eyes couldn’t help but register how her soft cardigan fell off her left shoulder, revealing smooth olive skin.
The annoyance in her eyes didn’t keep me from noticing the soft curves that the hem of her cardigan didn’t quite cover.
And last night, I had walked out of her room because my thoughts were going haywire.
I had decided to take dinner to her myself just to see how she was doing after the ladies had visited.
I needed to see if they’d cheered her up or made her feel worse.
But I had ended up seeing anything but that.
Instead, I’d seen the surprise in her face turn into appreciation, like I could hug her and she wouldn’t resist. I wanted to do that and more, so much more.
There was nothing I wanted more in that moment.
So I had turned around to leave before she stopped me with an unexpected question.
A question so unexpected that I had spilled the truth without thinking.
“Boss,” Sergei called, interrupting my internal ramblings. “The file is in your bag. We’re ready to leave.”
I nodded from where I sat at the head of the dining table with a steaming cup of black tea.
“You go ahead, I’ll join you at the warehouse soon,” I told him. “I’ll have breakfast at home today.”
“Oh…okay, boss,” he answered. “Three of the men will wait behind.”
“Hmm.”
What are you doing to me, Alina?
“Sir?” Greta started, coming out of the kitchen. “I didn’t know you were waiting for breakfast. Should I serve you now?”
“I’m not waiting for breakfast,” I clarified. “I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”
“Okay, sir.”
I emptied my cup of tea and was about to place it back on the table when she appeared, descending the stairs in a pale blue long-sleeved top and grey joggers.
She looked so beautiful and delicate. I thought of what it’d feel like to run my hands through her hair and undo the neat twist. Her gaze met mine, and I swallowed at the perception of something… opening.
A frown that looked more surprised than annoyed took over her features as she approached the dining table.
“Good morning, Alina,” I greeted, standing to pull back the chair to my left.
“Good morning, Konstantin.”
How will she react if I tell her how much I love it when she calls my name?
She sighed softly as her back touched the chair.
“Greta,” I called, catching Alina’s curious glance.
“Sir,” she answered from the kitchen, rushing out. “Oh, you’re awake. Good morning, milady,” she said, smiling at Alina, who smiled back.
“Good morning, Greta,” she greeted.
“We’ll have breakfast now,” I told Greta, who nodded and went back into the kitchen.
“Milady?”
“It’s a compromise we reached,” she answered, waving a dismissive hand. “She wouldn’t call me by my name, and I didn’t want the ‘madam’ shit.”
I chuckled. It was probably the first time I’d heard a curse word from her.
Greta came back and started serving our food with a barely concealed smile on her face. Alina dug in immediately after she went back into the kitchen. I, on the other hand, watched her eat for a few seconds before bringing my fork to the plate in front of me.
“Thank you. For inviting them yesterday,” she said, making my fork pause mid-air.
She blinked at me as I turned and met her gaze. There was nothing like hatred or annoyance in those warm brown orbs. It made me want to touch her, to hold her, and remain like that. I had to fist my left hand to avoid taking her hand in mine.
“It was—”
“Yeah, the least you could do,” she cut in, half-rolling her eyes, an adorable giggle leaving her lips.
I had no fucking idea what to say in response. I didn’t even want to. I just wanted to look at her, like this.
She ate another forkful of her food before speaking again, her tone more serious.
“It’s almost as if you have a way of knowing what I need. From Russie’s jokes to the ladies’ visit. It’s kinda creepy and disturbing,” she admitted before lowering her voice. “But thoughtful, too. And heart-warming.”
Did she just say all this to me?!
I cleared my throat loudly as I begged my mind to come up with what to say instead of drowning in the warmth of those brown eyes.
“I’m glad,” I finally uttered.
“Glad, Konstantin?” she repeated, a full-blown giggle emanating from her this time. “Do you have something against words?”
Unable to keep it in, I blurted out, “I love it when you say my name.”
Alina’s jaw dropped. Then she seemed to catch herself as she pursed her lips.
“I’m surprised you’re at the table this morning,” she remarked, her voice soft enough to make me see how flustered she was.
I probably was, too.
“Slow morning. Happens that way sometimes,” I answered. We continued to eat in silence, and when I started playing with the idea of staying back at home instead of going to the warehouse, I rose to my feet and bid her farewell.
As we drove out of the gates, I realized something. Something she obviously had no idea of.
She's chipping away at my defenses.
The insane part, however, was that I wasn’t sure I wanted her to stop.
The smile on her face and the sound of her laughter still replayed in my head as I went on with the day's work at the warehouse. Of course, thinking of her at work was gradually becoming normal—but now I could see her face brightened with laughter in my head.
Chuckling to myself, I picked up my vibrating phone.
“Brother,” I mentioned, sitting more upright.
“Konstantin. What’s the update?” Viktor questioned.
He said the exact thing I’d been expecting, and my chest tightened as I thought of Alina sitting next to me just a few hours ago.
Bringing myself back to my brother’s question, I answered, “He hasn’t mentioned anything consequential to the Feds. Seems the bastard is giving them something else to bite.”
“Works in our favor. For now,” he replied. “What about Alina? Have you gotten anything from her?”
“Not yet. She insists on not knowing anything.”
He was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Keep trying.”
“I won’t stop.”
“Okay,” he replied, ending the call.
Considering how my last attempt at getting the truth out of her went, I hesitant at the thought of another interrogation. Yet, I knew better than to think of relenting. Viktor had been calling every day, and we still didn’t know what we needed to know about Morozov’s network.
I wish this situation were different.
**********
Knocks sounded at my door, making me look up from the footage I’d been watching.
“Come in.”
Sergei came in, closing the door behind him.
“Boss, Mr. Petra is asking to speak with you.”
“Definitely about Morozov,” I uttered, nodding.
“I asked him to call back.”
Petra was one of those men who worked with the Russian authorities but had always served as an ally to me.
He didn’t get involved with my business unless it expressly interfered with the government or its statutes.
He was one of those people I could somewhat bank on to give me a heads-up if something got messy up there and it involved the Bratva or me.
“Okay. Let’s hear what he has to say,” I answered.
Sergei nodded as he took a seat opposite me. His phone rang, and he looked up at me. I nodded in affirmation, and he placed the phone on the table. He picked up the call and clicked on the speaker icon.
“Konstantin,” Petra greeted, his voice booming through the office.
“Petra.”
“The authorities are asking about Alina Sokolov. She’s one of the key contacts we need. She has been declared wanted for over a week now. I know you know that.”