Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Maddox

Dimitri had a history with the club, but he had a past long before the club, justlike anyone else. The only issue was that it was darker than most people knew. It wasn't unusual for one of the brothers to come to the club looking for a fresh start or with some baggage, but not quite like his.Roscoe hadn't even known about it because Dimitri had come to the Brotherhood using a trick as old as time, using a fake name andsolid papers.Dimitri had only confided in me a year ago after making me promise backward and forwards that I would never divulge his real last name. However, now those connections of his were what wecouldn't do without.

"Real talk time then," I agreed, leaningforward on my elbows and facing him.

"This isn't my brother's style," he finally said. "Hewouldn't approveof this. I've been gone a long time, but he wouldn't. The cartels are into this shit, not the Bratva." Dimitri rubbed his hand over his head, scrubbing it hard.

"I believe you." My heart raced in my chest, and I wasn't sure if it was because I was worried that Dimitri wouldn't make the right call or that he would.

Dimitri shook his head. "Well, there isn't much of a choice here, Maddox. We have to help those people no matter what wehave todo. You know what needs to happen, andI know it too. It'll be our best chance of shutting Makarovich down."

"I do think it's our best shot, but this sucks pretty hard. I know it's not what you wanted," I conceded. "I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"No, it's not what I wanted, but there isn't another viable way to not only help the people being trafficked but to protect Helena," he paused. "She'd be at significant risk without more protection. Being under the radar for me isn't going to be possible anymore. I'll need to make peace with that. We all have to go home sometimes."He sighed as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and, withoutanypreliminaries,scrolled through his contacts.

I didn't have to look to see the one he paused on forjusta moment before his finger touched it. The ring sounded out into the office, tinny and louder thanusual.

"Dima, where the fuck have you been?" the leader of the Volkov Bratva answered on the other line.

"Hello, brother. I've missed you. I don't have time right now for idle chit-chat. We can do that later. I need to know if you have authorized Makarovich in Phoenix to step his toes into flesh peddling."

Dimitriobviously didn'twaste any time catching up with his brother before finding out what we needed to know, which I appreciated.

"I certainly did not. For that matter, ifI find out that Makarovich has been fucking around with any suchthings,he will find out the hard way that I have no tolerance for the skin trade." I could hear Maxim Volkov's heavy accent over the phone, punctuatingevery word. If I wereMakarovich,there would have been no way that I would have crossed the pakhan.

"Well, he did, brother. I've discovered a trafficking auction that is raking in billions, Maxim," Dimitri started andthenstopped as if he didn't know how to continue."Makarovich is running it."

"Really?" Maxim sounded surprised more than impressed. "That fucking snake."

"Yes, really," Dimitri confirmed. I didn't realize he was using Concorde Financial as a front, but he has been running the money through there—billions. Someone gave a friend the records and evidence of the auction." I appreciated that he had left Helena's name out of the conversation. The last thing I wanted was for the pakhan to hear her name.Thiswas about getting her out of this predicament, not further involved.

"Send me what you have," the words were bitten out. "None of that was sanctioned, which meanshehas stolen money from the Bratva."

"So, you will handle this then?" Dimitri pressed.

"I will send men toassist you, and you will pick up Makarovich for me. Then it will be up to us to handle it—like we should have been doing. Oh, and Dima, we need to talk, though, da? There will be no more running away." Maxim's voice was firm. There was no room for questions.

Dimitri sighed, "Very well. We'll handle this together andthen talk, but the people mustbe rescued,too. Your word."

"Of course. I leave flesh-peddling to the cartels." Maxim's disdain was evident even through the phone line. "Goodbye fornow,little brother. Mother will be pleased."

Dimitri disconnected the call and leaned back in the desk chair, tossing the cell onto the desktop. "Fuck me. I hope that is going to be worth this."

I kept silent, not knowing what the right thing was to say in this situation. It did always seem like Dimitri was getting fucked over. Once again, he would have to pay a penalty and do something he desperately didn't want to do.He'dsought freedom from the Volkov Bratva for over a decade. He'd specifically told me that he wasn't interested in going back. Now, hewas in an untenable position. Not to mention, itlooked like I might lose my sergeant at arms.

"I'm sorry. Of course, it's worth it.Theyare selling kids like fucking psychos." Dimitri pushed to his feet and straightened his cut. He had been proud to wear the Brotherhood colors again, andnow I felt like an ass for putting him in this position.

"I feel like a dick," I offered.

"Good," he joked with a sad smile. "Don't worry about it. We had no choice, brother. We needed the Bratva behind us and the Volkov name to get it done. If Makarovich comes after Helena or sends a fewmen,that's all it is. He can't marshal the forces of multiple cells of the Bratva. That makes a difference," he shrugged as if his sacrifice was small. "We needed to try to save those people, too. That's not right."

I laid a heavy hand on his shoulder as he moved to the doorway. "It was the right move, just not the easy one."

"Sometimes that is how life is. The right thing is sometimes the hardest thing to do." Dimitri shrugged.

"That's true enough," I agreed.

He paused at the door. "We still on with the Cobras? For the meeting with Pike?"

"Yeah, we're still on," I confirmed. I pushed aside my worries about Dimitri, focusing on theday's tasks. I couldn't control what Maxim was going to do. I could only control what I did. There was no time for distractions or second-guessing. We still had a club to run, andthe deal with the Cobras was a part of that. I hadn't decidedentirely, but the agreement with Pike seemed like something that would be best for the club.

"Sounds like a plan," Dimitri agreed. "I'll catch you this afternoon then when we ride out."

I nodded, already setting myself back at my desk, readyto get back to the boringstuff I needed to finishbefore we could move forward.Ignoring thedoor shutting,I indulged myself one more time to checkonHelena on the security cameras before moving on to other things.Sureenough,I could see her in the office center. Maybe I could justify minimizing the window while I worked.