Page 136 of Dmitri

Chapter 38

Dmitri

I end up calling in Sophie to escort Daelyn back to my bedroom while I stay with Ryker and Vault. After everything Daelyn’s told us, I need a goddamn minute.

“Your girl told us way more than I could find with my research methods,” Vaults says. “Kaleb’s not just elusive, he’s practically non-existent online.”

“Like me.” With a heavy sigh, I scrub my face and lean over to rest my elbows on my knees. My entire life has spiraled down a deep rabbit hole in a matter of days.

“Don’t even think of doing it,” Ryker growls from across the room.

“I’m not thinking of doing anything.”

“Don’t lie. You want to take this on by yourself.” Ryker stalks closer. “She’s a dead woman walking, D. If this guy is as psychotic as she’s painted him, he’ll kill her for this.”

My entire body locks as rage consumes my vision. “No, he won’t.”

“If he doesn’t, someone else will… like a possible cartel connection. It’s gotten too messy.”

No one will touch her. I won’t allow it. “I have to make sure she’s some place safe when this goes down. Her and Addie both.” I look over at Ryker and am once again struck with how empty my life truly is. How little I have to offer. Shit, I have nothing outside of this club, and bringing Daelyn and Addie here isn’t an option. Addie’s just a kid. I can’t explain this place to her and I’m not about to roll a burning dumpster with a target on it into Ryker’s house, either.

“They can stay with me,” Vault offers.

“Or Knox,” Ryker suggests. “Or me. Tara can help keep them comfortable until…” His voice trails off.

Until what? I die? I kill Kaleb? The cops come knocking on our door? Someone else comes to retaliate? No. I can’t drag my friends into this.

“I’ll put them up somewhere,” I say, scrambling to think of where that might be. Maybe Silas can help me secure a place. He’s got a lot of connections. And the man’s a walking safe with no combo to his lock. What he knows, he never shares. He’d help me for the right price.

“I’m going to sleep on this for the night.” When I stand, my knees pop and muscles ache. “Kaleb’s not coming back from Miami for another few days, so there’s still time.”

“Don’t do this on your own, D.” Ryker shoves his finger at me. “We’refamily.”

“I know.” Which is exactly why I will do this my way. I’m not letting my friends, the only family I have left, get blood on their hands.

Heading out, it’s like I’ve got one-hundred-pound weights strapped to my legs. Each stride I take is harder than the last. By the time I make it to my bedroom, I’m so exhausted I could sleep for a week. But I’ve now got a plan in mind and have made my peace with it.

Daelyn’s sitting on my cot when I open the door and she quickly tucks her phone under her legs, looking guilty. “Hey.”

“Where’s Sophie?”

The toilet flushes, and Sophie comes out of my bathroom soon after. “If you’re hungry, I can… Oh, hey D.”

I give her a tight smile and nod towards the door. She takes my hint and leaves. There’s no way I want her involved in any of this shit. Once we’re alone, my room feels like a tomb. My safe space no longer feels like home.

Staring at Daelyn’s lap, and the cell peeking out from underher thigh, I want to know who she texted or called. But I don’t ask. It doesn’t matter, anyway. If Daelyn’s playing both sides, or is only on one, she’s still going to lose somehow. Fucking hell, this is awful.

“How do you feel?”

“Terrified,” she admits, her shoulders slumping. “I just texted Addie to see how her day was. She’s sent me some pics. Want to see?”

“Y—” I cough to clear my dry throat. “Yeah.” Sitting down next to her on my cot, I feel small and out of place in my room. Scratch being a tomb, my place feels like a prison cell on death row.

“Here.” With trembling hands, Daelyn pulls up the text thread. “Look how big her smile is.”

The girl in the photo is a striking image of my mother when she was younger. So much so, my heart gallops in my chest with panic. But there are noticeable differences. Addie’s got a different shaped mouth, and her eyes are dark brown, not ice blue like mine. Her hair is dyed blue, and she’s a healthy weight. My mother…ourmother… always looked like a bony little bird on the brink of starvation.

Addie’s throwing a peace sign with her freckled cheek smashed against another girl’s cheek. They’ve got matching bracelets on and look vibrant and happy. In the next picture, she’s out in the ocean with her hands up in the air. The water isn’t blue-green like the Caribbean, but it’s still beautiful. She’s surrounded by water and blue skies. The one after that is her name written with seashells in the sand. The one after that is her eating pizza and flipping the camera off.

---