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.

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

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

might not be able to see it at the time, but there’s a reason for everything. It’s our job to

how you know everything you do, but I’m forever in

said, laughing. I put my arm through his, walking us toward Aleksei. “Come on, you can add to the stories about me

me,” he said in

our way through the house to a study at the opposite end of the house. “I’m never going to find my way out 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 room, almost like he was expecting us to walk in at that moment. Trino patted my hand that was still holding his arm, releasing my arm

in Russian, watching as Adrik pulled me next to him on the

definition of impressive, I think,” I said, smiling at him. “But I did tell them I promised you glory. I hope they didn’t disappoint.”

did

speak English for Trino? He has stories of my glory as well I don’t want to leave him out,” I said in English. Vitaliy laughed for the second time in

and there from some of my contacts I still keep in touch with, but I’m guessing it’s

big players behind the coup. “You know I banished Lorenzo just as a

might actually get that

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 couldn’t train. You never said anything about almost dying at the hands of Armando!”

could, and said, “because I knew this would be your reaction

saying a word. I heard Adrik cough quietly and I knew he was trying not

was hurt either,” Trino said. “I saw her soon after. It

wasn’t ideal, but I’m still here,”

what of Armando?” Vitaliy asked.

wishing he took her advice, pretty much on a daily

“What advice?”

could keep it together long enough to answer, so