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

ago with a card for a tailor and instructed him to go there. No one will ever take you seriouslyif 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,