Dmitry's Closet by Nelson, S. (read people like a book .txt) 📕

When the last man had gone, she looked up at Dmitry and buried her head in his chest.

“Shh,” Dmitry said, kissing the crown of her head. “Now, now shop girl, it’s okay.”

“That man says that he’s your BROTHER, but he came in here strapped like he was ready to kill someone and asking for ME!”

“He’s just putting on show.”

“Yeah, a horror flick,” Renée snapped.

Dmitry rolled his eyes.

“Anatoly had on guns like this is the Wild West. So did the others, I’m sure of it. What in the hell is going on in here? Did I miss something?” She shook her head in disbelief. Tears ran down the sides of her cheeks.

Dmitry tried to calm her. “Nothing is going on,” he said, smiling at her innocence. “Russians carry guns, especially Russians with money. And my brother has never known how not to be confrontational. Plus, you must have hit the panic button, dah? What did you expect Anatoly to come over here with – a bat? We protect our own.”

“From what? Protect yourselves from what, Dmitry?” Royal asked.

Dmitry was quiet. He could see that pacifying her would only make the situation worse. “Can we go in back, please? We need to talk.”

Royal wiped her eyes and stormed into the back room.

“They aren’t coming back, are they? Renée asked in a cracked voice.

“No. There’s no need to be scared,” Dmitry said, look-ing over at Cory, who had a strange unreadable look on his face. “No one is going to let anything happen to you.”

He set down his newspaper and checked his buzzing Blackberry on his hip. Then slowly, he made his way to the back office where Royal waited.

“Dmitry, um…who is Kirill?” Royal asked Dmitry as he closed the door. Her hand was propped up on her hip.

“What?” Dmitry looked up with a stone stare on his face. The ice in his eyes seemed to chill her bones. Royal stepped back. She could easily see the resemblance of himand Ivan now.

“Ivan said that he was here to replace Kirill.” Royal’s voice lowered. “Who is he and why did he have to be replaced by someone like that?”

Dmitry’s eyes relaxed and he sighed, tired of the con-frontation. “Kirill died last month. If you recall, I went to his funeral. Ivan will be taking over some parts of my company’s operations,” he said, putting his phone back on his hip in its holster.

“How did he kill himself?” Royal asked, swallowing hard. She knew that she was treading in very unfamiliar territory by asking him questions about his business, but something would not allow her to restrain herself.

Dmitry looked at her. She was shaking, afraid. He knew that there was no need to intimidate her anymore than his brother had already done. Carefully, he tried to explain, making sure to control his growing frustration. “He shot himself in basement,” Dmitry said, grabbing for her hand. He pulled her to him gently.

“He also said something about you living by a monk code. What does that mean?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Then why won’t you tell me. Why does it always have to be bits and pieces with you? Answer me!”

“That little shit comes in here and starts babbling like teenager,and suddenly I’m supposed to be the one who has to explain?” Dmitry snapped.

Royal rolled her eyes. “You won’t tell me, will you?”

“There is nothing to tell. He’s an idiot.”

“The point is that you never told me you had a brother.”

“I disowned him years ago. There is nothing to tell.”

“But if you disowned him, why is he taking Kirill’s place?” she snapped, stumping her foot as she did so.

Her quick response made Dmitry pause. She was quicker than he’d given her credit for being.

“I needed someone I could trust to do what Kirill did for me, but I couldn’t find anyone…that I could trust. So, I ended up at least with someone who was mildly competentand overwhelmingly predictable. That’s the best answer that I can give you.”

Royal changed gears. “What did Kirill do for you?”

“He traded in very expensive machinery.”

“What kind?” Her eyes narrowed.

“All kinds.”

“Uh huh. You know what I find odd?” she asked angrily.

“Whatever you are thinking, stop it. Everything is fine.”

“Of course, it’s fine. There was nearly a gun fight in my store, but everything is just fine.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’ll take care of it,” he assured her. His voice was softer now.

“Take care of what? Everything is supposed to be fine. Remember?”

“It is.”

“You keep saying that, but it’s not true. I know it in my gut. You said that you would never lie to me…just couldn’t tell me everything. But you’re lying to me!” Tears ran down her face.

“Royal,” Dmitry looked down at the ground. He couldn’t find the right words to soothe her.

Royal looked up at him. She clenched her jaw and wiped the tears from her face. “You can’t marry me. You can’t tell me anything that’s worth knowing. You only move with bodyguards. And everything is fine? Really? Tell me that I can trust you, Dmitry. Look me in my face, in my eye and tell me that I haven’t made some big mistake in loving you - a man who is supposed to love me so much but can’t even give me a straight answer even when my life is in danger.”

Her words cut through him like metal to bone.

“Your life was never in danger. You are overreacting.”

“Bullshit.”

He raised his brow.

“If you really loved me…” she continued.

Dmitry interrupted. “So now you’re questioning my love for you?”

Royal didn’t answer him, but she did raise her brow, mimicking him.

“I can understand that you’re upset,” he explained.

“Can you? You seemed almost pissed that I would even question you about it. I’m just supposed to follow you blindly. Is that it? Well, I won’t. I want a fucking answer.”

He sighed. “Royal, I’ve always taken care of you. That hasn’t changed,because my brother came in here and acted an ass today. Yes, you can trust me.