King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

King of the Underworld

484

Sephie

As we walked across the floor to the bathroom, Emilia very shyly asked me, “how long have you known Trino?*

I thought for a few minutes, glancing at Ivan and Andrei. “I actually don’t know the answer to that question. I’m terrible about keeping up with information like that. Like six months or so? Sure, that seems right.” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

She laughed. “We’ll go with that,” she said as she walked into the bathroom. I waited outside with Ivan and Andrei. Most everyone in the office had gone home for the day, but there were still a few overachievers still working ban and Andrei both put themselves between me and anyone left in the office without me having to say anything.

Ivan said, in Russian, “I haven’t seen anything on her. I also don’t have my usual murderous rage when it comes to chicks around her.”

“If ever there was a glowing endorsement, that should be it,” I said, laughing.

“She needs Viktor, but otherwise, I think she checks out. So far, everyone in the office has checked out from what I can see. Although I think we need to have a discussion about how much Keith hearts Stephen,” Andrei said

1 giggled. “I caught that too. Like maybe a little stalkery, even. Does Stephen still hang out with him?”

“When would he have time? He’s always with us now,” Ivan said, his sly grin curling up one side of his mo uth,

“And this is how Keith came to ha te us all so he decided to revenge move to Colombia,” I said as Emilia walked out of the bathroom. Her eyes were little wide when she heard us speaking Russian. “Don’t worry about that either. We were actually making jokes. Russian is just such a coarse language that anything sounds like a threat.”

“You could say the same for Spanish and Italian, honestly. My neighbor is Arabic though. They win the prize for harshest language ever,” she said as we walked back to the office.

“You might have a point there,” I said, laughing quietly. Adrik’s eyes landed on mine as we walked back through the door. Since he couldn’t see that my eyes changed, I pushed my warmth to him.

We heard Ivan laughing in our heads. “I can feel you two being f**king adorable right now,” he told us. I glanced at Ivan, completely surprised he could feel that and also apologetic he could feel that. “Don’t apologize, princess. I think I’m just extra sensitive to you both right now. It’s not a normul occurrence,” he told us.

his arms around me as Ivan sat down on the couch with us, I did catch Trino kissing Emilia’s hand as

was short-lived, as Adrik asked, “have

increase his anger each time, but I just couldn’t help myself. He finally said, “he’s still trying to take over while I’ve been gone. There

what of the

trying to work with him again. But now he won’t work with them. My people tell me he’s severed ties with Sal and Ricardo. Something about him not getting payment he was owed. He’s du mb enough to think

couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re the reason he didn’t get that payment. We put her on a plane with a

about him getting paid with a

“It was not our idea. We’re the ones that stopped it. Her godfather was the one that arranged it, for the record. We’re very pro-not using any humans as payment

“Giana was the payment? Really?”

trafficking. He threatened to kidnap and sell her if she didn’t obey. She was payment for something happening in the city, but we never got that detail. She’s safe now.

in stunned silence for a few moments, clearly shocked that Martin was capable of such things. He finally

just chuckled. “Yeah, so about that. It’s slightly

do you mean?” he

for him. I said, in Italian, “remember those times we saved you from dying and

nodded, saying, “that is not something I could

bigger. We don’t

bad is i he

could ever

knees as he considered his options. He glanced toward Chris and

have to pass to be your security. Your last security team

“You would’ve done me a favor, honestly.” He looked at Gus, then that, then glanced at Chris and Keith one more time. Finally, he looked at Emilia. He looked back to me. “She’s passed your approval process so far, Miha?” I nodded. “Good. We’ll see how she does in the advanced round,” he said, leaning back and

I asked him in English.

my life. You’re the reason I got to see my mother one last time. Whatever you’re about to tell me, pales in comparison

I said, getting up to close the

idea. We’re the ones that stopped it. Her godfather was the one that arranged it, for the record. We’re

“Giana was the payment? Really?” he asked.