Page 27 of Sheltering Hollis

My breath stopped for a moment altogether. He hadn’t said what he would say about how he would get Markorvich to give us Gregor. I let the air out again and forced myself to breathe normally. It was fine. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that I was there in the warehouse. It wasn’t a secret. I wasn’t ashamed. I firmed my chin and glared at the puny man in front of me instead, giving my most imperious glare.

“Well …” Makarovich began to fidget. “The girls aren’t supposed to be …” His greasy hands nervously pulled on the edges of his jacket, and he looked at the sides of the tables. I’d asked earlier if he had bodyguards or men who traveled with him, like Luka. Dimitri had just laughed. Markovich wasn’t important enough for that.

“Gregor she said, isn’t that right, malysh.” Dimitri grinned wickedly.

“That’s right,” I confirmed agreeably, as if the name didn’t make me sick.

“If you give him to me, I will consider you square with the Volkov Bratva, Anton.” At this, Makarovich’s eyes lit up as if he just got a new puppy.

“You swear?” he asked earnestly.

“Yes, mudak, I swear,” Dimitri said in a bored voice. Markovich didn’t even flinch at being called a ‘dickhead’.

“Okay, sure, I’ll have him meet you after the party in the alley in the back. No problem. If we’ll be square.” He heaved a great big breath and then settled, like considering his good fortune. His shifty eyes looked over the dance floor and then at us. “We have a good selection tonight; perhaps you’ll give up your plaything after all.” Makarovich sent me an evil grin that would have made me uncomfortable if Dimitri’s presence wasn’t solid next to me. I knew, too, that Luka stood nearby, observing the situation. He’d get me out if needed. Dimitri had arranged that in advance, much to Luka’s displeasure.

“Perhaps. Doubtful.” Suddenly, Dimitri lurched forward fast as an adder and grabbed Markaovich hard around the throat until his eyes popped wide in his face. His voice was guttural as he said, “Understand me, Anton, you play the part I asked you to. You betray me in any way, and I will gut you, pull your intestines out, and wrap them around your neck. Then I will kill you. Do not doubt it.”

Markarovich couldn’t have been more pale; sweat dotted his forward and stained his jacket. “I won’t betray you. He’ll be there. You’ll have your man. Then … then we’ll be square.”

Dimitri leaned back into the seat and shoved him away from him like he was trash, taking another shot of vodka. “Very well. We’ll see.” If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Dimitri meant to kill him right there, to do all of those things to him.

“Come then, I’ll show you where the real party is.” Makarovich got up from the table with a frightened look and gestured us towards a doorway at the rear of the club.

With no choice now but to follow, Dimitri grasped my hand tightly, and we maneuvered through the crowd toward the back of the club.

He led us through the club, weaving expertly between groups of revelers. We followed closely, my heart pounding with anticipation and a touch of unease. The further we went, the dimmer the lights became, and the thump of the music seemed to recede, replaced by a different kind of energy.

We arrived at a heavy, ornate door guarded by two imposing men. At a nod from Makarovich, they stepped aside, allowing us entry. The door swung open to reveal the club's main area. The room was bathed in a golden glow, the opulence almost surreal. Gilded cages hung from the ceiling, their bars shimmering under the warm light. Inside, figures slumped, their identities obscured by the shadows. Below each cage was a tablet.

“Bidding is done on the tablets,” Makarovich said cockily, trying to get his groove back as we moved forward. “All their attributes are there if you want to examine them.”

I was stunned. Trying not to look above me, I locked into Dimitri’s side, relying on the solidness of his body next to me. This was real life? What the fuck was happening here?

My breath caught at the sight. This was no ordinary VIP section; it was a den of exclusivity and excess where the city's elite came to indulge in their most decadent desires. The cages were both a spectacle and a symbol, a reminder of the power dynamics. Women in cages held there the whim of these fuckers. Jesus.

“Awe-inspiring potential,” Dimitri murmured as he looked around the room like he had seen this sort of thing every day.

“I’m delighted that you agree,” Markovich babbled on, oblivious that Dimitri looked like he’d choke the life out of him right there.

Makarovich gestured for us to follow him deeper into the room. We passed tables laden with expensive drinks and exotic substances, the air thick with the scent of luxury, vice, and, most of all, suffering. Conversations here were hushed, the murmur of deals being struck and secrets exchanged.

"This," Makarovich said, facing us, "is where the real business happens. Maxim has no idea the power here, but you do.” He pointed a finger at Dimitri. “You could be the next pakhan.”

“Careful mudak.” Dimitri’s voice was cold.

“Of course, of course. I don’t mean anything by it. Enjoy yourselves. I have a package to arrange for you. Give me an hour. I’ll meet you behind the building then.” He sent an exaggerated wink and then said, “Don’t leave your trash though, that’d be …” he wrinkled his nose. “Distasteful.”

“Of course,” Dimitri said dryly. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

SIXTEEN

Dimitri

Extricating ourselves from the club was easier than I’d thought. Hollis and I moved from the private area at the hour mark, keeping our pace unhurried as we headed for the door. Rodriguez had made an appearance but had been embroiled in some debate with another member for the last quarter of an hour. Coincidentally, it was timed perfectly with our exit. He’d looked at us a few times and gestured to me, but I wasn’t predisposed to rescue him from whatever argument he was having.

The pressure of Hollis’ hand in mine kept me grounded, but this world made me itchy. I wanted to wipe these men off the face of the planet. If she wasn’t with me, I wasn’t sure I could have stopped myself, and that wouldn’t have ended well. I’d have taken some of them with me but wouldn’t have made it out.

Maddox said lately I’d had a death wish, that I took too many chances. Maybe he was right. Perhaps I needed to start being more cautious. Slinging my arm over Hollis’ shoulder as we moved to the car that waited at the curb, I bundled her inside.

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