Sephie is just a waitress trying to survive her late shifts, joking with her charming bartender friend Max and finding comfort in her kind neighbors. But once a month, she serves the city’s most dangerous crime bosses: a job that pays well but comes with risks. Tonight, as black SUVs arrive, she braces herself, unaware her life is about to change forever.
He chuckled. “Then it’s my fault for being too strenuous.” “But I like when you’re strenuous. I need a nap now, but I love it,” I said, finally opening my eyes to look at him. “You need a nap because of me? That’s not normal either, no matter how strenuous I get.” “Stop worrying about…
“Yeah, we knew you were on your way to us before we saw you. That’s why Misha picked you up before you realized what he was doing. We were trying to get you out of there quickly. My computer was slow or we would’ve got you faster,” Andrei said. This was new for me. I…
“Like you see your father sometimes?” Misha asked. She nodded. “Except he always comes in my dreams. This time, I wasn’t dreaming. She was in the same room as me, plain as day to me. But it looked like I’d zoned out completely when Ivan and Adrik found me. They couldn’t snap me out of…
Ivan walked up, handing Adrik a bottle of water. “Squish, I just want to thank you for holding back when you spar with me. You clearly love me and I’m here for it.” I said. He laughed. “I don’t have to hold back as much as I used to, princess. You’re making serious progress.” “I…
Once Stephen released her, she caught Vitaliy watching her interact with them. She gave him her best smile. I watched him completely melt in front of her. She walked to him and hugged him. “Is it weird that I missed you, old man?” she asked as she hugged his neck. He laughed. “Maybe it’s you…
I nodded. “You should see her go from zero to rage in a split second if someone takes the wrong tone with one of us.” “I would actually like to see that, now that you mention it,” he said, thoughtfully. “What do you propose for the little flowers?” “I’d like for Misha and Andrei to…
“Oh, thank God it’s not just me,” he said. “What were they thinking?” Adrik asked. “Lots of animosity toward you, some toward Sephie. One of them thinks Sephie is going to make Vitaliy weak,” Andrei said. Adrik and I both stood silent for a few moments. 1 could feel his anger, feeding into mine. I…
“But you still have the demon eyes, right?” Andrei asked. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to make them go dark. When I opened my eyes, they both laughed. “Yep, still there,” Misha said. “What were the other ones?” Andrei asked, “Whi te means I’m scared. I’d rather not have to show you…
“Can you feel anything from her? I don’t feel anything bad, at least, but I don’t feel anything good, either,” Ivan said. “Her eyes are going apeshit though.” Finally. She giggled. She still had a blank stare, but at least she made some kind of noise. “Sephie??” I said. I was almost desperate to hear…
He chuckled. “I thought you were holding back.” “It’s nothing big, but I still think you should hear it before anyone else does,” I said. I had stopped in front of the mirror, pulling his arms around my waist as he stood behind me. He rested his chin on my shoulder as I went about…