Road to Freedom

by Piper Davenport

  “Are you going to answer my question?” I pressed.

  “No,” he said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’re gonna take care of him in our own way, and it’s better you don’t know the details.”

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “Somewhere secure.”

  I frowned. “Which is where?”

  He grinned, turning off the stove. “I gotta head out.”

  “Tweety—”

  “I’ll leave you a key.”

  I let out a frustrated squeak...just as my phone pealed. I snagged it from where it was charging and saw Grace was calling. “Hi Grace.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  I sighed. “Just how close are you to your brother?”

  “Why, what did he do?”

  “Answer the question first.”

  “He’s my second favorite person.”

  “Shit,” I hissed. “So, if I murdered him, you’d miss him.”

  She laughed. “A little bit, yes.”

  “Well, damn.”

  “Feel like hitting a dance class with me?”

  “Yes,” I answered immediately.

  “Okay, I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes. Cassidy said she’ll hold two spots for us.”

  “That sounds great,” I said, and we hung up. I cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher, then went to gather my dance things, running into Merrick in the hallway.

  “Heading out?” he asked.

  “Grace is picking me up for a class.” I raised an eyebrow. “But I’m guessing you already knew that.”

  He smiled. “Maybe.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I will find out, Tweety.”

  “You think?”

  I let out a quiet grunt and Merrick laughed.

  “Pain in my ass,” I hissed.

  He stopped laughing and I realized it was probably because he was thinking about my ass. Shit. I was kind of thinking about his now, too.

  “Um...can I go back to my place since you have Vitaly...um, where again?”

  “You are free to move about the cabin,” Merrick said. “But you’re also welcome to stay here a little while longer as well.”

  “I should go home.”

  “Okay, baby. Leave your stuff and I’ll drop it by when I’m done.”

  “Where are you going?”

  He grinned. “Nice try.”

  I rolled my eyes just as Grace called out, “I’m here.”

  I wagged a finger at him. “Your sister saved you this time, Big Bird.”

  “You feel free to keep your illusions, princess.”

  “I’m no princess, Tweety.”

  “No?”

  “I’m the fuckin’ queen.”

  He laughed again and shook his head as he led me out to the front room.

  “Okay, so you’ve kissed and made up,” Grace said.

  “What do you mean?” Merrick asked, grabbing his keys.

  “Nothing,” I rushed to say, giving Grace a warning glare.

  “I’m gonna head out,” he said, and hugged his sister. “Have fun.” He didn’t hug me, but he did give me a gentle smile that sent shock waves to my nether regions.

  Jebus, this man is going to kill me.

  “Ready?” Grace asked.

  “Yep. I’ll follow you.”

  “I’ll drive. I can drop you back here.”

  I shook my head. “I’m going home after.”

  “Did Merr say that was okay?” she asked.

  I frowned. “Are you high?”

  “What?”

  “Merrick has no say over what I do and don’t do.”

  She stared at me like I was an alien. “Remi. Seriously.”

  I sighed. “He said I was safe to go home.”

  She relaxed. “Okay, good.”

  “Where would they take Vitaly?”

  Grace shrugged. “No clue.”

  “Are you under a gag order?”

  She chuckled. “No, I really don’t know. They have a super-secret lair where they take their enemies.”

  “Shit.”

  “Come on. You need to stretch your muscles. I hope you’re ready to die.”

  “Bring it on,” I said, and followed her out of Merrick’s place.

  Finch

  I parked my truck in the rear lot of Blush and headed down the concrete stairwell that led to the club’s basement. I motioned to the surveillance camera mounted overhead and was immediately buzzed in. The club’s basement was sometimes referred to as the “Woodshed,” as it was here that lessons that could only be learned with a switch were dispensed. As I entered the space, I could see Hatch and Flea standing on either side of Vitaly, who was gagged and zip-tied to a metal folding chair.

  “You asked to be looped in, so we waited for you,” Hatch said matter-of-factly.

  “I appreciate it,” I said with a casual nod, the door closing behind me.

  The basement was mostly empty except for some plumbing materials leaning in the corner, opposite the doorway, but I knew they wouldn’t be stored there for very long. Mack and Booker ran the club, and every area was highly organized...everything had a place, which was not in the corner of the basement.

  Hatch pulled me in close and nodded toward Vitaly. “The only reason you’re here is because I know Remington is tight with you and your sister,” he said. “Flea’s assured me that you won’t get carried away, and I’m counting on the fact that you know how to keep your mouth shut.”

  “Yeah, man,” I said.

  “Good, because you know we don’t like gettin’ our hands dirty, but sometimes you have to take out the fucking trash before it starts stinkin’ up the place,” he said looking over at Vitaly, who sat motionless, eyes straight ahead. “This guy’s family back in Russia is loaded, so bribin’ him isn’t going to be an option. Wailin’ on him didn’t seem to do the trick, so I’m gonna have one more go at scarin’ the little prick out of town, then we’ll have to improvise.” Hatch walked over to Vitaly, leaned in close to him and said, “I’m gonna take this gag out of your mouth, and if you scream I’ll hit you so hard, you’ll lose the will to ever utter a sound again.” Vitaly remained still and Hatch untied his gag. “It appears that my brother, Flea, and I didn’t make ourselves clear the last time we had our little chat with you.”

  “Such conversationalists you are,” Vitaly said. “You broke two of my ribs.”

  “And, yet, here we are once again,” Hatch said. “We told you to stay away from Remington Charles, and what did you do? If a few body shots didn’t get the point across last time, perhaps it’s time to mess up that pretty-boy face of yours.”

  “Why the fuck do you macho assholes care so much about one bitch anyway?” Vitaly asked.

  “She’s a friend of ours, and we protect our friends,” I snapped. “But, I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about that, you fucking sociopath.”

  “What do you know about me?” Vitaly asked defiantly. “I understand loyalty more than you could ever know,” he said with a sneer. “I’m also wise enough not to waste my loyalty on whores.”

  I moved toward Vitaly, but Hatch stepped between us.

  “A word of advice,” Hatch said. “You might want to watch how you talk about women when you’re around us. Next time, I ain’t stopping him.”

  “Women deserve respect, I agree,” Vitaly said. “But these girls aren’t real women. They are merely dancers.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked. “You’re a dancer.”

  “I’m not a fucking dancer. I’m an artist and a business man,” he said smugly.

  “I apologize, Lord Twinkletoes, I didn’t realize we were in the presence of such artistic greatness,” Hatch said with an exaggerated bow.

  “You are,” Vitaly said plainly. “I excel at what I do, and you are lucky to have me in your country. Rich Americans pay me to come here and dance for them and they are right to d
o so. My uncles are lucky because while I’m here, I can help them find new talent for their clubs,” he said with an evil grin.

  My shoulders stiffened, and my hands balled up into tight fists.

  “It’s true,” Vitaly continued. “Every one of those girls thinks they are going to be the next prima ballerina, but I’m there to show them just how mediocre they all are.”

  “I’ve heard enough from this narcissistic piece of shit. Let’s just beat the shit out of him and be done with it,” I said, my anger level rising.

  “Hold on,” Hatch said, pulling me to the side. “We’re not here to torture him, we’re here to make sure he leaves Remington and the rest of the dancers alone.”

  “What? It was okay for you and Flea to have a go at him, but now we’re above that?” I challenged.

  “Beating him up didn’t stop him last time. We need to figure out what it’s gonna take to make this guy leave town, without drawing any heat on the club.”

  “It’s rude to whisper about someone when they are in the room,” Vitaly said.

  “Okay, asshole,” I said turning to face him. “How about this? Leave Remington alone, and leave the conservatory for good, or we’ll make the last beating look like a hug.”

  Vitaly laughed loudly. “You guys talk so fucking macho. Just like my uncles. Look, I get it. You have a hard-on for Remington, and you want me to stay away from her. Fine, but just make sure that she knows that when she’s three months behind on rent, my family is more than happy to give her employment suitable to her skillset.”

  I threw a wild right hook and connected squarely with the left side of Vitaly’s skull, causing my middle knuckle to feel like it broke on impact.

  “I warned you,” Hatch said to Vitaly, as blood began to pour from the gash in the side of his head.

  I did my best to hide the throbbing pain in my right hand before returning my attention back to a dazed Vitaly. “You wanna say something like that again, you rapist piece of shit?”

  “Rapist?” Vitaly said, as his eyes began to refocus. “I’ve never raped anyone. I can have any woman I want, any time I want.”

  “Not if we let him keep goin’ at your face like that,” Flea chimed in.

  “Remington said you attacked her, and I believe her. If you didn’t get the message before, you’re gonna get it now you sonofabitch,” I said, loading up my rapidly swelling right hand.

  “Easy, Finch,” Hatch said. “Let’s avoid too many head shots. I think Vitaly’s got the point that we’re serious. Don’t you Vitaly?”

  He nodded, blood streaming down his neck.

  “Good. Because we want you on the first available flight to Moscow.”

  “Bullshit,” Vitaly spit out.

  “You’re either going to the airport in the morning, or to the cops to admit what you did to Remington,” Hatch said in a tone that was void of negotiation.

  “I’m not leaving the United States! You will never get away with this. I am a guest in your country. I am here to share my talents as the premier ballet dancer of Russia, and I will not be intimidated. Your government has assured my safety as an ambassador.”

  “You feel safe right now?” Flea asked.

  “What are you going to do? Kill me? I don’t think so. Too much “heat” as you say. You want to keep beating me up? That will look pretty suspicious to the authorities wouldn’t you say?”

  “He’s right,” I said. “It’s his word against Remi’s, and his family is too connected within the dance world for them to ever side with her. Cut him loose.”

  “What the fuck?” Hatch asked.

  “What can we do? As long as he’s in the US as a sponsored artist, he’s too high-profile for us to be fucking with. The club’s safety has to come first. Remi’s career with the Academy is over anyway, and the cops don’t believe her, so just let him go.”

  Hatch looked stunned, as did Vitaly. “Finch, I don’t know what the fuck you’re think—”

  “Goddamnit, Hatch, just cut him loose.”

  Hatch looked at me with fire in his eyes but trusted me enough to cut Vitaly’s restraints. Once they were cut, Vitaly quickly rose to his feet, and put his hand to his head wound. “You’re gonna pay for this,” he said.

  “Just get the fuck out,” I said, backing up.

  Vitaly smirked and slowly walked toward the door which he’d almost reached before I smashed his knee with a three-foot piece of galvanized pipe I’d grabbed from the corner. I felt his leg snap in two like a chicken bone, and Vitaly dropped to the ground like a stone.

  “Oh, shit,” I said. “That sounded like a career-ending injury to me. Did you guys hear that?”

  “Jesus, Finch. What the fuck did you just do?” Hatch asked.

  “You said not to hit him in the face,” I replied.

  “How the fuck is this not going to bring attention on us?” Hatch yelled.

  “You said we needed to give him a reason to go back to Moscow. Well, here it is. If he can’t dance, then he has no fucking reason to be here. Problem solved.”

  “Hey, this guy’s goin’ into shock,” Flea called out.

  “Fuck him,” I said, taken aback by my own words, not to mention my actions. However, something inside of me snapped when he’d called Remington a whore and threatened her. I knew as long as this guy had a reason to be around her, he’d use it to his advantage, so I had to make sure he’d never dance again.

  “I’m callin’ Katie,” Flea said.

  I rolled my eyes. Katie was Flea’s sister and a registered nurse. The amount of folks she’d stitched up on the downlow was probably in the hundreds by now, which is why we called her. She was discreet and genuinely cared about every one of us...and she was the last person I wanted ‘treating’ Vitaly. “Leave the piece of shit to rot.”

  Hatch approached me slowly. Like a lion tamer approaching an out of control cat. “Finch.”

  “What?” I seethed as I stared at Vitaly, now passed out on the ground.

  “Brother.”

  “What?”

  “Merrick, look at me.”

  I turned my focus onto Hatch and he raised an eyebrow.

  “What?” I repeated.

  He settled his hands on my shoulders and shook his head. “You got somethin’ you need to tell me?”

  “Like?”

  “Like, why you’re freakin’ over a woman you don’t know.”

  “I know her.”

  “Yeah, I’m pickin’ up on that.” He patted my shoulders as he sighed. “You need to get gone. We’ll clean this up.”

  “Don’t really feel finished.”

  “As your superior, I’m tellin’ you that you are.”

  “Technically—”

  “You get the fuck outta here or you and I are gonna have a conversation that you will find painful. Don’t make me deal with you in an official capacity, pup. You and your shiny new patch won’t like it.”

  I bit back a retort. It would land on deaf ears, and since Hatch was an officer of my club, he had seniority. Plus, he was like my second dad. I respected him, and it wasn’t him I had a beef with. So, I lowered my head and stepped back.

  Flea closed the distance between us. “You got time to pick Grace up from class?” He nodded over his shoulder. “Gonna be a while.”

  “Didn’t she drive?”

  “She did, but I had Cheese pick her car up, so I could drive her home.”

  Made sense. Flea was overprotective like that. “Yeah, brother,” I said.

  “Thanks, man.”

  I nodded and headed to my truck. When I’d left my condo earlier, it had been too wet to ride, so I’d taken my pickup, but now it was sunny and dry, and I cursed the Portland weather.

  Fuck, I wanted to ride.

  Remington

  I lowered myself to the floor when Cassidy ended the class, dragging my legs in front of me and leaning over them to grip my ankles as I tried to stretch my muscles back into some form of shape. Good God, the woman was a masochist.
<
br />   Grace flopped down beside me and mirrored my pose. “I hate her.”

  I grinned. “Me too.”

  “She’s awesome, huh?”

  “Incredible,” I agreed.

  As I pulled my toe shoes off, Grace pulled her phone out of her bag and put it to her ear, drawing my attention when she gasped. Her eyes flew to me and she lowered her phone slowly. “Ohmigod.”

  “What?”

  Leaning closer, she whispered, “My brother broke Vitaly’s kneecap.”

  “What?” I squeaked.

  “He will never dance again.”

  “Seriously?”

  She nodded.

  “Excuse me,” I said, and rose to my feet, blinking back tears as I walked quickly toward the bathroom.

  “Remi!” a deep voice called, and I turned to find Merrick following me. “You okay?”

  I didn’t answer him, just took a flying leap toward him. He caught me, and I wrapped myself around him and sobbed into his chest.

  “Fuck, baby, what happened?”

  I shook my head, burrowing deeper.

  “Rem, you’re scaring me, honey. What the hell happened?”

  “You...broke...his...kneecap.”

  His body stiffened. “Who told you that?”

  “Grace,” I said on a hiccup.

  He relaxed and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Are you coming back to my place?”

  I shook my head again.

  “I’m going to you, then?”

  I nodded and got another squeeze.

  “Gotta drop Grace home, then I’ll be by.”

  “Okay,” I sniffed holding him tighter so he wouldn’t let me go.

  “But I got a minute to stand here if you need me to.”

  I nodded into his chest again and Merrick chuckled, pulling me closer.

  “Okay, honey, I got you.”

  His hand went to the back of my neck and he stroked gently while I held him tightly and we stood in the middle of the hallway as dancers milled around us. I was surprised no one bothered us, but chalked it up to Merrick wearing his badass biker uniform. Sexy as hell, but also extremely intimidating.

  “Okay, I’m done waiting,” Grace said, and pulled me away from Merrick. “What happened?”

  “Nothing, Grace. I’m okay. I think I’m just really tired.”

  She frowned at her brother. “What did you say to her?”