Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Two

Sephie

Andrei, Misha, and I were still laughing at each other when we walked up to Ms. Jackson's door. I half-expected her to hear us coming down the hallway, but I still had to knock. She opened the door, just as excited as always that I'd brought eye candy for her.

"Oh my, you brought me two today. You really do love me, child," she said as I hugged her. She stepped back to let us into her apartment. That's when I noticed Giana sitting at her kitchen table. One glance at Ms. Jackson told me that Giana had put her up to this. Misha cursed under his breath beside me. This should be fun.

I felt both Misha and Andrei put their hands on the small of my back, like they were ready for Giana to attack me. I could barely keep from laughing at that thought. I knew they were just being protective. They really were quite good at their jobs. They looked down at me, both had questioning looks on their faces. "We don't have to stay, gazelle," Misha said in Russian.

Ms. Jackson looked at Misha, answering in Russian, "At least give her a chance. She's trying to make things right, at least give her a chance to do so." She crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a stern look that dared him to argue with her.

He cursed under his breath, but didn't argue. I did notice that both Andrei and Misha stayed closer to me than they normally would have in Ms. Jackson's apartment. I smiled to myself, knowing they felt so protective of me in such a minor situation. We walked further into her apartment. Both guys stepped in front of me, partially shielding me from Giana. I wasn't quite sure if they thought she was going to come at me or if they were worried I was going to have a go at her. It could go either way, really.

We walked to the kitchen table, but I didn't make a move to sit. I was happy to hear her out, but I also wasn't going to go out of my way to be nice to her. I'd already tried that route and it got me here. Giana looked up at both Andrei and Misha. I couldn't see their faces, but I was sure it was obvious they were angry. Giana asked, "Do they both need to be here?"

I laughed. "You've been around long enough, Giana. You know I don't go anywhere without them," I said, flatly.

She took a deep breath, then surprised me by speaking Italian so they couldn't understand. Ms. Jackson, who didn't know I could understand Italian, looked to me, then back at Giana, then back to me. Misha had to tell her quietly that I could understand Italian.

"Sephie, I do want to apologize to you. I unfairly judged you. You had so much knowledge about that drug and what it does to the people who take it that I thought you were an addict. You don't understand. In my family, addicts are the scum of the Earth. I automatically assumed you were one and thought the worst of you instead of finding out the truth," she said.

I answered her in English. I wasn't going to make this easy on her. "Are you asking me for the truth now? Or are you just sorry that you got caught judging me unfairly?" I could feel my anger starting to rise. Her apology was weak and she was still not taking ownership of her actions. "Or are you sorry that having Armando, then Keith, and now Ms. Jackson try to apologize for you isn't working in your favor?"

"I want to know the truth," she said quietly in Italian.

"You better be sure about that because the truth won't make you feel any better about this situation," I said. The guys both recognized the edge to my voice and tensed. Giana didn't say anything, she just nodded her head.

"The truth is that I was forced to live with my uncle after my mom died suddenly. He was the addict, not me. I learned about the effects of that drug to survive his repeated beatings. I learned how to wait it out long enough that the drug would make him pass out so I could lock myself in my room, hoping desperately that I would survive the night. I know all about the signs to look for when someone is on that drug because it literally meant life and death for me. I learned how to avoid him until he passed out, but it didn't always work and he would catch me when I came home, delivering a fresh beating. It's also the reason I don't show my body to just anyone. My back is covered in scars because of the effects of that drug. Yet, you assume it's because I was the addict and instead of owning your mistake, you pretend you're the victim in this situation, blaming your family for your false judgment. You assume that I'm prudish or ultra-religious because I don't want people to see my scars, so they can judge me unfairly the same way you have. You see, I've dealt with people like you since I was a teenager. Those who find out the truth still find ways to look at me differently, but it's not because of me. This isn't on me, Giana. This is all on you and why you feel the need to try and tear me down to make yourself feel better because that's exactly what you're doing. You just haven't realized that there's nothing bad you can say to me that hasn't already been said. You're allowed to think whatever you need to about me to make yourself feel better, but do not, under any circumstances, expect me to continue to be nice or friendly toward you until you can own your actions and apologize like a fucking adult, without the help of anyone else."

Her eyes were wide as I talked. Misha had quietly reached down and grabbed my hand as I was talking. He knew I was angry, but he also knew I never wanted to have this conversation in the first place. Giana was too stunned to talk when I finished. Andrei looked at her, saying, "That's not even half of what she's been through in her life. She's survived things that I'm not sure I could've survived. She's also been nothing but nice to you since you've been here. She's the reason you and Mando are together now and this is how you choose to think of her? I hope you feel bad about this, Giana. I really, truly do. Because while Sephie is too nice to tell you how much you've hurt her over this, I don't give a fuck. You hurt her again and I can promise you, we won't be able to hold back next time."

There was an urgent knock at Ms. Jackson's door that interrupted our conversation. Misha and Andrei looked at each other, surprised. Andrei moved to the door, while Misha put himself between the door and me. Andrei looked through the peep hole, then back to us, a small smile on his face. He opened the door to reveal a worried Adrik at the door. He walked into the apartment, immediately searching for me. Misha had stepped aside once Andrei started to open the door, so Adrik found me almost immediately. He was by my side in seconds.

I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face. "You felt me get angry, didn't you?" I asked in Russian. He nodded, pulling me to him. He looked at Giana at the table, a new look of worry on her face since he arrived. He looked back to me, saying, "Well, at least I know why you were angry now. I did not expect her to be here."

"We didn't either," Misha said. I could still hear the anger in his voice too.

Adrik glanced at both of them, then to Ms. Jackson who was also stunned at what she'd just witnessed. He looked back at me, then finally to Giana. "We're done here," he said in English as he pulled me with him toward the door. Andrei, who was still standing close to the door, opened it for us, following behind us and Misha.

As the elevator doors closed, Adrik said, "Close your eyes, Andrei." His lips crashed into mine as he pressed me against the wall of the elevator. We could hear both of them laughing at us, but I didn't care. This time, I didn't realize how angry I was until he kissed me and I felt it subside. The doors dinged, signaling our arrival to his office floor. He broke the kiss, catching his breath. Andrei and Misha both stepped off the elevator to give us a moment.

"Shit," I said. He looked at me, a curious look on his face. "I didn't know I was that angry until you kissed me," I said quietly.

He grinned at me. "Your control is impressive, solnishko. It also explains why your eyes are now normal again," he said, kissing my forehead. "Come, you can keep me company while we wait for my 11 o'clock meeting that, luckily, was late today." He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward his office.

"They weren't normal when you got to me?" I asked as we walked to his office.

He shook his head no. "I want to ask Andrei and Misha if they noticed it." We walked into his empty office. He stuck his head outside the door, calling for Andrei and Misha. They both walked in and took a seat. "Did either of you notice anything different about Sephie's eyes when she was down there?"

Andrei said, "Net, I was staring down Giana the whole time, to be honest. I was standing close enough to Sephie that I could feel her, so I didn't need to look at her."

Adrik nodded once, then looked to Misha. "I glanced at her when she was listening to Giana's initial apology. They looked darker, but I thought it was just because of the lighting in Ms. Jackson's kitchen. I knew she was angry though, so I grabbed her hand to try and help calm her down while she told Giana more than she ever wanted to."

I could feel myself getting upset and I heard the elevator ding, likely bringing Adrik's meeting with it. "Let's talk about this later." They all looked at me with concern on their faces. "Please?" I said, smiling to try and let them know I was okay.

Just as his late meeting walked into the office, he looked at Andrei and Misha and said, in Russian, "Take her upstairs. Stay with her. I'll be up after this meeting is over. Get Ivan on your way up." He pulled me to him for a quick kiss. "I love you, solnishko. I'll be up as fast as I can," he said, nodding to Andrei, who was standing behind me now. I felt Andrei put his hand on my back, guiding me toward the door. Once we were outside his office and out of sight of the meeting, Andrei stopped me. He stepped in front of me and turned away from me. He squatted down, opening his arms for me to jump on his back. I giggled, hopping on his back.

"You're my favorite, Bubba," I said. I hugged his neck tightly as we walked to the elevator. When the doors opened, Ivan was in the elevator. Misha had texted him from the office.

"You guys want to tell me what happened? I'm guessing something happened if you're back this early from Ms. Jackson's apartment," Ivan said.

I sighed, trying to make sure I didn't get angry again. I didn't want to interrupt Adrik's meeting and have him rush up to the penthouse because he was worried about me. Thankfully, Misha answered for me. "Giana was waiting for her when she got to Ms. Jackson's apartment."

I could see Ivan's anger rise as he cursed in Russian. "Does she not know she's an adult now?"

"Clearly she does not," Andrei said. I could still hear the edge to his voice. I hugged his neck a little tighter. He squeezed my legs in response.

"We do have to be careful with how much we talk about this or Adrik is going to come rushing upstairs because he knows I'm mad," I said, trying to keep my smile under control. Ivan's mouth fell open, which caused Andrei and Misha to laugh.

"He came to Ms. Jackson's apartment. He knew she was angry from his office. I'm honestly proud of him for not breaking the door down, but he walked in, basically grabbed Sephie, and walked out. You should've seen the look on Giana's face when he showed up," Misha said, now completely amused by the situation.

As we walked into the penthouse, Ivan asked, "So he can now feel when you're angry even when you're not in the same room just like you can feel he's angry?"

"Yeah. And what's weird this time is that I didn't know I was that angry when I was talking to Giana. I mean, I certainly wasn't happy with her, but he said my eyes went dark, which they only do when I'm, like, nuclear-level angry. Except I didn't feel like I was that angry." I looked sideways at Andrei as he placed me on the kitchen counter. "That's also why he told you to close your eyes in the elevator. That makes it go away for both of us. I'm really sorry for that, by the way. Nobody wants to watch us make out."

"Spider monkey, don't apologize for that. I was teasing you this morning. It's clear as day you two can't keep your hands off each other. I'm not standing in the way of that," Andrei said, laughing.

"Your eyes go dark?" Ivan asked, clearly curious.

"I saw it this time, but I thought it was the lighting in Ms. Jackson's apartment," Misha said. "They go from three colors to just one."

"Which one?" Ivan asked.

"Brown, I think. But not the normal golden brown that's there all the time. Like really dark brown," Misha said.

Ivan looked to me, clearly curious about this bit of information. I just shrugged my shoulders. "I clearly don't know anything about it. Not like I can see them. Adrik said he noticed it that day with Mike. He's seen it a couple times since then. That night in his office when Andy told us Mike was working for Anthony. It happened a few times that night, actually. He tells me to blink and I can usually make it go away." I looked at Ivan, not able to hide my smile. "Maybe my demons are taking over now. This is my villain origin story." Ivan grinned at me, shaking his head as he laughed.

Ivan looked to Andrei. "You've never noticed it when you've sparred with her?"

"No. We can all see the switch flip when she gets angry, but if her eyes have changed, I haven't noticed them. But I usually don't have a lot of chances to gaze thoughtfully into her eyes," he said, grinning at me.

"I've never noticed her eyes changing when we've been training either," Misha said.

"I think it's different. You guys can make me angry, but it's still you and I know it's still you. We train, yes, but I don't really want to hurt either one of you. Like, you guys pick at surface-level stuff to get me angry. When I've gotten so angry that my eyes changed, it's much deeper wounds those people are poking at," I said, looking at the floor. I could feel myself getting upset again, so I tried to distract myself by staring at my feet dangling over the side of the kitchen counter.

"Princess…" Ivan said as he moved next to me.

"Yep, still here. Just trying to not be upset right now," I said, trying to smile through the pain. Ivan didn't say anything further, but he hopped onto the counter next to me. I felt his substantial arm slide gently around my shoulders and pull me toward him. I leaned my head on his shoulder. I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Like, it's not just me, right? I'm not being unreasonable here? Please tell me if I am. I'll admit I was an asshole right now just to make this stupidity stop."

"I think you nailed it with everything you said to her, spider monkey. I'm proud of you," Andrei said.

I smiled at him. "Um, can we talk about how ridiculously cute you were when you threatened her life though? Because that's a thing." Ivan laughed, causing me to look at him. "It happened." I pointed at Andrei. "Adorable."

We were still laughing and trying to find more things to laugh at to keep me from getting upset when Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen walked in. Adrik still had a worried look on his face, but relaxed slightly when he saw us laughing. Ivan jumped off the counter, so Adrik could have access to me. "I'm okay," I said, as he stepped between my legs, his hands on my thighs.

He searched my eyes for a minute, then clicked his tongue. "Liar."

I chuckled. "I'm mostly okay," I said, smiling at him.

"Tell me what happened," he said. He was looking at Misha and Andrei when he said it.

"Giana was waiting for us when we got to Ms. Jackson's apartment. I don't know how much Ms. Jackson knows about what happened, but Giana definitely put her up to calling us down there. I told Sephie we didn't have to stay, but I got reprimanded by Ms. Jackson," Misha said, sheepishly.

"Giana tried to get rid of me and Misha too. Sephie just laughed at her. Why does everyone want to get rid of us, spider monkey? It hurts my feelings," Andrei said, his handsome smile stretching across his face.

"What did she say to you when she was speaking Italian?" Misha asked.

I scoffed. "She said she owed me an apology, that because I knew so much about brawn, she just assumed I was an addict, then she told me I didn't understand and that in her family, addicts are the scum of the Earth and she assumed I was one before finding out the truth."

They all looked at me, somewhat stunned. "I'm even more impressed with the restraint you showed when you responded to her then," Andrei said.

"That's quite possibly the weakest apology I've ever heard," Viktor said.

"Was it her first time? Feels like her first time," Stephen said.

"This explains why she wanted everyone else to apologize for her. She sucks at it," Ivan said.

I couldn't help but laugh at their responses. "Are you guys saying this just because it's me and you all love me and want to protect me? You can tell me if I'm being the bitch here."

"Noooo, Seph. That's a terrible apology. She's deflecting all responsibility on to her family, who has nothing to do with this. She's old enough that she should be able to think for herself at this point in her life and make her own decisions about people. Blaming them is lazy. Quite frankly, I'm offended by her lack of imagination," Stephen said.

"What was your response?" Ivan asked, looking at me. I took a deep breath again, trying not to get upset by having to retell it.

Misha answered for me. "In normal Sephie fashion, she verbally annihilated her. She asked if Giana was asking for the truth now. She even made Giana say yes twice before she told her about her uncle and how he was the reason she had so much knowledge about brawn. It went downhill for Giana from there."

I could feel Adrik's anger starting to rise, which wasn't helping mine stay quiet. I put my hands on his chest. "It's okay. Andrei threatened her life after I got done. That's when you showed up and rescued me," I said, grinning at him.

"Judging from what I felt in my office, it's a good thing for Giana that I did. It was so strong and so sudden," Adrik said, his eyes showing nothing but concern.

"I didn't know I was that angry," I said, looking down at my hands.

"When I got to you, it changed. There was a calm to you, but I could still feel it. It felt like mine, when I'm using it to intimidate someone. Like it's just under the surface, only yours is much less chaotic than mine. Yours is focused," he said, his finger lightly playing with the curls around my face. "But your eyes were dark. That's one of the reasons I pulled you from the apartment."

"There was more than one reason?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'm sick of things that stress you out and make you relive your past before you're ready. Especially when it's as trivial as this is," he said.

"So, it's not just me then," I said, smiling. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me, so I could kiss him. He leaned back, smiling at me. "It's not just you, solnishko. This is a ridiculous matter. I'm thinking of telling Armando to just keep her away from us for the time being. We have enough to worry about without having to worry about twelve-year-old girl drama," he said.

"I think that might make him mad. He's in an awkward spot and you need him. I don't have an issue with Armando. I wouldn't have an issue with Giana if she would act her age. Maybe wait on talking to him. Let's see what today does for her," I said. "She might keep herself away from us on her own. No need to put Armando into an even more awkward spot."

Viktor's phone rang. He checked the number, then walked toward me. "It's Chen," he said, handing the phone to me. I put it on speaker. "What's up, Chen?"

"Sephie. How are you, my girl?"

"Good, Chen. How are you? Everything okay?" I asked, somewhat concerned as to why he was calling.

"Yeah, everything is fine for now, but it might not be for long. DJ has some info from his extensive networks through the city. Dude knows everything that's going on in the city, I swear. The people in Sal's part of the city are about to revolt. They're organizing to fight back against Sal. Word has it that Anthony and Sal's long-lost brother are coming back too."

"Well, shit."

"Accurate response. DJ seems to think that if Sal's area starts to revolt, then other areas of the city will follow," he said.

"Double shit. If that happens, they won't even need the brawn. There will be chaos in the city without it. Does DJ happen to know if there's clear leaders in this organization of the people in Sal's area of town?" I asked.

"He didn't say for sure, but I'd bet good money the answer is yes. DJ knows everyone. Everyone knows DJ. He's like a rockstar of drug dealers," Chen said, laughing.

"Can you see if he can find out that information? We can meet with them, same as we met with you. We're trying to keep innocent people from getting hurt. If they revolt, I'm worried that there will be mass casualties," I said. I glanced up to Adrik, who had a smirk on his face.

"I will get that info for you and get back to you."

"Sooner is better, as I'm sure you know," I said.

"Don't worry, my girl. This public servant offers prompt service," he said, laughing.

"Thank you, Chen. You're the best," I said, ending the call.

I handed the phone back to Viktor, then looked at Adrik, curious as to why he was smirking at me. "You're a natural at this, solnishko. I don't even need to tell you what to do. You're already three steps ahead in any situation," he said, smiling down at me.

"Told you. You were made for this shit, gazelle," Misha said, his broad smile stretched across his face.

Adrik spent as much time in the penthouse with me and the guys as he could before returning to his office for the rest of his meetings that day. He promised he would make everything as quick as possible, so he could get back to me. He also made sure that Ivan, Andrei, and Misha knew to stay with me the rest of the afternoon.

"They can help me cook dinner," I said, grinning at Adrik as he pulled me to him before leaving.

"I'll do anything you want after that breakfast this morning," Misha said, rubbing his stomach. I couldn't help but giggle at his response, which helped Adrik relax too. He was still worried about me. He leaned down and kissed me gently, telling me once more he would be back as quickly as possible and that he loved me. It made me feel all soft and nougaty inside that they were all so worried about me. And that they all felt so protective of me. I was starting to get used to it, but it was still a new phenomenon in my life. I was so used to being on my own and dealing with everything by myself. Used to having my closest friend ditch me for his latest bedroom conquest. Used to only telling people the bare minimum about me for fear they would run away.

We moved to the couches after Adrik left with Viktor and Stephen. Ivan pulled me against him once more, his giant arm holding me close. I looked up at him. "I think I need the acupuncture lady again," I said. He just grinned at me. "I was just about to say that, princess. I can give her a call and see when she can come," he said as he got up from the couch, pulling his phone from his pocket.

When he got up, I got a chill, so I ran back to the bedroom to grab one of Adrik's sweatshirts. When I came back out, Andrei saw the sweatshirt and just opened his arms. "Come here, spider monkey." I grinned at him, running to the couch. He moved, so I could lean back against him for maximum warmth.

Ivan walked back to the couches, laughing at me curled up next to Andrei under a new layer of clothing. "She'll be here in two hours, princess. It might help you with getting cold so much lately too. I had that problem before and she fixed it," he said.

"She did? No wonder you've kept her a secret for so many years," I said.

Ivan laughed. "I would've shared, but nobody else was interested."

"I didn't know it was a thing that people did until Sephie's concussion," Misha said.

"It seems painful. Why would you want to be stabbed repeatedly? I've been stabbed twice. I didn't enjoy it," Andrei said.

I laughed. "Bubba, it's not like getting stabbed. They're like tiny little needles. It's more annoying than anything when she first puts them in, but then it all goes away and it makes everything feel better. The first time hurt the worst, but after that, it didn't hurt much at all."

"The first time, I had to keep Adrik from going in to save you," Ivan said, smirking at me.

I sighed. "If I haven't told you lately, I adore how protective you all are of me. Going from being completely on my own to now having you guys ready to punch a bitch because she was rude to me is a very nice change in my life."

"You deserve it, gazelle. You deserve to have people around you that love you and want to take care of you," Misha said. Andrei tightened his grip around me, pulling me closer. I suddenly felt much warmer as I smiled at Misha and Ivan. I grabbed Andrei's arm and held on to it as we talked.

I felt Andrei gently shake me. "Spider monkey, it's time for your acupuncture." I didn't realize I had fallen asleep while we were talking. I was still tired from Adrik keeping me up too late the night before, plus having to deal with Giana unexpectedly, I must've just passed out. Andrei was warm enough that I was sound asleep when the acupuncturist got there.

I rubbed my eyes, still not completely awake. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep, but thank you for keeping me warm," I said.

"You only fall asleep when you really need it, spider monkey. You've had to deal with a lot. I'm glad you got a quick nap," Andrei said.

Ivan walked in with the acupuncturist as I stood up from the couch, stretching. The acupuncturist looked at me, then looked at Ivan. "You should've called me sooner," she said, almost chastising him. He looked down at her, surprised by her reaction. He looked to me, somewhat worried. She walked to me, taking my hand and leading me to one of the spare bedrooms. Poor Ivan just stood there, still stunned as we disappeared into the bedroom.

"It's not Ivan's fault. He's the one that suggested we call you again," I said. She looked up at me while she unpacked her bag, a large smile on her face.

"Sometimes I like to give Ivan a hard time. It keeps him on his toes," she said, laughing. "But I can tell you're carrying more than you need to right now." She took my hand, pressing on the spot that Ivan and Adrik use when I have a headache. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at me. "How are things with your boyfriend?" she asked.

"Good. Really good," I said. I could feel my cheeks flush as I thought about the night before.

She smiled slyly at me. "You two are very good for each other. But you're unbalanced. He's avoiding a piece of him, which is making it grow stronger in you. You're strong, Sephie, which is why it hasn't caused a huge problem yet. It will, though, if you let it go on too long."

I chewed on my bottom lip while I digested her words. "He's worried I'll love him less," I said. I knew she was talking about his darker side. "He thinks he's a monster because of it. They all do, if I'm being honest. I don't know the right words to say to them."

As she got started stabbing me, as Andrei would say, she said, "Monsters choose evil for evil's sake. I don't know your boyfriend, but I know Ivan. Ivan is not a monster. There's a difference between a dangerous man and a monster. A dangerous man has looked in the face of evil and chosen to be good. A dangerous man knows he has a large capacity for evil, but he chooses to control that side of him. Ivan is dangerous. I'm thinking your boyfriend is also dangerous."

I nodded my head in agreement. "He's been fighting that side of him that is needed to take care of the situation we're facing at the moment because he's worried that it will change my opinion of him."

"Will it?"

"Not in the least. I love him. All of him," I said.

She was quiet as she continued stabbing me. She finally looked at me watching her. "I can talk to him. He listened to me last time. It's obvious he wants to do what is best for you. By him avoiding that side of himself, he's transferring it to you. You can control it now, but it will ultimately become too much for you to bear. You two have a special relationship. It's been getting more so, hasn't it? More intimate?" she asked.

I couldn't help the smile on my face. I didn't even need to answer. She saw the look on my face and knew the answer. "It will be more so once he restores balance," she said. She had finished placing the needles where they needed to go. She patted my arm, saying, "I will go tell Ivan I need to see your boyfriend. I'll be right back." She left me to my own thoughts about how much more intimacy I could handle. In addition to being able to feel each other's anger, we were starting to feel other emotions just as strongly. Mostly when it comes to sex, but I was noticing it other times now too. It seemed like I would notice these things first, then Adrik would be able to feel the same thing soon after. While I'd been able to essentially read his mind from the beginning, he was now beginning to be capable of doing the same to me.

My mind wandered to the dream I had where my dad had told me that Adrik and I were always meant to find each other. Were we able to do these things because we'd spent so many lifetimes together or was this the first lifetime we'd discovered the ability to do it? I wasn't sure I would ever get the answer to that question, but it made me smile to think about falling in love with him over and over again. I knew what we had was special and there wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't incredibly grateful for it.

We finished the session. Just as we walked out of the spare bedroom, Adrik walked through the penthouse looking for me. He had a wide smile across his face as his eyes landed on mine. He closed the distance between us quickly. "You feel better, solnishko," he said as he pulled me to him. He kissed my cheek, leaning down to my ear to add, "I could feel it too." His smile widened once more when he stood up and saw the look of surprise on my face. He pushed a curl from my face. "You look lighter again."

I giggled. "You do too. There's some weird acupuncture by osmosis going on here."

The acupuncturist took the opportunity to motion us back into the spare bedroom. "I can offer some insight into that. Please," she said, motioning us to the room.

Adrik grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through mine as we followed her into the bedroom. Adrik was curious once she closed the door. He looked from me to her, a sly grin on his face. "You offered valuable insight last time. I can't deny I'm very curious to hear what you have to offer this time."

She smiled at him. "You two are very special. A bond like yours comes around very rarely." She looked at both of us, a serious look on her face. "You realize this isn't the first lifetime you've spent together, right?" I smiled, nodding my head. Adrik just put his arm around me, pulling me to him. She smiled at both of us. "I told you last time that you each find balance within the other. In Chinese medicine we call it the yin and the yang. There are parts of each in the other, but one is more masculine while the other is feminine. Together, you find balance." She looked directly at Adrik, even more serious than before. "Right now, you're fighting your masculine, which is causing it to show up more in Sephie. She's very strong, so she's been able to handle it, but it won't always be this way. It will eventually cause problems." She held her hand out, asking for his hand. He placed his hand in hers. She pressed on the same spot between his thumb and forefinger that she had pressed on me while she closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she looked more determined and slightly surprised. "She's stronger than I thought. You're very strong, but she's able to handle it."

"What do you mean? Are you talking about my anger?" Adrik asked.

"Yes, that's part of it. Anger can be very useful when used correctly. Your anger is only a piece of it though. That part of you that wants to protect her is very strong, but you're fighting the very thing that will resolve your problems. I don't know what's going on. I don't need to know what's going on, but it's big. It's only going to get bigger the longer you keep trying to suppress the side of you that can take care of it. Sephie told me earlier that you're worried you're a monster because of it. I will tell you the same thing I told her. The same thing I've told Ivan too, for the record. There is a difference between being a monster and being dangerous. A dangerous man knows how capable of evil acts he truly is, but he accepts that part of himself and chooses good. A monster will give in to the evil side of himself every time. You're incredibly strong. You've already faced more evil in your short life than most will in their entire lives. Your hesitancy to use that side of you, even though you're using it for good, will continue to upset the balance you two find in each other."

He looked at me, his eyes were now wide with worry. She laughed. "You're not hurting her. She can handle it. Have you ever tried to ignore an emotion before?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Have you noticed how that emotion never really goes away? It just gets bigger. Or sometimes it will appear to have gone away, but it always comes back as something else and ten times worse. This is what's happening now. But because of the bond you two share, she's showing you what you're ignoring." She looked at me. "You've had more anger lately, haven't you?" I nodded my head. "But you've also been getting cold more?" I nodded again. She thought for a moment. "Can you calm his anger when it happens?"

"Like no one else has ever been able to," Adrik answered.

She inhaled, thinking more before she responded. "Sephie, you're meant to help him control his anger, but not take it on as your own. The increased cold is a sign from your body that you're taking too much of his fire, if you will. Your body is trying to rebalance itself." She then looked to Adrik. "You're meant to be her fire, but to also let her soothe the flames when needed. The more you fight against your fire, the bigger the inferno will get. She's trying to help you control it, but subconsciously, she knows you're fighting against it so she's taking more of it than she needs to. True power lies in surrender. You are who you are and she loves you for that, just as you love her for who she is. The more you fight against accepting that for a universal truth, the bigger this problem you're facing will get. By surrendering to who you are, who you've always been, but consciously choosing good, you'll realize your true power."

Adrik was somewhat stunned, as was I. She smiled at both of us, moving to get her bag that was sitting close to the window. As she stepped into the sunlight streaming through the window, I could clearly see the outline of a pair of wings behind her. My breath caught, but the vision was gone just as quickly as it appeared. I looked to Adrik to see if he had seen it, but he was curious about my surprise. I decided to keep my mouth shut for the time being about what I'd just seen.

She turned back to us. "It would help if I worked on both of you next time, if you're up for it?" she asked, looking at Adrik. He glanced down at me, a flash of nervousness on his face, but agreed to it.

"It doesn't hurt," I said, smiling sweetly at him. He looked like he wanted to believe me, but he was still very unsure about it. I extended my hand to her. "Thank you, once again, for helping me feel better. You're an angel." She took my hand and winked at me.

We walked out to find all the guys in the penthouse, waiting for us. Ivan got up to take the acupuncturist back downstairs. He smiled at me when he saw me. "Lighter," he said, following the acupuncturist to the door.

"Sestrichka, you look much better. I didn't know it would be such an obvious difference," Viktor said. He looked at Andrei. "You should try it, Andrei. It might make you prettier too. You could use the help."

"Shots fired, Viktor," I said laughing. "Don't listen to him, Bubba. You're very pretty. You're a pretty, pretty princess." I grinned at him as he laughed at us both.

"Shut your mouth, Viktor. She said I was a pretty, pretty princess," Andrei said, pouting like a kid.

Adrik pulled me closer, his broad smile across his face as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. "I fucking love you," he said, smiling against my lips.

"And I fucking love you. Are you done for the day now?" I asked. He nodded his head, kissing my forehead. "Who wants to help me with dinner?" I asked everyone. They all stood at once and started filing toward the kitchen. I looked at Adrik. "They're all so eager," I said laughing.

"You had them wrapped around your finger even before you started feeding them, but now that you're feeding them, you'll never get rid of them."

As we fell into the routine of cooking dinner and talking about the day's events, Viktor told me that my presence had been missed during one of Adrik's afternoon meetings.

"Oh yeah? Did you meet with Mando?" I asked, curious.

Adrik laughed. "No, it was one of the businessmen that's in on the project I have with Mando. Neal is his name. He's still laughing about your wet dream comment. We're all meeting with a few restaurants on Monday to gauge interest and to see if we can secure occupancy even before the project begins. He requested your presence on Monday," he said, smirking at me.

"Shut up."

Viktor laughed. "It's true. He was disappointed you weren't around today. He said he hasn't laughed that hard in a business meeting in a very long time."

"What did you say, gazelle?" Misha asked.

"They were worried that restaurants wouldn't want to lease space in their building. I told them it was basically a restaurant's wet dream because they didn't even have to do outside marketing. Their customer base was the building," I said.

"But then she said, ‘oh shit I just said that out loud, didn't I' as she covered her mouth," Adrik said, laughing. He stepped closer to me, but I pushed him back, playfully.

"In my defense, I wasn't supposed to be in that meeting," I said, laughing.

"Your inability to control your mouth is one of the best things about you, sestrichka. You did warn us about it that first day. I don't know why you're surprised by it," Viktor said. His deep laugh filled the penthouse. I got caught up in the pure joy that was laughing and joking with the guys. I knew our strange family dynamic was misunderstood by just about everyone else, but I loved it.

We spent the weekend at the penthouse, so that I could keep getting acupuncture. She felt it would be helpful for a few days in a row. She also worked on Adrik while she was there. He was somewhat terrified at the thought of it the first time, so he watched while she worked on me first.

"This isn't helping me feel better about this process, solnishko," he said as he watched her putting the needles where they needed to go. She asked for him to put his hand out in front of him. He reluctantly did so. She flipped his hand over and placed one needle in his wrist, then she did the same on his other wrist. Without a word, she continued placing needles on me where they needed to go. I could feel the anxiety disappear from Adrik as it happened. I picked my head up and looked at him, to see his reaction. His eyes were wide. "What kind of black magic is this?" he said, laughing. She laughed, but continued working.

Adrik protested a few times as she worked on him, just as I did. Once he got past the initial pain, it started to feel better and he relaxed. The first time was the worst for both of us. Each time she worked on us we got better. He was more relaxed than he'd been in a long time by the time Monday rolled around. I, however, was slightly nervous about being included in this meeting for his building project with Armando.

"At least it gives me a reason to wear the clothes Ms. Jackson talked me into buying," I said as I got out of the shower.

Adrik raised his eyebrow at me. "What did you have in mind, malishka?" he asked as he watched me wrap a towel around my naked body.

"Wouldn't you like to know …"

"Cruel and unusual punishment is what that is," he said, smacking my ass as he walked out of the bathroom.

I decided on a gray pencil skirt and a white blouse. The best part of the outfit, in my opinion, were the red heels. I usually avoided wearing heels. I was tall enough on my own, but being surrounded by literal giants meant that I was always the short one, even with heels. I didn't have to worry about towering over anyone.

Adrik had gone to the kitchen to return a phone call as I finished getting dressed. I braided my hair, putting on minimal makeup. I heard him end the call as I walked down the hallway to the kitchen. He turned to look at me, his mouth open slightly. He groaned. "I'm not going to be able to take my eyes off you during the meeting," he said, his sexy smirk slowly appearing on his face.

"Is it too much? I don't want a repeat of the scummy lawyer in Italy," I asked.

He pulled me to him, holding me tightly. "I'm not giving anyone a moment of hesitation that you're mine this time," he said. He grabbed my ass for emphasis, making me squeal. He took my hands and put them around his neck, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You look beautiful, Sephie. You always look beautiful, even when you just wake up and have hair that screams ‘I've just been properly fucked.' That might be my favorite, if I'm being honest," he said, smiling down at me.

"So, every morning, then?" I asked, laughing at his faraway look that broadcasted his dirty thoughts.