TAKING OVER TROFIM (Dominion of Brothers series Book 4) (19 page)

Trofim spotted the petite woman stretched out on the leather sofa in the corner. Even here she was kept close by and under Trenton’s protection. She sat with her laptop over her legs and she was typing away while a foot tapped out some music beat he couldn’t hear, but saw the wire leading up to her ears. He had hoped for privacy, but he knew who she was. Katianna Dumas. She was a writer, but more importantly she was Trenton’s Life Slave, his personal property, and loving companion. He recalled last fall word got out how she’d been snatched right in front of Club Pain and others said she’d almost been killed in the event. Even knowing only the fragments of what they had gone through, Trofim knew damn well the Dominus would not excuse her from his sight, not even for this. But that she never even looked up and acknowledged Trofim’s presence gave some comfort that she stayed recluse in her own writer’s world, and wouldn’t eavesdrop on his.

Trofim slunk down in the chair and tried not to fidget while Trenton returned to his spot on the other side of the desk. “I need your help, Dominus.”

Trenton stilled, understood the message given by calling him by a more personal title. He punched a button on his phone, “Vince, hold my calls for a while please.”

“
Yes, sir
.” Vince’s response came over the speaker phone.

“I don’t usually take Lifestyle appointments in my office, but given your Pyotr’s brother. I’ll make an exception. How may I be of service?”

“I’m sorry,” Trofim scratched at his head nervously, “I’m not really sure how to call you. I mean, I know you at the club so should—“

Trenton held his palm up to quieten Trofim’s ramblings before they got under way.  “Is this visit about a D/s relationship?”

Trofim shook his head.

“Are you in danger?”

Trofim didn’t respond right away, he felt so uncertain, but deep inside he knew that if they weren’t in danger yet, it was only a matter of time, and he timidly nodded his head.

“Then Trenton will do.”

“Ok.” He nodded again.

Trenton relaxed back in his seat and gave him a speculative look, “Okay. Let’s start with why.”

Trofim told his story or rather he told Shay’s story. About their relationship and Shay’s father. He told him about the night Mr. Wilks caught them in a sex frenzy at the boathouse.

The night when it all started, still haunted Trofim—

~~ Like nearly any other time over the last three years, when they were together, they were so in tune with each other they never saw the coming or going of on-lookers. Nor did they notice the hulking man walk in on them, only Shay’s scream of agony when the boat oar came cracking down across his back. Next someone was yanking Shay up by the hair on the back of his head, and to their horror saw it was his father, Benjamin Wilks.

Wilks dragged Shay off Trofim, then tossed him into the corner, and proceeded to pound Shay with his fists. Hitting him over and over as Wilks stood over him. Shay never even stood a chance to get to his feet where he could fight back. It was all he could do to shield his face or block the blows of his father’s boot to his groin. Trofim had tried to pull the man off his lover only to receive a back handed slap that sent Trofim sprawling to the floor. Trofim had called the police and being they were at the college boathouse, campus security was there in lightning speed. But somehow Senator Benjamin Wilks was never charged, and he went home, taking Shay with him.

That’s when the threats started.

Shay had gone missing for several days before Trofim heard from him again. He got a call to come see him at the school. Trofim went despite the threats he’d gotten from anonymous callers to stay away from Shay. Only to find the man he loved returned with a fresh new layer of welts on his back.

A few days after that, Trofim had stepped out of his apartment to find his car had been vandalized. A photo tucked under the windshield wiper of him and Shay kissing outside the local gay club they’d gone to just the night before.

Next was when Shay’s cellphone was disconnected. Trofim became desperate to have some stability or just to have Shay hold him while he shook, so he snuck onto the school campus to go see him. Only to learn from friends once there that Shay had been forcibly moved to a new dormitory, while another supposed friend ratted Trofim out to campus security and he was
arrested. It was Pyotr who bailed him out.  Even there
, the corruption showed no signs of being absent, paying out a hefty fine though no charges had been filed against Trofim.

That’s when the letters started coming. Both his brothers: Pyotr and Pavle started getting letters, just memos really, forwarded to their offices, threatening to get their licenses revoked.

The weeks that followed, Shay was slammed with studies for his exams coming up which kept him busy and away. Trofim tried not to worry. However it was hard because though he got only rare chances to see Shay, Senator Wilks’ goons and their watchful eyes had never left. Or the harassing threats.

It didn’t take long before Trofim lost his day job at a nearby restaurant. Next, Pyotr was facing two law suits, accusing him with lewd and inappropriate behavior.

A few days later Pavle’s oldest came home from school with more than just a couple of bruises and a school suspension. That’s when Trofim’s brothers began to retaliate. They were grown men and could fight their own battles, but attack a minor in the family was crossing a line they would not tolerate. Calls were placed with attorneys and with the New York City’s Chairman of the Counsel. However, Senator Wilks didn’t back down.

The following two years were hell. No matter how cautious they were how many sneaky turns they made. Shay’s father always seemed to have them on his radar. Next on the list of attacks, Trofim came home to find his belongings or what was left of them, on the sidewalk of his apartment complex, having been evicted without notice. Most of his valuables had already been picked through by New York’s finest. It was only by some miracle he managed to find his cat safe and sound.

Pyotr insisted Trofim come home and stay with him, but his brothers were still feeling the wrath. Aside from the trumped up charges against Pyotr, now Pavle who at the time was a leading surgeon at the hospital and still married to his wife, Maggie with their two kids, was suddenly facing charges of sexual harassment. Trofim couldn’t risk adding more danger to them.

Thankfully Darko said he could come crash at his place. Darko so far had not been included in the threats so it seemed the safest choice.

Trofim still had his night time job bartending at the local gay bar, but without a car, it would be easier for him to get to work from Darko’s place than it would if he moved home with Pyotr. But then Trofim lost that job anyway after he made another attempt to meet up with Shay.

To make sure he knew they had been spied together, someone had broken into the bar where Trofim worked, and tore the place up. They smashed every liquor bottle in the building in the racks, then spray painted Trofim’s name on the mirror behind the bar with a banned symbol over it. His boss, Drew, fired him on the spot. Drew tried to be sympathetic, but it came down to the fact that whatever trouble Trofim was in, it had shown up at the club, and that was where his boss had to draw the line. Only Trofim hadn’t just been fired just as Wilks wanted, Trofim was banned for life.

Shay had graduated from pre-mad and got accepted into med school. To celebrate Shay made plans for them to get out of town and have a weekend away from everyone. Just the two of them. They had reservations to spend a night in a nice quiet bed and breakfast out in Montauk.

Shay never showed.

Trofim came home broken and disheveled Saturday morning to find the warehouse where he and Darko lived torched. Luckily, the only casualty out of the six studio flats inside had been his cat. It was nothing more than miraculously, the neighbor’s dog, Tippit, had gotten out even though Tippit’s owner, hadn’t been home at the time.

But it was the last attack any of them could handle, and Trofim, with the push of his brothers, agreed to leave town. To stay was only challenging Wilks to see how far he would go and with reelections coming up, it didn’t seem the man had any boundaries when it came to protecting himself from becoming known as the father of a gay son.

Darko at the time was dating Fashon Rayneux, who was still coming up in the lines of fashion designer industry, but still had enough connection he was able to hook Trofim up for a modeling job. Something Fashon had already practically begged Darko to do, so the fashion designer nearly jumped at the bit when Darko asked him to invest in Trofim.

It had been Trofim’s escape. That along with a one way ticket to London where he lived until just a little over a year ago. He never even got to say goodbye to his lover of five years. ~~

“Trofim’s face was streaked with tears by the time he finished his story. Which led him to the final question to be answered.
What
. “I want to know what happened to Shay after I left.”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“He won’t tell me. I need to know.”

“Are the two of you together again?”

Trofim shifted in the chair and chewed on the inside of his cheek a moment.

~  *  ~

“That’d be a yes then?” Trenton gave him a hard glance. He watched as a fresh tear ran down the man’s cheek. Trofim was only four years younger than himself but the man was hardly hardened by the threats of the world as Trenton was. Trofim’s emotions were easily readable. To ask if he loved the man back was not necessary, Trenton could see it. But there was one other question that needed to be asked. “Is he so good to you to risk new dangers?”

“Yes-s-s.” Trofim hissed quietly, “But I don’t want him to go through any more abuse either. That’s why I need to know how bad it got.” He wiped his face dry and pulled himself together. “And I need to know if there’s anything we can do to prevent more.”

“There is always a way to prevent and protect. In finding how bad it got, we’ll learn how to defend you as well.” Trenton grabbed the phone from his desk and punched in an extension, “Hey, Harper, have you got a minute?

“
Yeah, be right over
.” Harper’s voice came back over the intercom.

“Thanks” Trenton pressed the reliever once then punched in another. “Deez, join me when you can.” And hung up without waiting for a response.

~  *  ~

A moment later Harper stepped in. Someone Trofim had only recently seen around the club filling in for Trenton and Diesel after Katianna’s kidnapping, but outside of that he knew nothing of the man.

“Trofim this is my brother, Harper Lancing. He’s a private detective and with his help, I think we can find the answers you’re looking for.”

Trofim stood and shook his hand.

“Harper, this is Trofim.” Trenton added.

“One of the Laszkovi brothers?” Harper shook his hand.

Trofim nodded.

“Trofim needs—” Trenton’s attention shifted when Katianna had gotten up from the sofa and was heading out quietly, “Mouse?”

Trofim watched as she stopped, but not because of Trenton, rather because that same moment, a large muscular man with shoulders decked out in patriotic ink stepped in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The question was almost scolding from the hulking body who now blocked her way at the door.

Trofim only watched as the tiny woman only shrugged, tucking her hands behind her back, “Nowhere, I guess.” She twisted on her toes and returned to her place on the sofa. Ear plugs, laptop and all put back in place as if she’d never meant to leave.

The man who’d stopped her retreat came up, “Trofim.” He leaned in shaking his hand.

“Patronus.” Trofim greeted him, feeling a tad intimidated. Being around one of the alpha males, was enough to make anyone turn submissive. But with both of them in the room directing their focus on him, Trofim now understood now why so many spoke of their experiences to feel like they should be on hands and knees waiting for their commands.

“
Diesel
will do for right now.” Diesel Gentry glanced at him with a deeper concern.

Trofim felt conscious of his appearance, and wiped at his eyes with the backs of his hands, feeling the tender rawness around the rims of his eyes and the tension that streaked his face.

“You okay?”

“Trofim and his partner may be in some danger.” Trenton answered the question so Trofim didn’t feel he had to retell his story a second time. “He needs us to find out just how serious the threat may be and what can be done to protect them.”

Diesel leaned back on the desk, his thick arms folding over his chest as he fell into deeper thoughts on the matter. “Do you need some personal defense? It takes time for a gun permit but there are other things I can arrange for you.”

“It’s not that kind of threat.” Trofim assured him.

The next thirty minutes were spent with questions on how much info Trofim knew about Shay’s father. They seemed to take some cautioned interest when he told them Shay’s father had somehow gotten a court order take all the money his mother had left him.