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I couldn’t help but laugh at her response. The guys did too. Stephen looked at her, completely straight-faced and said, “Maybe your milkshake really does bring all the boys to the yard, Seph.”
That was all it took to make her laugh and I felt her anger subside. When she looked at me again, her eyes were back to their normal three colors. I was becoming more and more impressed with her level of control of her anger. Her eyes only changed colors when she was a raging inferno internally, but from the outside, she looked completely calm and in control. I could only tell she was angry because I could feel it, not because she looked it. Other than her dark eyes. My Game Master was showing me how to increase my own anger to insane levels while remaining in control of it. I felt her cool hand on my face, breaking me free from my thoughts. She searched my eyes for a moment, finding the answer to her silent question of what had me distracted. She just grinned at me, standing on her toes to kiss me. God, I love her.
I had Sephie call Chen before we moved down to my office for my schedule to begin that day. We had also decided last night that we were going to move quickly on shutting down the brawn operations as well as grabbing Dr. Moretti. Those two things needed to happen at once. After that, I was going to move against the bosses that were in the city before they had a chance to realize what had happened.
I’d been quiet up to this point on purpose. It made me look weak and unsure of making a move against the other bosses. I was trying to lull them into a false sense of security. It was exactly the opposite of what my father would have done. My father was brutal in his rule. He made rash decisions and unleashed chaos quickly. He was effective only because he’s a smart man, but he was more like a tyrant than a king.
I took a different approach. I gave my opponents time and enough rope to hang themselves usually. I wanted to know their plans. All of their plans because when I ended them, I didn’t want to have to deal with tying up any loose ends. I had ended complete family lines before. When I made a move, it was utterly devastating. But it was focused devastation. With my father, there was always plenty of collateral damage. I always tried to keep that to a minimum. Innocent people didn’t need to get hurt in the process.
It was time to unleash my own brand of chaos on the other bosses. We’d decided days ago on how to hit the three brawn operations in the city. We needed the help of the dealers though. It was a large enough operation that we couldn’t do it ourselves. Not if we wanted it to happen simultaneously anyway. We decided it was best to recruit the dealers to help us, especially with the two smaller warehouses that were producing brawn. Now, we needed to fill them in on the plan.
“Sephie, you’re calling early, my girl. Should I be happy you’re thinking of me so early or worried you’re delivering bad news?” Chen asked when he answered the phone.
Sephie laughed. “I guess it depends on your definition of bad news, Chen.”
“What’s up, my girl?” he asked as he was laughing at her response.
“We need to set up another meeting with Gus and DJ. We’re going to need help taking out the warehouses,” she said. “We also need to move quickly. Do you think you can get them to the same place tonight? Sorry for the late notice, but things are escalating.”
“Oh, we heard about the attempt on Trino. Gus called him for something else and found out about it last night. I’ve been expecting you to call, actually. I can get them both there tonight. In the absence of Smith and Chucky, there’s been a new guy that’s stepped up to help. He’s one of Trino’s dealers. Do you want him too or just Gus and DJ?”
“Bring the new guy, please. I need to meet him. It’s likely okay if he belongs to Trino, but I want to make sure,” she said.
“I think you’ll be all right with him. He’s like Gus’s number two guy, but I’ll make sure he’s there too. See you and your gigantic security force tonight, my girl,” he said.
“Thanks, Chen. You’re the best,” she said as she ended the call. She looked slightly apprehensive as she gave Viktor his phone back. “I’m nervous about new people now,” she said, chewing her bottom lip.
“Don’t be nervous, spider monkey. You still have one of the highest success rates I’ve ever seen when it comes to figuring people out. Armando is a special case. Don’t dwell on that one,” Andrei said as he stretched his massive arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She sighed, looking up at him. She was upset with herself for being wrong about Armando. She looked tiny standing next to Andrei. “Thanks, Bubba. It wasn’t just Armando though. Andy too. I was wrong on two of the most important players in this,” she said.
Misha, who was on his third cup of coffee, was finally starting to act like a human again. He looked at her, almost like he was angry with her. “Now is not the time to start doubting yourself, gazelle. You’ve been right more times than you’ve been wrong. And, technically, you weren’t completely wrong on Andy. You never gave him the okay all the way. There’s a reason those two were in your blind spot. We just have to figure out what your blind spot is, so we can correct it going forward. But this doubting yourself shit stops right now.”
We all turned and looked at him, surprised with the tone that he took with her. If it wasn’t Misha, I might’ve been angry with him. However, I knew she needed to hear what he said. Andrei, always the protective older brother, pulled her closer to him, but he agreed with Misha. “He’s right, Sephie. You can’t start doubting yourself now. We need you.”
“You two are no longer allowed to hang out with Ivan. I like to be able to argue with you and it irritates me when I can’t,” she said, grumpily.
Stephen left first with two other guys that night to set up before we arrived to meet with the dealers. Sephie’s old apartment made it easy to cover all entrance and exit points. While I knew she didn’t pick that apartment for that reason, I was still grateful she chose that apartment as it was making our lives easier right now.
Chen was in his apartment early once again, but Stephen said he was much less nervous this time. “He’s only checked outside a couple times since we got in position. Last time, he was checking every fifteen seconds,” he said, laughing quietly.
“I kind of feel bad for him. He didn’t know what he was signing up for,” Sephie said.
She took Ivan and Misha and picked Chen up on her way upstairs. He was much more relaxed this time. We could hear him joking and laughing with her on their way up to her old apartment.
“Chen, it’s good to see you again,” I said when he walked into the apartment. I extended my hand to him. He grasped it firmly, giving me a small smile. “You too, sir,” he said.
“Tell me about this new guy,” Sephie said.
“His name is Oscar. He’s been working with Gus for a few years now. They knew each other in Colombia; Oscar just came up here a few months ago. Gus trusts him and he says that Trino trusts him as well, but since I don’t know Trino, I can’t vouch for that statement,” he said.
“What about DJ? He gets along with Oscar okay?” Sephie asked.
“Yeah, DJ likes him, but DJ generally likes everyone. He’s been mostly quiet around you guys, but that dude has never met a stranger in his life. It’s no wonder he knows everything going on in the city. He talks to literally everyone.”
Sephie smiled at Chen, but was quietly contemplating meeting the new guy. She was still worried about being wrong. Misha noticed her look. He simply clicked his tongue at her, which caused her to look at him. He gave her a stern look. He had his hands on his hips and was tapping his pinky against his hip. It was exactly what she needed to break that thought pattern. She smiled widely at him, relaxing her shoulders.
“First up, DJ,” Stephen said in our earpieces. Andrei and Viktor walked outside to greet him and pat him down, while Misha moved to the door. Ivan and I stood in front of Sephie. As we were waiting on DJ to make it upstairs, Stephen announced the arrival of the other two. “Gus is here and I’m guessing that’s Oscar with him.”
Ivan and I instinctively moved closer to Sephie, given that we didn’t know this new person. I would feel better once Viktor and Andrei checked him for weapons. We heard Viktor knock once. Misha opened the door for Gus and Oscar. Gus, as usual, found Sephie first, smiling at her before acknowledging anyone else in the room. I felt her hand find mine, timidly. She was still worried.
