King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Four

Sephie

“I was trying to catch Mike talking to Anthony again so I could confirm it, but I haven’t seen him around for a few days. I know Armando was gone over the weekend, so | figured he was with them, but I haven’t seen Mike since they got back. I’m worried he went back to Anthony. And if I’m being honest, you guys always seem like you want to ki ll me anytime I give you Information,” Andy said, running his hand through his hair.

“And yet, you’re still alive. It’s like magic, really.” I said, crossing my arms across my chest. “Don’t be a pu ssy, Andy. You’ve been in this world long enough, for fu ck’s sake. They saved your a ss, gave you a safe place to live, and everything you need. If they wanted to ki ll you, you would’ve been dead a long time ago. Cut the bu llshit.”

Adrik cleared his throat quietly beside me and I knew it was because he was trying not to laugh. I felt his hand slip under my shirt, his thumb tracing circles on the bare skin of my back.

Andy looked to me, surprised at my words. He thought for a moment. Ivan was losing patience and said, “you realize if she’s losing patience with you that mine was gone before I even walked into the office. It’s in your best interest that you start talking.”

Andy started to say something, then stopped himself. He took a deep breath, then said. “I was trying to work it into a job here. Either with your security or Armando’s. I knew if I could catch Mike working for Anthony, it would look good for me and you’d be more willing to trust me, so I waited to try and get hard proof, But then I haven’t seen him for a few days, so I got worried.”

I looked at Viktor to gauge his reaction. The look on his face said he was not the least bit interested in hiring Andy at this moment. He said, in Russian, “he’s not working for us. I can talk to Armando and see if he wants him.”

“Only after all this is over. Not before,” Adrik said. Viktor nodded his head in agreement. Adrik glanced down at me, like he was asking my opinion on it as well.

“I don’t trust him. It was shaky at best before this, but this would’ve been good information to have weeks ago,” I said.

Adrik looked at Andy. In English, he said, “next time you have information that directly affects us, you tell us right away. We’ll consider the job after all this is over. Until then, nothing changes,” I could feel Adrik’s anger, but I could also feel that he was trying to contain it. It was almost like I could feel him struggling against it. Each time it happened, I could feel more than the time before. It felt almost like I could feel what he was feeling in his body and it was mirrored in mine.

Andy nodded and took his leave quickly. As we watched him walk out of the office, I turned toward Adrik, putting my hands on his chest. I could feel his anger fade away as he looked at me. I felt the calm return as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I smiled up at him. “That was different,” I said.

He leaned down and kissed me quickly. “We’ll talk about it later,” he said, winking at me. He pulled me with him to his chair. Viktor had followed Andy to the door, closing it behind him as he left. Andy had his own guards assigned to make sure he didn’t leave the building without permission, so there was no need to follow him any farther. Everyone moved to find a place to sit. Adrik pulled me into his lap as he sat back at his desk.

this new bit of information. I was frustrated with how difficult it was becoming to know who we could trust and who we couldn’t trust through

this means that Keith and Chris are in question as well?” I

worth having a very serious conversation with both of them to find out,” Ivan

Adrik said. While he had a moment of calm, I could feel

into telling you the truth. I smiled to

walked in, somewhat curious as to what was

know everything you know about Mike,” Ivan said.

kind of like a moot point

for your opinion?” Ivan asked, a

happening. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, but I kind of need

it felt like Keith was trying to avoid the question, I could see that he was being honest and was trying to figure out how to

He was gone for a couple years before I decided to leave. Honestly, we lost touch until we both showed up for this job. I didn’t really like him when we worked together before, so I wasn’t exactly jumping at the chance to catch up with him,” he said.

didn’t know you’re g ay?” I asked. Keith turned back

“They know, Keith.”

He was not as

they would’v given him

about what he’d been doing in the couple years between him leaving and getting this job?” I

failed the psych test,” Keith said. “He never really went into details, but I also never really asked. I almost didn’t take this job. because of him, if I’m being honest. It was so much better after he left,” he said.

you leave then?” Misha asked.

advancement. I’d pretty much topped out early on in my career. There, uh, also wasn’t much of a dating scene in town. I knew Mike had initially moved to the city, but

said.