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.

for their children. Willingly. I’m fairly sure she would tell you she’d do

to fall from doing so. “It’s weird. My entire world is falling apart and I can’t stop thinking about how grateful I am that it happened so I could see her one

be able to see it at the time, but there’s a reason for everything. It’s our job

sighed. “Thank you, Miha. I still don’t know how you know everything you do, but I’m forever in your debt and I will always stay loyal to Jefe because of you.”

him without me, Trino. I’m just extra incentive,” I said, laughing. I put my arm through his, walking us

“Follow me,” he said in his thick

Adrik’s eyes landed on me immediately when we walked into the room, almost like he was expecting us to walk in at that moment. Trino patted my hand that

you, sladkaya,” Vitaliy sald in Russian, watching as Adrik

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

laughed. “They did anything but.”

want to leave him out,” I said in English. Vitaliy laughed for

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

hours filling in some of the details of everything that had happened since I met Adrik. Vitaliy was not surprised that Lorenzo and Salvadori were big players behind the coup. “You know I banished Lorenzo just as a

might actually get that

you got hurt and couldn’t train. You never said anything about almost dying at the hands of Armando!” he said, his voice quite loud. Adrik’s hold on me got a ittle tighter. I could feel his anger,

looked at Vitaliy, as calmly as I could, and said, “because I knew this would

it without saying a word. I heard Adrik cough quietly and I knew he was trying not to laugh. I glanced at Ivan, who was also

Trino said. “I saw her soon after.

still here,” I said,

Armando?” Vitaliy asked.

he took her advice, pretty

“What advice?”

them could keep it together long enough to answer, so it fell to