Just Business (Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Book 1)

by Sidney Bristol

  She was grateful that work had woken her up while the others were still asleep. That had allowed her to get a head start on things like a shower and breakfast, all while wrestling with her own mental state.

  While she should be thinking through what she’d read in her email update, instead she was stuck on how she felt about Konstantin, this job, Zasha.

  Was love enough?

  He clearly felt something for her. Did she want to risk her heart on the hope he’d love her back? And then what?

  She methodically plated the food for breakfast and scraped the pans.

  From the sound of it, Zasha was now out of the shower. Finally. Konstantin had disappeared into Ivana’s room shortly after waking up and neither had been seen.

  Haley reasoned that those two had a lot to work out between them. Last night had left marks on all of them.

  “Zasha? You ready to eat?” Haley called out.

  She heard a mumbled reply through the door that probably translated into an affirmative.

  There were decisions to be made and information to share. Haley couldn’t keep wallowing in her personal feelings when so much was at stake. They had very little time before the police came calling at the Aegis Group headquarters and they’d be forced to admit they knew where Konstantin was.

  The bathroom door opened and Zasha plodded out. She was certainly a princess that needed her full nine hours of sleep. Today was going to be a rough one for her, but at least the biggest things on her agenda were meals.

  “Here you go.” Haley set Zasha up at the table.

  The other bedroom door opened and Ivana stepped out, followed by Konstantin. Haley wished she could read the last half hour on their faces, but she was in the dark.

  “Eat up.” She gestured at the other plates.

  Konstantin stared at the plates. “That looks good.”

  She reached over and nudged one at him. “Take a few bites, even if you don’t feel like it.”

  They all did their best. Haley ate everything despite the nervous gurgling. Zasha picked through for the best bites and left the rest, picky as normal. Konstantin mostly moved stuff around while Ivana dutifully ate.

  Haley let the silence stretch on. It wasn’t uncomfortable. They were all simply sitting with their own thoughts. These were likely to be their final, calm moments.

  “Zasha, if you want to be done will you put your plate on the counter then wash up and find something to watch on TV, please?” she asked when it was clear Zasha wasn’t eating anymore.

  Zasha wordlessly got up with her plate and did as asked. She skipped back to the table, kissed her father’s cheek, then ran off to the bedroom without washing up. Haley shook her head but let it slide. They had more important things to worry about than greasy fingers.

  “What’s happened?” Konstantin asked the moment Zasha was out of sight.

  Haley sighed and pushed her plate aside. “The police want you for Frank’s murder. Your mother is still after us to get back at your father, somehow.”

  Konstantin braced his forearms on the table. “All of that we knew. So what’s new?”

  “Hear me out.” She propped her elbows on the edge and focused on him. “Calling the cops or the feds potentially puts you in greater danger. Not to mention that if your mother makes a claim at being Zasha’s guardian, she’s got us.”

  His expression darkened and she realized that he hadn’t fully comprehended that bit yet.

  She licked her lips. “I think this is a situation of where the enemy of my enemy could be my very temporary friend.”

  His gaze darkened. “Meaning? Who?”

  She braced herself and said, “Your father.”

  “What? No.” Konstantin frowned.

  She watched his face closely. “I have it on good authority that he left a private airport yesterday on a flight bound here. He should be here soon, if he’s not already.”

  Konstantin’s eyes widened and he stared at her, genuinely shocked.

  “Leonid is coming here?” Ivana asked.

  Haley glanced at the woman. Truth be told, she’d half-forgotten Ivana was with them. “He is.”

  “You’re joking.” Konstantin’s fork clanged against the plate. He shoved a hand through his hair and stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.

  “I’m not.” She grabbed the cell phone that had been in the things for her. “Here’s the email and if you look at this attachment, it’s the flight plan on file.”

  Konstantin took the phone and for several moments stared at it.

  “I know the two of you might not like each other a whole lot, but you have a mutual enemy here,” she said.

  “He’s already landed. Or should have if this is right,” he said.

  “Oh.” Truthfully, she hadn’t really known what she was looking at.

  Konstantin put the phone down and stared at the table. “He came. She was right. I didn’t see that coming”

  “He did.” Haley didn’t know what it meant, but it had to be significant.

  “I, um, need a minute.” Konstantin rose and strode across the room and out onto the miniscule balcony.

  Haley’s gaze slid to Ivana, who was still watching Konstantin.

  “What do you think about this? His father?” she asked.

  Ivana sighed. “I never liked Leonid. It was easy to think of him as the bad man. But, he always did want the best for his son, even if he didn’t know how to show it.”

  “Do you think Leonid came here to save Konstantin?”

  Ivana considered the question for a moment. “I won’t say I’m surprised, but...”

  But all the pieces were coming together.

  “What’s he planning on doing?” Haley asked out loud. “Show up, meet with Natasha? Is her goal just to kill him? Then what?”

  “Isn’t that the million dollar question?” Ivana asked.

  Haley grimaced. This game was far too rich for her.

  MONDAY. FRANKLIN DELANO Roosevelt Memorial. Washington, DC.

  Konstantin could barely believe he was about to see his father. The man he’d spent the last decade doing everything in his power to steer clear from. And now he’d gone off and asked the old man to meet up.

  What was he supposed to say? Do? Why was he even here?

  He found an out of the way spot to wait and watch. Would he even know his old man on sight?

  Growing up, Konstantin had been afraid of his father. He remembered being little and hiding behind the sofa from his laugh. He hadn’t understood the things his father said, but he knew they weren’t nice things.

  And then his mother had vanished and the rumors were easy to believe.

  Where was Haley?

  “Can you hear me?” he said softly.

  “Yes. Don’t start talking to yourself. It’s weird.”

  He smiled to himself.

  They’d left Zasha and Ivana at the condo for this meet. Haley was somewhere dressed as a jogger. They’d bought some earbuds that doubled as wireless earpieces so she could be aware of the situation and if they needed an escape.

  What was he doing?

  “Heads up. There’s an older man headed your way,” Haley said.

  Konstantin lifted his head. This time of year the outdoor memorial wasn’t a popular place. He was almost alone. He liked it, though. All that water and glassy surfaces. This had always been one of his favorite landmarks in the city.

  A tall, older gentleman rounded one of the marble features.

  There was no denying it was him after all this time.

  He was tall, probably Konstantin’s height. His hair, what little he had under the cap, was white. His face was lined, but still bore the strong lines Konstantin remembered. Most of all, it was the eyes. Sharp. Hard. Maybe a bit cruel.

  Konstantin pushed to his feet, but didn’t make a move toward the old man. No, he let Leonid come to him.

  In Konstantin’s mind, his father hadn’t changed. But in reality he’d aged a lot in the last ten years. His back mi
ght still be straight and he carried his head high, but his gait was slower and he wasn’t as bulky as Konstantin remembered.

  Leonid’s pace slowed the last few feet until he was two paces away.

  They stood there staring at each other for a moment.

  What did Konstantin say to a father he hadn’t spoken to since running away?

  Oh, they’d had two or three short phone calls just after, but those were more like shouting matches than conversations.

  “It’s been a while,” Leonid said in accented English.

  “It has,” Konstantin agreed.

  Leonid spread his hands. “You wanted to see me?”

  Konstantin licked his lips. It was so surreal to be standing here like this. “Did you know she was still alive?”

  Leonid shrugged. “I didn’t kill her, so I assumed she was.”

  “Do you know that she wants to kill you?”

  Again he shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

  “You should take this seriously. She’s not just a woman with a gun. She’s dangerous.”

  “She learned from the best,” Leonid said as if he were proud of the fact.

  Konstantin shook his head. “You don’t get it. She almost killed me last night. Me and my daughter.”

  Leonid stared at Konstantin, not a word passing his lips.

  Frustrated, he shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure why you’re here or what you plan on doing, but if you meet with her, if you give her what she wants, she’ll do whatever it takes to kill you.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Leonid said.

  Anger spiked hot and sharp. “You aren’t getting it.”

  “This is not my first time, boy.”

  Konstantin stared at his father.

  What had he been hoping to gain through this meeting?

  Haley had been so convincing when she said they should try to set this up. Now he had to wonder what the point was. His father would do what he wanted, and his mother would try to kill them all. Konstantin was certain the woman didn’t have a heart.

  “Okay, well, I’d say it was good to see you but this really wasn’t good.”

  “Konstantin,” Haley whispered in his ear.

  Leonid continued to say nothing.

  Konstantin shook his head.

  What had he thought would happen?

  “Have a nice reunion,” he said and turned.

  Leonid didn’t say a word as Konstantin made his way to the pickup point.

  “See you in a few,” Haley mumbled in his ear.

  Konstantin glanced over his shoulder, but his father was gone. Like the ghost he was.

  They’d never been the type to talk, even when Konstantin had gotten older and his father wanted him to take part in the business. That just wasn’t how his father operated. And it was exactly how he didn’t want to be.

  Konstantin wanted Zasha to talk to him about everything. He wanted to be part of her life, to share in it, not stand back and be a spectator. But to do that, they’d have to survive his parents and Konstantin wasn’t sure they could do that.

  MONDAY. FRANKLIN DELANO Roosevelt Memorial. Washington, DC.

  Leonid Titov sat in the front seat of his black town car, watching his son climb into a taxi.

  Against all odds, Konstantin had grown into a remarkable young man. No credit to Leonid or his wife for that.

  Some people were formed by their surroundings.

  Others changed their surroundings to suit them.

  From the moment Konstantin had been born, Leonid had known his son was special. Or maybe that was simply how every father felt.

  There for a while after Natasha had left Leonid had tried his damnedest to draw Konstantin in line with what he did, but nothing ever stuck.

  Konstantin was who he was, and nothing—not even Leonid—would change that.

  Letting Konstantin go live his life how he wanted was one of the hardest things Leonid had ever done. He’d made it a rule to not care about people, but that boy was to this day his pride and joy. The sad truth was that Leonid couldn’t let him know. To show an ounce of that would be to endanger Konstantin’s life.

  Hell, if anyone found out Leonid was here doing this right now, Konstantin’s entire existence might become endangered.

  The taxi eased away from the curb and merged with traffic. In moments he couldn’t distinguish their cab from the rest.

  It had been good to see Konstantin in the flesh, face to face. Leonid had made it a point to come to the states quiet like to lay eyes on his son every few years without Konstantin’s awareness. In those years Leonid had glimpsed his granddaughter three times. He wished he could see her now. Meet her.

  Zasha Titov. He had to believe that little girl would grow up to be every bit as remarkable as her father. Better, because at least she had a fit father. Unlike Konstantin.

  Leonid knew he hadn’t been good enough for a family. He’d been too twisted and broken. But he’d tried anyway and look where it got him.

  Natasha was possibly one of his biggest regrets, save that she’d given him Konstantin. And now Leonid would have to deal with her. He’d hoped they could continue pretending as though the other didn’t exist, but she had always been one to demand attention. He just hoped he didn’t have to kill her.

  MONDAY. WASHINGTON, DC.

  Haley glanced at Konstantin, but he merely stared straight ahead. Thanks to the earbuds, she’d heard his half of the conversation and most of what his father had said.

  She couldn’t begin to imagine this complicated relationship or how it affected him.

  Haley was a daddy’s girl. She’d grown up wanting to be just like him, much to the confusion of her mother. Haley talked to her mother maybe once a week. At least every other week. But her dad? They talked all the time. Usually once a day at breakfast, sometimes more. If she ever needed anything, her parents would be there. Not to mention her brothers and sister. Then there were the other girls and her Aegis Group family. Her life was full.

  Konstantin didn’t have any of that.

  “I take it that didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?” she asked, once more venturing into an attempt at conversation.

  “Do you think she’s right?” He continued staring out the window.

  “Right about what?”

  “That he set this all in motion?”

  Haley blew out a breath. “That sounded so far-fetched, but... Maybe? The only person who can confirm or deny that is your father, and, well...”

  “Yeah.”

  Konstantin leaned his head back and sighed.

  If Leonid had in fact set up this life for his son that meant he wasn’t the monster Konstantin believed him to be. Oh, she didn’t doubt that Leonid had done the things Konstantin claimed he did. Leonid might be every bit the monster history made him out to be. But he wasn’t a threat to them. Which meant a lot of Konstantin’s paranoia and the security he’d lived with was unnecessary.

  What would it be like to wake up and suddenly realize something so pivotal wasn’t what she’d thought it was all along?

  “Incoming call.”

  Haley started at the sound of her phone coming through the car’s speakers. She muttered a curse and tapped the answer button. There were a grand total of four people who had this number. Konstantin. Zain. Merida. Ivana.

  “Hello?”

  “There’s someone at the door.” Ivana’s voice was hushed and full of fear.

  Haley’s first thought was that Natasha had found them. But she shouldn’t be able to. They hadn’t had a tail last night when they changed vehicles and they’d driven all over before going to the condo.

  “It might be building maintenance,” Haley suggested.

  “Just make them go away,” Zasha said in the background.

  Konstantin leaned toward Haley. “We’re almost there.”

  She grimaced.

  They were maybe five minutes from the building, but then there was parking and the trek upstairs. It could b
e twenty minutes before they were at the condo.

  “It’s probably nothing,” Haley said instead.

  Both Ivana and Zasha yelped.

  “What’s going on?” Konstantin demanded.

  It wasn’t building maintenance.

  Haley accelerated, already mentally scaling the building with the fastest possible path.

  Ivana’s shrill voice was full of fear. “They’re breaking in.”

  Haley swerved around a slower moving station wagon. “Ivana? Ivana, listen to me. Go to the master bedroom closet and close yourself in there.”

  She could hear the distant booms now. Her blood chilled to think what might come next.

  “Hurry up,” Konstantin urged.

  Zasha began crying in earnest.

  A hard thump cut out the banging.

  “We’re in the closet,” Ivana said.

  “Good.” Haley swallowed. “We’re almost there. Keep the door shut and stay as quiet as you can, okay? I’m going to stay on the line.”

  She reached up to the dash and muted the microphone.

  “That door is reinforced, but it won’t keep them out for long,” she said. “If we’re lucky, a neighbor has called the police. You might not want to go with me.”

  Konstantin pointed at the speakers and snarled, “Fuck that. That’s my daughter.”

  That was about what Haley had assumed he’d say.

  “They’re in the apartment,” Ivana said in a low voice.

  Haley unmuted the mic. “Just stay quiet. We are almost there.”

  Every second this ruse bought them mattered. With luck, those men breaking into the apartment would spend at least one or two minutes searching and wondering where they were before trying the locked closet. Those moments mattered.

  She glanced right and saw the silver and white stone building still a block away.

  This had to be Natasha’s people. What did she want?

  Leonid was in the country, and likely on his way to meeting with his wife. What could Natasha want with them? What purpose would Zasha or Ivana serve? And why the pictures?

  Too many questions.