King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

Chapter Three Hundred Eighteen

Sephle

“We can just call the doctor. We don’t have to go all the way back to the hospital,” I said, knowing full well I was not going to get out of having to go back to the doctor this moming. “Andrei can call him. He’ll tell him my lung is doing better.” I had a mischievous smile on my face, trying to see how they’d react to me being bratty about going to the hospital.

“You do feel better this morning, spider monkey. That’s not a lie for once,” he said, grinning at me.

“See? No need to go to the hospital. Dr. Bubba told me I was okay,” I said.

Adrik smiled at me, instead of being frustrated like I thought he was going to be. “You’re still going, but it makes me happy that you’re feeling better, solnishko. Yesterday was the first day you were awake for more than two hours in over a week.”

“It was a big day. Andrei’s a genius,” I said, laughing when his cheeks flushed.

“No arguments from me,” Adrik said. “I’m happy he found something that helped. I was beginning to have abandonment issues.” He smiled widely at me, causing the warmth to spread over my entire body.

“We all were,” Ivan said.

The trip to the doctor was much easier this time. Not only was I starting to be able to breathe better, finally, but my shoulder was starting to hurt less when it had to be taken out of the sling. The x-ray wasn’t nearly as painful this time.

“I have good news this time around,” Dr. Williams said as he walked into the exam room. “Your lung looks much clearer this time.”

“She’s finally feeling better, but it took until yesterday for her to start to really make improvements,” Ivan said. “Yesterday was the first day she was awake for more than a few hours.”

“How’s your appetite now?” Dr. Williams asked.

“Still not as good as it should be, but she’s been able to keep bone broth down the last two days,” Andrei said.

“That’s a good option. Unfortunately, I want you to continue the antibiotics for another 7 days, which isn’t going to help your stomach. Yogurt helps, broth is great, basically whatever you can stomach, but you need to eat. I can clearly see that you’ve lost weight since the last time I saw you,” the doctor said. He had a chastising tone to his words.

I sighed. “I know. Trust me, I’d rather eat.”

“It’s not her fault. She has a very sensitive stomach,” Andrei said, protectively.

can write you a prescription for an appetite stimulant,” Dr. Williams said.

you’ve noticed, but things tend to

“You need food to help your body heal. At this point, a candy bar is going to be beneficial for you. Eat,” he said, looking

I wasn’t in the mood to be lectured by him. Adrik reached across my lap, almost like he was trying to push me behind him. He said quietly, in Russian, “look at the floor.” He then looked to the doctor, curtly

keep it in the sling as much as possible. If there’s an issue with breathing amain, come back right away. Once you’ve had pneumonia, it’s easy

any issues with your breathing very seriously and come back here as soon as you notice something is off,” Dr. Williams said as he stood to leave

behind him, Adrik looked at me, immediately smiling when he looked at my eyes.

days at a time. I’ll take it from you guys because I love your all, but he can f**k right off with his lecture on my

face. Then he looked

better.”

motioned for Ivan to help me up. “I am feeling better and I want to be gone from this place,” I announced. “Who’s carrying me

leave faster?”

Adrik’s arms around me as he picked me up. He looked in my eyes, telling me, “keep

got in beside me. He was still clearly amused at my attitude with the doctor. He leaned over and kissed me passionately, but stopped much too soon for my

want to risk you not being able to catch

know. I still don’t like it,

Maybe not soon

his pocket. “Trino,” he said, answering it. Because we were in the SUV, he didn’t put it on speaker, so I could only hear one side of the conversation.

worked until his hand was under the sweatshirt and thermal shirt I was wearing and his fingers were running lightly over my bare skin, trying to keep himself calm. “And your guys have no idea where he was headed? Have you checked the private airport?” He

Trino. We actually expected this. Sephie called it when you delivered Anthony and Lorenzo. She’ll be happy to hear she’s won the bet pool,” he said. Sal’s finally decided

more

soon after. As Adrik was putting his phone back in his pocket, Ivan said from the front seat,

run?”

said he must’ve had tunnels under his house, because his guys haven’t seen anyone leave in two days. It felt off, Trino sent a team in to the house. There’s been no movement or any signs of anything in the house for a couple days. They were all

is right now?” I asked

seen in the city. We didn’t have anyone on him, because we didn’t know to have anyone on him, so the short

earnings from Sal’s bet pool that he’s going wherever Ricardo is,” I

“Don’t say that in front of Trino. I did not peg him as having a thing

is a complicated

what they could find out. Once upstairs, Misha and I both looked at each other. “Do you think we can find