Page 78 of The Gentlemen's Club

“Oh, I loved that trip.” Chris made a face. “Until I got food poisoning from that damn lobster.”

Anthony laughed. “You puked so bad!”

Chris nudged him with his elbow. “Not funny.”

“I would’ve traded you the food poisoning for the crabs I got from that chick,” Jay said and scratched his crotch.

“You got crabs?” Chris shook his head. “Typical.”

“Hey!” Jay paused and shrugged. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

With his spirit a bit higher than before, Anthony was ready to keep walking. They took a right to Maryland Walk, then another turn to Lewis Walk. The houses around were beautiful, but too big for Anthony’s liking. He grew up perfectly happy in a small house where every square foot mattered.

When the house at the end of the street came into view, Anthony knew this was their destination. No other house had such a tall and intimidating wall surrounding it. It was right along the shore, a prime location.

“We’re here,” Chris said and stopped walking.

The four of them stood close together in the quiet street. Chris looked at each of them with determination. There was something raw in his eyes, like a man going to war and willing to shed blood. “Are you guys ready?”

Anthony nodded because he wasn’t sure he could speak.

“Ready,” Ethan said. “I hope.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Jay said.

“Okay. Remember to follow Jay’s lead once we’re inside, and remember that—” Chris’s face became alert. Anthony turned to look, and his stomach fell to the ground.

Dima.

He couldn’t stop the flow of memories from attacking. During the hardest days of his life, it had seemed that Dima may be the last thing Anthony would ever see.

Dima wore a black button-down shirt that had most of the buttons open. His hair was cut almost to his scalp, and even without saying a word, his demeanor sent an intimidating vibe. Anthony would have been wary of the man even if he didn’t know how cruel he could be.

“Is he connected to Tobias?” Jay asked quietly.

“Yes,” Chris said. “That’s the bodyguard I told you about.”

Jay adjusted his backpack. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

18

Anthony forced his legs to move and follow Jay.

“Hello!” Dima called, his Russian accent sparking another wave of dark memories. “Our special guests. Welcome. You must be Jay. I’m Dima.”

“Hi,” Jay said. “This is Ethan.”

“The partner, yes—I was briefed.” Dima’s eyes moved over to Anthony. “My old friend, you look fantastic! Did you miss me?”

Anthony remained silent, not sure he was allowed to speak.Allowed. Such a nasty word, but he needed to embrace it because everything from this point onward would revolve around what he was allowed and not allowed to do.

“And you…” Dima’s eyes moved to Chris, and something dark flashed in them. “You gave me electricity. Almost fried my balls.” He shook his head. “Not very smart. Are you too pretty to be smart?”

Jay cleared his throat. “It’s been a long trip. How ‘bout we get inside?”

Dima’s eyes lingered on Chris for a few seconds more. “Good idea. Come in.”

He led them through a massive iron gate that opened with his fingerprint. The entire property looked like a centerpiece in an architecture magazine. Sculptures and unique plants were scattered around the wide garden, and a bench under a lush tree seemed like the perfect spot to sit with a book after a long day.

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