“What it is? I want to see it now.” He gripped her waist in his hands.
“No. You have to wait tillChristmas.”
“I haven’t had Christmas gifts since I was little boy.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I’m around, because I’ve got a great Christmas planned. We’re going to have eggnog and Christmas stockings and the whole nine.”
“You and your holidays.” His thick accent covered his words. “I have to step out for a few hours and take care of some business. So, you’ll have the suite to yourself.” He pulled away from her and went into the master bedroom to take off his clothes.
“Completely to myself or will that big blonde dude be outside of my door?”
“What? You don’t like blondes. Fine. I get you red-head.” He laughed.
“Whatever.” She pulled her coat off and pulled her hair out of its pony tail. Scratching her head, she went over and sat on the bed in front of him. “Do you think that he’ll take me to get something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Order in.”
“I don’t want to. I want to stretch my legs. I’ve been in a jet for hours.”
Dmitry pulled his tie loose and looked at her. “Alright.” He began to unbutton his shirt. “He’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Royal stood up on her knees in front of him and started to unbutton his tailor made oxford for him. He ran his hands down her back to her bottom.
They made eye contact.
She raised her eyebrow.
“Are you thinking of cancelling your plans for this afternoon.” Her hair sat flirtatiously around her shoulders.
“If I could, I would.”
Unbuttoning Dmitry’s shirt, she pulled the fine clothing from his body revealing his massive chest. She reached for his belt and pulled him closer. The smell of his cologne danced about her nose. She inhaled his fragrance and bit her lip.
“Can you…cancel?” she asked suggestively.
Dmitry gave a devilish grin and licked his lips. His voice was low and baritone. “If I could, you’d already be screaming and crawling the walls, my dear.” He tapped her behind softly, indicating his commitment to his previous engagement.
Sulking, Royal let go of his belt and watched him walk into the large bathroom. He smiled playfully at her and closed the gold double doors behind him. Defeated, she slumped down in the bed. It was highly unlike Dmitry to turn her down. He must have had something very impor-tant to do. And what did she have to do?
It was snowing like crazy, the skies were blackened with dark clouds,and she didn’t speak much Russian. Maybe the brick wall standing outside of the hotel door wouldn’t mind escorting her to the restaurant for something to eat? She sat back up on the bed and slipped on her shoes.
Chapter 18
Morning rays crept through the curtains of the presidential suite, as Royal and Dmitry lay wrapped in each other’s arms snuggled comfortably in their king-sized canopy bed. Dmitry snored lightly, and Royal listened to the grandfather clock in the corner tick the seconds away. She had been awake for nearly an hour, tossing moderately under the strain of Dmitry’s long arm wrapped protectively around her waist.
Twirling her fingers in her tangled hair, she thought about where she would have her blonde bodyguard Davyd take her today. She had seen manythe sites in the last few days, even though Dmitry had cancelled on her repeatedly. He apologized everyday promising also to spend time with her the next, buteveryday he left her in Davyd’s care. To her surprise, however, Davyd had been quite the tour guide. Plus, he seemed to enjoy doing something other than taking orders from her anally-retentive boyfriend.
Today, she planned on shopping. Dmitry had given her the American Express Black Card and told her to “knock herself out”. She was going to do just that. Evropeiski Mall was supposedly the superior shopping experience, and their stores would give her insight on what new things she could bring to Dmitry’s Closet. Then she would go over to Tverskaya Street, which was filled with hundreds of shops and boutiques, where she would do more shopping, and then dine at the finest restaurant that she could find. She might even buy her bodyguard something nice.
Strangely enough shopping had become a well-proven stress reliever for her. She relished in the idea of seeking out bold statements made with expensive fabrics. Accessorizing with precious gems, bold bags and beautiful shoes made her giddy with excitement and temporarily satisfied some insatiable lust for more that dwelled inside of her. It was bizarre to her that such materialistic things brought her comfort, but they did, especially when she was not receiving ample attention from Dmitry.
Rolling over on her, Dmitry nuzzled his face down in her hair and pulled her closer to him, grunting as he did so. Royal looked over and touched his face. He growled, acknowledging that she was already awake. Sparkling diamonds emerged as the slits of his eyes opened. He gave her a content smile. She turned towards him and slipped her arms around his neck.
“Morning,” she whispered.
“Good morning.” His deep baritone voice cut through the silence.
“I’m glad that you slept later than normal.”
“What time is it?” He raised up a little.
She pulled him back down. “It’s early. Don’t go yet. I miss you.”
“Umm…I miss you too.” He kissed her lips.
“Do you have plans today?”
“I have a few meetings.”
There was silence.
“When are you going to start our vacation?”
“Soon. Isn’t Davyd showing you a good time?”
“Yes, but I want you to show me a good time.”
“Name a morning that I haven’t.”
Royal laughed. “I mean outside of the bedroom.”
“Oh…I’ll be finished with all of the madness very soon.”
“What have you been doing over here?”
Dmitry eyed her curiously. “I’ve been consolidating some of my businesses.”
“How many do you have?”
“Here?”
“Period.”
“Many, love.”
“Maybe I could help you with some of your businesses if you’re having troubles, since I did an okay job with the boutique?” Her eyes were eager with anticipation.
Dmitry smiled and rubbed his hand down the side of her neck.
“Business is good, but thanks for the offer. I may take you up on that one day soon.”
“Well, I just wanted you to know that the offer is always there, especially since I’m about to spend up all your money today with your little black card.”
Dmitry smirked. “Spend as much as you like. It won’t break any of my banks.” He looked at his watch and sighed. “I better get up.”
“Okay. I’m starving. Will you have breakfast with me before you leave?”
“Dah,” he said, standing up naked beside the bed and stretching. “Come take shower with me first.”
Pulling herself out of the bed, Royal followed Dmitry into the bathroom and closed the doors behind them. She felt his arms wrap around her as she did. He pulled her close to his body.
“Are you ready for that good time that we were talking about earlier?” he asked, picking her up off the ground.
She giggled. Of course, she was.
Chapter 19
Dmitry prepared to leave the building with his full entourage for his meeting. They were all in expensive black suits and dress coats, all standing tall and wide, intimidating the onlookers as they passed by quietly.
People whispered as they glided through the building. Mafia. Vory. Medlov. Men moved over to let them pass, and women looked on curiously.
Their footsteps could be heard in cadence down the long marble grand hallway, full of force and retribution for anyone who dared block their paths.
While the others relished the attention and the urgency that came with their presence, Dmitry walked confidently, never really paying attention to all of the attention that was on him. He considered the men’
s eagerness and their aggressive attitudes to be an attribute of youth, therefore brushing it off.
Instead, he focused on the important meeting that would convene in less than an hour. It was imperative that everything go as well as it had the day before in New York.
The heavy snow storm had picked up and violent winds ripped through the front doors of the hotel as Dmitry passed through them. The force of the winds waved through his heavy wool black coat, through the curls of his hair, straight through his suit to his bones.
Dmitry took in a deep breath, expanding his lungs in the cold, feeling the burn through his chest. He welcomed the cold and the violent weather. It was just a friendly reminder that he was home.
His eyes sparkled like blue diamonds in the snow, the blondness of his hair and the rose embellished hue of his fair skin blended well in his native terrain. However, there was nothing more natural to him that the tech nine automatic machine gun in its holster under his coat, the knife in his pants leg or the Glock in his briefcase.
Many heads of Vory chose to travel light and let their men carry the real hardware, but Dmitry believed that leadership started with good examples. He insisted that every man with him come strapped or not come at all.
Dmitry and Anatoly were loaded in together in the middle of the caravan of Mercedes trucks. Then they all were carted off to a private summit with heads of the Vory v Zakone, unsure of what the events might have in store.
Dmitry had not shared with anyone outside of his son, the purpose of the meeting but insisted that it was most urgent.
Anatoly sat across from Dmitry, shaved, showered and suited. The change in his wardrobe had been deliberate and demanded by his father. Dmitry had come to him a few weeks ago with a card for a tailor and instructed him to go there. No one will ever take you seriously if you don’t, Dmitry said to him in a low, baritone chastising tone.
That day, Anatoly had gotten rid of most of his favorite clothes and started to wear tailored suits, made especially for his body, for his job. Playtime was nearing its end for Anatoly, and even he knew it.
“If all goes well, this will be the last time that you and I will travel together,” Dmitry said with a small, proud grin. “To ensure that all is not lost in an ambush, we won’t be allowed.”
“You mean there will be no more chauffeuring you around?” Anatoly asked sarcastically.
“I know that you will miss it,” Dmitry said jokingly. “But I will need a new driver.”
“Are you sure that you want to do this?” Anatoly asked, concerned.
“You act as though I’m leaving something that has brought me great joy.” Dmitry chuckleda little under his breath then looked over at his son. “I couldn’t be surer of anything. Trust me.”
“It was your life for so long, though. How can you walk away? If she loves you, she can do so with you as the man you are. To reinvent yourself seems hopeless. It doesn’t seem right to give up your life to enhance hers.”
Dmitry was quiet for a moment. “My life is back in that hotel now. I’m growing tired of this, Anatoly. Yet, I’ve worked too hard to just give it over to someone who doesn’t deserve it. You are my son. This is your rightful place. You are the rightful heir. It has worked out a lot better than I ever expected it to. Before you came into my life, I was sure that it would end…badly.”
Anatoly nodded. “I only hope that I can make you proud.”
“You’ve already done that,” Dmitry confirmed.
“You know, for years, I was a snotty-nosed teenager terrorizing these same streets, dreaming about becoming Vory v Zakone, dreaming about meeting you and plotting on ways to make more crumbs.” Anatoly looked at his father and smiled. “Now, I may very well be a boss at twenty-one years old. That sounds unbelievable.”
“One of the youngest…ever.”
“It’s a big responsibility.”
“Well, I have prepared you well. There is no better tutelage than my own. You remind me of myself, except for your height. You are barely 72 inches. That is extremely short for a Medlov, but your heart is like lion. You are a fighter and a leader. No one can deny this. You won’t let them.”
“And a killer,” Anatoly added. Even he was not without some guilt.
Dmitry looked out the window and sighed. “That is one of the staples of this brotherhood, son. To kill or to be killed. Very few of us are blessed to die of old age.”
Dmitry cleared his throat. “It’s…how we are born. To worthless women, to lives of crime, famine, darkness. We are bred to be what we are now. You should never feel bad about that. It is the nature of the beast. Besides, no one can ever say that I gave you a silver spoon. You came in and worked as a lowly solider. You had to gain respect, and you did. Now, these papers in my briefcase confirming your biological DNA link to my own, your loyal work to the Vory v Zakone, the blessing from the New York family and my final stamp of approval will end all doubt that your rightful place is at the head of your father’s table.”
Anatoly tried hard not to get emotional. Instead he nodded at his father and sat up straighter. He wished that some of the young men, who had made fun of him as a little boy when he told them who his father was but did not believe him, could see him now being escorted through downtown Moscow with Dmitry Medlov, the most feared of the Vory v Zakone in all of Russia.
Anatoly wished more than anything that he could see all their faces when he had stars across his chest. His mother would have died of pride. His younger brother would have wanted nothing more to do with him. His boys…they would have been so jealous – extremely envious of him. But he knew that all of his hopes were in vain. Nothing would ever be the same if he received approval today. He looked over at his father, relaxed and confident, even going before the wolves. How he wanted to be him one day.
∞♥∞
There were supposed to be no meetings while Dmitry was away in Russia, and most of the council chose to adhere to his wishes. However, a small group led by Ivan gathered under the cover of night in the back of a small restaurant on the outskirts of Memphis to talk about the future of the Medlov Familywithout Dmitry as its leader.
Although all the men feared Dmitry, and rightfully so because of his iron hand, some longed to grow their legacy through other means that had been deemed unstable for the Memphis operations by the collective council many years before.
Ivan had picked up on this tension in many of the meetings and had provided the men an audience as soon as word reached them that Dmitry would be away for a few weeks. He was great at reading people, especially corrupt people. He had used his intuition on many occasions to capitalize on his own ambitions. This situation was no different. Now, he would use these disloyal bastards to get to his brother.
The rain beat on the building as they drank heavily under receded lights and soft music. Each of the three men, including Ivan, were a still a little leery of what they were attempting to do, even though Dmitry was thousands of miles away.
Each understood the grave consequences of his actions and insisted that at least four of their best men stand post surrounding the building. However, they all knew that should Dmitry come for them, those men would not be enough protection.
“Let’s get started,” Ivan began as his man closed the door of the private room. “I’ve spoken with several other men not associated with the Vory v Zakone around Memphis who would be interested in doing business with us. And they have agreed under one condition.” He looked around the room at the eyes glued to his mouth and his every word. “The condition being that we eliminate Dmitry and any men who are in agreement with him. That would mean the entire council.”
There was an automatic sigh of defeat. The condition was more than a notion for any of them. While it appeared that Dmitry traveled light, the truth of the matter was that he had over 200 men within the region were in allegiance to him. His organizational skills should have been the seventh wonder of the world. In a dangerous business of organized crime where men continuously stabbed eac
h other in the back, Dmitry was no Caesar and no one had ever been strong or bold enough to be his Brutus.
“Dmitry’s men are larger in number than our own by thirteen heads if you have forgotten,” Nicolai, one of Dmitry’s most trusted men said,taking a sip of his strong drink. “What we are proposing is the deliberate overturningof our own leader. To do thatwould send the wrong message to others who have long been interested in taking over our business. Plus, let us not for get the code. Thieves- in-Law. What we are proposing will cause us to face retaliation by New York and Moscow.”
“Not if we do it the right way,” Ivan protested. “New York has never been one hundred percent sold on Dmitry’s tactics even if Moscow has. However, they have never gotten in the way, because he has always delivered. What we need to prove is that his new love interest isproving to be his Achilles’ heel. He is one of the first in the states to amend the code and allow marriage, family and legitimate business, and look what it had done to him…to us. There was a reason that the codes were in place. Who is he to change it? That is reason enough in itself for him to be killed.”
“I didn’t know that you cared so much about the code,” Nicolai said unconvinced. “Didn’t you have a wife?”
There was a silence in the room. Ivan looked over at the man with a scowl on his dark face. Then he smiled. The deepness of his dimples and the curve of his beautiful face were over powered by the sheer hatred and malice that he carried in his soul.
“Had a wife? Yes, I did. Funny thing happened with us though. Dmitry killed her.” Silence over took the room long enough for the clicking of dishes to be heard out in the main area of the restaurant. No one wanted to talk about Ivan’s dead wife. Many had heard the rumors, but no one dared utter a word.
“So this is about revenge?” Nicolai pressed the issue. “Because if it is, you need to get in line. Many people want to kill Dmitry because of someone that they’ve lost. It doesn’t mean that they will be avenged, especially by his own captains.”
“No. This is about money. And the only way that we make more of it is to cost him and New York a great deal of theirs.”
Dmitry's Closet Page 20
