Chapter 124


    Chapter One Hundred Twenty Four


    Sephie


    Adrik looked concerned when he saw us walk into his office. He immediately stood and came toward


    us. Ivan set me down, so Adrik could have ess to me. “Solnishko, what happened? Are you okay?”


    He put his hands on my shoulders, holding me at arm’s length to look me over.


    I chuckled. “Please say no the next time someone wants me to go shopping or anything closely rted


    to a girl’s day out. Just t out tell them I’m not allowed to go. I promise I won’t argue. I licking ha te


    shopping. It was endless. They wouldn’t stop. They’d still be going if you hadn’t called. It was torture.


    My hip is hicking killing me


    now.”


    He cursed under his breath as he bent down and picked me up. He walked me to the couch, sitting with


    me in hisp. I sighed. as I leaned against him, happy to be sitting and happier to be in his arms. The


    guys were still mostly amused at my response to shopping.


    Ivan looked at Viktor and Stephen. “You should’ve heard her in the elevator when we got rid of the


    other two. She really ha tes shopping.”


    “The Devil invented shopping. That was the forbidden fruit. I know it. Eve fu cked us all with her weird


    need to try on every article of clothing known to man.”


    They allughed. Adrik kissed my cheek, a somewhat surprised lock on his face. “I didn’t know I


    should’ve put a time limit on how long you could stay gone.”


    “Yes. Give me a curfew next time. Twenty minutes, tops. Then I have to be back. This is a good n.


    You’re a genius.” I grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.


    They were all stillughing at my anger over shopping all day long It was funny, admittedly, but I was


    going to pay for it


    tomorrow.


    I looked at Adrik. “Did you really have news or you just said that to get us back here? Either way, bless


    you.”


    He chuckled. “I do have news, but I’ll keep that in mind the next time I need you back here quickly.” He


    winked at me. “I spoke with the Colombians today. Trino called me not long after you guys left.”


    I looked at him, curiously. “Have they met with Lorenzo and Anthony?”


    Heughed. “They did, but not before making them wait for two and a half weeks.”


    “Seriously? Have they been in South America waiting since they left Sicily?” Ivan asked, surprised.


    “It appears so,” Adrik said, still chuckling. “Trino said they had heard about the attempt on my life at the


    ball, but he didn’t believe it. He was contacted by Anthony a few days after, wanting to have a meeting


    about a new deal with him, Lorenzo, and Salvadori. Trino told them toe to Colombia, then made


    them wait while he investigated whether I was still alive or not. He couldn’t confirm it until we came


    back to the city, which is why he made Lorenzo and Anthony wait that whole time. Once Trino knew I


    was still alive, he knew Lorenzo and Anthony were up to no good. He met with thern, under the


    pretense that I was dead. He said either they don’t know for sure either, or they were trying hard to sell


    it to him, because they acted as if 1 was dead. They gave him a story about another boss being killed


    overseas, as well, which meant the city was in chaos and they were trying to restore order, which is


    why they wereing to him. They’re trying to align with him, hoping he can help them


    restore order.”


    “He’s going to help them?” I asked.


    “He’s going to make them belleve he’s helping them. Trino is a very smart man. He’s trying to be as


    legitimate of a businessman as Armando and me. He would’ve seen through their story even without


    doing his due diligence to see if I was still alive or not. Tring has people throughout the city. That was


    part of the deal he made with me. He said there were a few bosses that he didn’t trust and wanted his


    people to be able to keep an eye on them. I agreed to it and made very lucrative terms for him so he


    would remain loyal to me. No one knows the actual terms of our deal, so Lorenzo and Anthony didn’t


    come close to matching It with the deal they offered him. He told them he would consider and get back


    to them. They’re still down there.”


    “Do they really think Armando is dead too?” I asked, not totallyprehending how sloppy they were


    being.


    “I’m not sure on that one. They likely didn’t wait around to see if the explosion was sessful or not.


    I’m also not convinced thewyer told them about you and I. Trino seemed pretty convinced that they


    believed I was dead, and you were in the wind.” He had started ying with the curls around my face


    as he talked, wrapping and unwrapping them lightly around his finger. I closed my eyes, feeling


    exhausted, but still wanting to hear the details.


    “How long does Trino have to give them an answer?” Ivan asked.


    “He said he’s supposed to give them an answer by the end of the week, so three days,” Adrik said, still


    wrapping and unwrapping.


    “I think we should create a bit of our own chaos, Boss.” Ivan said.


    “How so?” Adrik asked, genuinely intrigued.


    –


    “I wonder if Dario and Massimo know that they’re meeting with the Colombians. It doesn’t make sense


    to me that Dario is working with Salvadori. Armando was right those two ha te each other and have for


    years. I think Dario and Massimo are quietly trying to form their own faction, if you will. Let’s see if they


    contact Trino, after they find out that Lorenzo and Anthony are down there. Maybe we can get them to


    take care of each other, Ivan said, his hands running over his dark goatee. “Or at


    the very least, take one faction out, so we have less to worry about!”


    “Squishy, if I haven’t told you thistely, I’m telling you now, I fu cking love your brain. You, sir, are


    diabolical and I am fu cking here for it. I would high five you but you’re so far away and I’m a go ddamn


    princess that can’t be bothered to walk on my own.”


    They allughed. Ivan got up and came to the couch, just to give me a high five.


    Viktor’s deep voice interjected over theughter. “I don’t know, sestrichka, you’re extra funny when


    you’re cranky from having to go shopping all day. You might have to do it more for our benefit.”


    “Viktor, we don’t use that kind ofnguage in this house.” I looked at him as sternly as I could, before


    laughing.


    Moreughter, as they enjoyed not being the targets of my anger this time around.


    As theughter died down, Adrik was deep in thought. “I think that’s a good n, Ivan. Armando can


    nt the seed with Dario and Massimo, then we’ll see what they do with the information.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.