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.

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

was short-lived, as Adrik asked, “have you heard anything

in Spanish. I don’t know why his cursing tirades always made me laugh, but they did. I think it only served to 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 are some pendejos that are working with him now, but some have stayed loyal to me. There are more that have stayed loyal to me in my network than are working with

the Mexicans?” I asked.

with them. My people tell me he’s severed

that payment. We put her on a plane with a new ID so no one could find her,” Ivan said.

went wide. “You’re talking about him getting paid with

We’re the ones that stopped it. Her godfather was the one that

again. “Giana was the

Lorenzo’s human trafficking. He threatened to kidnap and sell her if she didn’t obey. She was payment for something happening in the city, but we

He finally looked at Adrik, anger clearly visible on his face.

felt me tense, but he just chuckled. “Yeah, so

do you mean?”

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

is not something I could easily

much bigger. We don’t know

bad is i he

ever

on his knees as he considered his options.

to you slowly, but that’s one of the tests they have to pass to be your security. Your last security team almost met with an untimely end because of their issues regarding me,” I said.

Finally, he looked at Emilia. He looked back to me. “She’s passed your approval process

sure?” I asked him

you my life. You’re the reason I got to see my mother one last time. Whatever you’re

I said, getting up to close

godfather was the one that arranged it, for the

was the payment? Really?”