“Shut up.”
“No, it’s true, gazelle,” Misha said. “She gets angry at the slightest thing. It’s like we can’t say anything around her. I mean, you had a very good reason to be angry with us. But she gets mad at us for st upid stuff.”
Andrei said, “she doesn’t have the same confidence that you do, spider monkey. She tends to see the negative before she sees the positive. It’s exhausting.”
“Bubba, I’m sorry. I feel bad for facilitating this relationship. Max never keeps girls longer than a few weeks, so I don’t vet them thoroughly enough, apparently.”
“Don’t apologize, Sephie. Whatever happens will happen,” Andrei said. I could hear the sadness in his voice.
“Well, if it doesn’t work out with her, I promise to vet the next one thoroughly before I give her my blessing,” I said.
“We have to get your blessing now?” Ivan asked.
“Um, yes. I can’t believe you would even question that, Grumplestiltskin.” I fired back. I was sure he was going to argue with me after saying that.
“You realize you’ve set a next to impossible standard for other women to live up to, right? You honestly expect us to be able to find someone that can pass that test?” he said.
“Ivan the Squishy has entered the chat, gentlemen.” I heard laughter from everyone, then Viktor spoke up. “He’s right, you know. You’ve made it infinitely harder for us to find a suitable woman now.”
I was silent for a moment, trying to think of what to say. I started to say something a few times but changed my mind and shu t my mou th. I felt Adrik’s hand on mine, his fingers laced through mine. “It’s not her fault she’s amazing, guys. Nor should you be discouraged that she set the bar higher for you. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait,” he said. I squeezed him tighter, resting my head on the back of his shoulder. I quickly got lost in my own thoughts, thinking about how easily I had formed a unique bond with each of them. Wondering if another woman could ever do the same or if I really was ruining their chances of ever finding their own person.
I thought back to the conversation I had with my dad and how what had happened was needed, not just for me, but for all of them as well. I could easily see how it was needed for Misha. The guys now gave credit to his gut feeling, which would likely come in handy in the future. I was going to have to wait to see how things played out to understand why Andrei was going through this with Tori. Not to mention what the other three gained from this whole experience. I spent the remainder of the trip lost in my thoughts. Adrik
Sephie had been quiet for the last part of the trip. I kept checking on her, either grabbing her hand or her leg. Each time, she would squeeze me just a little tighter. I was worried she was starting to feel pain, as it was close to time for more superprofen. I was anxious to get to Armando’s villa so she could take more and rest for the remainder of the evening.
As we got closer to the villa, I found myself thinking back to our first stop that day. When Sephie had made sure the girls that were eyeing Misha knew that I was off the table. I’ve never been pub licly claimed before. I can’t say I disliked it, either. I know I want to make sure that every man knows she’s mine anytime we’re in public. I’m so relieved that she’s forgiven me and still wants me after what happened. I was so sure I had lost her. I had no idea how I was going to live without her. I was so grateful I wouldn’t have to figure out how to.
It was like she was reading my mind, because Sephie tightened her grip around me, breaking me free from my thoughts of what almost happened. I found her hand, against my stomach, lacing my fingers through hers. Her hands were starting to get cold, as the sun was getting lower in the sky. We still had about half an hour before we reached the villa. I unzipped my jacket halfway and stuck her hands inside my jacket, hoping to keep them warm until we could stop.
The early fall air had a bite to it that we weren’t yet used to. As we got closer to the coast, we could smell the sea air and feel the breeze pick up. I was hoping they would have a bath I could run for her once we got there. It would help with her soreness, warming her up in the process. I was looking forward to at least one calm day once we arrived.
I’d been so worried about Sephie that I hadn’t thought much about the situation with Anthony and Lorenzo. I was so close to wanting them all dead. I just wanted to be done with it at this point. Lorenzo was looking for a way back to the city. He felt Anthony was his ticket to come back, even though Anthony was also banished. They were using Salvadori to stir the pot, trying to create enough chaos that they could sneak back in without me noticing. Once there, they would take over. Their plan was to unleash he II on the people of the city, causing as much mayhem as possible. With the city a war zone, it would be easier to get to me and the other three bosses that stood loyal to me.
Adrik
The only thing working in our favor right now was that they didn’t know for sure I had survived their assassination attempt. Armando’s men had staged an “escape” with Sephie and now Salvadori’s men were looking for her in the city. Before we left, I fortified the penthouse, making sure Ms. Jackson and Mr. Turner would be safe. I put extra guards to watch them.
We had given the diamond bracelet that Salvadori had gifted Sephie to Armando’s men that had gotten their as ses kicked when they tried to kidnap her. They were to take the bracelet and lead Salvadori’s men on a wild goose chase, to keep them busy while we were simultaneously taking care of Anthony and Lorenzo. It would make the story of her “escape” more plausible if they had hits off that bracelet periodically. We had taken it to the ball with us. The guys would pass it to each other throughout the night, to pick up different conversations. Before I went on stage, Viktor handed it off to Armando’s men so they could “record” her kidnapping. Now, they had Salvadori under the impression that she had gotten away from them and they were after her, which freed us up to take care of Anthony and Lorenzo. This was all dependent, of course, on whether plans were still the same on their end or not. Armando had been keeping a very close eye on both Anthony and Lorenzo. He regularly spent time in Naples, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be here. We hadn’t spoken to him since before the ball, however. I wasn’t sure how much he knew about what happened to Sephie, as he wasn’t in contact with his men to protect their cover. www
As I thought about everything happening, I found myself just wanting it to be over with already. I wanted to take Sephie home. I didn’t care about anything else at this point. I wanted her to be better and I wanted to spend my days trying to love her the way she deserved.
This was in stark contrast to my younger years. Before I took over for my father, he used me as an enforcer, of sorts. Once I was given a target, I wouldn’t stop until I ended that person. When Viktor first started working for me, we had a few very close calls where we almost didn’t make it out alive. I was young and reckless. He wasn’t much older, but he’d had much more training than I had. He was more disciplined. He taught me everything he knew and saved my life in the process.
Ivan came along almost two years later, completely by chance. We had been after a former boss that had stolen from my father. He had fled to the countryside, where he controlled all the roads that led to his compound. The only way in was by air. Ivan was our helicopter pilot. His skills are what got us in and out of that situation alive. I gave him a job the same day.
Andrei came later, then Misha, and Stephen was the last one to join the group. They all had special skills to offer that made the whole stronger. They’d all been with me for years, at this point, and I trusted them with my life. I trusted their opinion and especially their instincts.
I was pulled from my thoughts as we neared the villa. We slawed and turned down the gravel drive. We were greeted by Armando’s staff when we arrived. They showed us to our rooms where we could change and freshen up. Armando would meet us for dinner later. Sephie’s teeth were chattering by the time we got there, so I was glad to be off the bike for the day. Although I can’t say I hated having her arms around me the entire day. We would definitely need to get bikes once we got back home.
I grabbed our things from the guys and closed the door behind me. Sephie was looking around the room, her arms folded tightly across her chest, trying to stay warm. I checked the bathroom and luckily, there was a large bathtub. I turned the hot water on. The house staff had left some waters for us, so I grabbed that and her antibiotics and superprofen.
“Here, solnishko.” She took the pills and the water, swallowing them quickly. She drank half the bottle of water and handed me the rest. I finished it quickly. I pulled her to me, my hands gently lilting her shirt over her head. “Come, I ran a bath so you can warm up. You’re freezing.”
I unzipped her jeans and started to push them down. She flinched, so I stopped. “You better do that. I don’t want to hurt you.” She slowly shimmied out of her jeans, trying to avoid the bandage on her hip. “We should change that too,” I said nodding to her bandage. She just nodded as she continued to discard her clothes. She was completely na ked in front of me, her arms still folded across her, like she was shy. Almost like she was ashamed for me to look at her. She wouldn’t look at me, choosing to look at the floor instead.
I lifted her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Even with all your wounds, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” I kissed her gently. Grabbing her hand, I walked her to the bath and helped her get in. The water was hot, so she relaxed almost immediately when she sat down. She leaned against the tub, resting her head on the side.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.