Chapter 171


    Chapter One Hundred Seventy-One


    Sephie


    Andrei, done with the dishes, sat next to Ivan. “How did you get to be so urate at reading people,


    spider monkey? Like every time you say something about someone, it’s alwayspletely urate


    and makes me feel du mb for not noticing it before.”


    I smiled at him. “You shouldn’t feel du mb for not noticing these things, Bubba. I always thought I was a


    weirdo for doing so. You’re the normal one. Most people don’t notice these things.”


    Ivan, now curious too, asked, “what were you like as a kid? Like did you drive your m om crazy just


    constantly diagnosing her?”


    Iughed. “No. My m om is probably where I get this from. When I was little, she would teach piano


    lessons from the living room in our house. I was a quiet kid, so she would always keep me in the room


    so she could keep an eye on me while she taught. Sometimes I would y with whatever toy I had, but


    I would soon get bored with that, so I’d watch her interacting with her students. They would get


    frustrated because they couldn’t get the hang of something and she would always stop the lesson and


    talk to them about the rest of their life. She knew it was never about piano. It was always something


    else that was on their mind. Teachers are part psychologists, I think. I guess that’s why I notice the


    small details about people. It seems so obvious to me because I’ve been doing it for so long. As I got


    older, I would do my homework in the room that her students would wait in for their lesson. I started to


    be able to tell when something was off when they walked into the house. As they walked into the living


    room for their lesson, I would cough to let my m om know they needed to talk. Pretty sure most of her


    students just thought I was asthmatic or something. I coughed a lot,” I said,ughing.


    Adrik crossed his arms across his chest. “Those students probably still have no idea how lucky they


    were to have your m om as a piano teacher.”


    I smiled. “A few of them do. I asionally run into her former students. They recognize my hair and ask


    if it’s me. The few I’ve run into told me how she changed their life for the better.”


    Ivan’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, walking away from the kitchen so as not to interrupt


    our conversation, but we all waited to hear who it was. We were all anxious to hear from Viktor. He


    walked back quickly, visibly rxed. “They got Andy and they’re at the safe house. The extra guards


    were already there, so they’re just finding out everything Andy knows and then they’ll be back. I told


    him Sephie was cooking, so he’s going to hurry now,” he said, a sly smile across his face.


    We all audibly exhaled, relieved that it had went well and was over. “How long does Andy have to stay


    at the safe house?” I asked.


    “Just for a day or two until things quiet down and we know for sure that Sal’s guys didn’t manage to


    follow him,” Ivan said.


    “Then what? Hees here?” I asked.


    Ivan nodded his head. “It’s easier to keep him safe here. He can be an asset about other aspects of


    Sal’s operation as well.”


    “He can join Team America with Armando’s guys,” I said,ughing.


    Viktor, Misha, and Stephen walked into the penthouse just as I was finishing up dinner. Mike, Chris,


    and Keith were behind them. Armando hadn’te up yet, but had sent Adrik a message that he


    would be up shortly. Giana was asleep and he was finishing up some work he needed to get done, then


    he’d be up.


    “Sephie, that smells like I love you,” Viktor said, his broad smile stretching across his face, as he


    walked into the kitchen.


    “My giant Russian bear of a security master!” I said, running to him. He opened his arms to catch me


    as I jumped into his arms. “I’m so happy you’re back safely,” I said to him as he put me down. “It went


    well?” I asked, moving immediately to Misha and


    wrapping my arms around his neck.


    “It went well. A hup or two, but Keith is quick on his feet, so it’s all good,” Viktor said.


    “I might be quick on my feet, but it wouldn’t have turned out so well were it not for Stephen,” Keith said.


    I caught Stephen’s cheeks flush slightly as I hugged him too,


    Stephen, were you showing off again?” I asked, hugging him tightly.


    Heughed. “Maybe just a little,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets.


    “That’s my tiny cared Yoda,” I said,ughing. keith looked at Stephen curiously, but said nothing. I


    caught Stephen stealing a nce at Keith, but then looking away like he was somewhat shy. I nced


    to Adrik, who was also watching the exchange. He nodded discreetly, indicating he had seen it too.


    While the guys shoveled the food into their mouths, we discussed what Andy had told everyone about


    Sal’s ns. Viktor said, “Boss, it’s like we were thinking after we got the info from the guys that


    attacked Misha and Sephie. But it’s even worse.” He paused to take a bite of food, so Misha picked up,


    saying, “Sal is nning on causing chaos in every part of the city but his own. He knows the people in


    his part of the city aren’t happy with him, so he’s killing two birds with one stone in this n. He’s going


    to unleash chaos on the rest of the city, but keep his area safe, in an attempt to win back his people.”


    He paused to take another bite of food, so Stephen finished the n, “in those parts of the city that


    belong to bosses that are with him, he’s only distributing the brawn to those who are already users.


    He’s trying topletely rece the supply of all other drugs in those parts of the city with his new


    formtion of brawn, so they’re getting it whether they want to or not. However, and this is truly evil, in


    Armando’s area of the city, he knew he couldn’t get to those dealers without Mando finding out. So,


    he’s bought the guy at the water district.”


    Adrik didn’t say a word, but he pulled his phone out and dialed Armando. “Get up here. Now.” He


    promptly hung up and ced his phone back in his pocket.


    “Did Andy have an idea of how close Sal was to recing the drug supply? Clearly, he’s already been


    sessful in Vito’s area of the city, since they’re rioting. What about the other areas?” Ivan asked.


    “He’s been kept out of the loop somewhat, since Sal was already beginning to suspect him, but he said


    he had to deliver a package to a warehouse for one of the other guys and he saw the brawn operation.


    It takes a specific setup to make and he remembered it from when they first started making it years


    ago. He said the warehouse was full of pallets. But they’re not just making it in pills. They’re shipping it


    out in powder form too, for those people that prefer snorting or injecting. He said he asked one of the


    guys at the warehouse why they had powder and the guy told him they’re packaging it to look like other


    drugs. The dealers are going to sell it like their normal product,” Viktor said. “Andy thinks that the riotingThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    going on in Vito’s area right now is a bit of a test run. He hasn’t started to distribute the brawn, as far as


    Andy knows, yet.”


    “Can you even inject that stuff and expect to live?” I asked. I knew my uncle had taken the pills, but I


    wasn’t sure if he had ever gotten it into his system via another route.


    “It’s very dangerous when you do. You can overdose on it even when you take the pills, but it’s even


    easier to overdose on it when you try and inject it. He’s going to inevitably ki ll a lot of people with this


    n,” Ivan said.


    Armando walked into the penthouse, with Giana. He had a worried look on his face. Adrik skipped the


    pleasantries, asking right away, “who’s in charge of your water district?”