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

with the gun in his hand. Their screeching voices irritated Dmitry.

“Shut up you fucking dumb bitches,” Dmitry screamed,pointing the gun at them. “Get up and get the fuck out of here.” They ran quickly to the door, naked and afraid, down the hall out of his site.

Dmitry turned and looked back at Ivan. “And you, brother…”He grinded his teeth. “Get dressed and bring your fucking ass downstairs so that I can talk to you about your little whorehouse experiment.” His voice was now calm and virtually quiet.

Bloody, Ivan smiled cunningly and stood up. His naked body mirrored that of his brother, with not as many tattoos but just as many muscles. He grabbed his sheets and wiped the blood out of his face. “So that’s what you’re angry about?” He spat on the ground.

“The whorehouse? Hell, I’ll cut you in. It’s not making much yet, but it will.” He slipped on a pair of jeans and walked in front of Dmitry, who guided him with the nickel-plated Glock down the stairs.

“I knew you’d be trouble when I laid eyes on you.”

“Do you want drink?” Ivan asked, walking into the black kitchen.

“No,” Dmitry said, looking at Ivan’s home. “You live like shit.” He cringed at the urban-like interior with exposed brick, black on black furniture and black appliances.

“You sound like fag. Everyone can’t live like king in a big fucking palace,” Ivan said,pouring a glass of vodka. “I think you knocked my tooth loose.” He rubbed his index finger across his shaky front tooth.

“Good,” Dmitry said, putting his gun back in his hol-ster. He sat at the center island on a bar stool and looked at Ivan still bleeding badly.

“How did you find out? I’m so curious.”

“It’s my city. How did you expect me not to find out?” Dmitry asked.

“I just wanted to prove to you that my plan could be lucrative first.”

“You just wanted to find something that you knew would make money fast without the Vory finding out.”

Ivan leaned over the island with the icepack to his head. “It had to be a cop who told you, eh? Come on. Tell me.”

“I am not without my resources.” Dmitry sighed. “Get the girls out of that house tonight. Don’t fucking kill them either. Give them few dollars and send them on their way. Burn the house down, just in case there is something incriminating there. Make sure it looks like accident, or I’ll make you look like one.”

“I get the feeling that you don’t like me.”

“Really? What gave you that impression?”

“You think that Royal will leave you for me? She probably thinks that you’re boring. All you ever do is mope around lamenting because of your pitiful conscience.”

Dmitry hit back. “I know of at least one person I’m not sorry for killing.”

“Is that all?” Ivan asked irritated. The very mention of hergot under his skin.

Dmitry knew he had put Ivan in his place. “No that is not all. I’ll figure out what I’m going to do with you soon enough. For now, just make sure that you have the usual percentage into me at the next meeting, plus an additional thirty percent for my troubles.”

“That’s nearly all of it,” Ivan scoffed.

“Good idea. Why don’t I just take all of it,” Dmitry said with his voice rising slightly.

There was a long silence.

“And as far as Royal…” Dmitry shifted in his seat.

“How was I supposed to know that she was in there?”

“You went looking for her?”

“I was checking out the place.”

“Stop before you start, Ivan. I know you. You were casing the place and looking for her.”

“You have me all wrong,” Ivan said, spiting blood into the sink.

“I doubt that very seriously,” Dmitry said, looking over at him expressionless. “Less you forget that I was the only father that you’ve ever known. There are things that I still know about you…like when you’re lying to me.”

“Well then, you were horrible father.”

Dmitry ignored him. “As far as Royal, you consider this your only warning. Any more pursuing her, and I don’t even have to tell you what I’ll do.”

“No,brother. You’ve made it very clear,” Ivan scowled.

“Good.” Dmitry stood up and took a deep breath. “No one told you to come here. You just have to accept it for what it is.” He grabbed a towel and wiped the blood from his white shirt and slipped back on his tweed jacket. “Don’t get up. I’ll see myself out.”

“Do that,” Ivan said,rolling his eyes.

Chapter 16

Instead of Royal’s cold getting better, by the day, it was only getting worse. Dmitry had stayed up with her the night before while she coughed and ran a ferocious fever. He had given her everything that he could buy over-the-counter. The results had not been favorable. She only coughed more. Tired and extremely worried, he finally rang his private doctor to come over and take a look at her.

After the doctor prescribed a few antibiotics, Royal was sent back to bed under Dmitry’s ever watchful eye. Royal had, of course, contested his decision that she was to stay at home and rest. She had argued that the shop would be open in a couple of hours, and she should go and just hang out upstairs in case anyone needed her. Dmitry had given her a stern look, an even sterner voice and escorted her back upstairs to the bed, where he tucked her in and insisted that she not step foot outside of their home until she was better.

At first, Royal started to fight him on it. But alas she could not. He stood before her, unshaven, in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the day before and coughing a little from being exposed to influenza.

Just let him take care of you, she said to herself as he pulled the duvet comforter over her legs. Without a word, he kissed her on her forehead and closed the door behind him, leaving her to watch Wendy Williams on the television and read fashion magazines.