Neither of us have gone too much into our past, or how she was brought to us. Today I plan on asking the questions that are circling my brain. I want to know exactly what happened to my sisters. I’ve waited a long time to be reunited, and I’ll be damned if I don’t get the answers that I need.
“Malen’kiy golub,” I murmur softly to Ksenia. I have been calling her little dove since we found out that she was my sister. She’s seated on the couch in the middle of the clubhouse. Enzo is sitting next to her, making her giggle, and I can’t help but want to choke the life out of him.
“Ksenia,” I growl out. She shoots her face in my direction and blushes with embarrassment.
“Sorry, brat.” She speaks so softly, it’s as if me saying her name is putting her back into her shell. I have to remember to be patient with her, as I don’t know everything that she’s been through.
“It’s okay. We should talk, da?”
“Da, we must.” Her accent is thick, her English isn’t the best, but it will do. I lead, and she follows me through the doors to the clubhouse, off of the porch and down to the picnic tables under the trees. She sits on one side of the table, and I take a seat directly across from her. We’re both silent for a few moments as neither of us will take the first step. I pull out my pack of Marlboro’s from the back pocket of my jeans, along with my zippo and light it. Smoking helps me relax, it makes me less antsy, and I focus better.
I try to think of the things I want to ask. But as they roam through my mind, I know that there is no way to save her the pain of having to relive whatever it is that she’s gone through all of these years. The last two times we spoke, we hadn’t gone anywhere near where I’m about to take our conversation.
“There is much we need to talk about sister.”
“Da, there is.”
“What do you remember?” I ask her, hoping that her young age had helped save her some pain and misery.
“Not much, I’m afraid. I… I don’t remember you.” She pauses as she looks over my features. “Katya has a picture of us, as children. She would always show me this picture. Master let her keep it, said it was good for her to have. She would always say ‘Remember. Sem’ya’” Remember. Family. I am trying to focus on the fact that cold Katya told Ksenia this, to remember her family, but hearing my little sister call someone her master infuriates me.
“Master? Who is Master?” I inquire, taking a deep drag from my cigarette.
She looks up to me. “I think you know who Master is. I wonder why you ask this of me.”
I do know who she speaks of. It could be none other than Sergei Kolosov.
“I do not speak his first name, this you must understand. None of us will say his first name. He is no man to us. He is Master, and we do what Master says. We do what Master wants. We do what Mistress wants. We make …”
“Mistress?” I interject, causing her to stop speaking. “Who is Mistress?”
Ksenia blinks rapidly at me, like I’ve asked her something that shocked her. “Katya. Katya is married to Master.”
I don’t know what to say, or how I’m even supposed to react to this kind of information. My sister has been literally sleeping with the enemy, she even married him – and for what?
“Was she forced to do this?” I ask.
“No. This was of her own free will,” Ksenia murmurs, shaking her head. She stares at me for a moment, chewing her bottom lip, and just as I’m about to ask her something, Daisy and Elena walk over to us.
“Is Jenna around? We’re gonna go try out that new Mexican joint in town,” Daisy yells over. I look at Daisy and then Elena, wondering why Jenna isn’t with either of them.
“You would know, wouldn’t you? When did the three of you get back from shopping?” I ask Elena and Daisy, they both exchange a look before Elena speaks.
“We didn’t go shopping today, Dmitri.”
“Ah. My mistake, then. I’ll tell her to let you know about lunch,” I say to them as they both walk towards the clubhouse. I look to my sister briefly, “Give me a moment,” and she nods. I pull my cell phone out and send a text message to Lucien, he is a friend of a friend. Apparently, the Steeles use Lucien for anything regarding the computer world. I was able to get his phone number a few weeks back after Logan dropped of a shipment, telling me that if we ever needed Lucien’s services, he would be happy to oblige.
I send a quick text off to Lucien, asking him to track Jenna down. It’s not even a minute later when my phone is ringing. I accept the call and press the phone to my ear.
“Dmitri?”
“Yes.”
“Listen, I don’t know what kind of phone your girlfriend has but it was not easy for me to get into. It takes a nano-second for me to hack into anyone’s phone, a nano second. She has some next level encryption on that phone of hers. I can’t give you an exact location, but I can give you a few mile’s radius. Will that work?”
“Tell me what you can,” I growl.
“Nashville. She’s somewhere in Nashville.” I don’t know why she lied to me, and I don’t care. I will be taking a visit out to Nashville to see exactly what my little kotenok is up to.
“Lucien. Call me every thirty minutes with an update on that GPS.”
“You got it. I’ll keep trying to crack her phone in the meantime.”
“Bet,” I mutter, disconnecting the call.
My sister sits across from me, staring at me with intrigue. “I am thinking we will continue our conversation later. Yes?”
“Yes,” I agree, “Go back into the club and hang out. I’ll be back sometime late tonight.” I toss my cigarette on the ground, rubbing it out with the bottom of my boot and head straight for my Harley.
Why the fuck did she lie to me?
***
Jenna
I love Nashville and hate it at the same time. There are so many memories, the good, the bad, and even the ugly that come from being in this lovely town. I went to my first country concert with my Dad, we went and saw Billy Ray Cyrus, and two weeks later he took me back, so I could see Sara Evans. Nashville is also where I crossed over to the wrong side of the tracks so to speak, when I started my prostitution career, where Darius ultimately found me.
Normally, I try to stay away from Purgatory whenever I’m back. I’d usually meet with Darius at a diner on the edge of town, or in another town completely, but no, I’m not going to do that. I made my way into downtown Nashville, rolling up to the converted warehouse that Darius called home. I couldn’t help but stare and see how much it’s has changed. This was the headquarters of Purgatory, in all its glory. He brought me here when I was barely legal, and boy how its changed. It’s no longer the falling apart, freshly abandoned warehouse that it once was. The bottom floor has been converted into a massive garage so that members can come and go as they please, and as I make my way into the garage I can see the stairwell that leads up to the second floor. Years ago, that’s where all the rec rooms were, and on the third and fourth floors were primarily bedrooms for everyone.
“Tegan!” I’m met with a hulk of a man pulling me into his arms and giving me a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“Jesus, Vance, put me down!” I snap, he sets me down gently, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at the big oaf.
“You’re really gonna treat me like that when I haven’t seen your perky little ass in ages, huh?”
“Uh. Yes. You always knew I was a bitch, why haven’t you ever accepted it?” I ask with a huge smile on my face. Vance was the first guy Darius introduced me to. I was terrified out of my mind when he brought me here, especially when he brought me up to a guy like Vance. Looking back now, I have to laugh at myself, he was bringing me to meet the nicest guy in his gang.
I stand there joking with Vance for no more than a minute when I can feel his presence around me. Out of any other member of Purgatory I could always feel his energy, it terrified me and was a warning to always stay away. When I look up, I can see Shaun leaning against the railing, eyes dea
d set on me.
Shaun was something from my past, a dark force, a storm that I insisted on playing with when I was old enough to know better and young enough to not care. The warning signs were everywhere, and yet, I played with the fire that was right in front of my eyes.
“It took you long enough to get here,” he hissed out as he walked down the stairwell. I could spot Darius coming from another direction in the garage over towards me.
“One of you texted me on my regular phone! Of course, I was going to come flying fucking down here last minute,” I snap at Shaun. “You all know how to get in contact with me, and instead, you send me a text to my fucking phone!” I yell, my rage spilling out of me.
“Tegan,” Darius speaks softly, trying to calm me down.
“No. One of you crossed the line today. Do you know how easily a phone can get hacked into? Why do you think I buy the burners and you contact me on them?! None of you are dumb, so please, tell me why you would risk my safety and exposure by texting me on my cell.”
“Bones. You want a bag of fucking Bones, don’t you?” Shaun snaps, striding up towards me. He comes until his chest is pressed against mine, my chest rising and falling with anxiousness “Little girl, your bag of Bones is a few miles away. Alone. You’ve been waiting a long fucking time for this. Are you gonna get your revenge tonight, or are you gonna chicken the fuck out?”
Shaun laughs at my silence. “Of course, I knew what you’d want Tegan. You don’t give a flying fuck about your safety. The only thing you’ve ever wanted is revenge.”
I wish I could tell him he was wrong, that he didn’t know me. But Shaun was right, all I’ve ever wanted is revenge, and tonight, I’m going to get a taste of what I’ve been after all these years.
I’m furious with Shaun, but at the same time, I’m grateful. Darius had to explain that he wasn’t the one that texted me, it was Shaun who spotted Bones two days ago, Shaun who’d been the one watching him, noticing how he’s been alone. He’d waited, observed and grabbed enough information to know that no one from Skulls Renegade was coming anywhere near Nashville.
Bones is one of the oldest members of the Skulls Renegade MC, next to Will Michaels, the old Prez himself. Bones has been in the MC as long as Will, and as long as Rider too. Rider is Michelle’s father, and we don’t see him too often since he went Nomad when she was a girl. He was gone when all of the shit went down between my father, me, and Will. Most of the old dogs bowed out, or only come on certain days, but, Bones? No, he stayed.
Bones was the man who swore he was a friend to my father. A friend doesn’t stay quiet and not warn you about what was going to happen. A friend doesn’t stand by, staring, smiling at the fact your thirteen your old daughter was being raped by a man you called your best friend. A friend speaks up, warns you, tries to protect you as much as he can. Bones was no friend to my father, and he was no uncle to me.
***
“Are you sure you can do this?” Vance asks. We’re parked in my car across the street from the hole in the wall bar that Bones is currently drinking his heart away in. Little does he know this will be his last taste of beer.
I turn to Vance and look him straight in the eyes. “I’ve been preparing myself to do this for years. I’ve killed before, this isn’t any different.”
He scoffs at me, “Tegan, this is a hell of a lot different. This is personal. Killing a few guys in the name of Purgatory is nothing compared to this cause. They didn’t mean jack shit to you. You’re about to kill one of the men who ripped everything from your life. So, I ask you again, are you sure you can do this?”
“I’ve been waiting for this my entire life,” I tell him. I have no doubts. I have no fears or anxiety surrounding what I’d be doing tonight. I know exactly what is necessary, and I would do it. I only hope that my father is watching over me and is proud with my choices. This isn’t just for me. This is for him too.
Two hours passed by, and Vance and I sat in my car alone watching the door. Darius insisted that I had backup, told me that he would go in and take Bones himself if I argued on the matter, so I stayed silent and accepted the help that he graciously gave me. I never wanted Purgatory mixed up in any of this. If shit went down, the Skulls would think this was a gang war when it was nothing like that. This was personal.
I glance up and see exactly what I’ve been searching for. Bones. He’s slightly intoxicated, wavering back and forth. In other words, he’s an easy target. Almost too easy if you ask me. I slip out of my car and shut the door, determinedly stalking towards my prey. I can feel my heart beating in my chest, the pulsating sound echoing in my mind. Thump thump, thump thump. It may be hot tonight but I’m freezing.
I know what I am going to do.
I have a plan.
But my plan doesn’t matter when I see Dmitri stalking right towards me.
Fuck.
I do my best to not accept the reality that’s standing before me. Dmitri somehow found me, and he could take away something I’ve been waiting years for. A golden opportunity, a once in a lifetime chance if you will.
I continue walking towards Bones, until I see that Darius has approached him. I stop breathing completely when I see Shaun behind Dmitri, and like clockwork, Darius and Shaun slam the back of their guns into Bones and Dmitri’s heads, they both fumble to the ground, and all I can think about now is how messy this situation just got.
CHAPTER 11
I am not looking to escape my darkness. I am learning to love myself there. - Rune Lazuli
Dmitri
My head is pounding, like someone is slamming a sledgehammer into it over and over again. When I open my eyes, I can see that I’m in a dark, not so well-lit place. It’s hot and damp. My hands are tied behind my back and my legs are bound to the chair beneath me.
What the fuck is going on?
“T. He’s awake,” I hear a man holler. I glance to the corner of the room where I see a black man who I instantly recognize. I met him just a few days ago, at that fucking diner. God dammit, what’s his name?
The door flies open, and I come face to face with my kotenok. Her hair is windblown, her face flushed in a way I’ve never seen it before. She looks terrified, and I’m not sure why.
“Dmitri,” she whispers, taking a few steps towards me before she stops.
I look to the man behind her, the one who guards the door and that I’ve met and then back to her. She doesn’t speak for a minute, we’re both silent and staring. “What is going on?” I demand.
“I –“
“You don’t have to tell him anything, T,” The man snarls from behind her, and I shoot him a death glare. As soon as I get out of this chair I will be bashing his skull in.
“What the fuck is going on, Jenna?!” I roar at her, and as I yell my body jolts forward. She stands there staring at me, her eyes filling with liquid.
“My name isn’t Jenna.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You…you don’t know everything about me, Dmitri. My name isn’t Jenna. I…I can’t give you all the details right now, but please, trust me. Trust me that I’ll tell you everything very soon, please,” she begs of me. As I look at my girl, my kotenok, I wonder what she’s been hiding from me.
“How can you ask that of me when you had someone slam something into the back of my head, when you have me tied to a fucking chair like a criminal?”
“That wasn’t my idea! I can’t help what they do!”
“Wasn’t your idea?! What part of this is YOUR idea?!” I scream, my blood boiling in my veins.
“Darius, get out,” She snaps it out to the man standing behind her. He doesn’t move an inch until she looks back at him and does something that I can’t see. He listens, leaving through the doorway and shuts the door behind him. “Dmitri Petrov.”
I don’t say a word to her, I simply stare before me.
“You have secrets too. Secrets that you haven’t told me, things that I think you will never share. I have secrets, and
lots of them. Do you want to know why we’re so damned attracted to one another? Hmm? It’s because we’re dark. You and I dance in the depths of hell, we bathe in the blood of our enemies and fuck over their graves. That’s how fucked up we are. We’re FUCKED up. Don’t you judge me for one moment for my secrets when we both know you have your own.”
“Da. I have secrets, we all do, but yours look like they amount to much more than mine,” I hiss at her, watching as tears fall down her cheeks. She moves toward me and pulls a blade out of her jeans, she goes behind me and cuts my hands free, then goes to my legs.
“You think I don’t know that? My secrets are awful. They are…horrendous pieces of my past. The only reason I cut you free is because I know that you trust me. I was hurt by men I trusted, that my father trusted. I was…” She shuts her eyes, closing them tightly. I can’t sit here and let her cry before me, instead, I rise and pull her to my chest, letting her tears stain my shirt. “My secrets are ugly, Dmitri.”
“All secrets are ugly,” I tell her, and I brush my hand over the back of her hair and console her as best that I can. I’m furious with her, I want answers, and I will get them. It may not be tonight, but it will be soon.
***
Jenna
He’s angry. I’d be blind not to see that, but instead of telling me to go fuck myself, he let me cry on his shoulder. I took Dmitri upstairs into the room that Darius insisted was mine. I’d maybe slept here two or three times in the last year or so. I’ve always been so careful as to not come anywhere near Purgatory, especially if Reed had seen me…ugh.
Dmitri takes his cut off, setting it on the dresser across from the bed. He doesn’t say much, but he doesn’t sound irritated either. I guess that is a small blessing that I could be grateful for. “You have a room here?”
“Yeah. Darius insisted on it when he found me,” I tell Dmitri. I look over to him, and he’s staring at me, maybe as if I’m a stranger, or maybe as if I’m everything to him. It’s so confusing, and I just can’t tell. “I was barely eighteen when I decided to run here, to Nashville. I was a prostitute in his territory. Purgatory ran the streets, and I didn’t listen. One night, I’m grabbed from behind, thinking I’m going to be raped, and he shuffles me into a diner and gives me a life lesson. I was…struggling back then, and Darius was the only person to take a chance on me, to make me feel like I had somewhat of a home.”
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