Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

Dimitri

Downstairs was full of sunshine, chocolate chip pancakes, and chatter. Olive dangled a string for Luna as the kitten went crazy across the hardwood, much to her delight, the tiny claw scrabbling as the small ball of orange tumbled and turned. The little monster had more energy than any of us. Thankfully, I didn't sleep much, and last night, I'd been awake to spend a little time playing with the little ball of fur until it had cuddled up under my chin. It was kind of cute.

"Good morning." Leaning against Hollis, I grabbed a coffee mug, nuzzling her neck for a kiss. She blushed, her whole chest flushing pink with embarrassment. Last night I'd taken her three times, fucking her hard until she was so full of my come that it dripped down her thighs. Then I'd pushed her flat against the mattress and slid into her pussy, not letting her come while I stroked in and out at my leisure until she begged. I planned on a repeat performance tonight. "How are you, malysh ?"

"Good."

Another blush.

"I've got a surprise for you coming in a few minutes." A text alert sounded, and my cue from Tiny that my surprise was here. "Let's go, baby. Olive want to go see Mommy's surprise?"

"Yes!" She punched her little fist up in the air. Snatching the kitten up from the floor, I maneuvered them outside onto the porch just as Tiny slid the new Mercedes G-Wagon up to the curb. I might have splurged a little .

Tiny was a favorite in the club; he had carrot-red hair and was a large man known for his happy attitude toward almost everything. However, underneath that was someone who knew how to get things done and was willing to fight hard when necessary. He'd be Hollis and Olive's bodyguard when I couldn't be here. It was rough to lose him in day-to-day operations, but I'd be more concerned if someone weren't here keeping them safe. I was thinking seriously of calling for Luka, but I wanted to speak more with Maddox about it. I wasn't convinced I wanted to continue to cross that line with Bratva and the Brotherhood.

Hollis looked confused, so I clarified as Tiny came up the steps. " Malysh , this is Tiny."

"Ma'am." The big man ducked his head and body into a slight bow.

"Hi."

"And Olive." I indicated over to Olive, who stared up at Tiny with wide eyes .

"Miss."

Hollis narrowed her eyes, the hint of suspicion evident as she directed her piercing gaze toward me. A moment later, she shifted her attention to the sleek, shining car, her expression thoughtful. Sensing the need to break the silence, I discreetly cleared my throat, hoping to divert her focus.

"Tiny will be here with you when I need to be at work. His job is to keep you safe. The car is for you, baby. It's in your name too. All the paperwork is in the glove box." I watched her nervously.

"Dimitri, can I talk to you for a second? Olive, can you take Luna to your room."

Tiny guffawed but gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'll just hang out on the porch," he said. Then, he winked at me and settled in the sturdy rocker.

Hollis was busy wiping counters when I entered the kitchen, but her movements were choppy. Wait, was she mad? Had I done the wrong thing buying the car? It was safe. The thing was a tank. I'd had it sent over from Phoenix and had a specialty shop install the windows. It could take a serious hit if necessary — though it gave me chills to think about her getting in an accident.

"Don't like the color, malaysh ?" I asked, leaning my hip against the counter. I understood that this was overwhelming. She and Olive had been through a lot. Acclimating to a new town — moving in with me. A relationship with someone was a lot, but it was all new. I just wanted to give her everything they needed.

She put the dish rag in the sink, tilting those eyes up to me. "A car? Seriously, that thing had to be like fifty thousand," she raged.

More like a hundred and seventy thousand and change, not counting the addition of the windows, but they were well worth it. Both of them were worth so much more. Making my way around the counter, I pulled her into my arms.

"I'm not with you for your money," she complained, but she was already softening, bending in my arms like taffy.

"I know that." I kissed her lightly. "I do know that. Malysh , my money is your money now." She frowned.

"Then we should be a little more thrifty. Get me something used."

"Hmmm …. Come here." Pulling her with me, I walked over to my tablet and pulled up my accounts. "Look." She watched as I scrolled through account after account. "I've added your name to these accounts." I handed her a black card from my pocket that I'd had FedEx'ed yesterday. "We have more money than we could ever spend."

"Wow, that's a lot of money," she said, dumbfounded. "Wait, what? You put me on the accounts?" The last words were said slowly as her fingers closed around the card in slow motion, not even seeing the card. "You did what? "

"I've set up a trust for Olive, too. My lawyer is working on it, and I have a separate account for you that isn't attached to me. So you'll feel secure in your finances." I looked solemnly at her. I never wanted her to feel indebted or as if she had to stay with me. Of course, I wanted to tie her to me in as many ways as I could. A ring on that all-important finger, but I wanted these things to be her choice.

She flung her arms around me. "I love you, Dima, not because of this but because of everything. The way you protect me, protect us. The way you think of everything."

"Fuck. I love you too, malysh ."

Her teeth clashed against mine as I plunged my tongue into her mouth. Hollis kissed with everything she had, always giving her entire soul. Leaning into the kiss, I cupped her ass her both hands and went about devouring her, tangling my tongue with hers, nibbling the corners. Giving her a final peck, I leaned away from her. Unfortunately, I had to go to work .

"Tiny will take you and Olive to the elementary school today while I'm at the club so you can check it out. You can also finish the paperwork for your Arizona driver's license."

"So he's just going to hang out?" Hollis asked.

"Yep, I've got to go to work. I'll be at the Open Road part of the time, and then we have a meeting with Pike. If you need anything, you can call." Yesterday, we spent some time putting some numbers in her phone. Helena had said that she'd call Hollis today. I hoped they'd become friends and Helena would be the bridge I couldn't be. Helena was quirky and fun, just about Hollis' age. I thought they'd get along well. "I'm going to get the bike out." I was positively gleeful about that. I'd been dying to get my Harley on the road. This was the longest I had gone in years without riding daily.

"Okay, be safe." She gave me another lingering kiss, which made me wish we had more time to extend this makeout session. "Olive," she shouted. "Come say goodbye to Dimitri." I handed her the car key .

"The paperwork is in the glove box. You'll need to register it, though," I winked. Olive came thundering down the stairs, her blond hair in little buns on the top of her head like rabbit ears.

"I'm going to work, moya milaya . Have a good day with mommy." He swung her up effortlessly like she was a toddler. She was still small for her age, but I had stopped picking her up a few years ago. Olive loved it being swung around, though. She giggled, and her eyes sparkled.

"You'll come back?" Olive asked solemnly, pressing her small hands against his cheeks, squishing them together.

"Yes. I promise." It broke my heart that she worried that people wouldn't come back. I didn't need to look at Hollis to know I would see a frown on her face.

"Ok." She wriggled—the universal sign to be put down. "See you later. "

This was nice — having someone who cared that I'd make it home. I'd never had that. Not resisting the urge, I gave Hollis a final kiss before making my way to the porch to Tiny.

"Take care of them," I cautioned. There was still a call to make to Luka, but I wasn't sure it wasn't overkill. Not to mention that there would be no hiding my life from Maxim anymore if I did that. "She has some errands she probably wants to run. The school, the DMV, shit like that."

"Of course, brother. I'll protect them with my life. You have my word." Tiny smiled at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was here because I trusted him, but heading to the garage and wheeling the bike out was still hard.

Straddling the seat of my Harley and settling my hands onto the handlebars was one of the best feelings. The engine roared to life, throaty, loud, and guttural. That smell of gasoline and the wave of heat from the pavement made me wax nostalgic. God, it was good to be back. Kicking off the pavement, I revved the throttle and headed for the Open Road.

I took an extra spin around town, relishing the feel of the bike under me even more than I thought I would. The thrill of taking Hollis for a ride was almost tangible, although I needed to get her a helmet, but I'd love to have her on the bike of my bike.

As I headed towards the outskirts of town, I turned onto a backroad that led to the club's buildings. I jokingly referred to it as a compound comprising the clubhouse, office, and living quarters. Since Maddox had taken over, he had significantly improved the clubhouse and named it the ‘Open Road.' It now served as a bar and entertainment spot, with a full kitchen for preparing meals, a bar area, and a stage. The building also connected to another where living quarters were located, although not all the members lived on site.

"Hey, Whitney," I said as I entered the familiar space. Whitney was an old-timer from Roscoe Marsh's era of running the Brotherhood. He had been a club officer when Helena was a baby .

"Dimitri! Glad to see you," he boomed. Whitney and I exchanged a firm handshake, his grip still strong despite advancing years. Whitney's presence always felt like a comforting constant in the ever-changing world of the Brotherhood.

"How's it been?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Can't complain," Whitney replied with a grin. "The Open Road is busier than ever. We've even got some locals coming in. How was Colombia?"

"Colombia was … successful and humid." I winked at him. Whitney wasn't super active in our clandestine activities anymore. His old lady, Amber, kept him home from a lot of the more dangerous activities, but he was still someone who had his ear to the ground regarding the club. There was no way he didn't know what I was doing there.

As I walked further into the room, the buzz of activity surrounded me. The club was alive, the hum of conversations and laughter mingling with the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of music. I spotted Jillian near the bar, her eyes lighting up as she saw me.

"Dimitri! You're back!" she exclaimed with a welcoming smile. Jillian was one of the club bunnies for the Iron Brotherhood, but unlike a few we'd had, she wasn't looking to be someone's old lady. I wasn't sure what she was running from, but there was a reason she was hiding out here. Maddox hadn't given me much information on the deal he'd cut with her; he just said she was taking the place of one of the last bunnies. We typically let two or three women stay on-site, women the brothers liked but who weren't too clingy. That was the last thing we wanted — drama.

"Good to see you, Jills," I said, smiling. "How have things been here?"

"Same old, same old," she replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I hear you brought a lady back from Columba. When are you bringing her by so we can meet her? "

Helena must have blabbed. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my head. The feeling of the stubble comforted me. "Well, I'll have to set something up to introduce them to all this. Hollis isn't used to the club life and has a daughter." I wasn't sure how that was going to go. "Maybe we could have a club barbeque or something?" Bring the families. Lots of the men had families, so occasionally, we went all out with bouncy houses, barbeques, horseshoes—the whole nine yards.

"Barbeque? We could do that. Welcome them to the family." Her eyes lit up. It was as if she'd read my mind.

"That sounds amazing, Jillian. I'll talk to Maddox about it, but maybe you can help Helena?" I asked, hoping to avoid stressing Helena now that she was pregnant.

"I'd love to. Maddox is waiting for you. He's at one of the tables, preparing to meet with Pike. It's good you're back. It's been busy here, and now that thing over in Morinrock." She shook her head, but I didn't bother commenting. Jillian was great, but adding to gossip wasn't a good idea at this point. "You want anything before you head over?" she said finally.

"Nah," I nodded, giving her a quick wink before entering the bustling room. Maddox sat at a corner table, papers spread out in front of him, and his face showed focused determination. I handed out greetings and took backslaps as I went. Fuck, I loved it here.

"Dimitri," he greeted, glancing up as I approached. "Glad you're here. You get Hollis all situated?"

"Yeah, Tiny showed up with the car this morning."

He chuckled, "How'd that go?" The smirk on his face told me that he knew how it went.

"Hmm, not that great," I admitted. "She was a little pissed off. Fuck man, I just want her to be safe. Who doesn't want a car? It's nice," I grumbled.

"It's a tank. Helena would have been pissed. She's still struggling to let me buy her things." Like almost all the men here, Maddox was dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and his Iron Brotherhood cut. His vest had the all-important president patch affixed to it. He'd done the role justice, expanded the club, contacted other clubs, and strengthened bonds with our charters. I was proud to be sergeant. The last VP quit when Maddox brought me on as an officer. The position had remained vacant since then, but Maddox had always told me I was his right hand and he didn't need anyone else. This absence of mine had been a stretch, though, and I could tell he had been stressed that I wouldn't return. It had put him and the club in a bind.

"Well, I showed her that I had plenty of money. Put her on all the accounts. That made her feel better that she wouldn't put me in the poor house." It seemed to anyway, I thought to myself. Maybe I was pushing too hard. I couldn't seem to help myself.

"I'm happy for you brother." The grin on his face showed me that he was. "She seems like a good fit for you, and Olive is adorable. "

Another man would caution me about going too fast or be worried that Hollis would take advantage of me. They might ask me if I was sure. Another man might question my judgment, but Maddox knew me and what my background was. No world existed where I didn't know my own mind. I was dead sure.

"I was thinking we could do a welcome barbeque. Maybe get them acquainted with the club?"

"That's a great idea. Let me shoot Helena a text." Maddox typed something out quickly. "We have a few new prospects too. They can help set up. We haven't done a barbeque yet this spring, so it's a good time to have one to get the families together. Pike should be here soon. Ready to get down to the nitty-gritty?"

"Yeah, let's do it." Leaning back against the booth's cushions, I settled in. This shit wasn't going to be pretty. "What do we know?"

"Not much more than before, honestly. I hope Pike can shed some light on this, but I can't believe he'd be this sloppy. He keeps things tight. We know the guy's name was Michael Porter, but we don't know much else." Maddox lifted a hand in greeting towards the door, signaling. "Pike's here," he said needlessly.

A few minutes later, Pike sat in the booth holding a beer. He looked exhausted.

"Thanks for coming," Maddox gave him a nod. "Before we start, Helena and I are getting married. I wanted to invite you to the wedding."

Pike's face lit up. "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you two." He clapped an arm around Maddox, squeezing his shoulders. "When's the big day?"

"A couple of months. Just a small ceremony for friends." Maddox looked over at him thoughtfully. "I was hoping you'd come."

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "I suppose we need to talk about the body?" he said wearily .

Maddox leaned back, crossing his arms. "You know we do. Cops are all over that shit." Examining Pike and how he nervously bounced his fingers on the table, I wasn't sure what to think.

"The guy that was killed," he began, shifting his weight on the bench seat of the booth. "Porter." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, sweat beading his brow. I'd literally never seen him this nervous; even Maddox stared at him wide-eyed.

"Yeah?" Maddox prompted.

"He was one of my foster placements." Another swallow. "That's why I was brought in for questioning." Pike took another chug from the bottle of beer. He was Maddox's age, mid-thirties. They'd both been raised in foster care, but I wasn't sure how much Maddox even knew about Pike. Maddox had met him in school, I thought. That was the story that I'd heard, but details were sparse. Pike spent some time in the big house, but I wasn't clear what it was for. "Found him, spread out on the bus stop. Fucking naked as a jaybird." He turned to look at Maddox, who was staring at him, poleaxed .

"I'm assuming he was one of those?" Maddox said with a darkness to his voice, which I was familiar with.

"Abusive?" I asked. It wasn't honestly a question since I was catching the vibe.

"Yes, very," Pike confirmed. "I confirmed with the police that I knew him as one of my previous foster placements, but I didn't tell them that, but the eyes …" He looked over the crowded tables. "I just …"

"Do you have any idea who might have done this? Was he left as a message for you?" Maddox asked. Pike lifted a shoulder and downed the rest of his beer.

"A gift?" I asked. He glanced at me. Ah, that was closer.

"When I was in foster care, there was someone, but I just can't think that this could be …" Pike traced the circle left in the wood by the condensation from the beer. "The eyes, though. It'd ma ke sense. I looked for them before — I thought they were dead."

A shiver went down my spine. I nodded, taking in the information. "Ok, should we be concerned for anyone's safety?"

"No, I don't think that's the issue here. I'm worried that there will be more." He looked down again. "That the police will think I did this. They couldn't find any evidence to link me to the crime other than the fact that I found the body. The real problem was they couldn't find any other evidence either. At all. Whoever did it was meticulous," Pike said, looking flummoxed. He seemed sure about his hunch but not how they'd done it. It still didn't make me feel any safer if some psycho was out there cutting out people's eyes. "We're going to cool our jets on any club activity for a while, just with the police snooping around. It makes our members cranky, but it's too risky."

"Hopefully, this is the end of it. If there's something I can do to help out, let me know," Maddox said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Or, if the police keep harassing you." Maddox was studying him. Pike wasn't necessarily someone I'd gone out of my way to hang out with, but he also wasn't a guy who had ever given me a hard time, even when I was on the outs with the Brotherhood, which I respected.

"Do you need a lawyer? I can hook you up with a good one," I offered. They looked at me as if they'd never seen me before, eyes rounded with surprise. I shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "The ones they give you are shitty." I shrugged.

"Tell me about it," Pike groused. "Time I did in State was fucked two ways to Sunday because of the crap ass lawyer they dumped on me." He peered at me for a minute. "I'd appreciate it. Normally, I wouldn't ask, but I think I might need all the help I can get."

"No problem. I'll text her and have her give you a call so she can catch up on all this. She normally doesn't travel, but she will for me. Her name's Natasha Petrova. If she can take your case, she's the best. "

"Thanks a lot. I'll see you." Pike slid out of the booth, giving us a nod. We watched him head out the door in silence. Maddox shook his head finally and rubbed a head over his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, fuck. One of his foster placements? That's no goddamn coincidence."

"Nah, someone did that on purpose. He looked shook." We looked at each other, agreeing that this wasn't good. At all.

"Natasha? Who the fuck is she?" Maddox finally asked.

"Bratva lawyer." I shrugged. "My cousin. She is the best — don't doubt it. She doesn't normally leave San Diego, but if she can come, she's a killer in the courtroom."

"Huh. He can't afford that, you know. "

"She owes me a favor," I replied. "I'll cover it if it comes to that. We need him clear of this."

Maddox nodded slowly. "Alright, let's make sure this doesn't blow back on any of us. And keep an eye on Pike. If someone's sending messages, we need to be ready. Maybe we can catch a body drop and get rid of the fucking thing before the police find it."

Maddox and I sat silently for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on us. The hum of the clubhouse seemed distant, like a muffled background noise to the tension we both felt.

"Alright," Maddox finally said, leaning forward. "Let's get Pike cleared and make sure this doesn't escalate. We need to keep the Brotherhood safe."

"Agreed," I nodded. I'll contact Natasha tonight and get her up to speed. In the meantime, we should watch and see if anything else surfaces. "

"Good," Maddox said, standing up and gathering the papers in front of him. "Maybe the barbeque idea will help ease some of this tension. I'll keep you updated on anything new I hear. Let's make sure we stay on top of this, Dimitri."

"Count on it," I replied. I'll check in with Pike again later to make sure he's holding up."

We parted ways and moved to different parts of the clubhouse. I approached the exit, pulling out my phone to text Natasha. As I stepped outside, the blast of Arizona heat hit me, a welcome contrast to the cool air conditioning inside. I found a quiet spot by the side of the building and dialed Natasha's number.

She picked up on the second ring. "Dimitri, it's been a while."

"Natasha," I said, a smile creeping into my voice. "I need a favor."

"Don't you always?" she teased, but her tone was warm. What do you need, Dima?" I quickly explained the situation to her, Pike's predicament, and the need for a top-notch defense.

"Sounds messy," Natasha said after a pause. "But it sounds interesting. Send me all the details, and I'll start looking into it."

"Thanks, Natasha. I owe you one."

"You owe me more than one, cousin," she laughed. "But I'll add it to the tally. Stay safe, Dimitri."

"You too," I said as I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. As I turned to head back inside, I saw Pike lingering by the edge of the lot, a cigarette in hand. He looked lost in thought, his brow furrowed.

"Pike," I called out, walking over. "Got a minute?"

He looked up, nodding. "Yeah, sure. "

"Just talked to Natasha," I said, stopping a few feet away. "She's going to take your case. She'll be in touch soon."

"Thanks, Dimitri," Pike said, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I appreciate it. Really."

"No problem," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We'll get through this. Just hang tight and keep your head down."

He nodded, taking a drag from his cigarette. "I will. And Dimitri... thanks for believing in me."

"Always, man," I replied. "We're family. We look out for each other."

I left Pike to his thoughts and headed towards my bike. Pulling up my app for trackers, I checked the one I had placed on Helena's new car. She was at the DMV. Shooting off a text to Tiny quickly, I waited a few minutes while I settled onto the blistering hot leather of the black seat; I fastened my helmet and kicked off the pavement. I had about thirty minutes, and I was going to enjoy the fuck out of the roar of the straight pipes, ride the curves while I could, then see if I could trap her in the pantry and make her come a few times before dinner.

Smiling to myself — I had plans.