Chapter Text
READERS WARNING. This fic contains adult and mature content. Read discretion is advised.
Otherwise...enjoy! :)
It had been drilled into my head so many times. Don't let reality slip. Don't forget who you are. Don't give too much of yourself away.
Three things. And I stupidly forgot all of it.
I couldn't go back now; I had crossed a line. But I also couldn't stay. If they knew…if they knew who I was, it would cause everything to come crumbling down. And in the end, I'd be dead. That was the only thing that I knew for certain. The punishment for this kind of betrayal was death. It was as simple as that.
But when I looked at the man next to me in the driver's seat, the man who just killed a man who he considered family because of what he did, it made everything startlingly real. Love didn't mean anything. It was a hindrance; a weakness in their world.
And I was going to end up as enemy number one.
I remembered the first time I saw him. I had been undercover for two years and I had moved slowly. I started at the club as a bartender. I wasn't willing to become one of the dancers, but it probably would have made infiltration easier. But I couldn't stomach it. I knew that I would have done well, but I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself too quickly.
I had observed minor deals happen with ignorance, and the manager liked that. He knew I didn't ask a lot of questions, and I knew enough to know the difference between a regular customer and another party.
The club was relatively quiet that night, most likely due to the snowstorm. But that didn't mean I was off the hook. They wanted me here anyways, just in case someone managed to stroll in.
He sat down at the bar, and I didn't need anyone to tell me that he was powerful. Dark brown eyes, shoulder length brown hair that was pulled neatly into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He wore a long, brown leather duster, and under it was a sharp charcoal grey suit. Clean, neat, but dangerous. His clothes appeared to be middle class, but I had seen enough men in expensive suits to know one when I saw one.
"What can I get you?" I asked, resting my hands on the edge of the bar.
Desmond, the general manager, was pissed that I didn't dress down for work, but I reminded him that I was here for booze, not for entertainment. The man in front of me looked me over, but not in the usual way that most of the customers did. It didn't make my skin crawl, and the gaze wasn't predatory. It was more appreciative. Curious even.
"Vodka, up," he said and I was momentarily stunned by his accent. Russian.
"Sure thing. Any preference?" I asked as I got a chilled glass out from the freezer.
"Rusky."
I nodded and excused myself, heading towards the storage door behind the bar. There were certain bottles we carried that we served if requested directly. Rusky was one of the ones that Desmond didn't like to serve, but I wasn't going to deny this guy. I flicked the light on and searched through the storage, finding a bottle of it tucked in the back. I whipped the bottle off as I walked back out, cracking the seal before setting it on the countertop.
I poured the drink for him and set it on the counter with a napkin, capping the bottle and putting it back under the bar.
"I'm surprised that Desmond has as much staff tonight as he does. The roads are quite rough," the man said.
I huffed. "Desmond doesn't care about the weather. He cares about money," I said shortly, wiping the counter where the chilled glass had sat.
"Only one bartender tonight?"
I paused and looked at him, my brows raising.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," he said plainly. I nodded and moved down the bar, going through the inventory list. The man left it at that, drinking his vodka with his back to the stage. It was odd, but I didn't comment on it. Maybe the other bars nearby had closed due to the snow?
I could hear noise coming from Desmond's office and I had to force myself not to gag on the stop. The screams and moans were fake, but Annie knew that if she gave Desmond what he wanted every time she worked, he'd divide the tip pool so that she got more for the group dances. It was disgusting but there wasn't much I could do about it, or my business.
I glanced up from the bar to see that even the girls dancing weren't going all out. If I didn't know for sure, I would suspect that one of the patrons was asleep with how still he was sitting.
I moved around the bar, cleaning up the few things that I had left out. I was trying to appear at ease, but I wasn't. I could feel the eyes on the man at the bar following watching me; tracking me. He wasn't the first, but the fact that he hadn't looked towards the dancers once made me feel tense.
After a few minutes, the man set his glass on the bartop and pushed towards me. I came back over and grabbed a new glass, pouring another drink. The man murmured something in a different language and nodded his head sharply.
"Dimitri! Haven't seen you in a while!"
I could smell him before he got much closer. He always smelled the same. Stale cigarettes, sweat, cheap perfume and beer. I tried to keep my shoulders relaxed and wiped the counter down.
"Desmond. Busy night," the man at the bar, Dimitri, retorted and Desmond grunted.
"So, it's snowing a little? What's the big deal?" he said as he came behind the bar. I muttered to myself while the two of them spoke. After a few moments, I felt Desmond standing behind me. I looked up from the bar, catching Dimitri's gaze on me when Desmond moved my hair from over my shoulder. I clenched my jaw and used all my willpower not to shake out from under him.
"She's a looker, ain't she?" Desmond mused, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. He had made passes at me in the past, but never out in the open like this. Usually, it was more of a flirt but never touching me.
I gritted my teeth when I felt him press up against me, pushing my waist against the bar. I could feel his breath against my neck as his hand slid down my neck and then my arm, his hand gripping the slightest bit. I stayed still, unsure of what he was going to do, but tensed up when his hand slide from my side, coming around the front of my pants.
"Why don't we show Dimitri just how pretty you are?" he said and slid his hand between my legs, gripping me almost painfully. I pushed up off the bar and spun around, gripping his jaw as I slammed him into the counter behind us. The bottles on the glass shelves above us rattled and I could see my expression in the mirror behind his head. I could also see Dimitri's. Cold. Calculating.
"I've told you more than once that I am not interested. Touch me again, and I will break your wrists" I hissed. I gave him a bit of a shove as I let go of him, turning to walk away from the bar to cool off.
"Funny you think you get a choice," Desmond said as he gripped the back of head and slammed my head down onto the counter. I tried to get my footing, but the impact made me dizzy, and I crashed to the floor.
It wasn't the first time I had my head smashed off something working here. But it was the first time it was by someone's force, and was followed by a gunshot. Glass rained down around me, and a body hit the floor beside me. I raised my arms from over my head and looked, going still as Desmond's dead eyes stared back at. I swallowed thickly, the sound of screaming reaching my ears over the bass of the sound system. I stood up slowly and felt shards of glass fall off my body, no doubt shards in my hair. I turned my head and looked at Dimitri, still sitting at the bar. He seemed completely unphased, gun sitting on the countertop as he finished his vodka.
"Why did you do that?" I asked. I tried to keep my voice calm, but it didn't exactly help my case that he just shot the man that was giving me a way to get further in on my investigation.
Dimitri set his glass down like it was the calmest environment he had ever been in.
"I don't condone rape," he said as he stood up and set a few bills on the countertop, "And while you look to be more than capable, he knows the rules he's to abide by when under my employ."
I took a short breath and saw Marko come out of the security office. He was the manager that ran the club when Desmond wasn't here. He spotted me, the broken shelves and then Dimitri, his expression shifting.
"Mr. Belikov," he said as he approached. I flicked my eyes around the room, noticing that we were the only ones in the room.
"Marko. I trust you can follow the rules better than Desmond?" he replied, turning and pinning Marko in place.
"Yes, sir," he said immediately. Dimitri nodded and looked back at me.
"Have a good night, Rose," Dimitri said as he left, the duster moving around him as he walked. I sighed and leaned against the bar, looking at Marko with confusion.
"Head home, Rose. I'll close up and have someone come take care of this," he said, making a sweeping gesture to the mess of a bar. I nodded and stepped over Desmond, my shoe sliding a bit in the blood that pooled on the floor. I caught myself on the bar top and steadied myself before heading to the backroom to grab my belongings.
Once I had them, I switched my shoes and pulled on my winter coat, pulling up the hood as I pushed open the door. There was no way in hell I was going to get a cab in this, and buses were closed. The walk home was going to take at least forty minutes, and with the rate the snow was coming down, it would be a few feet by the time it was done.
I had my hands tucked into my pockets as I walked when something hit me that made me stop in my tracks.
I never told Dimitri my name. And Desmond never said my name either. It was a rule that none of the girls went by their real names, bartenders included.
So how did Dimitri know?
I sighed and turned slowly when I heard a car come to a stop next to me. It was sleek and black, high end luxury SUV that I knew wasn't an Uber. The driver got out of the car and came around to my side, opening the back passenger door.
"Mr. Belikov has requested your company," the man said, also cloaked in a Russian accent. I took a slow breath and glanced down the street, finding it deserted. I licked my lips and sighed, walking towards the open door. I pulled my hood down as I slid into the backseat, coming face to face with Dimitri again.
He was looking down at his phone when I got in, but once the door was shut, he looked up at me. There was a partition pulled up between him and the driver, and the inside didn't look like a traditional SUV. It had been customized to look more like a limousine, but it was probably to accommodate Dimitri's long legs. Even while I was in heels, he towered over me.
"Thank you for joining me," he said as he put his phone into his pocket.
"I didn't have much choice in the matter, did I?" I returned and he smirked at me.
"Witty, aren't you?"
I crossed my arms over my chest as the car started to move. I knew my handler was going to be pissed. I wasn't supposed to go anywhere except home after the club.
"What do you want?" I asked plainly, not wanting to deal with pleasantries.
"What do you know about Desmond's back end deals?" he asked. I raised my brows at him.
"I'm a bartender."
"Yes, and yet, you're the longest staff member he's had. Which means you know things. So?"
I scoffed and turned my head to look out the window, but the tint made it so that I could barely see anything.
"I know nothing."
Dimitri shifted in his seat, leaning towards me. As he moved, the smell of his cologne wafted towards me, and I was taken aback. I was so used to everyone smelling like cheap cologne, but his was heavy. Not in a bad way, but it was hard to put my finger on it.
"I don't believe that," he said quietly, "But I can get what I want out of you if you choose to be stubborn."
I snorted. "Okay. Good luck with that. You can tell your goon to let me off here. I'm not going to have any information for you."
Dimitri reclined back in his seat, a smirk growing on his lips.
"Then you'd have no issues if I let the Bronsoni brothers take over for Marko?"
I bit my tongue and tried to think of something to say.
"I thought you didn't condone rape," I pointed out. Nathan, Michael, and Terance Bronsoni were members of the La Cosa Nostra, and neither of them had a compassionate bone in their bodies. They took what they wanted, how they wanted, and when they wanted. Desmond had done a few smuggling deals with them, but they never went smoothly. There were always problems, and it always led back to the club.
Dimitri didn't respond right away, just watched me carefully.
"No, but I doubt that they'd appreciate a rat being in their club."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Really? A rat?"
Dimitri nodded slowly. "Desmond was onto you, he told me. He figured it out a few weeks ago, but wanted more concrete evidence. But one look at you, and I knew."
I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to let him know that he shook me.
"And if I was a rat, who do you think I'd go running to? Desmond is dead."
"There's been a lot of talk about there being a rat on the police payroll in the club," he returned and I let out a slow breath. He was partly right, but was still wrong.
"And so what if I was? As a bartender, I'm nowhere near close enough to get anything that would stick. It would be circumstantial," I said plainly, "You're grasping at straws. If you think you have a mole, you should check with the girls. They're the ones who are loose lipped."
Dimitri's smirk grew and he let out a small chuckle.
"I think you'll do quite nicely," he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, typing for a moment before putting it away.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You won't be working at Gems anymore," he said matter of factly. I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff.
"Just because you own Gems doesn't mean that you can move me around."
"I don't own Gems," Dimitri said after a beat, "But Desmond worked for me. And if I decided that I would require a member of his staff, he knew to hand them over."
I shrugged and looked at my watch, noticing that it was still early enough that my check in wouldn't kick up a fuss that I wasn't home yet. The car pulled over and I glanced out the window, but they were so tinted I couldn't see much in the dark.
"Is this where you dump my body in a dark alley to be found in the morning?"
"No. I have different plans for you, Rose. You'll see," he said. I kept my gaze on his when the door opened. I glanced out the door and noticed that we were outside my apartment building. I glanced at Dimitri again, a little uneasy that he knew where I lived. But if he had power over Desmond, I wonder what exactly he did.
"I'd bundle up tonight, if I were you. There's a chance the power will go out with the intensity of the storm," Dimitri said, "Good night."
I clenched my jaw and got out of the car, turning to look at him again before the door shut. I stepped closer to the door and watched as the car pulled away and turned the corner. I let out a breath and pulled my keys out of my coat and got inside quickly.
Once I got inside my apartment, I locked the door and blew out a breath. I set my keys on the counter and rubbed my hands together as I moved to the thermostat, turning it up a little bit when the lights flickered. I was slightly annoyed at Dimitri's remark when I got out of the car and I went to the bedroom to get a change of clothes. I grabbed pajamas and got into the hot shower quickly, washing off the day and trying to warm my toes.
Once I finished washing and conditioning my hair I got dressed, pulling on thick socks as well. To be safe, I boiled some water and grabbed the rubber hot water bottle I had, just in case the power did go out. It wasn't long after I finished boiling the water that the power went out, the apartment falling into cold, dark silence. No noise aside from the sound of the snow hitting the window.
I moved carefully back to the bedroom, getting into the bed and tucking the water bottle near my feet. I checked my phone as I curled onto my side, seeing a message that was used for check in.
One day only! Fifty percent off your next order. Reply yes now to receive a coupon.
Yes.
I watched the message show that it was read and I set my phone down on the nightstand. I sighed loudly as I tucked my arm under my head, closing my eyes and hoping I'd fall asleep before I realized how cold it was going to get.
I flinched awake when there was a bang on my front door. The light coming from my window was dull, but it was enough to show that it was morning. I groaned quietly and checked my phone, but there were no new messages.
I pulled myself out of bed when there was another bang on my door. I moved quietly through the hall, my hand slipping into the pocket of the jacket hanging by the wall. I never wore that jacket, it was solely there to hide a gun. I checked the gun before looking through the peep hole. There was a man standing on the other side.
"Who is it?" I asked, using the sound of my voice to cover the sound of the gun cocking.
"My name is Eddie. Dimitri sent me," he said and I cleared my throat. I opened the door as far as the chain would go, holding my gun just out of sight as I looked at Eddie.
"Why?"
Eddie watched me for a moment before raising a brow.
"He said that you weren't going back to Gems," he said, "So you're coming with me to your new place."
I snorted a laugh. "Does he really think that he can dictate where I work?"
"Yes. He is still technically your boss."
I bit the inside of my lip.
"Where am I supposed to be going?"
"With me?" he said, repeating himself. I narrowed my eyes at him and he held his hands up.
"Hey, I'm just doing what I was told. Oh, and not super casual, but not suits."
I licked my lip and shifted my weight. "Are you supposed to wait for me?"
"He said I wasn't allowed to leave without you. And that I was allowed to use force. But after hearing what happened to the last guy who put his hands on you, I'd rather not have a broken nose."
I groaned quietly and shut the door, tucking the gun into the back of my pants before adjusting my shirt over it. I slid the chain off the door and opened it, glaring at Eddie.
"You wait here in the hallway. If you go anywhere else in my apartment, I'll shoot you," I said before turning around.
"I figured you'd have a gun if you were working an angle," he said nonchalantly and I ran my hand through my hair.
"I don't work with the police," I replied as I walked down the hall towards the bedroom.
"Yeah, and I'm the president."
I rolled my eyes but shut the door behind me, leaning against it for a minute to compose myself. I wasn't sure what to make of this Dimitri guy, but I already knew I didn't like him. He was arrogant and cocky, and that was a dangerous combination.
I riffled through the clothes I had and pulled out a pair of black dress pants and blouse. Nothing crazy, but still nice looking. The pants were tighter, flaring out at the bottom and the blouse was silky, but still warm enough for the current temperature. I tried and failed to do something with my hair so I just grabbed a banana clip and pulled it up.
I grabbed my bag and tucked the gun and my phone inside, shutting the door behind me as I walked back down the hall towards Eddie.
"Is this appropriate for His Majesty?" I asked sarcastically. Eddie looked over from where he was looking out the window and nodded.
"Yeah, that's fine," he said with a nod.
I sat in the passenger seat as Eddie drove, the streets white despite the plows coming through. Everything was white. If I had a hangover, I would have been in hell.
"You're quiet," Eddie mused as he drove. I glanced at him before looking out the window again.
"It's not like you'd answer my questions anyways," I returned with a quiet sigh.
"What kind of questions do you have? Some of them I probably could answer."
I hummed quietly. "Does Dimitri deal in drugs?"
"Not directly. He had operations that run through his houses, but he himself, no. Won't touch them. There's the occasional cigar or cigarette, maybe weed, but nothing harder. The man had the idea of 'his body is his temple'. That's a harmless question, you need to have an idea of who you're working for."
I nodded and pursed my lips.
"Does he work in children?"
The noise Eddie made was enough of an answer.
"He doesn't think highly of men who take advantage of women, shot a man for putting his hands on you, and you have the guts to ask if Dimitri traffics children?"
"Like you said, I need to have an idea."
"No. And don't ever let him hear you question something like that," he said firmly and I nodded, running my fingers over my hand.
"Any questions for me?"
Eddie glanced at me for a moment at a red light then back at the road.
"How old are you? You look like you're my age."
"Twenty-five."
Eddie nodded and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, turning left to take us out of town.
"Got any family we need to be worried about?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"That doesn't sound convincing."
"Only have a dad now. And we haven't spoken in years," I said plainly, and it wasn't exactly a lie. I did only have my dad left, and we hadn't spoken in years. The last time I had heard from him was before I went undercover.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Eddie said and it sounded sympathetic.
"Don't feel bad; not really missing out on anything," I said dryly with a sigh, "What exactly am I going to be doing now?"
"I'm not exactly sure; I just know the boss wants to keep an eye on you. He isn't exactly sure he can trust you," he said and rolled my eyes.
"Why not just shoot me? Wouldn't that make things easier?"
Eddie smirked. "Yeah, but it also wouldn't be helpful," he said as he continued to drive. I nodded and got comfortable in my seat, closing my eyes.
"How long until we get there?"
"About half an hour."
"Is it okay if I shut my eyes for a bit? I've got a killer headache."
Eddie made a noise that sounded like agreement and I kept my eyes shut. It wasn't just because my head hurt, but more because I needed to get my head straight. I had no idea what I was walking into, and I needed to keep calm.
I could use the idea that they thought I was working with the police, but I just needed to figure out how.
"Do I really look like a cop?" I asked with a smirk. Eddie made a noise in the back of his throat.
"You have the physique for it. And the way you carefully word your sentences makes some people think you're hiding something."
I pursed my lips. "Maybe I'm just used to having someone beat me around if I said the wrong thing," I mused before realizing what I had said.
Fuck.
I opened my eyes and glanced towards Eddie, who was already looking at me.
"Ex-boyfriend?"
I bit my lip. "Dad's buddies. My mom died when I was fifteen, and Dad was away for work a lot," I said quietly. If I gave them the idea that I was broken, it could make me seem more pliable, easier to manipulate. That could work in my favour.
Eddie nodded and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel while he waited for the car ahead of us to turn.
"Don't let the others know about that," he said quietly, "Dimitri might not pay much attention to that, but others will. And they'll use it against you."
I nodded and flinched when he reached for the glovebox in front of me.
"Sorry. I just remembered I have Advil in here," he said he pulled out the container and deposited it into my lap. I forced a small and opened it, fishing one out and swallowing it dry.
After a few minutes, I felt the change under the tires and we were on a gravel road. I opened my eyes and sat up straight, trying not to gape at the mansion in front of me. You'd never think this would be a half hour outside the city.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and moved to open the door when Eddie gripped my upper arm. It wasn't painful but it was firm.
"Unless told otherwise, you stay close to me, you keep your mouth shut and speak when spoken to. This isn't Gems. And don't wander away. There are a lot of unsavoury people here," he said as he looked at me, his hair falling into his hazel eyes.
I raised my brows. "I thought it wouldn't matter if I was a cop? They're all going to hate me anyway."
Eddie's jaw clenched.
"I don't think you work with the police. I don't know much about you, but I know for certain you aren't a cop. The others, who knows, but I know for sure."
"How can you be so certain?"
Eddie licked his lips and got out of the car, coming around to my side and opening the door. I got out and yelped when he gripped the front of my coat. He leaned his face close to mine, close enough that I could tell that his eyes were hazel instead of brown.
"Because two's a party, three's a crowd," he said quietly, "And you'll be smart to leave this conversation outside."
I blinked up at him and nodded. "Understood."