Page 24 of Sheltering Hollis

“You’re okay. You’re safe,” I whispered.

“I’m okay. You’re here,” she echoed. Leaning forward, I kissed the skin exposed on her shoulder. I let my chin rub against her neck, nuzzling her as she leaned against me. There was no way she couldn’t feel me hard against her. I wished I could anchor her hips against mine, but I wouldn’t do that yet. I wanted her to be comfortable. She needed to feel safe.

“Go on, trouble. You’ll unman me right here,” I said lightly. “Try on a few more.”

She sent me a look, and I struggled to interpret it. She moved back towards the dressing room. Women were complicated creatures sometimes, and I prayed that I was doing the right things. I didn’t want to hurt her.

A few moments later, she poked her head around the curtain. “This might be what you’re talking about.” There was a shy smile on her face. Pulling the curtain back, she stepped forward. The dress was shimmering gold satin, held together by criss-crossing straps across the back. It covered everything but was erotic. She was correct; it was powerful. It screamed off hands off. Nothing about it was easy to access.

“You’ll turn heads for all the right reasons. They won’t know what hit them.”

She blushed slightly, smoothing down the fabric. “Alright, if you say so. What about the travel clothes?”

“Let’s find something comfortable for you to wear for the flight back. You can’t really wear my clothes back or a cocktail dress. You’ll want to be able to move easily, just in case.” Today, she’d come out with me wearing a horrible outfit that Luka must have picked up in a bodega somewhere. Hollis hadn’t complained, but that didn’t surprise me much. She didn’t strike me as someone who fussed over such things.

She nodded, and we spent the next hour picking out clothes, drawing out the experience. She wasn’t used to shopping for herself with such freedom. I often caught her checking the price tags with worrying glances, biting her lip, and putting things back that she liked. Instead, I just piled them into my arms without comment.

“These are expensive, Dima.” She bit her nails, staring at me with those eyes under cashmere lashes.

“They’re just clothes, Hollis. Find the ones you like. Don’t worry about the cost.” I leaned forward and whispered. “The Bratva pays well.” She looked over, shocked, but became much less concerned with the prices when pulling items from the shelves. Before we knew it, she’d acquired casual jeans, tops, a light sweater, and comfortable shoes.

As we made our way to the counter, Hollis turned to me, a playful glint in her eyes. “You know, for a dangerous man, I think you are just a little bit of a teddy bear inside. You have a squishy center.”

“What?” I pretended to be appalled at her laughing eyes, but secretly, I loved this open and happy look. We hadn’t had an occasion before where I’d seen her like this. “Squishy?” Pulling up my shirt, I showed her my tattooed stomach, ignoring the salesperson who looked in our direction. “I’ll let you know I worked very hard for this.”

She shook her head, but I could see the appreciation in her smile. “I’m sure.” She reached out a playful finger and poked my belly. “Inside, there is a squishy center.” I gave a soft laugh.

“Careful, malysh. You are very tempting, and I only have so much willpower.” This was true. My reserves were getting low, looking at her so happy and welcoming, laughing in the warm light.

She stepped closer to me. “I’m not afraid, Dimitri. Not of you.”

“Baby,” I whispered as I leaned in to kiss her forehead, savoring how she nestled closer to me without hesitation. Rubbing a spot on the back of her neck with my thumbs, I closed my eyes and inhaled her smell, the lotion she put on, and the fresh scent of her hair. “Alright, let’s get a move on. Too tempting by half.” I gave her a wink, not wanting her to be self-conscious or anxious about how close we were.

Paying for the clothes, I stepped back out into the hot, bustling streets, leading her toward a nearby cafe. “Now, let’s get some food and talk strategy. We’ve got a long night ahead.” Keeping my hand on her back, I allowed myself to touch her. I wasn’t sure these small touches would be enough for much longer. Waiting for her smile and touching the soft skin of her arm made me almost giddy.

I sat her at the table in the small cafe and observed her as she looked over the offerings. I liked how she savored each bite, tasting the edges of her food and sipping her coffee.

“The coffee certainly is good here. I suppose Colombia,” she smiled. “So we have food. Let’s hear about tonight. Stop stalling.”

We were in a secluded area of the café, and I was sure we would be unheard. I still wished we had Luka for some extra security, but I had him tailing Makarovich, hoping he might visit this mysterious clinic doctor and save us the trouble. Still, I moved a little closer so our voices didn’t carry.

“Tonight, the plan is to get Makarovich to give me Gregor in payment to be square with the Volkov Bratva.” I shrugged. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that he was cowardly enough to do it. He’d hand deliver him right to me. Her eyes widened so far I chuckled. “Close your mouth, malysh. You’ll catch flies.”

“What does that mean anyway? Malysh?” she asked.

“It means little one or baby. It’s a Russian endearment.”

She hummed a little, looking at me thoughtfully. “You can’t mean you’re just going to ask him.” She reached over the table and put her hand over mine. A thrill went through me.

“But I do,” I assured her savagely. “That mudak will cave and bring him to me to save his skin. When we go to this party,” I said the word with disgust. I had no desire to expose Hollis to the kind of party these people threw. I would prefer to take her home and introduce her to my MC, where at least there was a code of behavior towards women. There, she would be safe. She could see the bar we had, the Open Road. We knew how to throw a real party.

Most importantly — I could have her sleeping in my bed if we were home. Instead, I said, “When we go to this party, all sorts of things will happen. Probably things we don’t want to see. Nothing that we can do anything about.” I tried to inject as much warning in my voice as I could.

She nodded. “I understand.” Hollis studied her coffee cup for a minute longer than was necessary. “I was lucky. We can’t help everyone there.”

“If I could, I would, but trying to unravel that ball of snakes here isn’t feasible. The cartel is very active here in Colombia.” I didn’t want to leave any doubts in her mind. There wasn’t any room for some dramatic rescue in that club. Her eyes were sad, but she bobbed her head. “We’ll talk to Makarovich. He’s in a bit of a pickle here. I think he got hooked in because of his prior dealings, but he’s an outsider, not a cartel member. He’s Russian, not cartel. Ultimately, he would prefer to be stateside with the Bratva, where he is sure of his allegiances with us—the cartel, to us, is an ugly business. So I’ll be able to manipulate him to get what we want. Or,” I added. “A piece of it,” I said, alluding to the doctor.

“I see,” she said quietly. “You know about these things—this world. I don’t.” She hesitated for a minute. “And once he hands over Gregor? What is the next step after that? Just so I’m prepared.” Her face had paled; her hand had tried to withdraw from mine, but I’d clasped it, running my thumb over her palm.

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