Chapter 210


    Chapter Two Hundred Ten


    Sephie


    We continued talking for another hour or so, running through possibilities on how to handle the


    situation. We went through every what if scenario we could think of for what would happen if the


    shipment did get out. We were going to have to trust that the dealers wouldn’t sell it if they were


    sessful in getting the shipments switched.


    “Of course, that brings up another problem,” I said, as we were discussing their sess at switching


    the shipments. They all looked to me, waiting for me to borate. “Withdrawals,” I said.


    The guys caught on quickly, but Armando and Giana were still confused. “What do you mean?” Giana


    asked.


    “When you’re a regr drug user, your body needs that drug to function. When you don’t give it that


    drug, your body revolts and makes it painful until you give it that drug. Depending on the drug you’ve


    been using, the withdrawals can be, well, dramatic,” I said.


    “How do you know so much about this?” she asked, her tone had a hint of usation behind it.


    Adrik caught it. I felt him tense. Before I could answer, Ivan said, “everyone knows this.” His tone was


    harsh, but it was exactly what was needed to end that conversation. He continued, “so, we’re going to


    need to give the police and the hospitals a head’s up as well, should they be sessful with switching


    the shipments. That’s going to create its own chaos in the city.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “Fu


    ck,” he said. “It might be worth having a conversation with a few doctors to find out what’s needed to be


    able to handle that scenario.”


    “I know a guy. He should be able to keep his mo uth shu t,” I said, winking at Ivan. I turned to look at


    Adrik. “But can we bring him here this time?” He smiled softly at me, nodding his head. “I’ll make a call


    in the morning,” he said. I nced back to Ivan, who was clearly relieved.


    We finally ran through all the possibilities that we could think of for the evening. It was beginning to get


    late, so Armando and na took their leave. Chris and Keith got up to go with them, but Keith asked


    Viktor if they coulde back once Armando and Giana were safely in for the night. Viktor nodded his


    head. I caught the small smile that crept up one side of his face as they walked out.


    “They’re eager to learn,” he said. “They’ll be back once Armando and Giana are taken care of.”


    Ivan said, in Russian, just in case, “I did not like her tone.” He was clearly still angry about Giana


    thinking my knowledge of drugs was because I was a user.


    “I did not like her tone, either,” Adrik said.


    “It’s okay. Normal people don’t know these things. She’s likely led a very sheltered life up until she met


    Armando. It’s not necessarily her fault,” I said. I looked to Ivan, grinning, “but I’m very grateful you shu t


    that conversation down as quickly as you did. I’m starting to love your demons, Super Squish.” His


    handsome smile stretched across his face.


    They’re useful,” he said, winking at me.


    Keith and Chris walked back into the office. “What did we miss?” Chris asked.


    “Oh, we changed subjects and we’re talking about demons now,” Stephen said,pletely straight-


    faced. While it wasn’t a lle, his delivery made it seem like he was joking. Chris and Keith just stared at


    him, not knowing how to respond.


    I couldn’t help butugh. Once I startedughing, I couldn’t stop, which made all the guysugh as


    well. I wiped the tears from my eyes, saying, “Yoden for the win,dies and gentlemen.” A few more


    laughs made it out before I finally gained myposure. “Ah, shi t. I don’t know why that was so funny,


    but holy he ll it was hrious.”


    Stephen spoke in his usual calm and quiet manner, “we’re all a bit stressed, Seph. It was needed.”


    Keith looked at me, his face suddenly very serious. “Sephie, is it okay if I ask you a personal question?”


    The guys all straightened up, curious as to what he was going to ask. “Sure,” I said.


    “You’ve clearly been through some shi t in your life. Armando and Giana don’t know about that, do


    they?” he asked, timidly. He nced around at the guys, making sure he wasn’t overstepping his


    bounds.


    “No, they don’t know. Very few people outside this room have seen my back and I’d like to keep it that


    way. Why do you ask?”


    “I noticed the tension it brought up when she kind of implied your knowledge of withdrawals was


    because you’d been a user,” he said. He was trying to be careful and choose his words wisely as he


    spoke, as he could tell it was a sensitive subject.


    “I wasn’t a user. I was forced to live with one for a few years though. I have a feeling that Giana has led


    a sheltered, mostly privileged life. Her brain struggles toprehend that everyone doesn’t live like


    she does. She has her own set of problems thate with that, though. It’s neither better nor worse


    than what I’ve dealt with. In her mind, her problems are just as bad as what I’ve had to deal with.


    Doesn’t make her a bad person. Life will eventually find a way of opening her eyes to other


    possibilities. Or it won’t and she’ll be even more close-minded and judgmental. It could go either


    way, really,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Keith was quietly contemting my answer. Stephen looked at Keith. “You’lle to find that Sephie’s


    assessment of people is always spot on. It’s why we rely on her to tell us if we can trust someone or


    not,” he said. His cheeks flushed slightly when Keith looked at him as he was talking.


    “That’s why Mike hated her,” he said. I could see him putting pieces together in his mind.


    “People who carefully craft a persona only want the world to see what they want the world to see.


    People like Sephie and to a lesser extent, me, can see past that persona and see people for who they


    really are. It generally angers them because they know they’ve been caught and their whole house of


    cards is in danger of crashing down,” Ivan said.


    “Don’t sell yourself short, Super Squish,” I said, grinning at him.


    We spent a little while longer in the office, talking through more possibilities, Keith and Chris were full of


    questions that they didn’t want to ask in front of Armando. I couldn’t me them for wanting to appear


    completelypetent in front of Armando, but I had tough to myself. Armando was so rxed about


    his security that he likely wouldn’t have known the difference.


    I had gotten up and pulled Adrik to one of the couches at one point so I couldy down. I was starting


    to get tired, but didn’t want to interrupt the discussion until it was done. They continued to talk as Adrik


    ran his hands through my hair, my head in hisp. I found myself drifting between being awake and


    asleep. I would still catch parts of the conversation, here and there, but I eventually gave in and fell


    asleep.


    Some timeter, I felt Adrik gently, but urgently, shaking me to see if he could wake me up. He had a


    worried look on his face when I opened my eyes. I looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong?” I asked,


    sitting up.


    You were talking in your sleep, solnishko. You don’t remember?” he asked, now clearly worried.