Chapter Ninety-Nine

Chapter Ninety-Nine

Sephie

Once Adrik left the penthouse, I looked at Andrei who was quite happy to have been the one that had to stay behind this time. He couldn't keep his boyish grin off his face. "You know, I still laugh when I think about how I used to think I was torturing you guys when you had to stay with me. You're still fighting over who gets to do it most of the time," I said.

"You're way more fun than pretty much anything else we have to do," he said, still grinning at me. I grabbed his arm, pulling him toward one of the couches.

"I still need help sitting down on the couch. And I might've lied. I'm totally cold again," I said as we walked slowly to the couch.

"I knew it! You're always cold lately. Even more so when you're hurt," he said, helping me down onto the couch.

"See, you should trust your observation skills more, Bubba. You know more than you think you do. You're the one that saw what was happening when I leveled Misha up when we saw Trino. You need to trust what your eyes are telling you," I said as he sat down next to me, putting his massive arm around my shoulders so I could lean back against him. "And even though he's likely never going to know it was because of you, Max has you to thank for his life today."

He scoffed. "Yeah, I still can't get over how close I was to not saying anything last night."

"Wanna know what the acupuncturist told me the first time she saw me and Ivan after we were taken?"

"When she told you that you took the worst of it to save Ivan this time?" he asked.

"Yeah. I argued with her. I know you're shocked. But I told her I didn't do anything except run my mouth when they had us. She told me that even though I might not have been aware of what I was doing, my soul knew. She said, ‘You listened.'" I grabbed his wrist with my good hand, holding onto it while I talked. "You listened last night. You might not have been aware of what was going to happen, but your soul knew," I said. He squeezed me gently.

"So, that's where you get all your sage advice from," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice when he said it.

"Not all of it, but she does say some incredibly wise things. Like all of you, I think she was meant to be in my life." Andrei was quiet for a moment, so I asked, "How did you sleep last night, Bubba?"

He sighed. "Mostly okay. I usually don't sleep for a couple of days after I kill someone. I did sleep some last night though. That's a new one for me. I feel better about this time than I ever have before, which is weird if you think about it. The few people I've killed before I didn't really know. I knew Tori in the biblical sense and I'm most okay with this one. Kinda doesn't make sense," he said.

"Or it kinda does," I said.

"How so?"

"You knew she deserved what she got. You knew what she was planning on having done. You knew she was capable of planning it again, should this time not work out. You knew her dark side. I think you're beginning to see the difference between people like Ivan and Adrik, who've made peace with their dark sides but who still choose to operate in the light whenever possible, and those who give in to their dark sides, like Tori clearly did. No one made her revenge-fuck Max. No one made her make plans to have him killed because she got fired again for being a crazy bitch. That was all her. And she had to pay the consequences of those actions," I said. He remained quiet, but kept a tight hold on me, so I continued. "Just like I told Ivan, sometimes karma uses you to deliver justice. You just handed down her sentence, Bubba."

"You really do know exactly what to say, exactly when we need to hear it. I have no idea how you do that, but please don't ever stop."

I held up my pinky to him. "Pinky swear," I said.

"What's that?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, how do I keep forgetting you people don't do this in Russia? Okay, so the pinky swear is like the holiest of holy swears. Like, it's so holy that I'm now bound to always tell you what you need to hear in every lifetime, in every realm, in all timelines for all eternity. That's how holy it is."

He chuckled, grabbing my pinky with his. "I'll do the same for you, spider monkey. I'm just not as good at it as you are."

"Yet. You're not as good as I am, yet. This is why you should practice, Bubba."

"I thought I was the trainer in this relationship," he said, laughing at me.

"You are. Mostly."

I felt Adrik's warm hand on my cheek. "Sephie, wake up, love," he said softly. I could feel Andrei's arm still around me, holding me firmly so I didn't move suddenly.

"I fell asleep?" I asked. I could feel the vibration of Andrei laughing at me.

"You've been out for a few hours. We just didn't want to move you. You had a very big morning. I think you wore yourself out," Andrei said.

I looked to Adrik, who was kneeling in front of me, smiling at me. "You were already sound asleep when I came back to the penthouse. I was only gone for half an hour. Andrei said you'd been asleep for at least fifteen minutes when I got back." I tried to sit up slowly. Both Adrik and Andrei helped me. I turned around to look at Andrei. "Sorry I kept you trapped here," I said.

"Don't apologize. I got a nap too," he said, his handsome smile stretching across his face.

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "You needed it. You look better." He didn't say anything, just winked at me.

"You need lunch, gazelle. The acupuncturist will be here soon too," Misha said from the kitchen. As if he was speaking directly to my stomach, she growled loudly. "I heard that. She agrees," he said, laughing.

"What did you guys find out on your field trip?" I asked, as Adrik and Andrei helped me stand up from the couch. It was easier to stand up on my own from the bed or the chairs in the kitchen. Not so much from the couch yet, which I found frustrating. Once I was standing, Adrik pulled me to him, kissing me softly.

"The café we picked is a good spot. It's close to his apartment, which will make Misha happy. It's easy to cover, which will make me happy. And there's plenty of places you guys can park to watch what's going on, which will make Viktor happy," Stephen said.

"Everyone's happy then. I like this," I said. "Well, maybe except Chen. He's probably still going to be nervous. Poor guy." I motioned for Viktor to hand over his computer. "I'll get started replying now. It'll be done by next week."

Ivan, who had gone down to grab the food when it arrived, walked back into the penthouse. "Princess, you're awake now. Good. We got you stuff while we were out too," he said, setting the food down on the island.

"Got me what stuff?" I asked, sitting gingerly in one of the chairs.

Adrik leaned down and kissed my temple. "I had them get you warmer clothes while they were out. You're always freezing right now. Andrei was right, you're even colder when you're hurt."

"You did? Really?" I asked. I was completely stunned. They all noticed the look on my face, which was clearly amusing for them all given the grins on their faces.

Adrik chuckled. "I know how much you hate buying clothes for yourself, but you need more than just my sweatshirts to keep you warm right now. I don't like that you're always so cold."

Ivan held up one of the shirts they'd picked up. "We're still going to have to cut the sleeve off because there's no way this is fitting over that," he said, pointing to my cast. "But it's thermal so it'll keep you warmer than you are now. Which will probably mean you're going to sleep more," he said, grinning at me.

"That's just what I need," I said, rolling my eyes. Adrik clicked his tongue at me. "It is exactly what you need, solnishko. You need time to heal. I say so." I felt the pull in my chest that meant he was thinking about how much he loved me. He was trying to look at me sternly, but he was failing miserably at it. I couldn't help but laugh. "Come here," I said, pulling him toward me so I could kiss him. "Thank you," I said, against his lips. "And thank all of you for always taking care of me," I said to the guys.

"You mean the same way you always take care of all of us?" Andrei said.

The acupuncture was easier for me to get through, which usually meant that I was getting closer to not needing it as frequently. It still gave me much-needed relief, so I was happy to have it daily for a little longer. Adrik and Ivan had helped me lie down, but then they left me alone since I wasn't quite as painful. Taking my arm out of the sling wasn't nearly as debilitating as it had been the first day. It still wasn't pleasant, but I could manage.

"One of the others just discovered he's like you, didn't he?" the acupuncturist asked quietly as she was sticking needles over my body.

"Like me how? Like his observation skills?"

"Those, yes. But there's more. He'll come to find he knows things before they happen. He just doesn't believe it fully yet. His soul knows already," she said.

"I stole your line and used it on him earlier. He just saved someone's life last night because he listened to his gut instinct."

"Like you, he's very wise. But he's young compared to you. He doesn't trust himself yet. That's what you're here to help him with."

I laughed softly. "I made him a pinky swear."

"Have you done that with all of them?" she asked.

"Not all of them yet. Most of them." I looked at her, curious as to why she would ask. She smiled softly.

"You're ensuring that your souls stay linked. This won't be the only lifetime you spend together."

"But it's just a childish thing. I only tell them it has that much power to get them to agree to it because it's so silly."

"You might think it's childish, Sephie. They take it very seriously. You should too. You have more power than you think. I told your boyfriend this the first time I saw you after you and Ivan were taken. You, your boyfriend, and Ivan, you're older than the others. The one who can see the unseen is older than the rest of them, but not as old as you. Part of why you're here and why you're all together is to help them all discover their gifts. You didn't think the others had gifts, but now you're discovering they do. The other two do too, but they're scared. They see it in you, which helps them to see it in themselves. It'll take time."

"I mean, no pressure."

She laughed. "There really isn't any pressure. There's no guarantee they'll discover it in this lifetime, but by binding your souls to spend future lifetimes together, you're telling them you'll be there to help them whenever they're ready. The one who just discovered he's like you is the youngest. But seeing you made him brave. What happened last night was the first step. None of us thought he was going to discover his gift this lifetime."

I felt goosebumps over my entire body when she said that last sentence. My eyes went wide as I looked at her. I could once again see the outline of a pair of wings as she stood next to the bed, smiling down at me. "I work with your father, Sephie," she said.

"I knew I wasn't crazy when I saw them the first time!" I said. "I even told Andrei earlier that I felt like you were supposed to be in my life."

"You've always known, Sephie. You sometimes need a reminder to trust yourself, just like he does."

"Do you see my father regularly?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Will you tell him I miss him?"

"He knows, but I'll tell him. He still watches you, even though you have Ivan now. He's very proud of you, Sephie," she said, squeezing my hand. "I need to take your arm out of the sling again. Should I get your boyfriend and Ivan first?"

"No, it's manageable now. It still hurts, but I can take it."

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should, you know. They want to help you. You know it frustrates them when you don't let them?" I just looked at her, not knowing what to say. She smiled sweetly at me again. "I know you're used to being on your own. Used to taking care of everything by yourself. But you're not by yourself anymore. Even if I didn't know everything I know, one look at them and I'd be able to tell any one of them would do anything you needed. It's okay to be completely vulnerable with them. Your boyfriend especially. Your connection is stronger than I've ever seen it, but you're still holding back from him because you're scared when you're hurt. It's not your fault. You've been conditioned to be so, but you can let go now. Much like how his anger was causing an imbalance with you, you holding on to your pain will start to cause an imbalance with him. You helped him with his anger. Let him help you with your pain." She didn't wait for me to answer, she simply walked out to get Adrik and Ivan.

Adrik walked to the bed on my good side, grabbing my hand. "You feel better each time, solnishko. Soon it won't hurt so much when your arm comes out of the sling." He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

Ivan walked to the opposite side of the bed, ready to hold my arm once it was taken out of the sling. It hurt much less when he did, if I was being honest with myself. I still felt pain when my arm was free of the sling, but it was much less this time and the needles barely hurt when she stuck them in my shoulder and over my ribs. I could always breathe much deeper when the needles were over my ribs without excruciating pain.

"Can you leave those ones in all the time?" I asked, nodding to the needles over my ribs. "I can breathe so much better when they're in."

Ivan immediately got worried. "Are you having trouble breathing, princess?"

"No, not like before. There's nothing wrong, but it hurts to breathe. I realize you don't know this, but your ribs are affected by literally everything. Every movement makes them hurt. Every breath makes them move, which makes them hurt. The deeper the breath, the more they move, the more intense the pain. When the needles are in, I get momentary relief and can take a deep breath. It's just nice."

He looked at me sympathetically. "Yeah, I really have no idea how painful broken ribs are. I mean, I've broken plenty of my ribs, but not once did I feel it."

"I still haven't decided if you're lucky or unlucky for your inability to feel pain. Every time I get hurt, I lean hard toward the lucky side, not gonna lie," I said, smiling at him. The acupuncturist removed the needles from my shoulder, but left the ones over my ribs a little longer since I was clearly enjoying them. I took a few more deep breaths in, just because I could.

Once all the needles were removed, Ivan was talking quietly with the acupuncturist while Adrik helped me get dressed again. He had brought one of the shirts and a pair of insulated leggings that the guys had picked up while they were out. "We modified the shirt," he said, holding it up so I could see they cut the sleeve off. "I think it will work." He slid it over my cast and helped me get it the rest of the way on, then helped with the leggings.

"Do you guys need anything from me this afternoon? Because you have approximately twenty minutes before I'm asleep again. I'm about to be so warm," I said as he helped me put his sweatshirt back on. He chuckled, leaning over to kiss my forehead. "You can sleep as long as you need to, solnishko."

We set the meeting with the journalist a few days after he suggested it to give the guys time to watch him. Better to be extra safe right now. "I was correct. Recluses are quite possibly the best people to have to watch. He has the same routine every day. He's only out of his apartment for precisely ninety-five minutes each day. He spends the rest of the time inside," Stephen said.

"Seems boring. Oh wait, that's me. That's what I do every day," I said, laughing.

Adrik clicked his tongue. "You'll be able to go more places again once this is all over," he said.

"I wasn't complaining," I said. "Although I do miss the gardens and the lake at the house, now that I think of it."

"Soon, love," Adrik said.

Viktor's phone beeped to let him know that Chen was in the lobby. While he left to go fetch him, the rest of us moved down to Adrik's office. The bruises on my face were much lighter now, so I didn't feel so self-conscious being seen in public. The bruises on my body were still quite colorful, but they were much easier to hide. I still got a few curious looks from people here and there, but the guys were quick to pick up on it. They just moved in closer around me, so people had a harder time seeing me.

"Sephie, you're looking much better, my girl," Chen said as he walked in the office.

"Not so colorful anymore," I said, smiling at him.

"How's your arm? Still hurts like a sumbitch, huh?"

"Mostly only when it's out of the sling right now. I can't tell if it's getting better or I'm just used to the pain now, but I don't notice it all the time anymore. The ribs are worse, if I'm being honest. Do not recommend."

Chen laughed. "Noted."

We filled Chen in on everything he needed to know to make this meeting believable. I went over the email exchanges with him, so he would be familiar with the conversation we'd had with the journalist so far. We gave him details on Ricardo and Lorenzo that we'd found, so he'd have a working knowledge of the information and could respond quickly.

"If you're ever not sure of how to answer, just pause like you're thinking of how to phrase your answer. Look down at your coffee thoughtfully, or watch a person walk by before responding. You'll be able to hear us in your earpiece, so we can give you the answer you need. Try not to stare at him while you're listening to us. It'll make it more obvious you're being coached on what to say. You want it to come across as a normal conversation. People maintain eye contact, but they also look away periodically in normal conversation. People who are nervous tend to try to maintain too much eye contact. It's a dead giveaway every time," Stephen said.

"If he says anything in Italian, I'll be able to translate, but I told him in the last email that I used translating software, so he had to speak English. He might try to speak Italian to gauge whether that was a lie or not," I said.

"Stephen will have you covered the whole time. We'll be watching from down the street as well. And you'll be able to hear us the entire time," Viktor said.

"Okay. I think I can do this," Chen said.

"You'll be fine, Chen. Just try to stay relaxed. And if you feel like something is really off, say the word and we'll make sure you get out of there as quickly as possible," Andrei said.

"Yeah, uh, I meant to ask before, whose idea was it to use mayonnaise as the safe word?" Chen asked, trying not to laugh.

"You really have to ask that question?" I said, laughing.

"I should've known," he said.

"Technically, it was Max that came up with the idea for ridiculous words. I just stole it. Made it my own," I said, smiling at him as we walked to the elevator to leave.

"Yeah, you know I stopped by the restaurant a day or two ago. He hasn't figured it out yet, but I know you guys saved that dude's ass in the parking lot after work. I don't know how many times I've told him to be more aware of his surroundings, but he's the dumbest motherfucker I've ever met when it comes to that. No idea how you guys knew what was happening and I'm positive I don't want to know. I just know it had to be you," he said.

"You'll have to let us know if he does ever figure it out. We have a bet pool going on whether it'll ever happen or not," I said. I caught Andrei's eye, smiling widely at him. He seemed like he was doing better after our little talk. I was curious to see what else he was capable of, after my talk with the acupuncturist as well.

We made sure that Chen was the first one to the café, so he would be waiting on the journalist to arrive. I gave a description of Chen to the journalist, so he would know what to look for. Chen looked relaxed while he waited for the journalist to arrive.

Right on time, the journalist appeared, walking from the direction of his apartment. "Got a visual. He's on his way, Chen." The streets around the café were mostly quiet. It was an older part of town, quiet, not as many people to contend with, which worked to our advantage. It gave us a clear view of Chen, which helped put his mind at ease.

The journalist was carrying a briefcase. He walked right to Chen, asking him the question we'd given him. Chen answered with the correct phrase, so each knew the other was the person they were meeting. It was all very much like a spy movie.

The journalist set the briefcase down on the table as he sat down across from Chen. He opened it, getting right to business. He talked quietly, but his English was good. Chen should have no problems understanding him.

"Like I told you in the emails, I've been watching this man for years. He's very connected to very powerful people. But what I've recently discovered makes me believe he's behind all those powerful people he's connected to." He paused, looking directly at Chen. "They say this city is run by one man. No one knows who he is or what his name is. I think I do." He pulled a stack of documents out of his briefcase, pushing them toward Chen.

I glanced nervously at Adrik, gauging his reaction to this guy potentially uncovering who he was. He simply smirked at me and pulled me tighter against him.

The journalist started showing Chen the evidence he'd collected. "All of this, these business deals," he'd flip through a few more pages, "these bank transactions … they all prove that Ricardo is the man who runs this city," he said very quietly.

I felt Adrik squeeze me tighter, almost like an "I told you so."

"The entire city? You think it's this guy? Like he's over all the other bosses as well? From what I've seen, he's not even a lower-level boss," Chen said.

"That's because that's what he wants you to think," the journalist said. "This is why I had to go into hiding. If he knows I found out about this, I would be dead. He's worked very carefully for years to make it seem like he's not the one in charge, but I believe he is. We need to get this information to the police. Or the politicians of the city. I know the police commissioner isn't on the take, but I can't speak to the rest of the police force. I know there's at least one politician that might be trustworthy."

"Tell him you know Henry personally. The police commissioner. You can take the information straight to him," Adrik said to Chen.

"Henry? The police commissioner? He's a family friend, actually. He's like an uncle to me. I can take this information straight to him. I don't know about the politicians though. I think by definition, being a politician means you're on the take," Chen said.

The journalist laughed. "Valid point. I knew you'd be trustworthy. You're the only one, other than me, that's searched for the information on these two men in years. I met with one other guy years ago, but I never heard from him again. This was before I'd even discovered who Ricardo really was. This is dangerous. They're dangerous men, dealing in a very dangerous world. There are countless stories about the savagery of Lorenzo overseas. Ricardo keeps a lower profile, but he can't be much better. He's been deep in business with Lorenzo for at least three decades."

"I would venture to guess they're cut from the same cloth," Chen said thoughtfully. He picked up the stack of papers. "Is this everything? Do you have more? Henry is a good man, he'll want everything. He'll also want to know how the hell I got myself into this. I'm gonna have to listen to a lecture from my father," he said, shaking his head.

The journalist laughed again. "I'd appreciate you keeping me anonymous for now."

"Consider it done. I'll get this to Henry right away," Chen said. The journalist stood up, offering his hand to Chen, who also stood at the same time. They parted ways without another word.

We had one of the security guys from the building, who was a normal human size, pick Chen up down the block in a taxi, should the journalist be watching him. He did. He walked a short distance from the café and waited until he saw Chen get in the taxi, then continued on to his apartment.

"You're a natural at this, Chen," I said once we were all back at the building. I gave him a quick high five.

"The fact that I had a sniper over my shoulder made it surprisingly easy to talk to a stranger. Can I borrow him for my next blind date?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure you're grasping the concept of dating," I said, squinting my eyes at him.

"Presumptuous coming from someone who's out of the dating pool. It's anarchy out there, my girl," he said, laughing.

"The French isn't working the way it used to?" Misha asked.

Chen laughed loudly. "She told you about that, huh?"

"They've heard every conversation we've ever had, Chen," I said. I watched as the lightbulb came on in his head.

"That's how they always know when someone shows up at the apartment. Oh my God, I can't believe I didn't put that one together before right now," he said.

"See? You're not just a pretty face," I said, laughing.

Adrik, who had been laughing at our conversation, extended his hand to Chen. "Thank you for doing this, Chen. Can you come by the office again this week? I have a couple of projects I'm in need of a contractor for. Sephie tells me you have your license."

Chen's eyes were the size of saucers as he shook Adrik's hand. "Yes, sir. Let me know when to be here. I have a small crew, but we do excellent work."

"I'll take a look at my schedule and have Viktor call you to set it up," Adrik said as we all got on the elevator to go back upstairs. We stopped at the lobby to let Chen off, then continued to the penthouse.

Adrik caught me smiling at him on the way up. He raised his eyebrow at me, saying, "He strikes me as the type to try to refuse money for what he just did for us. Instead of having that awkward conversation, he can do some work on one of my projects and I'll pay him handsomely for it. He won't argue then because his crew is also involved." I felt the warmth slowly spread over my body as I looked at him. I didn't say anything. I just stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his.

Once we were in the penthouse, Ivan and Viktor started to look over everything the journalist had given to Chen. They were quiet for a few minutes. Viktor finally looked up. "I'll give this guy credit, he does have good instincts. From someone on the outside, it would look like Ricardo is toward the top of the business. He just doesn't know there's another level above him."

Ivan looked at Adrik. "What are your plans for Ricardo?"

"I haven't decided, honestly. He's never moved against me directly, so I'm struggling with justifying killing him outright. However, I'm not going to just leave him alone and hope for the best," he said.

"Let's say we did take this to Henry. It's coming up an election year, right? Politicians love to appear tough on crime. We hand them Ricardo, gift-wrapped, they get to pat themselves on the backs and tell everyone how good of a job they're doing while no one is paying attention to us," Ivan said.

"They get the doctor and Ricardo all in the same year. That's gotta be worth at least two terms for the mayor and the commissioner," Stephen said.

"I really feel like we're single-handedly bringing the city together here, boys," I said.