THE COMMUTE
by MAMBFF
Disclaimer: The rights to "Vampire Academy" belong to Richelle Mead.
Chapter Nine
~VA TC VA~
Rose
Shortly after Viktoria left, with help from Ivan to sneak back home undetected, Dimitri and I cleaned up from dinner in contemplative silence. He looked so forlorn as he silently dried the dishes after I washed them.
He wanted so badly to meet with his sisters and reconnect with them and simply meet his niece and nephew. Especially after the passing of his mother, Olena and the letters she'd left for each of her children. With Viktoria's surprise visit, he was elated at the prospect of having them all over for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.
Those hopes were quickly dashed unfortunately as Viktoria relayed that it was not a good idea. Randall, their father, had people watching them. She was lucky that she was able to give her Uncle Nathan the slip earlier that day when she realized he was following her once again.
When Ivan arrived to take her home, they stood in the entryway for almost a full five minutes, embracing. Making up for lost time I assumed, but I could tell Dimitri was trying not to get emotional.
"Comrade," I spoke quietly, waiting for him to acknowledge me.
"Hmmmm…" He replied softly, setting the now dry stack of plates in the cupboard.
"Are you okay?" I asked, letting the water out of the sink as I watched him over my shoulder.
Walking over, he slipped his arms around me from behind as I rested my hands on his forearms after drying them. He nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing deeply. "Yeah, I'm just frustrated." He shared as I trailed my hands up his arms and down again as I snuggled closer into his embrace.
"I can't imagine what you're thinking, feeling." I replied, turning in his arms and moving my hands up around his neck and running my hands through his hair and back down over his shoulders. "But at least you know they didn't actually blame you." I tried to comfort.
"That's really a relief. For years I thought they hated me." He confessed, kissing my temple as he ran his hands along my back. "I could never make sense of it, until now."
"I bet I could help you work out a bit of that frustration." I smirked, wiggling closer and pressing my hands against his back before trailing them down over his backside.
He smiled knowingly while uttering a low grown. "I'm sure you can, Roza." He flirted as I started to tug his shirt up.
Being as tall as he was, I couldn't lift it much higher than his chest. Tugging from the back, he ripped his shirt off and tossed it before helping me off with mine. His lips pressed against me eagerly, while his hands roamed over my body, gripping, cupping, stroking and pulling me into him as close as possible. The next thing I knew I was airborne and sitting on the kitchen island.
He broke from our kiss when the need to breath became an issue. "Roza," He purred, cupping his hands around my ass and pulling me tightly against him. "As much as I'd love to take you on this kitchen island right here, I'd rather have you in our bed." He stated, pressing his lips to my neck, just below my ear as he lifted me again. My legs clamped around his hips as he lumbered up the stairs. The echo of my giggles trailing behind us.
"Get naked, lay on your stomach." I directed, when he set me down in the bedroom.
"Why?" He asked, completely perplexed. The look on his face made me break out in laughter.
"Because I'm going to give you massage first." I tittered, heading to the bathroom to retrieve some oil. The stress of everything had left him tense and a massage would help to relieve some of that frustration.
When I emerged from the bathroom, he was laying on his front, his arms tucked around a pillow. He lay his head down when he saw me approaching, his eyes roaming over my nude form appreciatively and a small smirk on his lips.
Climbing onto the bed, I straddled his thighs and poured some of the oil into my hands before laying them on his lower back. Slowly, I pressed my fingers and thumbs into his taught muscles, moving up his back at a measured pace. Not too fast, but not too slow either while kneading the tight muscles until he groaned in pleasure.
I would gauge how much pressure to use based on the sounds he'd make. When I reached his shoulders and finished kneading the tight muscles, I gently pulled at his arms, signalling for him to lay them at his sides. Picking up the oil, I squirted a little more into my palms and rubbed them together before working them over first one, then the other bicep.
"That feels amazing." He murmured, lifting his head to look over his shoulder at me. "I mean, really amazing." He reiterated, a lazy grin on his face.
"That's the point, Comrade." I winked, sliding to the side of him and replenishing the oil in my hands once more.
Next, I started on his calves before moving upwards. When I was close enough, I teased him by running my hands over his ass and down to his balls. My fingers touched the base of his cock and I slipped my hand further along his hard shaft.
"Fuck, Roza." He growled as I moved back slightly, allowing him to turn over easier.
My gaze took in his very clear excitement. "What?" I asked with an innocent shrug of my shoulders. Dimitri just laughed.
"You know what, milaya." He smiled, lifting his arms to rest behind his head as he continued to watch me touch him.
Drizzling some of the oil over his abdomen, I set it aside and ran my hands over his muscled stomach before moving up to his pecs. His nipples hardened at my touch and I smirked as I was clearly avoiding where he wanted me to touch him most.
"Roza, you're killing me." He groaned as I trailed my hands back down, over his hips.
When I reached his groin, I massaged everything around his prominent erection, but still didn't touch him. With one last drizzle of oil, I gripped his hard cock in one hand and gently cupped his balls in the other, massaging the oil into his turgid flesh.
"Fuck." He murmured, his eyes locked on my hands as I stroked him slowly, tightening my grip every few strokes. "Faster, baby. Please." He asked and I complied.
Dimitri started gently thrusting his hips and when I could tell he was close, I threw my leg across his body, guiding his cock into me. I cried out in relief at finally feeling him inside me. Touching him the way I was had made me incredibly excited and he slipped in with such ease.
The next thing I knew, Dimitri's hands held my hips as he pounded into me from below. I tried to steady myself by resting my hands on his chest, but they just kept slipping off from the oil. This in turn made me start laughing.
"What the hell are you laughing at?" He asked with a smile of his own, suddenly stopping his movements and unable to stop the laugh that escaped him at my frazzled state.
"Comrade, I'm trying to stay on top of you but it's like a slip and slide, I can't hold on." I giggled, motioning to the oil on his chest and the same residue on my hands.
He grinned widely before flipping me onto my back and thrusting into me eagerly. Lifting my legs up and around his hips, I locked them by hooking my feet together.
"Yes, yes, yes." I chanted winding my hands into his hair and tugging his lips down to mine.
His body was slick against mine, leaving a coating of oil on my own skin. "Take me from behind." I requested as he helped me to flip over.
Once he was inside me again, I felt him sliding against my back and it made me grin knowingly. His hands moved over my back, taking with them a bit of the oil that had transferred onto me. Cupping my breasts, he massaged the oil into them while plucking at my hardened nipples.
"Fuck, Dimitri." I cried, pushing back against him with each thrust of his hips. "I'm coming." I panted, as he settled his hands on my hips and focused on thrusting even faster.
"So close, so close." He repeated. Dimitri slipped one hand down the front of me and fingered my clit. Seconds later I felt the rush of my release as my walls fluttered around his engorged member.
"Yes." I called as his hips stilled a moment later as he released into me. "Fuck." I mumbled, slowly lowering myself to the bed.
Dimitri slid from my body and massaged the oil into my shoulders, back and ass before moving to my thighs and calves. "That's so good." I mumbled into the mattress.
When he felt he'd touched every inch of me sufficiently, he lay next to me. I peeked an eye open to see his happy smiling face.
"So, are you relaxed now, Comrade?" I giggled.
"Very much so, milaya." He grinned, leaning closer and kissing me lovingly. His lips met mine softly before he took my upper lip between his, teasing me with his tongue and then sliding it along mine. I groaned in pleasure, moving closer to him as his arm moved around my waist. We finally pulled away a few moments later as he brushed my hair back off my face. "Shower?" He posed.
Nodding in agreement, we slowly climbed from the bed and headed to the shower. After rinsing off some of the oil, we lathered our loofahs and washed the last remnants from our bodies. Dimitri finished first and left me to finish up while he changed the sheets and comforter as they would need washing being that they were covered in oil.
When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I let my hair back down after pinning it up for our shower.
Dimitri pulled on some pants and went to check that the downstairs was locked up and the lights were off, as well as collecting his discarded shirt from earlier as I climbed into bed. My mind started wandering over the things Viktoria had shared, especially about their father, Randall.
If Randall knew that Viktoria, Sonya and Karolina were meeting with Dimitri in anyway, he would not only cut them off from his monthly money allowances, something they were clearly prepared for, but the threats would follow. That was their concern more than losing any money from him.
Viktoria shared that Karolina and Sonya both would worry immensely that Randall would do something to their children. That fear is what kept them away from Dimitri for so long. Randall had power over people through his blatant force and intimidation but also through his underhanded tactics like blackmail.
It was because of this blackmail that he had so many people 'working' for him. While Randall has never been convicted of a crime, his influence in the business world holds weight as well as the fact that he has a lot of 'friends'. It was his leverage with these friends that has allowed him to escape justice for so long.
One of Viktoria's other revelations was that on more than one occasion, Randall threatened to sue for full custody of Sonya and Karolina's children. It made me realize it was the same threats he used on Olena. The thought of losing their children was their worst fear and Randall knew exactly how to control them because of it.
With Karolina currently pregnant with her second child and about to be married, the stress of everything was weighing on her. Viktoria was worried for her sister's pregnancy because of it.
I had watched Dimitri's reactions to his sister sharing this information and I knew where his mind was going. Back to the letter from his mother detailing the sibling he could have had. But because of his father's abuse, he would always wonder what could have been.
The idea that Karolina's pregnancy could be put at risk was not sitting well with him. His biggest worry was letting history repeat itself in allowing Randall to hurt them. Dimitri would do anything to ensure the safety of his sisters and their children.
Randall giving them a monthly allowance was not out of the kindness of his heart for his children, but rather something to use against them. We had collectively surmised that if he were to follow through with this custody threats, he could share in court that Sonya and Karolina cannot support their children, whereas he can. Then he'd show the statements with the monthly deposits as proof. Even if they didn't touch that money, his so-called evidence would hold weight. Overall, it would cause doubt about their capabilities as parents.
As much as we all hated Randall, he was smart in how he managed people. Threats aside, it was his 'blackmail' that held the most power. I was pulled from my thoughts as Dimitri climbed into bed with me after shedding his pants.
Cuddling against me I ran my hands through Dimitri's hair as he rested his head on my chest, his arm around my waist and the other under my neck. "Comrade," I started. "Do you want to talk about earlier?" I urged. "With your sister." I clarified.
"Hmmmm…" He murmured. "I just keep trying to think of a way to get him to leave them alone." He stated, raising his head and resting it more on the pillow next to me so he could meet my eyes. Sliding his arm up my side, he brushed his hand through my hair before moving closer and lightly pressing his lips to mine adoringly.
"I'm sorry they won't be able to come to dinner." I tried to alleviate. "But maybe they could do a video chat with you? At least to be able to see them." I suggested, hoping that the idea might help his melancholy mood.
"We can't risk it." He shared sadly. Noticing the look of confusion on my face at his response, he elaborated. "He has their phones monitored. He knows every call they make, every text they send or receive." He clarified. "Remember, he pays for everything right now. It's what they're trying to get away from." He stated. "While he cannot see the actual video call but he can see the duration of the call and who it went to. If it traces back to me, that's not good for them." He added solemnly.
I also remember thinking it was odd that a girl Viktoria's age didn't have a cell phone. At least she never took one out while she was here. But she must have had one, it had to be how she'd video called Lissa to verify her identity. But the fact that Dimitri just mentioned that Randall couldn't see the video call itself, didn't mean he didn't know that Viktoria had called Dimitri's work. "How is that legal?" I asked in irritation.
"It's not, but because of his GPS tracking, he knows where they go. That is, if they have their phones on them." He stated. "That's how he was unable to track Vika here earlier, she turned her phone off before she gave Nathan the slip." I nodded in understanding. The phone could only be traced if it was on, so she was smart to turn it off when she had. That bit of info confirmed she did have a phone; she just didn't have it on all afternoon apparently.
"Shit. He really is a bastard, isn't he." I replied in irritation.
"The moment he realizes they might be anywhere near a police station; all he has to do is get his tech guy to run a program that deletes his spyware remotely from their phones and he's in the clear."
"How do you know this?" I queried, wrapping my arm around his waist as I snuggled closer.
"The same software was on my phone when I worked for Dashkov. Because the assigned phone was from the ad agency, I had to have it on me at all times. I was being tracked without ever knowing it." He shared in annoyance.
"How did you find out though?"
Dimitri breathed deeply, before leaning forward and sweetly kissing my nose. "I noticed the phone would overheat," He started, running a hand through my hair. ", or run slow when I added to company apps for accounts and clients, and after looking into the settings and various apps, there was one on my phone that was masquerading as a sort of 'Statistics' app." He explained. "When I opened it, I discovered it was already open. It ran in the background all the time, there was no way to close it. I also couldn't delete it without some master password." He clarified.
"That's creepy, Comrade. Tracking you like that."
"I think Victor wanted to keep track of me when I was around Randall, which I never was. But on the flip side, Randall was also tracking me, period. Probably to see if I went anywhere near my sisters. Once I left Dashkov's company, the phone stayed, and cut off any possibility of knowing where I was after that." He elaborated.
"That's probably when he started manipulating others to try to get close to you. Natalie for instance. Isaiah." I added. Dimitri nodded in agreement when an idea came to me. "What if Christian could do some tech magic?" I posed. Dimitri sat up a bit straighter at that. "I mean sending your sisters different phones that can't be hacked." I clarified. "He can't track a phone he didn't set up, right?"
With the idea in motion, we planned to contact Christian and Lissa tomorrow to see what could be done so Dimitri could contact his sisters without Randall knowing. There would have to be some deception in terms of an unknown delivery, but I really think something could be done to help them all.
~VA TC VA~
Dimitri
After securing that the front door was locked and the lights were all off, I headed back upstairs to join Roza in bed. My body was still tingling in the most delicious ways as I recalled the way her small hands massaged and kneaded my aching muscles. She was a devious little minx at times, but I enjoyed every fucking minute of it.
Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair after tossing my t-shirt from earlier on the corner chair, followed by my sleep pants. My mind was still running in circles.
Crawling into bed, I cuddled with my Roza and we talked about some of the details of Viktoria's visit and the things she shared. While I was elated at the fact that my sisters in fact, did not hate me, I was down trodden that I wouldn't be able to reconnect with them as soon as I would like.
Roza had put an idea in my head when she mentioned Christian doing some 'tech magic'. Sending my sisters other phones to use was a great idea, but I knew for a fact that Randall's tech guy could remote access the phones to remove the spyware that allowed him to monitor everything.
It made me curious if Christian would be able to hack into it and not necessarily remove it, but input false information. Like a location at a certain date and time.
"What are you thinking about so hard over there, Comrade?" Roza interrupted my thoughts. I couldn't help but smile. I loved it when she called me Comrade, even if I 'acted' annoyed.
"You gave me an idea is all. Something to set up Randall." I relayed, tugging her closer so she rested her head on my shoulder, her face pushed into my neck. I could feel her warm breath fanning across my skin as she waited for me elaborate.
I explained the remote access option to the spyware and the idea of luring Randall to a specific location at a certain time.
"So, you want to get Croft in this right, set Randall up so whatever it is he says will be caught on audio and video?" She surmised.
"Exactly, milaya. But he won't know that it's a set up." I confirmed.
"We should bring my dad into this, legally we have to make sure that whatever we do, Randall can't get it thrown out in court." She specified. My smile was infectious and Roza giggled at the look on my face. "You're quite pleased with yourself at this idea, aren't you." She teased, kissing the underside of my jaw.
"I really am." I nodded, wrapping my arms around her before we both finally succumbed to sleep.
~VA TC VA~
Sunday morning brought with it, not only waking up to Roza's hot little mouth wrapped around me; fucking hell she was good at that. But a busy day in setting up for our Thanksgiving feast and the company that came with it.
On Saturday morning, I'd called Christian with my idea and he was going to look into the software that Randall could be using to get a better handle on how to infiltrate it.
I wouldn't be able to discuss it with him today because he was having Thanksgiving dinner with Lissa and her family. When we returned to work, we'd go over what he found and make sure Arthur was aware of every detail as well.
After a quick shower, I headed down to the kitchen to find Roza busy puttering around the kitchen as she washed the expensive dinner plates and wine goblets from the display case in the dining room. We hadn't washed them after unpacking them and it was better to be cautious and clean them just in case.
"What do you need me to do, milaya?" I asked as she set another chalice down while I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, kissing her neck.
She giggled before replying. "Can you go to the basement and get the two leaves to extend the dining table?" She posed. "I'll get you a coffee ready while you grab them." She added as I kissed her temple before heading down to the basement in non-verbal agreement.
Within the hour, we had the table fully set up. Roza's next step was to get appetizer's ready for when guests arrived. There was a cheese and meat platter, along with a vegetable one with dip and a fruit platter. Once they were wrapped and chilling in the fridge, Roza announced she was going to shower and that I should change into my dress pants.
"Yes, ma'am." I teased with a mock salute.
"Don't do that. I'm so stressed already, Dimitri." She cried.
"Hey, hey." I calmed, rushing over to take her in my arms. "Baby, you've done everything you can, and it looks great. Don't stress so much." I tried to coax.
"I just feel like I'm going to fuck this up. I've never hosted anything before." She whined, adorably.
"I think you need some help to relax a little." I smiled. "Come with me." I stated, hoisting her up and tossing her over my shoulder with a light smack to her ass as I ran up the stairs. She giggled, swatting at my backside playfully.
Laying her out on our bed, I stripped her pants and under garments off and immediately leaned in, licking her pussy lips before sucking on her clit.
"Ughhh!" She called out, her hands tangling in my hair as I continued to lick, suck and kiss her pussy. "Dimitri!" She cried, pressing herself more firmly against my mouth.
"Hmmmm…" I hummed against her.
"Please, I want you. Your cock." She pleaded, trying to pull me up and over her.
Roza removed her shirt as I shed my clothes before crawling over her and pressing my lips to hers. I immediately teased her mouth with my tongue so she could taste herself. At the same time, I shifted my hips, my cock slipping into her with ease.
"Yes!" She called, wrapping her arms over my shoulders and pulling me closer while winding her legs around my hips as I pounded into her.
Her first orgasm came fast and hard and I felt her walls fluttering around my cock as I continued moving inside her. Gently, she pushed at my shoulder, signalling she wanted to be on top. I grinned, rolling us so she sat above me.
Resting her hands on my chest, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes as she rocked her hips over me. I settled my hands on her waist to guide her but also keep her from falling.
"So so good." She panted, leaning forward and slipping her tongue into my eager mouth. I hummed around the kiss as I started pounding into her from below.
"Come for me, Roza. I'm close." I urged as she flung her head back again.
My eyes were focused on her tits as they bounced and bobbed with each swivel of her hips over mine. "Fuck." I mumbled, feeling the orgasm building up. "I'm going to come." I cautioned her, pressing my thumb against her clit to help her along.
She shuddered over me in an instant, the rush of her release washing over her like a tidal wave.
"OHHH!" She shouted, stilling her hips as I continued to thrust.
I came seconds later, jutting my hips up into her to expel every last bit of my release. "Fucking incredible." She uttered.
"Are you more relaxed now, milaya?" I grinned. She smiled in return.
"Very much so. Thank you, Comrade." She giggled, climbing off me. "Join me in the shower. I think you need another one." She added, tugging me along behind her.
~VA TC VA~
We were milling around the kitchen, each with a drink in hand as us men waited to be instructed on what to do. But my mind was on our activities from earlier as Roza and I showered together.
I had to keep shaking my head to clear them of the way her breasts looked after I'd helped her soap up.
"Dimitri!" I heard, and I turned my head in the direction of the voice summoning me.
"Yes?" I replied, taking in the curious glances of Roza and her mother, Janine. Both had a knowing smirk on their faces. "What?" I asked in confusion.
"What were you thinking about, Comrade?" Roza urged, sauntering over.
"Nothing really. Just…well hoping that Christian can find a way to access Randall's software." I tried to cover.
"You looked deep in thought." She agreed. "But I doubt that's what you were thinking about." She teased, palming my cock out of view of her mother.
"Roza!" I whispered. "Baby, please." I whined as she just giggled.
"Why don't you invite my dad to the basement and play pool?" She suggested. I nodded in agreement.
"Abe, pool?"
"Great idea!" Janine interjected before handing each of us a new bottle of beer.
"We can watch the game too." I relayed, leading him down the stairs.
~VA TC VA~
Rose
"He seems distracted. Is he okay?" My mother inquired as we prepared the green bean casserole.
"His youngest sister made a surprise visit Friday evening." I began before divulging the full details of her confessions during her appearance.
"Oh my."
"Yeah. So, his mind has been preoccupied, obviously."
"Do you know what he was talking with your father about earlier when we first arrived?" She asked as the doorbell rang.
"Hold that thought." I replied before dashing off to answer the door.
"Hey!" I greeted as Ivan leaned down to kiss my cheek politely. "Mia!" I smiled. "I'm so glad you guys could come, please come in." I stated, ushering them inside after hugging Mia. "Dimitri is downstairs with my dad playing pool." I informed Ivan. "I'll grab you a beer from the kitchen and then you can head on down."
After a quick introduction to my mother, Ivan had run off to join the boys. Mia was left with my mom and I in the kitchen where I informed my mom how Mia and Ivan were our neighbours at our old apartment.
"It's lovely to meet you, Mia." She smiled politely. "I opened a bottle of white, should we pour ourselves a glass?" My mother suggested.
We stood around the kitchen, each sipping at our wine as we each took on menial tasks to prepare a certain dish for dinner. Mia was working on the cranberry sauce with helpful instruction from my mother while I prepared the potatoes.
I maneuvered the conversation back to my mother's question, prior to Ivan and Mia's arrival, explaining things as simply as I could and detailing that Dimitri wanted to make sure that legally, if this worked, that Randall couldn't get any of the possible evidence from this set up thrown out.
"Seeking your father's help means a lot to him, Rosemarie." My mother informed. I nodded.
"I know. I just hope that this can get resolved sooner, rather than later." I confessed before turning to Mia. "How's your sister's foot doing?" I asked when there was suddenly a quietness in the room, making me feel uneasy.
For my mother's benefit, I explained who Jared and Ava were before turning back to Mia.
"A lot better, but she definitely won't be wearing heals for the wedding." Mia confessed with a pout.
"So, does that mean we all get to wear flats?" I asked with a grin. Mia laughed at my exuberance and nodded her head. "Fuck yeah!" I called in excitement.
"Rosemarie, language." My mother admonished trying to hide a smile of her own.
"She and Jared can't make it today though. She thinks she has the flu and doesn't want to pass it on." Mia relayed.
"We'll send you home with a care package for her and Jared then." My mother stated.
"That's a great idea, we have a ton of food." I nodded. "Actually, we should probably set out the platters." I added before moving to the top of the stairs once they were on the kitchen table. "BOYS! FOOD!" I hollered as I heard them start to thunder up the stairs.
"The way to man's heart." Mia stated. "Well, at least Ivan's" She giggled.
"Food, where?" Ivan asked once he'd bounded into the kitchen, looking like a lost puppy.
Mia pointed to the kitchen table as my father and Dimitri strode into the room. Dimitri had their empty bottles in hand and dropped them in the recycle bin before walking over and slipping his arm around my waist.
"I think we have a good plan." He stated quietly. "That is if Christian can hack the software." He informed. I nodded with a small smile.
"Good." I acknowledged as the doorbell sounded once more.
"I'll get it." Dimitri informed, leaning down and kissing my cheek quickly before rushing off.
When he returned, my brother, Eddie and who I could only assume was his new girlfriend trailed in behind him.
"Eddie!" I greeted, as he leaned down to give me a hug.
"Rose, this is Jill Mastrano. Jill this is my sister, Rose." He introduced.
"Really nice to meet you." I smiled as Dimitri sidled up beside me. "You've met this big guy at the door, this is my boyfriend, Dimitri." I relayed as she blushed slightly. Clearly Jill was a shy one. "I know he looks intimidating, but really he's like a really big puppy." I teased as Eddie led her over to greet my parents, Ivan and Mia.
"Is that what I am to you? A puppy?" Dimitri taunted with a laugh.
Moving closer I crooked my finger at him so he would bend down and whispered in his ear so no one else could hear. "You're a puppy who likes to lick things. Kind of like you did this morning, right, Comrade?" I toyed. The shocked look on his face was priceless and he tried to clear his throat to appear as though all was normal.
He leaned even closer. "You don't like it when I lick all over your pussy?" He smirked.
"I mean, it has it's perks." I retorted with a giggle, swatting at his ass as I walked away to join the others.
"Such a tease." He mumbled, moving to stand beside me and palming my ass before settling his arm around my waist.
~VA TC VA~
As we sat down to dinner, later than expected, everyone went around the table and said something they were thankful for. Most were said with a bit of a joke, earning a laugh from everyone. Ivan especially was just thankful for Turkey. Mia nudged him disapprovingly until he added he was also thankful for his fiancée, but she still had a smirk on her face.
When the focus turned to me, I didn't want to get sentimental, so I said the first thing that popped into my head.
"I'm thankful, that Ava sprained her ankle, so I don't have to wear heels at Ivan and Mia's wedding." I grinned. The raucous laughter that echoed around me was joyful and light and I appreciated that. "But, I'm also thankful she's healing well!" I added, sipping from my wine.
We were just finishing dinner at almost 7PM and started stacking the plates to take them into the kitchen when there was a frantic knocking that echoed into the dining room from the front door. Dimitri pushed back his chair and went to investigate. I followed behind him but kept my distance. He was concerned for my safety of course. But the knocking was becoming alarming.
Approaching slowly, I saw it was only Christian and Lissa. Christian had said something to Dimitri quietly before he noticed me. "We have a problem." He announced as Dimitri let them both in.
I greeted Lissa with a small hug and did the same with Christian before Dimitri let our other guests know that they would be going downstairs to discuss some business. On the side, Lissa told me that Tasha tried to tag along, but Christian was firm in telling her off before they dropped her at her place. I was grateful she wasn't here; it was an added stress we didn't need right now.
"Abe, Eddie, you both should come too." Dimitri directed.
"Go, we'll handle the dishes." My mother stated, as she, Jill and Mia started on clean up. Ivan helped by bringing the dishes to the kitchen.
Dimitri, myself, my father, Eddie, Christian and Lissa all gathered around the pool table as Christian set up his lap top.
"I managed to access a backdoor in the software from the phone." He started. "Randall's tech guy had to leave a door open, in a manner of speaking, in order for him to come and go into the software. That left another open door that I'm not sure they're aware of, and I am currently lurking on Randall's company servers." He stated. Christian noticed the confused look on my face. "Basically, I can see everything, but I've not touched anything. Yet." He relayed as I nodded, understanding more what he was saying.
"You said we had a concern, what is it?" Dimitri pressed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I made the phones for your sisters untraceable," He started, reaching into his bag and setting three phones onto the pool table. ", but there's no way he won't know they have them." Christian began. "He has fucking cameras all over their house." He informed as he tapped a few buttons on his computer and turned it around so we could see. "If we have a courier deliver those phones, he'll see."
"And, even if he doesn't see the courier, if they use the phones and he checks in, his data won't show what they're doing on those phones and then he'll know they have different ones." Lissa shared.
The screen was broken up into twelve different frames and it was clear we were watching Dimitri's sisters as they cleaned up from dinner. Another set of frames showed the kids playing nearby.
"Fuck." Dimitri murmured. "Is there any way to take these camera's offline?" He asked.
"Of course. But the minute I do that, he'll know." Christian shared.
"Is there sound, or is he just watching?" Abe asked.
"Just watching." Christian stated.
"What if…" I interjected, unsure if my idea would work or not.
"What, milaya?" Dimitri urged.
"What if we recorded some footage of them and looped it?" I offered. "By all appearances, if Randall checked in, it would look like they're sitting on the couch reading, or watching TV." I added.
Everyone looked at me for a moment in surprise.
"What?" I asked. "Or, is that something they can only do in movies." I asked rhetorically.
"No, no." Christian laughed. "That's actually fucking brilliant." He grinned. "But the problem lies in too much motion. They would need to be sitting and doing something that wouldn't get noticed." He explained. "If they're reading, they'd have to turn a page at a reasonable pace, so when it's looped it doesn't glitch."
"You mean if they're holding something, like one of the kids, they can't put them down and pick them up repeatedly, that would get noticed?" Lissa asked.
"Exactly." Christian nodded.
"When Ivan brought Viktoria home Friday evening, was he seen on camera anywhere, dropping her off?" I posed.
"There are two exterior cameras. One at the front door and one at the back door. But I'd have to review the footage, give me a few moments." Christian stated, turning his laptop back to face him and doing more clicky things on the keyboard. "Yes." He confirmed as he showed us the recording.
You could clearly see Ivan driving up to the curb. He even got out of the car and opened her door for her before giving her a small hug before she headed inside.
"That almost looks like she was on a date." Eddie interjected. "We could use that." He added.
"How so, son?" My father replied.
"Ivan could show up with flowers, to wish them a happy thanksgiving. By all appearances, he's arriving for dessert. Then he can instruct them what to do for the cameras. When he leaves, they do something each for twenty minutes or so and it's all set, you record," He directed, looking at Christian. "Then when they go to bed, you can edit in some footage of them sleeping to add to the other recording and run a length of it for twenty-four hours and loop that."
"Is that possible though?" Lissa interjected. "To loop footage without glitches for that long." She amended.
"It can be done, but it would be hard to edit out glitches. I would need at least twenty minutes, like Eddie said, of each of them doing something. When the video is then looping, they could come and go, and Randall wouldn't know." Christian confirmed.
"Well, the only way he'd know is if he sees them at home, and heads over, only to find no one home." Abe interjected.
"There's that, yes, but how often does he stop in when he can see them on the cameras?" I posed.
"It's a risk, but I think it's a risk worth taking." Eddie chimed in.
Everyone seemed to be in agreement.
"We can put the phones for them in the bouquet." Lissa offered and Dimitri and Christian smiled at her with a nod of approval.
"Great idea, Liss." I grinned.
We headed back upstairs to coerce Ivan into our plan. It seemed like it was the best way to get the phones to his sisters as well.
~VA TC VA~
We detailed for Jill, Mia and my mother what exactly was happening. When they arrived, my parents had gifted me a large bouquet in thanks for hosting, that was absolutely large, full and gorgeous. It was my mother's suggestion that they use the one we already had to hide the phones in the paper wrapping.
After Ivan left, with the large set of flowers in hand, we gathered in the living room and Christian was able to connect his lap top to the TV so the images were larger.
Being that it was evening, the lighting in the house was making it easier to see more details. Dimitri pointed out which sister was which and we all watched silently as Karolina headed to the front door. It was too soon for it to be Ivan, and we continued to monitor what was happening. Curious as to who was at the door.
"Shit, is that Randall?" I asked in surprise. He seemed to hand her a bouquet of flowers.
"Yes, fuck. Mia, please call Ivan right now. Tell him to wait a few blocks away." Dimitri instructed.
"If Randall ends up staying, then he'll have to take the phones out of the bouquet." I stated. "We can't risk him finding them." I added and everyone seemed to nod in agreement.
"He's two blocks away, he can see Randall's SUV in front of the house." Mia informed.
"Good, keep him on the line." Abe instructed.
Of course, Randall would make a surprise appearance. It was a holiday after all.
There was a thick tension in the air as all of us watched the scene unfold. Without audio, we didn't know what was being said but after handing off the flowers to Sonya, clearly Karolina was challenging Randall in some way. Dimitri clenched his fists and literally growled when he saw Randall slap her across the face, causing her to stumble slightly and grab at her cheek. I slipped my around him, running my hand along his back in a comforting gesture. He crossed his arms and I could feel the anger rippling through him at witnessing his father's abuse.
"Jesus! She's at least six months pregnant!" My mother chimed in. "Bastard." She mumbled under her breath, but we all heard it. I saw Dimitri smirk slightly at my mother's expletive. She never swore.
Karolina clearly wasn't having it and shoved him back in retaliation. Sonya could be seen in the background, clearly trying to keep the children with her. Dimitri's nephew jumped forward and was visibly yelling as well as he went to stand in front of his mother.
"Brave little guy." Lissa commented.
"Takes after his uncle I think." I stated, as Dimitri slipped his hand into my mine.
Viktoria barreled onto the screen next and was clearly shouting something at him as Karolina moved her son behind her.
Randall seemed resigned and held his hands up in a 'surrender' gesture before backing up towards the door and just out of frame.
"Did he leave?" Janine asked when we couldn't see him.
"Mia, can you ask Ivan to start towards the house, please." Dimitri said, his voice cold. He was trying to restrain himself from going over there himself. His hand tensed around mine and I squeezed reassuringly.
Our eyes were still glued to the screen as something else was clearly said by Randall as Viktoria lunged at him, her fists pummeling at him with rage.
I watched in horror as Viktoria was half out of frame and suddenly, she was on her back on the floor, clutching her face.
"Ivan's at the door." Mia stated. "He just disconnected." She added.
"Can you get a copy of this, Christian?" My father asked.
"Yes, sir." He confirmed, as we continued to watch.
It appeared that all their heads turned to the door and we could see from another camera angle, that Ivan had entered. He walked right up to Viktoria and helped her off the floor, appearing to be examining her face.
"Shit, did he keep the phones in the bouquet?" I asked worriedly.
"I told him to hold on to the flowers." Mia relayed. "To wait until Randall was away from them to hand it over.
Ivan, being the charismatic person he was, clearly had said something that clued Viktoria in to play along as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.
"You think Randall is buying it?" Lissa queried as we looked on nervously.
"Seems to be." Dimitri replied as we all let out a huge breath of relief when we saw Randall heading to his car on the outside camera above the front door.
Once it was clear Randall had left, Ivan handed over the bouquet and checked on Karolina as well as Sonya. They were all talking animatedly as Sonya directed them to sit in the living room. She left for a few moments before returning with what looked like a tray, laden down with a tea pot and cups, as well as some kind of cake.
Before Ivan left, we made a point of telling him that he had to appear like he was happy and smiling while relaying the instructions for Dimitri's sisters. He was coached to let them know to do the same. If they looked too stern on screen or like they were talking too seriously, it might make Randall suspicious.
For all we knew, Randall left so he could watch them on the cameras. Christian would start recording them once Ivan left and they had to look as if they were doing everything they normally would.
Knowing we couldn't hear anything, we watched for almost an hour as Ivan continued to converse with Sonya, Karolina and Viktoria. He politely thanked them and gave each a small hug before leaving.
Viktoria brought the bouquet to the kitchen and left it on the kitchen counter as they cleaned the dishes from tea and cake. Ivan had relayed his directions well because Karolina and Sonya put the kids to bed before they each took up a post. Karolina was in the front room, reading. Sonya appeared to be in the den watching television, and Viktoria sat in the kitchen apparently arranging the flowers.
There was concern that the phones would be seen, but she cleverly kept them wrapped in the paper and while it appeared she put the folded wad in the garbage under the kitchen sink, we were pretty sure it got tossed behind the garbage to retrieve later when they were given the okay to do so.
~VA TC VA~
Dimitri
Seeing my sisters being assaulted by my father was making it difficult to not go over there myself and beat the shit out of him, again. When he slapped Karolina, I wanted to kill him. She was fucking pregnant, and he hit her.
Then again, that really shouldn't come as a surprise when I learned from my mother, Olena's letter, she lost a child at his hands.
"Are you okay, Comrade?" Roza whispered, cuddling into my side once we saw Ivan leave.
"Yeah. I'm angry, but I'm okay." I nodded. She slipped her arm around my waist and rested her head against my chest.
Wrapping my arms around her, I finally felt like we could sit down now that the tension had released. I led her over to the loveseat, and pulled her down beside me.
The room was silent as we all watched for the next half hour, as my sisters did as Ivan instructed and sat motionless for almost twenty minutes.
Everyone just about jumped out of their skin when the front door burst open and Ivan came in.
"Jesus, are you trying to give everyone a heart attack!" Mia chastised, making us all laugh nervously.
"Sorry, love. How's it going?" He asked, leaning down to kiss the top of Mia's head before sitting on the arm of the chair she was perched in.
"Are they okay?" I asked, solemnly. Ivan looked at me sadly.
"They are. Vik's got a bruise and Karolina has a bit of a red cheek, but they're okay." He nodded.
"What was he saying to them?" Lissa interjected.
"He wanted to know where Vik was on Friday when her phone was off." Ivan started. "Vik went off on him for invading her privacy, and told him he had no business interfering in her personal life. That's when he apparently hit her and then I arrived. Which was perfect timing." He explained. "I'd heard what Randall said to her just before I knocked so I used the ruse you suggested, that we were on an afternoon date that went into the evening."
"He bought the date explanation?" Roza inquired.
"He seemed to. I told Vik that I really enjoyed our afternoon date on Friday and apologized to her sisters for bringing her home so late, but we'd just got to talking and lost track of time."
"Good, good." I mumbled.
"It took a lot for them to not start looking for the cameras around the house though." Ivan shared. "I explained what was going to happen and they were thankful that it was being handled but they're scared, Dimka." He added. "They really want to see you."
"We have enough footage." Christian announced suddenly. "I'll record them later when they're asleep for about twenty minutes as well and then loop the footage" He added.
"When can Dimitri visit them?" Roza chimed in.
Christian smiled. "By three o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the loop will be playing by then." He nodded.
Roza looked up at me with a gleeful smile and I couldn't help but grin back. "You hear that, Comrade. Tomorrow." She smiled, resting her head against my arm once more.
~VA TC VA~
First thing Monday morning, we called on Arthur in his office and informed Hans Croft to meet us as well. Once Christian and Lissa arrived, we shared everything we had come across over the weekend and what we'd done in terms of the video loop. I started by explaining the unexpected visit from my sister, Viktoria, and added Ivan's involvement too.
"So, Randall has no idea you know what he's up to, but what he thinks he's seeing is actually repeat footage?" Hans asked.
"As of three o'clock this afternoon, the looped footage will start." Christian nodded. "His tech guy left two open doors. I went in the back door and made sure I cleaned up my tracks so I cannot be traced." He clarified. "We'll go back to the live footage after Dimitri's visit and each time he does want to visit, I'll play the looped footage." Christian elaborated. "That's why we wanted twenty-four hours of recorded material, so no matter the time of day, the looped footage would cover that time of day." He finalized.
"Are you saying you also have video evidence of Randall abusing your sisters?" Arthur interjected.
"Yes, and no." I started. "We can confirm footage of him slapping my sister Karolina, who is pregnant by the way. But my youngest sister Viktoria, she has the bruise to prove it, but he hit her off camera." I clarified. "Roza's father, Abe, who is a lawyer, confirmed that they could argue someone else hit her, because he is not in the picture."
"Once again, he gets away with it then." Croft mumbled.
"We'll get him. Eventually." Roza stated with confidence. "Especially if we set him up." She added.
"A set up?" Arthur pressed.
"That's the final thing." Christian stated. "Dimitri had a great idea, and it's doable." He continued. "I can hack his sisters' phones and input GPS data that would get his attention."
"You mean to lure him to a specific location?" Croft smiled.
"Yes. We'll have the area monitored and basically get him to admit whatever we want, and record it all." Christian finalized.
With the exchange of information finished, we went our separate ways. But before Roza and I could leave, Arthur pulled me aside.
"Why don't you and Rose head out around two this afternoon?" He grinned. "I think it's time you reconnected with your sisters, Dimitri."
"Thank you, Arthur." I smiled before Roza and I headed to our respective offices to continue work on our latest campaigns.
I left my door open so I could see Roza. She left her office a couple times, but each time returned with a cup. I assumed it was coffee and realized she was probably stressing just as much as I was about this afternoon.
The day seemed to be dragging. Of course, it was because I wanted to see my sisters.
One of Ivan's last instructions to my sisters was for them to wait for someone to tell them it was safe to get the phones from the bouquet. They just didn't know that it would be me telling them.
It was getting a little noisy, and I closed my door for a bit of quiet as I reviewed the new changes on my current campaign.
I was brought out of my thoughts by a knock at my office door a half hour later. "Come in." I called. The door opened and Roza stepped in, closing it behind her.
"I brought lunch." She smiled, handing over a bag and sitting in front of my desk and unpacking her own.
"Thank you, milaya." I smiled reassuringly.
"I know you're stressing, Comrade. It's okay." She comforted, standing from her seat and plopping down in my lap instead. "I do have one concern though." She announced, running her hands through my hair as I picked up the small bowl and spoon.
"What's that?" I posed, taking a mouthful of the chili she'd brought.
She summarized her thoughts based on the information Viktoria had shared Friday evening. If Randall was having them followed on a regular basis, then who's to say he wasn't having the house watched too.
"I'm worried that if you show up, video looped footage or not, someone else will tell Randall." She shared.
"Fuck, I didn't even think about that." I expelled, setting the chili back down and wrapping my arms around her waist.
"Well, don't worry just yet, I might have a work around." She started. "If someone is watching the house, they're likely only keeping track of who goes to the front door, right?" She reasoned.
"Most likely." I agreed. "But it's probably to keep tabs on who leaves and when." I added.
"Right, then we need to approach the house from the back yard." She stated.
"Is Christian having lunch with Lissa?" I asked, tossing my garbage.
"Yes, you want me to ask them in here?" She posed.
"Please." I nodded, sipping from the coffee Roza had also supplied after she stood from my lap. I swatted at her ass playfully and she smirked at me over her shoulder.
Once ensconced in my office we relayed our concerns to Christian and Lissa about the house being watched.
"I can get a satellite view of the house to see what's behind it." Christian informed, pulling out his phone.
The fact that he could do that shit from his phone alone was impressive to me.
"There's a house that borders their backyard, and based on the lot information here, it's for sale and is unoccupied. So, if you arrive on that back street and walk through, you should be safe." He shared.
"You're certain?" Roza interjected.
"Yes." He smiled.
After thanking Christian and Lissa both, they headed out and Roza and I finished up our lunch before getting back to work. When it was almost two o'clock, I saved my work and logged out of the system before heading to Roza's office. With a polite nod to her assistant Sydney, I knocked on Roza's door.
Following Christian's directions, I parked my truck on the street that paralleled my sisters. I had to help Roza down from the truck and then I locked the doors before taking her hand in mine securely.
Walking along the side of the house into the backyard, I was happy to see that there was no fence in the way that we'd have to scale. I was starting to feel nervous. I hadn't seen my sisters in over seven years, it might have even been longer, I wasn't sure anymore. But Roza clearly saw my distress.
"You'll be okay, Comrade." She cajoled, slipping her hand into mine as we waited at the edge of the yard. Turning to her, I pulled Roza closer.
"I love you, Roza." I stated, leaning down and kissing her soundly. She moaned into the kiss.
"I love you, too." She grinned. "Ready?" She asked, taking my hand firmly in hers once more. I nodded as we scanned the area to see if anything stood out that should be of concern. As directed, I called Christian to be sure we couldn't be seen on any camera.
"You're all clear. No sign of you on the back door camera at all." He confirmed.
"Let's go." Roza announced, leading the way.
The nerves were getting to me and I couldn't even knock on the door, so Roza did it for me. It swung open a moment later.
"Dimka?"
"Karo." I smiled as she threw herself into my arms. Reluctantly, I had to let go of Roza's hand to catch her.
"I've missed you so much." She cried. "I'm so sorry. For everything." She added as the tears flowed, from both of us.
"Why don't we go inside." Roza urged.
"Right, sorry." Karolina smiled, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Sonya! Vik! Someone's here to see us." She hollered as her son and my niece came running into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was about.
"Who's are they mama?" He asked, clinging to her leg shyly. "He's big." He mumbled and I couldn't help but smile. My niece on the other hand was not shy at all and reached up her little arms, asking to be picked up.
"Paul, this is your Uncle Dimka. Dimka, this is your nephew, Paul." She introduced, picking him up, while I lifted the other little one. "That is Katya, Sonya's little girl, she's two and is such a little flirt." Karolina informed. "And Paul here is five."
"You big." Katya said with a cheeky smile, making me laugh.
"You're small." I teased, tickling her tummy, making her giggle adorably. "This is your auntie Roza." I introduced with a wink her way. I saw her blush as she smiled at Katya, Paul and then Karolina just as Sonya and Viktoria finally came into the kitchen.
"Dimka!" They chorused as Viktoria made a beeline for Roza first.
"Thank you." She said, hugging Roza fiercely. "For bringing him to us." She added. "And what are you doing Katya." She teased.
"Cuddlin'." She murmured, tucking her little head into my neck, making me laugh.
"You have a new best friend, Comrade." Roza teased as she slipped her arm around my waist affectionately.
~VA TC VA~
Rose
"Dimitri." Sonya burst into tears while Viktoria took a reluctant Katya from his arms so he could hug his sister.
"Hi auntie Rowza." Paul smiled. Karolina handed him off to me as she and Viktoria both got enveloped in their brother's arms.
I couldn't help the few tears that escaped at their reunion.
"Why you crying, auntie?" Paul asked, wrapping his little arm across my shoulder.
"Just happy." I smiled at him.
"You cry when you happy?" He asked, completely perplexed. That caused Karolina, Sonya, Viktoria and Dimitri to all laugh loudly as they finally pulled back.
"Wait!" Another little voice rang out. "I want cuddlin'." Katya smiled trying to get from Viktoria's arm back into Dimitri's, making everyone smile at her new crush.
"Why don't we go into the living room." Karolina directed as everyone wiped away their 'tears of happiness'.
Paul asked to be put down and he wandered off to the living room ahead of us all to a toy bin in the corner. Little Katya was glued to her uncle 'Dimka', as he sat back on the couch. Dimitri reached out and tugged me down beside him. A huge smile on his face.
"Are you happy, Comrade?" I grinned, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Immensely." He smirked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as I rested my head on his chest.
"My turn." Katya announced, kissing his cheek as well, causing us to giggle.
Paul entertained himself with the toys from the bin while we shared all the information we had discovered over the weekend. From first finding out about the cameras to including Ivan in our plans. They were all exceptionally grateful that Ivan arrived when he had last night. Otherwise, they weren't sure what Randall could have done.
"He's a brave little one, standing in front of you like he did." Dimitri stated, looking to Paul then Karolina.
"Yeah, well, the wedding that was happening, isn't" She explained. "He, he struck me. Once." She admitted. "It will never happen again." She finalized.
Dimitri tensed at that, but Karolina's ex had been out of the picture longer than expected. Viktoria didn't seem to know this when she informed us on Friday of Karolina's wedding plans. She was bothered that Karolina hadn't told her, but it was in the past.
Discussion moved back to communication and we had to caution them that they could use the phones that were in the bouquet of flowers to keep in contact with Dimitri, but not in the house.
We explained that the looped video that was currently playing would be turned off when Dimitri and I left. If they used the phones in the house, Randall would be able to see that they were not the phones he was having monitored.
"You can see us whenever you want on these cameras?" Sonya asked.
"Not exactly." I began. "We can access them, but not whenever we want. Our tech specialist is able to access them." I clarified. "If we call him and ask him too." I clarified.
"If there is some kind of problem and you need help, go outside, take a walk and then use the other phone to text or call me. Mine and Roza's numbers are the only two programmed into them." Dimitri explained. "Then we can then get our tech specialist to tap into the video to see what's going on." He added as he cuddled with his niece. Katya had fallen asleep. Her little arms around his neck, and I loved that contented look on Dimitri's face.
Sonya seemed to notice me watching him with her. "Can you see yourself having a little one?" She asked.
Dimitri whipped his head over to me, awaiting my reply.
"I can. Especially with this guy as a dad." I grinned. "You're going to be a fantastic, father, Comrade." I smiled, a glint in my eye.
"Roza?"
~VA TC VA~
Author's Note: This one took a lot longer than I planned to get out. We've been having a terrible heat wave here and it's made it unbearable to sit for too long to write.
Then there was a mild case of writer's block. I knew where I was going with the chapter, but filling in the middle bits was a bit more difficult.
Thank you for reading and please comment/review! 3