King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

King of the Underworld

483

Sephie

Once Adrik had hnished with his last meeting of the day, we waited for Stephen to come back after escorting that last meeting back to the lobby and we all joined Adrik in his office. Both Adrik and Stephen knew we were up to no good, just like Ivan did.

“One part of me loves that you’re all automatically in on it whenever something funny happens, but another part of me is frustrated because it ki lls. the suspense,” I said as we walked into the office. I quickly shared an image of Trino and his new lady friend to Adrik before Viktor brought them all

to his office.

“That was unexpected,” he said. He thought for a minute, then added, “he wants your approval, no doubt.”

“I think he needs all of our approvals. He just doesn’t know it yet,” I said.

“Diabolical. I might love you a little more right now,” Adrik said, standing up and walking toward me.

1 giggled as he wrapped his arms around me. We heard Viktor’s deep voice talking to Trino as they walked to the office door. Adrik quickly said to everyone, “I don’t care that she’s a potential love interest. Everyone gets thoroughly vetted now. That means Gus, Oscar, Chris, Keith, AND Trino. I’m taking no chances. You guys see or feel anything suspect on anyone, you let me know,”

I glanced over to see Andrei discreetly touch Stephen’s arm, so he got the message as well. We were still trying to think of ways to communicate with him that didn’t involve touching him, but we hadn’t figured out how to make it happen quite yet. He still required physical touch to get the message, but it happened instantly and someone could just brush his arm and convey the information to him.

We all carefully studied everyone as they walked in the office. Viktor was at ease with everyone, as everyone was at ease with Viktor. The woman that was with Trino seemed nervous, but she was walking into an office with six more giant men she didn’t know who were hired based on their abilities to intimidate people with one look. I could understand her apprehension.

“Trino. Now I understand why you’ve been MIA,” I said, smiling at him as he walked in, his arm around her.

He smiled at me, walking to me and Adrik. After he shook Adrik’s hand, he said, “Miha, I want you to meet Emilia.” She smiled shyly, extending her

hand to me.

I’m borrowing your gift,” I told Adrik as I went to shake her hand. I didn’t feel Ivan’s bubble, which was a good sign for her. Bad sign for Misha. When my hand touched hers, I felt nothing but a moment

tall, but she was beautiful. She had jet black hair, olive skin, and golden-brown eyes. Her smile, while nervous, was genuine. Trino noticed me looking her over. He couldn’t keep the smile from his

mo uth fell open. “Since when did you learn Italian?”

closer to Spanish than Russian. Baby steps,” he said,

learning Spanish easily,” I said.

that quickly, Spanish will be a

was still smiling, but he was also looking very expectantly at me. I couldn’t help but laugh. “So far, so good, Trino. I need to

guys a translation of what he’d just

most of the conversations

stop pouting. There will be other chances,” Adrik

in Italian? Yeah, that was a good time,” he said, trying to cover. It was so absurd that it made

“Nice save,

laughing

work on that, Clearly, “Misha responded, pretending to shove Stephen over so he could sit down next to him. To everyone else, it looked like they were clowning around. In reality, he’d just let Stephen in on

Adrik had said.

Trino?” I asked. She immediately looked petrified that I’d asked her anything. Poor thing was scared out of her

zero in on the fact that she seemed overly scared. Before, I could never tell when he was actively fishing through anyone else’s head. I could feel him in mine, just as he could feel me when I went snooping through his, but I had never felt anything when he looked at

of by accident,” she said. She glanced up at

her on the street and knocked her down. She got up and cussed

was laughing with Oscar. “She ripped me a new one. I think she might’ve bruised my sternum from her finger poking me as she cursed me and pretty

shared in my so far favorable impression of Emilia. I looked between Oscar and Gus, asking, “and what did

say anything at first, then he asked her to dinner. We were sure she was going to smack him, but she accepted instead,” Gus said.