The Underworld Series, page 48
“Do they really think Armando is dead too?” I asked, not totally comprehending how sloppy they were being.
“I’m not sure on that one. They likely didn’t wait around to see if the explosion was successful or not. I’m also not convinced the lawyer told them about you and I. Trino seemed pretty convinced that they believed I was dead, and you were in the wind.” He had started playing with the curls around my face as he talked, wrapping and unwrapping them lightly around his finger. I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted, but still wanting to hear the details.
“How long does Trino have to give them an answer?” Ivan asked.
“He said he’s supposed to give them an answer by the end of the week, so three days,” Adrik said, still wrapping and unwrapping.
“I think we should create a bit of our own chaos, Boss,” Ivan said.
“How so?” Adrik asked, genuinely intrigued.
“I wonder if Dario and Massimo know that they’re meeting with the Colombians. It doesn’t make sense to me that Dario is working with Salvadori. Armando was right—those two hate each other and have for years. I think Dario and Massimo are quietly trying to form their own faction, if you will. Let’s see if they contact Trino, after they find out that Lorenzo and Anthony are down there. Maybe we can get them to take care of each other,” Ivan said, his hands running over his dark goatee. “Or at the very least, take one faction out, so we have less to worry about.”
“Squishy, if I haven’t told you this lately, I’m telling you now, I fucking love your brain. You, sir, are diabolical and I am fucking here for it. I would high-five you but you’re so far away and I’m a goddamn princess that can’t be bothered to walk on my own.”
They all laughed. Ivan got up and came to the couch, just to give me a high five.
Viktor’s deep voice interjected over the laughter. “I don’t know, sestrichka, you’re extra funny when you’re cranky from having to go shopping all day. You might have to do it more for our benefit.”
“Viktor, we don’t use that kind of language in this house.” I looked at him as sternly as I could, before laughing.
More laughter, as they enjoyed not being the targets of my anger this time around.
As the laughter died down, Adrik was deep in thought. “I think that’s a good plan, Ivan. Armando can plant the seed with Dario and Massimo, then we’ll see what they do with the information.”
When Adrik and I went to the penthouse later that evening, all the items I’d been talked into buying had been delivered. There were quite a few bags just inside the door. Adrik smiled when he saw them. “I’m glad you bought a few things. I hope you bought more panties,” he said, his eyebrow raised.
“Well, if someone would stop insisting on ripping them off, I wouldn’t have to replace them in bulk.” I went to pick up the bags to take them to the closet. Instead, he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.
“Leave those. You need to soak in a bath. I don’t like that your limp is back.”
“You read my mind. Don’t we have to change my bandage tonight anyway?” He nodded his head as he put me down on the bed.
“Ivan told me to leave the bandage off for a few hours this time. He said to let it dry out and then put the regular honey and bandage back on it. It’s healing well still, but it’s still slow. He said this might help speed it up,” he said as he went to turn the water on in the bathroom.
“I’d be fine with leaving the bandage off for longer than a few hours. The adhesive is really irritating. That hurts worse than the hole in my hip most days.”
“I think you will be able to do that soon, solnishko. Maybe a few more days of the bandage and it’ll be small enough that you can go without the bandage.” He pulled my shirt over my head as I yawned. I was so tired. I fell back on the bed, not wanting to make any more effort than absolutely necessary for the rest of the night. I heard him chuckle as he unbuttoned my jeans. “It was really that bad today?”
I laughed. “No, well, yes. But I am being a tad overdramatic about it all. I think I’m so cranky because my hip hurts so much. If that didn’t hurt, I probably wouldn’t have cared to keep going.” He pulled my jeans off, pulling me up to undo my bra. “I saw Max today,” I said as he pulled me up from the bed.
“Oh, yeah? You guys went to the restaurant?” he asked, surprised.
“No. God, no. He was on the sidewalk as we were walking back to the vehicles. Well, everyone else was walking. I was being carried like the goddamn princess I am,” I said, laughing.
He pulled my panties down, making sure that I noticed he didn’t rip them off, which made me laugh more. “How is Max?” he asked as he scooped me up to take me to the bathroom. He set me down on the counter, so he could remove my bandage as the tub continued to fill.
“He’s good, but you won’t believe this.” He stopped to look at me. I smiled at him, “He’s dating Tori now.”
“What?!” he exclaimed, completely surprised.
“That was my first reaction as well, but something seems fishy about it. Until I met you, I spent the most time with Max. Well, when he wasn’t seeing anyone seriously. He was probably the best friend I had at the time. He told me that Tori got a job at the restaurant, which isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. She’s a chef. It’s a restaurant. Makes sense, right?” He nodded as he picked me up from the counter and took me to the tub. He set me down, so I could sit in the hot water. I waited for him to get in behind me as I continued my thoughts, “but Max and I have a bunch of stupid, hilarious stories from working together for so many years. I would be willing to bet he told her a story about me. Max has very few rules, but not dating coworkers was always one that he stuck to. Religiously. If they’re dating, she would’ve had to initiate it. I just don’t think she has good intentions toward him.”
“Did you see Tori today?” he asked as he sat down behind me, pulling me back against him. The bath got instantly warmer as soon as I leaned back against his chest. I sighed, feeling my body relax at the warmth as well as at his touch.
“I didn’t see her. Misha said he saw her in the store, but doesn’t think she ever saw us. Poor Andrei was so angry after we left.”
“Did you tell Max that you knew her?”
“We didn’t have much time to talk. Ivan left Misha and Andrei with me, and he took Ms. Jackson and Giana to get one of the vehicles. He was on his way back, so I had time to ask a few questions about whether she knew that he was friends with me and if she knew before or after they started dating. I told him to get rid of her, that she was bad news, but he’s literally never listened to any advice I’ve given him on girls. Ever. I don’t see why he would start now.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I know he’s your friend and I know I keep saying this, but he’s not a smart man, Sephie. If he can’t see that you have his best intentions in mind, then he deserves everything that Tori does to him.”
I sighed. “I know you’re right. I guess I’m just worried that this is going to be the one time he doesn’t come back. Every time he would choose another girl over hanging out with me, I always worried it would be the last time. At some point, he’s going to find a lasting relationship and then he’ll forget all about me. It doesn’t hurt as much now that I have you and the guys, but it still hurts.” He wrapped his arms around my waist as he kissed my neck.
“Some people are in our lives forever, some for just a few chapters. Maybe his chapters are coming to a close,” he said, holding me tighter.
I wrapped my arms around his, lacing my fingers through his. “At least I have six more that will be there until the last page.”
“Always. We will always choose you.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Adrik
I woke the next morning to find Sephie in her favorite spot. She was snoring softly, her fingers playing on my chest. I ran my hand over her back. She simply snuggled into me more without waking. She was exhausted after shopping all day the day before. She was also adorable when she was cranky from shopping all day long. We all got more enjoyment out of her crankiness than we probably should have, but we couldn’t help it. She was hilarious, especially when her crankiness wasn’t directed at any of us.
I kissed the top of her head, picking her up slightly so I could get up. It was rare for her to not wake up when I moved, so I knew she needed the sleep. I quietly went about getting ready. I needed to meet with Armando this morning. He needed to let it slip to Dario and Massimo that Anthony and Lorenzo had indeed met with the Colombians and had gotten their support. Then we would wait and see what Dario and Massimo did with that information. If Ivan was correct, they would likely try to meet with the Colombians as well. I would make a call to Trino to inform him of this move as well, so he’d be ready. I trusted him, but I found myself wishing that Sephie could see him to get her opinion of him. Right now, that was out of the question, but perhaps we could arrange for her to meet him at some point.
I was ready to leave and Sephie still hadn’t woken up. I left her a note as usual and leaned down to kiss her, as well as cover her up so she wouldn’t get cold. The weather was starting to get cooler outside. She liked sleeping in my long-sleeved shirts more now.
I met Viktor in my office. “Sephie’s still tired from shopping, isn’t she?” he asked, still laughing about the evening before.
I looked at him, amused as well. “She didn’t even need triple strength tea this time. She really was exhausted. Can you have one of the guys go up and wait for her to wake up again?”
He nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He typed a few words, then put it back in his pocket.
Ivan walked in with Armando. “Good morning, Boss,” Armando said as he walked in. “Is Sephie not with you? I need to thank her for yesterday. Giana was so happy when she got back last evening.”
Ivan and Viktor both chuckled, knowing Sephie did not share the same sentiment. “She’s still upstairs, but I will make sure she gets the message,” I said.
“Giana introduced me to Ms. Jackson as well. She said she spent the day with them as well. She’s quite the woman,” he said, running his hand through his hair.
I smiled at him. “Did she threaten your life?” He nodded. “Don’t worry, that means she likes you,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder.
“I’m going to have to figure out how you surround yourself with such interesting women,” he said, laughing.
“It’s not me. Ms. Jackson came with Sephie. It’s all her.” I smiled to myself, thinking about how lucky I was to have her in my life.
We quickly got down to business, discussing Anthony and Lorenzo meeting with Trino. I explained Ivan’s plan to see if we could pit those two against Dario and Massimo, using the Colombians as the bait, basically.
“I like that plan,” Armando said, nodding toward Ivan. “It’s possible they’ll take care of each other for us.”
“Exactly,” Ivan said.
“I can make a call to Dario and Massimo and ask them to meet, see if they’ve heard anything from their guys, and tell them my guys found out about the deal they made with Trino. I still can’t imagine that Dario is working with Sal. I could be wrong, but those two have hated each other for so long. I can’t see them putting that to rest. What did Sephie say they do again when they’re lying?” Armando asked.
“Dario will repeat the question back to you, like he’s buying himself time to think of an answer. Massimo doesn’t blink. At all,” I said.
He nodded. “She’s like having a secret weapon. She should meet Trino too, just to be safe.”
I chuckled. “I had thought of that, yes. Not right now, but it’s a possibility in the future.”
“I’ll set something up and meet with them today,” he said.
“I’ll send a few of my people with you. They all know my guys, but I can send other security with you that they won’t recognize as mine, just to make sure you’re safe. We need to work on getting you your own security detail. Viktor can help you set that up and get guys trained,” I said.
“Thank you, Boss. I was going to ask you about that. I have admittedly been very relaxed about that over the last few years. It was just me to worry about, so I didn’t worry. Now I want to make sure Giana is safe,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow, remembering what Sephie had told me about Giana last night. He had a faraway look in his eye, like he was lost in thought. I remained silent, allowing his mind to drift wherever it wished. He slowly drifted back to reality, realizing that we were all looking at him. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen his cheeks so red. “You don’t need to explain the need to protect someone to me,” I said, a small smirk on my face.
He exhaled, still slightly embarrassed. He stood, mumbling something about calling Dario and Massimo. “I’ll let you know the plans to meet with them, so we can arrange security.” He extended his hand to me, saying, “I also want to thank you for letting us stay here, so Giana is safe and I don’t need to worry about her. I didn’t realize how worried I was about her since the explosion. And, please, give my thanks again to Sephie for yesterday. Giana was very happy last night. She had a great time. She loves Sephie and she even said Ivan is slightly less scary now,” he said, laughing. He walked out of the office to make the necessary arrangements.
I looked to Ivan, my eyebrow raised. “Giana is all right. She’s funny in her own right. She’s a very quiet girl, but she has potential. It’s pretty obvious Armando is practically in love with her, and I’d be willing to bet very good money that she feels the same way about him.”
“Interesting,” I said. Sephie would be happy to hear of Armando’s reaction to Giana’s safety.
I made a call to Trino, informing him about our plan to see if Dario and Massimo would also contact him. He agreed that it was a good plan. He was still making Anthony and Lorenzo wait for an answer for another few days. “I know it’s a dick move, but it’s really fun, man. They just wait like little puppy dogs for me to talk to them. I made them wait for weeks, Jefe!” He was laughing so hard on the other end of the phone that he couldn’t speak. I enjoyed Trino. He was a typical Spanish man. Very flamboyant with his wealth and just as likely to cuss you out as he was to help you out. He was passionate in everything he did, but he loved his family, and he took care of his city. Rules were different in South America. They played a little dirtier than we did, but he had brought order to the chaos once he took over the cartels in Colombia. They’d enjoyed many years of peace under him. The people loved him because of it.
“The longer you make them wait down there, the longer they’re out of my hair, so it’s much appreciated. I’m sending you a gift to show you just how much.”
“Jefe, you send the best gifts, but watching these pendejos squirm is a gift in itself,” Trino said. “And now you’re sending me two more? I should be sending you the gift, Jefe.”
I laughed. Trino was a good guy. He enjoyed his evil side as much as I did.
I had a few minor meetings the rest of the day. Armando had made plans to meet with Dario and Massimo that evening. Viktor organized a security detail to escort him. He would accompany them but stay out of sight, so neither Dario nor Massimo could spot him. It was admittedly difficult for my guys to blend into a crowd.
It was the middle of the afternoon, and I still hadn’t seen Sephie. I was trying not to be worried about her. I didn’t know if she was still asleep. It wasn’t like her to sleep quite this long, unless something was wrong. I called Misha, assuming he was the one waiting on her to wake up. He answered on the first ring. I could hear laughing in the background.
“Where are you?”
“Boss, she’s fine. She’s been awake for a while. Ms. Jackson called her down a little while ago.” He moved so he was out of earshot, since Ms. Jackson could understand Russian. “She’s been trying to leave for the last twenty minutes, but Ms. Jackson and Giana just keep talking to her. Giana has said more today than I’ve ever heard her say. Shopping is the way to that girl’s heart.”
“Tell her I need to see her and you, then. You can always use that excuse, anytime you see her trying to get away. I will always confirm that.”
He sighed. “Thanks, Boss. We’ll be right there.”
I ended the call, smiling at the thought of Sephie trying to get away from them but not being able to. She might be cranky again.
I didn’t have to wait longer than two minutes and she rushed into my office. I barely had time to stand up before she literally jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs and arms around me tightly. “Oh my God, you saved me. You have no idea how much I love you right now.” She was clinging to me like she’d barely escaped death. Misha walked in, laughing.
“They were making plans to go shopping again,” he said, trying not to laugh.
She leaned back enough that she could look me in the eyes. “They hate me. They must hate me. Why else would they want to torture me like that? I mean, Giana I don’t know very well, but Ms. Jackson? I thought she loved me.” She put both of her hands on either side of my face, looking at me very seriously. “I was wrong. I was so wrong.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her, making her laugh as well. “I can give you a curfew this time, solnishko.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck again, hugging me tightly. “See? You clearly love me.”
“I do love you, solnishko. I’m also working on getting Armando his own security detail. Giana can go shopping as much as she wants, and she’ll be safe once that detail is in place.”
She leaned back to look at me again. I was expecting her to say something funny, instead she kissed me. Hard. I was caught off guard by her passion, but found myself very turned on by it. Misha cleared his throat, reminding her that he was still in the room. She broke the kiss, pointing at him but not looking away from me. “Don’t be rude, my adorable Russian guardian.” He laughed as she unwrapped herself from me. She stood on her toes, kissing me one more time and turning to glare at Misha, before laughing. She leaned back against me, which I appreciated as I needed to adjust my pants otherwise. Her excitement to see me was unexpectedly arousing.
