Chapter Eighty-Four

Chapter Eighty-Four

Sephie

Ivan, Viktor, and Misha went to the lobby that afternoon to look at the security footage of Giana meeting with the mystery man. They were hoping to be able to formulate a plan to grab everything the next afternoon, so we could get answers as quickly as possible.

"You really think you can make it happen that quick?" I asked Ivan before they went downstairs.

"People are creatures of habit, princess. My guess is she does the same thing each time because it's worked for her before. We just have to learn the pattern, so we know where to interrupt it to get what we need," he said.

I squinted my eyes at him. "I don't know how I feel about loving your devious side this much," I said.

Adrik asked me to stay for his first meeting of the afternoon. "You're going to be happy you did," he said, smirking at me. He wouldn't give me any more details than that.

"That means I have to put shoes back on. Is it going to be worth that?" I asked.

"I think so, but I promise to rub your feet later if you think it's not," he said, his eyebrow raised.

"You have excellent negotiation skills," I said.

Stephen walked in the office as I slipped my heels back on. Vinny was behind him, along with his wife, Anna. Adrik caught my eye, with a clear "I told you" look on his face.

"Vinny!" I said.

"Ciao, bella!" he exclaimed as he opened his arms for a hug.

"And you brought your lovely wife too! How are you, Anna? It's so good to see you again," I said, hugging her after I hugged Vinny.

"I'm good, Sephie. It's good to see you again too," she said, her sweet smile on her face.

Adrik looked at me. "You've met Anna before?" he asked me in Russian.

I nodded. "She owns the salon where Ms. Jackson gets her nails done. We went there first before they tortured me with shopping," I said, still in Russian.

He smiled at the memory of that day as he extended his hand to Vinny. "Vinny, it's good to see you again," he said, now in English. "And you as well, Anna. Please, come. Sit," he said, after shaking her hand as well. He sat behind his desk, while I chose to lean against the cabinet behind his desk. One downside of wearing a skirt. I couldn't hop up on the cabinet like normal. "How's your father, Vinny? I've heard his treatments have been successful and they're seeing some improvements. Is that still the case?"

"He's doing great, thanks to you, sir. I'm still so grateful to you for everything you've done for our family. I almost didn't come today. I don't want to bother you with one more thing, sir, but it's…" Vinny trailed off, scratching his head. He looked stressed as well as frightened. Anna also looked stressed.

"What's going on, Vinny? You're both clearly stressed out. Did something happen?" I asked, now concerned.

"It's Anna's salon, sir. It's in Vito's area of the city. He's increased the taxes so much that we can't afford to pay them and still be able to pay her employees and everything that comes with running a business," Vinny said. He looked almost embarrassed about it.

I could feel Adrik's anger rising. I hadn't had a chance yet to tell him my trick that I figured out for controlling mine. It helped me to not feel like I was struggling against it. His anger level was rising quickly enough that I knew he was going to be struggling in exactly two seconds. I stood and walked behind his chair, placing my hand on his shoulder.

When I needed to control my anger, I thought about it like a living thing, almost. Smoke was the easiest thing to compare it to. I learned to visualize it first, then I learned I could control it that way. I could easily increase or decrease the amount of smoke, or anger, at will. I also knew if flames showed up, then people should generally run.

I tried thinking about Adrik's anger the same way I thought about mine. The acupuncturist said I could take his anger, so instead of risking scaring the hell out of poor Vinny and Anna, I tried to control his anger the same way I controlled mine. It took just a second after I put my hand on his shoulder for him to feel calmer to me. He looked up at me, a clear look of surprise on his face for just a moment before he masked it and looked back to Vinny and Anna.

"Have Vito's guys hurt anybody? Did they damage your shop?" he asked. His anger level increased as he thought about these wonderful people being victimized by Vito's thugs. I felt it and tried to visualize containing it the same way I did mine. He took a breath, relaxing slightly.

"They smashed a few windows this past weekend. I gave them everything I had, but it still wasn't enough. Business has been down because crime is increasing in the area. The police can't keep up. It's not their fault, I know. People are becoming scared to go out for fear of getting mugged. Or worse," Anna said.

"I wouldn't let her open the shop after that happened, so we're losing more money, but I don't know what else to do. My sandwich shop is still doing well. This area of the city seems to be unaffected," Vinny said, scratching his head again.

"Do you know of other businesses around your shop that are in the same position as you, Anna?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "Almost all of them. They all had windows smashed over the weekend. They threatened worse next time if we didn't pay. The other businesses closed as well. The amount of money they're demanding is completely unreasonable. There's no way we can stay open and afford to pay what they're asking," Anna said.

Vinny cleared his throat. "Sir, the community members…" He looked unsure about whether he should continue.

"They're talking about revolting against Vito, aren't they?" I asked.

Vinny looked at me, his eyes wide. "You already know?"

Adrik said, "We're aware. This is happening in Sal's part of town already. We heard there was potential for Vito and Niko's areas of the city, but haven't gotten confirmation about them yet." He sighed. He looked straight at Anna. "I'm sorry they vandalized your business. I'll pay for the repairs for all the businesses, but I want you to remain closed for the time being. I know it's going to be hard and I apologize for that, but I need a little time to take care of this problem. I can assure you, however, that it will be taken care of."

"Vinny, do you know if the people in Vito's area are organizing?" I asked.

"Yes, they are. Because Anna's shop is in that part of town, they contacted both of us. They're talking about revolting against Vito, just like you said, Sephie," Vinny said.

"Do you know who's organizing it? Are there clearly a few people in charge?" I asked.

Vinny looked at Anna. They had a silent conversation about whether they should give us that bit of information. I could see the struggle on both of their faces. They were fighting against a boss in the underworld and now the king of the underworld was asking them for information about their uprising.

"Vinny, Anna, we want to help stop this. To stop Vito. We're on your side here. I know how difficult this must be for both of you. We'll get the information on who is in charge if you don't feel comfortable telling us. It'll just be a slower process. We just want to meet with them. We're trying to make sure there are minimal casualties in all of this. If a war between the bosses and the people breaks out, they'll capitalize on that chaos. You don't know what they're already planning and believe me, you don't want to. We want to work with the people to make sure you're all safe while this problem is addressed," I said.

Vinny still looked unsure, but Anna looked determined. "I can give you the names of the people in charge," she said.

"It would help even more if you can find out if they'd be willing to meet with us," I said. I had a thought. I looked at Adrik, asking for his phone. I texted Viktor, asking for Chen's number. I wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Anna. "He's working for us. He's trying to help us set up a meeting with the people in Sal's part of the city. It'll be better if it comes from you that we're trying to help, rather than Ghost showing up and intimidating the hell out of everyone," I said, smiling. I had returned my hand to his shoulder after handing Chen's number to Anna. He simply placed his hand on top of mine, laughing softly. "I'll let him know what's happening and that you'll hopefully be getting in touch with him soon. He has a direct line here and can set up a meeting. Like I said, we want to help and we want to keep the people of the city safe."

They both looked at each other, then looked at me, then Adrik. "Thank you both. For everything," Vinny said.

"Thank you for coming to me, Vinny. Like Sephie said, we want to help. I'm trying to ensure this happens as quietly as possible, which is why it's taking so long. My apologies for that, but I'm trying to minimize casualties, to be frank," Adrik said.

Vinny stood up, Anna standing after him. "We're going to get in touch with the people organizing in Vito's area. We'll convince them to call this number, sir. You have my word," Vinny said, extending his hand to Adrik, who was also now standing. Anna moved to thank Adrik and shake his hand. As we walked from behind Adrik's desk, Vinny stopped, opening his arms for me.

"Sephie, my dear. You must come to the shop again. It's been too long. Business has gotten slow because people aren't guaranteed a beautiful woman when they come in," Vinny said, laughing.

"I promise I will come soon, Vinny. But you should be careful what you wish for. I'll make sure Anna is there at the same time and you'll be so busy you won't be able to see straight," I said. Anna rolled her eyes at her husband's comment, but smiled sweetly at me.

"Thank you, Sephie. And please do come to the shop. If my shop is going to be closed, I'll probably help out there more. It'll be good to see you again," she said.

Adrik slid his arm around my waist. "We will visit soon, Vinny. She gets cranky if it's been too long since she's had one of your sandwiches," he said, making me laugh. He hugged my waist tighter, kissing my temple.

"Um, that's true. It's a thing," I said, still laughing. Vinny and Anna said their goodbyes and Stephen was at the office door to escort them back to the lobby.

When Stephen returned, Viktor, Ivan, and Misha were with him. Andrei joined us in the office as well.

"Why did you need Chen's number?" Viktor asked Adrik.

"It was me. I needed it. I gave it to Anna, so that the people who are organizing Vito's area of the city against him can get in touch with Chen. I figured it was easier to just have one liaison for now," I said.

"They're starting to revolt in Vito's area of the city now too?" Andrei asked.

"They've raised taxes so high that the businesses can't keep up and now they're smashing windows because nobody can afford to pay," Adrik said.

"Papa Bear, can I borrow your phone, pretty please?" I asked, making the "please" overly sweet on purpose. He took his phone from his pocket, dialing Chen's number for me and putting it on speaker before handing me the phone. "You spoil me, my gigantic secretary," I said.

"God help me, I hope this is Sephie," Chen said when he answered the phone. It made me laugh.

"It's me, Chen. Do you have a minute?" I asked.

"For you, my girl? I've got at least five," he said, laughing.

"You're a generous public servant, Chen. So, I gave your number to someone from Vito's area of the city. They're trustworthy. They came to us to tell us that the same thing is happening there that's happening in Sal's area of the city. We're trying to get in touch with as many of the leaders of this brewing revolt as we can. We want to make sure they know we're on their side and want to help. We also want to make sure they don't fuck up our plans, if I'm being honest," I said.

Chen laughed. "I heard that, my girl."

"I also figured it would be easier if we had just one liaison right now, but if this gets to be too much for you, then we can like hire you an assistant or something. I'll even see if I can find a cute one for you," I said.

"It's all good, Sephie. I can handle it for now. I'm supposed to hear from DJ today about who's running the resistance in Sal's area of town," he said. He made sure to pronounce "resistance" with an obnoxious French accent.

"Laissez le bon temps rouler, Chen," I said, laughing.

He laughed loudly. "I can't believe you remember that. I'll let you know when these new people call me and what I hear from DJ later."

"Thanks, Chen. You're the best," I said. I could still hear him laughing when I ended the call. I handed the phone back to Viktor.

"How many languages do you speak, gazelle?" Misha asked.

"I don't actually speak French, so that one doesn't count. Same for Spanish. I just know a few random words in both languages," I said.

"What did you say to him?" Andrei asked, curious.

"Laissez le bon temps rouler means ‘let the good times roll.' Chen is his surname and is short for Cheney. His family is French. He speaks it very poorly. Even worse than my Italian. But he told one of his girlfriends that he could speak French to try and impress her when they first started dating. He said he would speak gibberish to her in a French accent and then he'd always end with ‘laissez le bon temps rouler." I started laughing. "He told her it meant that she was beautiful. She believed him too. His terrible French got him laid. It became a joke between us after he told me about it. I just told him he was beautiful, basically," I said, still laughing. The guys all laughed with me at my silly story. I hadn't realized how stressed I was getting until we all had a moment's relief. I loved these little moments when we could all have a reprieve, fleeting as they were, from everything piling on us right now.

"What did you guys find out downstairs?" I asked.

"Just as I suspected, princess. She's very much a creature of habit. So is the guy she meets each time. It will be easy to get what we need," Ivan said.

"Won't she notice the missing product though?" I asked. I was very curious about this whole process.

"You can take what you need as well as drop off a replacement at the same time, gazelle." Misha said.

"But how do you know for sure you're dropping off the same stuff? You guys aren't planning on letting her snort something she thinks is her drug of choice that's gonna kill her, are you?"

Ivan pointed to Viktor, "I told you it was a good idea!" His response caused another round of much-needed uncontrollable laughter.

"Are you guys going to get it from her or have someone else she doesn't know do it?" I asked once we gained our composure once again.

"Oh, I'm definitely doing this one," Misha said. He was clearly still very angry with Giana over this whole mess. Maybe even more so after this revelation about her. "I can use her inability to keep herself from staring at me to my advantage. You know how easy it is for me to make her all hot and bothered just by looking at her."

I giggled. "I do know that. I'm embarrassed for her because of that. What about the guy she meets? Who gets to pick his pockets?"

"He'll be easy. He's just a punk kid. We can catch him on his way out of the building," Ivan said.

I couldn't help but grin. "It's like an early Christmas!" I said, clapping my hands. "Although, this could be Armando's unraveling, now that I think of it."

"What do you mean, spider monkey?" Andrei asked.

"If she's doing drugs, I don't know how Armando is going to handle that news. He clearly loves her, but as more time goes by, I think we're seeing the answer to the question of whether he's going to pull her up or she's going to pull him down. It might be too much for him at once, or it might be the wake-up call that he needs right now. I don't know," I said, chewing on my bottom lip.

"We should add it to the whiteboard," Andrei said, grinning at me.

I felt Adrik stir next to me the following morning. I had moved from his chest at some point during the night and gotten under the covers. I was noticing that it happened anytime I dealt with trying to keep him calm. I was usually colder than normal the next day. He had rolled over with me and had wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against him. I ran my fingers lightly over his arm that was holding me tightly. He kissed the back of my shoulder. "Good morning, solnishko," he said. He was still sleepy, so his voice was especially sexy.

I rolled over to face him, his eyes finally opening when I kissed his lips. "You look almost as excited as I am that it's morning again," I said. He groaned, pulling me closer to him. He moved my leg over his hips, his hand rubbing my thigh lightly. I snuggled closer to him, my face in his chest.

"You're not helping me want to wake up," he said, moving his hand under his shirt I was wearing to my back. I suddenly felt an intense desire for him. He was working on talking me into morning sex, granted. It also usually didn't take much convincing, but this was so immediate and sudden that I knew it wasn't mine. I leaned my head back, so I could look at him. He opened his eyes, a smirk on his face. "That was me, if you were confused."

"Is that how you normally feel or is there something special about this morning?" I asked, curious.

"It's normal. It's probably not even half of what I usually feel for you because I'm still tired from yesterday," he said. He had closed his eyes again, his hand running up and down my back still.

"Jesus, how do you keep your hands off me?" I asked. He laughed loudly, pulling me closer to him.

"Sometimes I can't," he said. He opened his eyes, revealing their dark blue color. He only gave me a moment before I felt that same intense desire again, only magnified this time. I couldn't fight it. Not that I wanted to. My lips desperately found his. His hands were leaving a trail of fire across my body already. I moaned, enjoying the warmth returning to my body. He stopped to look at me, a questioning look on his face.

"Your hands. It feels like they're on fire. It's amazing. Especially when I'm colder than normal," I said. He rolled onto his back, pulling me on top of him. His palm rested against my cheek, sending waves of warmth down my neck to my chest. I leaned against his hand, closing my eyes. He sat up, his lips finding mine once again. Instead of ripping his shirt off of me, like he usually did, he took his time unbuttoning his shirt while he kissed me, almost softly. Every time he touched me, I felt myself get more turned on. I couldn't fight his intense desire that I could feel, but it somehow allowed him to take his time. Where he usually felt almost frantic about needing me, he was patient with his touch. His kiss was slow, but building. He slowly slid the shirt off my shoulders, his hands covering every inch of my bare skin.

"I'm not sure what you're doing to me, but please don't stop," I said, breathlessly. My body was nothing but pleasure, just from his touch. I'd never felt anything like it before. I felt him hook his thumbs in my panties, ripping them off. His hands slowly slid down my thighs, then back up toward my hips. My breaths were coming faster as my body temperature increased beneath his hands. I felt his lips on my neck, causing me to moan loudly. He pushed my hips up, so he could get his pants off. Instead of lowering me down on to him immediately, he kept me up so his hands could roam over my entire body. Where his hands didn't go, his mouth did. I was completely lost in the feeling. I was putty in his hands. His mouth left a trail of fire down my neck, following his hands. He was kissing, licking, and biting his way over my body. Each time I felt his skin against mine, it was like a new fire was started in that spot on my body.

It felt like I was already almost over the edge and about to orgasm. I was desperate to feel him inside me. "Please," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I need you." I was sure he was going to be quick about it, but he grabbed my hips and pushed me down on him slowly, like it was the first time and he didn't want to hurt me. As soon as he was all the way inside me, I felt my orgasm start. I pushed my hips down onto him hard, trying to ride the intense waves of pleasure I was feeling. I leaned my head back, grabbing onto his shoulders, unable to do much of anything except writhe in pleasure in his lap. He slid his hand between my breasts and left it there, bringing on a new wave of pleasure. It was so intense that I dug my nails into his shoulders. I felt like I couldn't hang on, even though he was barely moving. I heard him inhale sharply when I dug my nails into his shoulder. His hand slid up my chest to the back of my neck. He grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled me to him. His lips crashed into mine. He was now desperate for me.

His restraint was quickly disappearing. He wrapped one arm around my hips, pushing me down onto him harder while increasing the rhythm. I could feel his pleasure building with each thrust, just as mine was building once again. I kissed him hard, pressing my body to his, my arms tight around his shoulders. He exhaled loudly and I knew he was close. My hands roamed over his muscled back and shoulders. I was trying to make him feel the intense pleasure that his hands were still giving me as I explored his body. I leaned back slightly, so my hands could roam over his chest as I continued to ride him hard. I caught a look of surprise as my hand passed over his chest, in the same spot that made my orgasms so much more intense. I left my hand there, feeling his heart rate increase, as well as his breathing. I knew it was his undoing. He pushed me over the edge one last time before I felt him explode inside me, his arms pulling me tightly against him, desperate to keep me as close as possible. He held me tightly for a few minutes, like he was almost afraid to move. I clung to him just as tightly, trying to catch my own breath.

"Holy shit, Sephie, is that what you feel every time?" he asked.

"Which part?" I asked, giggling.

"The end."

"Yeah, that's mostly normal, although it was way more intense this time. The beginning was not normal. I've never felt that before. I'm guessing it was good for you?" I asked, leaning my head back to try and see his face. He loosened his grip on me enough that I could lean back slightly.

He took a deep breath in. "That was amazing. I've never felt anything that intense before."

I kissed his lips gently. "I can say the same thing. You made me almost have an orgasm just by touching me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you probably would have if I hadn't gotten greedy," I said, grinning. He ran his hand up to the back of my neck, grabbing my hair and kissing me deeply. "I like it when you're greedy. You're always allowed to be greedy," he said, smiling against my lips.

He inhaled again, moving to lay down. He opened his arms for me, so I could lay across his chest. "Aren't we supposed to be getting up?" I asked as I settled in on his chest.

"Not after that. I'm still not convinced my legs are going to work if I try to stand up right now," he said, his hand running through my hair. I could feel the goosebumps rise over my entire body. I snuggled closer to him, laughing. "I might not be able to think about anything else for the rest of the day," he said.

"I have no regrets," I said, resting my chin on his chest so I could look at him. His handsome smile stretched across his face, which made me smile back at him.

"I love you so much, Persephone. I told you that you have my heart, but I think that wasn't exactly true," he said. He brushed a stray curl from my face. "You are my heart. For without you, I would cease to exist."