Chapter 337


    Chapter Three Hundred Thirty-Seven


    Sephie


    We were all somewhat inpatient to get news from the cell phone Viktor gave to Ms. Jackson the next


    day Finally, Viktor started to get info in the afternoon. He checked the number that she called. “It’s


    Trino’s Martin,” he said “She called him. They talked for two minutes.”


    “I’m impressed the memorized his number, not gonna lie. Did not expect that amount of brain capacity


    from her,” I said.


    Adrik exhaled loudly. “Trine is not going to be happy about this,” he said.


    Misha’s phone beeped. He checked the message,ughing as he read it. “Oh, mir lives are about to


    get so entertaining. Ms. Jackson said Giana stole the phone. She thanked us for giving her an extra


    one.”


    “Isn’t that bad, though? Like won’t she figure out it’s not Ms. Jackson’s phone now that she has it?” I


    asked.


    “Clearly you need to reduce your brain capacity expectations once more,” Ivan said.


    “Fair. Totally fair.” I said,ughing.


    “She’s texting him now,” Viktor said. “They’re talking about the n to rob Anando, it looks like. He said


    the n can still go on and will be even easier now that we have Armando. So far, no mention of


    getting her from the building.” His phone beeped again. He looked at the message, but got up and


    handed me the phone. “She’s texting him in Italian now.”


    I looked at the text, confused as to why she would be texting him in Italian. As I read through the text, I


    could feel my cheeks flush. “Oh. My. I know why Martin is willing to risk his life for this crazy bitch now.


    She’s got s*xting down to a f**king art. Jesus, if nothing else works out for her, she can get a job as a


    phone s*x operator.” I read through the rest of the text. “Wow. She really puts it all out there. In graphic


    detail,”


    “Gross,” Misha said. “Although I would want to know what she was saying if it were anybody but Giana.


    Damn this hatred I have for her!”


    “He might be in love with her,” I said as he responded to her very graphic text. “Oh. Oh! Something


    happened at the ind house. He says he thinks about that night constantly.”


    “When could anything happen? We were there for only one night and we all saw her with Armando at


    the club,” Andrei asked.


    “You guys left before Armando got drunk off his a ss though,” Stephen said. “Maybe he passed out


    when they got back to the house, which gave her the chance to sneak off with Martin.”


    “He told us that she was the one that got drunk off her a ss,” I said, somewhat surprised.


    “She might’ve been, but she holds her liquor better than he does from what I saw. She had to help him


    out of the club,” Stephen said.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    “Did you see her leave with him?” Viktor asked.


    “They left the club together. What happened outside the club, I don’t know. She might’ve sent him back


    to the house and she left with Martin. I didn’t follow them outside to see,” Stephen said.


    I felt myself getting angry at all the lies that Armando had told us. This one didn’t even matter in the


    grand scheme of things, but I still felt myself getting angry at just how easy it had been for him to make


    up aplete alternate reality in front of us. Adrik’s warm hand slipped underneath my shirt, his thumb


    rubbing my bare skin lightly. He pressed his cheek gently to my neck, kissing my neck lightly. “I know,


    solnishko. It makes me angry too,” he said quietly.


    I leaned back against him, taking a deep breath. I grabbed his arms and pulled them around my waist.


    “You’re getting so much better at that,” I said, kissing his cheek.


    Viktor’s phone beeped once more. I looked at it, reading thetest message. “Aww, that’s all for tonight,


    gentlemen. She says the only charger she can find won’t work on this phone so she’s going to turn it off


    until she can lift a charger from Ms. Jackson. Rude,” I said.


    “You called it, princess. Serial user, Ivan said,ughing.


    Viktor sighed. “So, let’s assume that they’re going to steal the artwork from Armando’s house, since


    that’s really all they can get to. I’m sure there’s more stuff of value there, but the artwork is the main


    thing. Artwork is really hard to move as far as stolen items go. They’re not going to finance much with


    that loot.”


    “What are Martin’s finances like? I know Trino’s wealthy and has legitimate businesses, but what about


    Martin?” I asked.


    “From what I know, Martin is doing fine financially. He’s not quite the businessman that Trino is, but he


    has his own investments that allow him to live quitefortably, plus whatever Trino pays him.” Adrik


    said.


    “This still doesn’t makeplete sense to my brain. Why would he risk so much for her? Can one


    woman be that good in bed? Legitimate question, by the way. I really want to know,” I said.


    Adrikughed, holding me tighter. “I’m not the one you should be asking that question to, my love. I


    would risk everything for you.”


    “You guys don’t count,” Ivan said.


    “It’s not about Giana, I don’t think. I think she’s an excuse,” Stephen said.


    “What do you mean?” I asked. I could always count on Stephen to fill in the psychological gaps for me.


    “Martin likely hasn’t been happy with Trino, for whatever reason, for some time. It’s only just now


    coming to a head. He’s using Giana as the excuse he needs to finally make a move. It just so happens


    that he can feel like the wh ite knighting to her rescue if he risks everything to get her safely away


    from Armando. That cancels out whatever guilt he feels for leaving Trino for whatever trivial reason he


    has,” he said.


    “The user is getting used. That’s somewhat satisfying,” I said.


    “Are you going to wait to tell Trino?” Ivan asked Adrik.


    “Let’s give them more time to see what they give us. You know what kind of temper Trino has. He might


    not be able to sit on this one if we tell him too early. With his guys’ loyalty already in question, it puts


    him in a dangerous position,” Adrik said.


    “Shi t. I didn’t think about that,” I said. “His guys might side with Martin and help him overthrow Trino.


    Giana definitely isn’t as weird as me, although it could be argued that she’s definitely put some kind of


    spell on Martin. Sh it, shi t, shi t.”


    “Boobies, am I right?” Stephen said,pletely straight-faced. Everyone erupted intoughter..


    It was two more days before Viktor got more information from Giana’s stolen fake phone. Viktor had


    one of the guards that was watching her leave a charger for the phone in the hallway like someone had


    dropped it outside Ms. Jackson’s apartment. Of course, she picked it up.


    Adrik and I were in his office when all the guys came in, clearly amused. “Is she back?” I asked,


    excitedly.


    “She’s back,” Misha said, grinning at me. I pped my hands, waiting to hear what had been said.


    “I think we all need to get out more,” I said, shaking my head.


    “It looks like they’re finalizing the ns for Armando’s house. Martin said he has a few guys that can do


    it,” Viktor said.


    “Does he give names, by chance?” Adrik asked. “Trino’s dealers are very loyal to him. I would like to


    know if any of them are doing this for Martin without Trino knowing.”


    “No names,” Viktor said. “But they’re nning on making it happen this weekend. We can have guys


    watch Armando’s house to see who it is.”


    Adrik nodded. “Make that happen. If they’re Trino’s guys too, he needs to know. Maybe Martin has his


    own guys here, but if that’s the case, I want to know. He doesn’t get to have guys in my city,” he said. I


    was across the room from him, but I felt his anger loud and clear. I knew my eyes were dark. It seemed


    like any level of anger would make them go dark now. I went to Adrik, even though I was enjoying


    feeling his anger. I didn’t necessarily


    want it to stop this time. Trino was the only one staying loyal through all this, so a betrayal of him felt


    like a betrayal of us. Adrik pushed his chair back from his desk, opening his arms for me.


    “Do we let this robbery happen?” Ivan asked.


    “I don’t necessarily care if they steal from Armando. Serves him right. But I want to know if Martin is


    bold enough to think he can operate in my city without my knowledge. If that’s the case, I won’t need to


    tell Trino anything until after I’ve ki lled Martin,” Adrik said.


    “Giana is asking about Martin getting her out of the building.” Viktor said. “He didn’t know she was


    being held there, under guard, apparently. He says he thought she was at Armando’s house.”


    There was silence for a few minutes, then Viktor’s phone beeped. He looked at the message, but stood


    up to hand me the phone.


    “Is now really the time to be s*xting?” I asked as I took the phone from him. I looked at the message


    and immediately startedughing. “She’s cussing him out. She must type faster in Italian than in


    English.” I kept reading,ughing more as I went. “She’s calling him a do nkey, which is hrious.”


    “Why would she call him a do nkey?” Misha asked.


    “For Italians, it’s an insult. It’s the same as telling someone they’re st upid. She also tells him to go get


    f**ked, basically,” I said, stillughing. Martin began to reply, apologizing for not knowing. “He says he


    couldn’t have known. She hasn’t contacted him in weeks. He didn’t know they were living there. He


    assumed she would be at Armando’s house.”


    “I have to side with Martin on this one. I would’ve assumed the same thing.” Misha said.


    w


    “Right? It seems like the logical assumption here,” I said as we waited for Giana’s response. “She’s


    asking him again how he ns to get her out.