Chapter 3

THREE

Dimitri - age 29 - Present Day

I stood at the edge of the room, my eyes fixed on Maddox and Helena. The flickering light cast long shadows across the worn wooden floors, making the bruises on Helena's face appear even more pronounced. She sat in the booth, her body wrapped in a thick blanket as if it could shield her from the horrors she had endured. Even though she laughed lightly with Jillian as the other woman tried to brush her hair for her, I could see how much it hurt. She was putting on quite the show for Maddox and me.

"This kills me," Maddox muttered, his voice low but seething with rage. "Every bruise… "

My heart ached for Helena. She had been through so much, and the sight of her bruised and broken made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, feeling the familiar pull of the darkness within me, the call of the Bratva. I had tried to leave that life behind, but it seemed like it was always there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to drag me back. We'd already killed her kidnapper violently, but that didn't mean it was over.

Helena looked up, her eyes meeting mine. There was a silent plea in her gaze, a desperate need for reassurance. I smiled, nodding slightly as if to say, "It will be okay." But deep down, I knew that words were not enough. Actions spoke louder, and the actions I needed now were the kind I had sworn to leave behind.

"Dimitri, we need to find Makarovich," Maddox said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We need to find him. He can't get away with this. Ultimately, what happened was because of him."

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me. I had found a family with the Iron Brotherhood MC, a sense of belonging that I had never felt with the Bratva. But the past few days' events made me realize that some battles required a different kind of power, which only the Bratva could provide.

"I know," I replied, my voice steady but carrying the weight of my resolve. "And we will. But this... this isn't something the Iron Brotherhood can handle alone."

Maddox frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you saying, Dimitri?"

"I'm saying that to protect Helena, all of us, I need to go back," I said, my gaze unwavering. "I need to return to the Bratva, at least for this. So I can deal with Makarovich. Maxim has connections and resources we can use." It was a concession that I'd thought long and hard about. Reconnecting with Maxim wasn't easy, but it wasn't all about me.

Helena's head swung towards me, her eyes widening, and she shook her head vehemently. " No, Dimitri. You can't. I know you don't want to go back to the Bratva. We need you here."

Helena and I had our issues in the past. I'd blamed her for something long ago, something that wasn't her fault. Luckily, I had manned up and realized it. I'd hung onto it for way too long, though. "I know what I'm doing, Helena. I've called Maxim. He tracked Makarovich as far as Colombia. These men aren't just criminals. They're a part of something bigger, something more dangerous. And to stop them, I need the resources and the power of the Bratva."

Maddox stood, his expression conflicted. "Are you sure about this, brother? Once you go back, there's no turning around. The Brotherhood can't help in Colombia." His gaze shifted to Helena. "I could come with you."

"No. Your place is with Helena." My resolve solidified with every passing moment. "I'm sure. This is about family, about protecting the ones we love. And if that means stepping back into the shadows, then so be it." Those feelings of hate I'd allowed to fester in myself towards Helena long ago when she'd just been a little girl of thirteen made me still feel like less of a man. This was a way for me to repent that I'd ever been so small as to think like that.

Helena had grown up in the MC; she'd always been beautiful, even as a young girl. Her father had been our president back in the day, and Roscoe Marsh had drawn lines in the sand regarding his daughter. You did not look, you did not touch, and you did not think about his daughter, or there were consequences. Unfortunately, his daughter had thoughts all her own, and when she tried out her flirting skills with me, I'd politely turned her down. I'd only been eighteen and flattered, but she was just a baby to me. We'd been friends of a sort. I liked her quirkiness and appreciated her humor. I had been a prospect in the Brotherhood and didn't have anyone to talk to. At that point, it had only been three years since I'd left home, bouncing around the country, traveling like a nomad. My social cues were pretty rusty, and I certainly didn't know what it was like to be in a family.

Roscoe didn't believe me when I said I didn't make any advances. He kicked me out of the Brotherhood and spread rumors that I was some creep who was into kids. I was devasted and almost went home to the Bratva. Only after his death and when Maddox took over did I get another chance to return to the Brotherhood.

Helena and I had a long-overdue conversation about the incident just the other day. I had to stop her when she tried apologizing because she didn't need to. I had nursed hatred for someone who wasn't to blame.

I rose to my feet, looking between Maddox and Helena, my eyes filled with determination. "I might need your help to track them down, to find out where they're hiding. But I've got this. You don't need to worry about it."

Maddox extended his hand, a sign of solidarity and understanding. "Just find him, Dimitri. And come home where you belong."

Helena's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded, squeezing my hand tightly. "Just promise you'll come back. You belong with us. "

I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I promise, Helena. I'll come back."

As I stepped away, the familiar weight of my decision settled on my shoulders. The Bratva had always been there lurking, and now, I would yank on that thread again and wield that power to protect those I loved. With one last look at Maddox and Helena, I turned and walked out of the room, ready to embrace the darkness again.