Page 3 of Sheltering Hollis

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.

FOUR

Dimitri

My brother appeared just as annoyed as he had for the past two days. I couldn’t blame him. Since I’d arrived, I had done nothing but refuse to bend to his wishes, and Maxim wasn’t used to anyone saying ‘no.’ Maxim was seven years older than me, the typical older brother, the leader of the Volkov Bratva, and he had always carried himself with authority. He wanted me to agree to stay and play Bratva with him instead of chasing after a trafficker. I couldn’t do that.

“Dima, you’ve played with your little motorcycle club long enough. I’ve indulged you with that hobby.” His voice held an edge of contempt that he’d perfected since he’d taken the family over at twenty-one. “When I gave you Sergei’s location, that was payment for your return to the Bratva.” Maxim glared over at me. “It was to be an exchange.”

He was referring, in particular, to handing over the location of the scum bag who thought he was working for the Bratva trafficking people — auctioning them for all sorts of sick fucks. Unfortunately for him, my best friend Maddox’s woman stumbled across what he and his boss were doing and brought the information to us. We’d started dismantling their system immediately, even though I’d had to call in my brother, the pakhan of the Volkov Bratva, to make it happen.

I’d been making a life of my own without the Volkov name, without the influence of the Bratva for once. I enjoyed the family I formed with the Iron Brotherhood MC in Haverboro, Arizona. It was far from the luxury I’d grown up in, but I’d been happy — for the most part. Now, for the moment anyway, I was trapped again.

“I understood the arrangement, Maxim,” I replied, bored. “Too bad the job isn’t done. You were supposed to find Makarovich. Your bargain wasn’t upheld now. Now I need to do it.”

Maxim's jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he struggled to contain his frustration. "Understanding isn't enough, Dima. You committed to the Bratva, to me, and you're not holding up your end of the deal."

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms defiantly. He was such a dick. I’d been gone for years, and he hadn’t changed. It had been an impulsive decision when I’d run off at fifteen. Maxim had just turned twenty-one and had shot my father right in the head like it was nothing. Not that I gave a shit. I was glad. Maxim had seemed like an overbearing asshole and know-it-all then. Things hadn’t changed.

"I'm not your puppet, Maxim. You helped you with Sergei because it was the right thing to do. I don’t owe you anything." That wasn’t true, but I was curious about his reply. I was only here because I did owe him. He’d delivered, and so would I. “Like I said,” I emphasized. “Makarovich is still out there. Maddox and I don’t want him still breathing. I’m going to find him and kill him.” I might also need his plane. Well, it would make things more convenient.

Maxim's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing through me with the intensity of a predator stalking its prey. “I looked for him, but he’s off-grid right now. He’ll resurface eventually, and then you can kill him. And,” he pointed at me. “You owe me, Dima. You ran off to play outlaw with a bunch of bikers for years. It’s time to come home.”

I grit my teeth, struggling to keep my temper in check. Maxim had always been like this, using guilt and obligation to manipulate those around him. But I wasn't a scared little kid anymore, cowering under his authority. I was a grown man, capable of making my own choices.

"I didn’t run off, Maxim. I wanted to make my way without the Bratva,” I shot back, my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. “I wasn’t going to be slaughtering women and children in basements. That won’t be a life I choose. You should be able to accept that. It’s not part of the discussion. You may not be able to find Makarovich, but I’ll find him. I’ll go to Colombia myself.”

There was silence between us for a moment, tension crackling like electricity. Then, with a low growl of frustration, Maxim pushed himself away from the table, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Fine, Dimitri. Have it your way," he spat, his tone dripping with disdain. “You'll do what you want, like you always do. But know that you will always be a Volkov, whether you like it or not.” He paused and added, “You won’t leave without men with you.”

With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. As much as I hated to admit it, no matter how far I ran or how hard I tried to escape my past, it appeared that the shadow of the Bratva would always follow me.

Over the last few months, the Iron Brotherhood MC had been rocked as we worked on handling one crisis after another. The latest connection had been brought to our attention after Helena Marsh returned to the MC. She’d come to us for help to take down a trafficking ring — we’d made a good start, and now it was up to me to shoulder the rest of the burden. Helena and Maddox were engaged and disgustedly happy. I couldn’t let Maddox leave her alone in Arizona to accompany me. No, this was something I would do alone.

I’d been dishonest when I’d joined the Iron Brotherhood. Like many who joined MCs, I was looking to reinvent myself. Unlike some, I had money to burn in well-hidden accounts, so I had papers to hide my last name. For years, I hid in the little town of nowhere, Haverboro, Arizona — home of the Brotherhood. Unfortunately, that fiction had to end when Helena showed up with information that put her in direct danger and implicated someone in a bratva connected to my brother. There had been nothing else to do but to contact him directly. Of course, that meant opening up Pandora’s box with Maxim. His help had come with strings. Sure, we’d been able to save Helena from a kidnapping — it was worth it.

I stared at the door Maxim had slammed shut, the echo of his exit reverberating. His words echoed louder, though, drowning out the silence that followed. I let out a long, slow breath, my frustration giving way to a gnawing sense of inevitability. Maxim had always been able to manipulate situations to his advantage, and this time was no different. His reach extended far beyond the confines of our family estate.

My thoughts drifted back to the Iron Brotherhood and the family I had built there. The club was more than just a collection of outlaws and rebels; it was a sanctuary where I could be someone other than the Volkov heir. My brothers there had only just become aware of my true lineage. I’d preferred it when they didn’t know.

Helena Marsh's return set off a chain reaction of events that brought me back into the Bratva's orbit. The trafficking ring she exposed needed to be eradicated, and I couldn't do it alone. Maxim’s resources would be indispensable, but they came at a price—my reluctant return to the world I had fled.

I needed to think. I stood up and paced the room, racing through potential plans and strategies. Returning to the Brotherhood was not an option without resolving the current situation. I had to face the reality that my brother was right; my ties to the Volkov Bratva could not be severed so easily. The trafficking network we were dismantling extended beyond national borders, and the fight was far from over. There was still Makarovich, Helena’s boss, who I needed to track to Colombia. Maxim hadn’t successfully tracked him further, so I’d go there next. My lips quirked up in a smile. Maxim wouldn’t like that too much.

The estate was vast, and the grounds provided peace amidst the turmoil. As I walked, I pondered my next steps. I had to balance my loyalty to the Brotherhood with the Bratva. The only way to protect the people I cared about was to find a way to bridge these two worlds.

The following day, I contacted Maddox. The secure line buzzed momentarily before he picked up, his gruff voice greeting me.

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