King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

“Sephie

I grabbed Adrik’s hands and pulled him with me to the bathroom so I could put my contacts back in. “You were right. There is more to what your mother told me. I didn’t know how much you wanted Ivan to know right now,” I said.

He chuckled. “I thought you were holding back.”

“It’s nothing big, but I still think you should hear it before anyone else does,” I said. I had stopped in front of the mirror, pulling his arms around my waist as he stood behind me. He rested his chin on my shoulder as I went about putting the contacts in. “She said she wanted to thank me for bringing you and Vitaliy together.” I stopped and looked at Adrik in the mirror. “I know you’re about to be shocked, but 1 argued with her and told her I hadn’t done anything.” He laughed as he moved my hair out of the way so he could kiss my shoulder. “She said that much of Vitaliy’s light died with her and he was almost overtaken by his own darkness, but that I was the spark he needed to remember his own light. I told her that you were right and I was just really good at getting grumpy men to laugh.”

“You’re very good at that,” he said, smiling as he continued to kiss my neck.

“I did ask her if she was special like Vitaliy and you. She said she wasn’t. She said all your power comes from Vitaliy. Apparently all mine comes from my dad. But I think she’s special in her own right. She said she accepted Vitaliy for who he is completely right away. He said something similar to me the first day we were here. It takes a very special person to be able to do that, especially with someone as complicated as Vitaliy.”

I turned to face him, after finishing with the contacts. “She told me that Vitaliy has a giant heart for the people he cares about, much like you do. He just struggles to show it. Even more than you do. That’s when I called him a cheeseball again and she made me promise to tell him I called him that.”

Adrik laughed. “I would actually pay to see that as well. Did she say anything else?”

“She did.” I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his gently. “She said you worry about me the same way Vitaliy used to worry about her. Ivan is almost as bad. Then she said that you all were good men. She said you needed to know that the Universe knows that you’re good men.”

I could see Adrik struggling with what I’d just told him. I watched as several emotions flashed across his face. I could see the internal struggle as he fought whether to believe her words or not.

hitched as he looked at me, his arms wrapped completely around me, holding me tightly against him.

should go back out. They’re going to come check on me again,”

closer to him. I rested my head against his hard chest. I felt his head resting on top of mine as his arms moved to keep me

the city for a few days. Trino was staying at the building while Viktor and Ivan helped him get a new security team setup, Gus, Oscar, and Chen were helping Trino with whatever

motherf**kers in Colombia label away from them, Oscar. They’re all pu ssies,” I said, when we were talking about his former

“I did not expect them to wet themselves over the

want to say that I have that effect on people, but that

know the truth. Don’t judge all Colombian men by the

get her to come to Colombia, than?” Gus asked.

man can try,” Trino said, laughing as they went

his men, who were set to arrive that evening. I walked to Adrik, who still finishing up a few things. “I’m going to head upstairs to get started on dinner,” I said, my hand running over the back

Misha. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. “I can wait on you, if you like,” I said against his lips. He reached and grabbed the back of my neck as he groaned quietly. He su cked my bottom lip into his mo uth, his tongue brushing lightly over it which made thighs clench in response. I heard him chuckle

he said.

smiled as I stood up. “Then get back to work,” I said as seriously as I could. He laughed and smacked my

the workday wasn’t over yet and I could feel everyone’s eye me as I walked from Adrik’s office. Since

their desks. Misha stood up immediately and stood between me and any lingering eyes. “Are you going