Page 38 of Sheltering Hollis

Well, fuck me. Looking over at the boxes, I scrubbed a hand over my skull. My hands flew over the keyboard.

Me: I could be there tomorrow if it’s an emergency. I’ll have Hollis and Olive with me.

Maddox: I’m sorry, man, but if you can be here tomorrow, I’ll make it up to you. I need you here.

Helena: Maddox says you’re bringing Hollis and Olive? Do you need me to set up your guest room for Olive? How old is she? This is exciting. I’m excited. When do you get here? I can’t wait to meet them.

Me: That’d be great, H. She loves yellow. Get her some yellow shit. And sunflowers - she loves sunflowers. She’s nine.

Looking forward to being home. Hope that man of yours hasn’t been too much of a dick, but that’s probably too much to ask for.

Maddox: Stop texting my girl. You have your own.

Me: Fuck off.

TWENTY-ONE

Hollis

I adjusted the rearview mirror to glimpse Olive in the backseat. She was fast asleep, her head lolled to one side, mouth slightly open. Her favorite stuffed bunny was clutched tightly in her arms. Seeing her so peaceful brought a wave of calm over me, easing the nerves gnawing at me since we left Santee.

Dimitri’s house. Our new home. It still felt surreal. I was doing this, moving in with a man I barely knew. A man that I knew for sure was dangerous. What the fuck was I doing?

Dimitri glanced at me from the driver’s seat, his hand reaching for mine. His fingers wrapped around mine, warm and reassuring. “You okay, Hollis?”

I smiled, squeezing his hand. “Yeah, just… thinking.”

“About?”

“Everything,” I admitted, letting out a soft sigh. “This move, Haverboro, starting over. It’s a lot to take in.” Taking a deep breath, I whooshed it out, staring at the dark ribbon of road, the heat moving off it.

He nodded, eyes back on the road. “It is. But it’s a fresh start. I’ll take care of you, malysh. I promise.”

Fresh start. The words were a mantra, a promise of new beginnings. But the uncertainty of it all loomed large. Haverboro was a small town, far from our bustling life in Santee. I’d looked it up on my laptop while Dimitri read to Olive last night.

Then, there was the matter of the MC and Dimitri’s involvement with them. It was something I had yet to wrap my head around fully. Today, men who he’d said initially were movers but were wearing vests with patches arrived. They’d brought a U-Haul and packed up all the boxes and furniture without any complaints, giving Dimitri a handshake and respectful nod. Yesterday, he’d gone to the Food For Less and retrieved my car. To my surprise, it was still there, with a sticker and a tow date. My keys were wedged under the seat by a miracle and a prayer.

I’d told him I couldn’t look at the car again; just remembering my head stuck in there while I was being grabbed made me feel nauseous. Dimitri looked at me sadly, nodded, and said he’d handle it.

Swallowing hard, I looked out the window and watched the landscape change as we crossed state lines. “Tell me more about the house,” I said, focusing on the positives.

Dimitri’s face lit up. “Two stories, big backyard. Lots of space for Olive to run around. And it’s in a nice neighborhood, quiet, safe. I’ve been renovating it since I bought it. I think you’ll like it. It’s a Craftsman bungalow. It’s about a mile from the MC, far enough, but close enough.” He winked at me.

“Safe,” I repeated, liking the sound of that. I focused on that. I’d been living in shoebox apartments, so the space sounded nice, as did the yard and the two stories, but safety was most important. “And the school?”

“Okay, I admit I don’t know much about it.” His brow furrowed, his fingers flexing on the wheel. “I’ve driven by it; it looks nice, though. I asked Maddox’s girl, Helena, to bring some information to the house. Calendar and shit.”

The idea of Olive running around in a big backyard, making new friends at a good school, filled me with hope. It was what she deserved, what we both deserved.

“There’s a bookstore in town and a little diner, some other stuff,” he said.

That was vague, but I did know about the bookstore and the diner. I’d looked up job openings and the school. Job openings seemed a little scarce, but the school did seem nice.

As if sensing our conversation, Olive stirred in the backseat, her eyes fluttering open. “Mommy, are we there yet?” she mumbled, still half-asleep.

“Not yet, sweetheart,” I said softly, turning around to look at her. “A little while longer.”

“Will we get the kitten when we get there?” she asked her voice a mixture of excitement and sleepiness.

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