King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

Sephle

Adrik looked between me and Vitaliy, completely surprised and maybe slightly worried. I smiled at him. “Don’t worry, he just wants to hear stories about what a ba dass I am,” I said, smirking at Adrik. He immediately relaxed, laughing at me.

“We can help with that, too,” Viktor said.

“Good. I want to hear everything. She needs time with the Colombian anyway. He needs her,” Vitaliy said in Russian as he walked toward the house, expecting everyone to follow him. Adrik looked torn between following his father and staying with me.

I put my hands on his chest. “Go. You’ll be glad you did. He’s right, too. I want to talk to Trino. I have a feeling there’s something he needs said.”

Aleksei had noticed Adrik’s hesitancy to leave me. “Go, I will stay with her and the Colombian. I’ll bring her to you when they’re done. I know where he’s going,” he said, nodding his head toward Vitally.

Adrik glanced at me once more, kissing me gently, then followed his father. The guys looked torn between following Adrik and staying with me. “You can go, too. I’ll be okay. He wasn’t kidding. He really does want to hear stories about me. I promised him glory. You guys better deliver and make me sound way f**king better than I am. I’m talking mythological proportions, fellas. Fables. Epic poetry. Urban legends. All of it.”

Every single one of them gave me their best smiles as they followed Adrik. Aleksei looked at me as they were leaving, his eyebrow raised. “You are very special. He hasn’t smiled in years, much less laughed. I’m not sure how you managed it, but thank you. He needed that.” He didn’t wait for me to respond. He walked a short distance from me and Trino, giving us privacy.

“I’ve really gotta learn Russian if I’m going to keep hanging out with you people,” Trino said cheekily.

“You know, I’ve thought the same about learning Spanish,” I said, laughing. We stood in mostly comfortable silence for a few moments, then I asked. “You were able to see her?”

“Si, Miha. I spent the last few hours with her. She was still lucid enough when I got there that she knew who I was. My father said she’d been in and out most of the day, but she recognized him right before I got there. She told him I was coming, even.” He laughed. “He didn’t believe her. He thought she was hallucinating again, then I showed up ten minutes later.”

“Trino. I’m so sorry, but I’m so thankful you got to see her. I didn’t know about your mother until I’d already told you to leave,” I said, reaching out and putting my hand on his arm.

“Miha, I don’t know how to ever thank you. I thought I was in debt to you before for giving me closure about Mateo, but now this. My mother was stubborn. She wouldn’t let my father tell me. She said I was a busy man and she didn’t want to bother me.” His voice cracked as he struggled to finish

the sentence.

Trino. They sacrifice for their children. Willingly. I’m fairly sure she would tell you she’d do it again,

so. “It’s weird. My entire world is falling apart and I can’t stop thinking about how grateful

but there’s a reason for everything. It’s our job to figure out the reason. This

you know everything you do, but I’m forever in your debt and

I put my arm through his, walking us toward Aleksei. “Come on, you can add to

nodded to both of us. “Follow me,” he said in his thick Russian

of here,” I said, mostly to myself as we walked into the room. Adrik’s eyes landed on me immediately when we walked into the

sladkaya,” Vitaliy sald in Russian, watching as Adrik pulled me

definition of impressive, I think,” I said, smiling at him. “But I

laughed. “They did

don’t want to leave him out,” I said in English. Vitaliy laughed for the

happening. I’ve heard little pieces here and there from some of my contacts I still keep in touch with, but I’m

players behind the coup. “You know I banished

actually get that

clearly curious. We hadn’t gone into explicit detail about Armando’s betrayal and Vitaliy didn’t know yet that Ivan and I were taken. When he heard all the details of what had happened, he was clearly angry, but surprisingly, it was somewhat directed at me. “You said you got hurt and

Vitaliy, as calmly as I could, and said, “because I knew this would be your reaction and I preferred to

speak, but shu t it without saying a word. I heard Adrik cough quietly and I knew he was trying not

badly she was hurt either,” Trino said. “I saw her

but I’m still here,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

of Armando?”

pretty much

“What advice?”

longer. None of them could keep it