Page 53 of Tattooed Heart

“My line was crossed the moment he threatened my child,” I interrupt. “I'm not asking to become some kind of assassin. But I refuse to be helpless.”

Aleksandr closes the folder and leans back in his chair, studying me. “Dimitri will not like this.”

“Dimitri isn't here,” I counter. “And when he returns, he can take it up with me directly.”

For a few seconds, the only sound is the rain against the windows and the occasional rumble of thunder. Then Aleksandr nods.

“Talia will show you the basics today. The rest can wait until after we deal with Morozov. But understand once you begin this journey, there is no turning back. This knowledge changes you.”

“I'm already changed,” I say quietly. “From the moment I fell in love with your brother, and I learned I was carrying his child. There's no going back to who I was before.”

Aleksandr rises from his chair, the edge softening in his voice. “We’re family by blood, by love, by everything that brought us here. And that means you’re never alone.”

As Talia leads me from the office, a strange sense of calm settles over me. Not the calm of peace but the calm of absolute certainty. Whatever comes next, I will face it not just as Sandy, the woman who stumbled into this world, but as a mother and a protector.

Talia takes me to a room down the hallway, through a door that requires a keycode, and into what appears to be a small gym with padded floors and mirrored walls. She closes the door behind us and kicks off her shoes.

“First lesson,” she says, her voice shifting from sisterly concern to more authoritative. “Your greatest weapon isn't a gun or a knife. It's your mind. Your awareness.”

I slip off my own shoes and join her on the mat. “I thought you were going to teach me how to shoot.”

“Eventually. But what good is a gun if you don't see the threat coming? If you freeze when the moment arrives?” She begins to circle me slowly. “Tell me what you notice about this room.”

I glance around, seeing the obvious. The mirrors, the mats, and the exercise equipment that is pushed against one wall. “It's a private gym?”

“Look again,” Talia instructs. “Really look.”

I force myself to slow down, to observe rather than simply see. The mirrors aren’t just decorative. They are positioned to eliminate blind spots. The door we entered through is solid and reinforced. What I took for abstract wall decorations are disguised weapons storage panels.

“It's a training room,” I say. “And a safe room.”

Talia nods approvingly. “The entire mansion is designed this way. Every luxury hides a purpose. Every beautiful thing conceals something functional. This is how we survive.”

For the next hour, she teaches me the fundamentals. How to stand to maintain balance, fall without injury, and identify potential weapons in ordinary objects. My body aches fromunaccustomed movements, but I refuse to complain. Every strain is worth it if it means protecting my child.

“Enough for today,” Talia breathes, handing me a water bottle. “We don't want to overdo it in your condition.”

I drink gratefully, my throat parched from exertion. “When will we continue?”

“Tomorrow. And every day after that, until you can protect yourself and that baby from anyone who dares to come near you,” she says, smiling with quiet pride. “You’re a natural, you know. You stayed focused.”

“I’ve got all the motivation I need,” I murmur, resting my hand on my stomach.

“You’re going to be an incredible mother,” Talia comments, her voice softening. “You always looked out for me—and hey, I turned out pretty amazing.”

I laugh and tug her into a playful side hug, our arms linking like muscle memory. We slip our shoes back on and make our way through the mansion, the faint scent of rain still clinging to the air.

“Do you think Dimitri will call soon?” I ask as we reach the main staircase.

Talia's expression turns serious again. “When it's safe to do so. These operations require complete focus. Any distraction could be fatal.”

A sharp ache tears through my chest. “I can't lose him, Talia. Not now. Not ever.”

“You won't,” she assures me. “He knows what he has to live for.”

We part ways at the top of the stairs, Talia heading to her wing of the house while I return to the suite Dimitri and I share. The room feels empty without him, haunted by his absence. I shower away the sweat from training, letting the hot water soothe my sore muscles.

As I dress in comfortable clothing, I catch sight of myself in the bathroom mirror. Something has changed. There is a hardness in my eyes and a set to my jaw that wasn’t there this morning. I look like someone who has made up her mind and won’t be swayed.

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