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I looked at him, deadpan. “She’s dating Max. Apparently, she got a job as a cook at the restaurant where I met you guys. I asked Max if she knew that he was friends with me. He said he probably told her some story about me but couldn’t remember if it was before or after they started dating. My best guess is that it was before. Max doesn’t have many rules, but not dating coworkers was one he always followed. Always. This is Tori going after him, if they’re dating. Maybe it’s just a rebound for her, but I can’t help but be worried she’s going to try to do him dirty to get back at me.”
He blew his breath out loudly while pulling on his goatee. “Yikes. Did you see her today?”
I shook my head no, but looked to Misha. “Did you see her in the shop?”
He nodded. “She didn’t see us while we were talking to Max. She might’ve seen us leaving, but that’s it.”
The doors pinged. I groaned as I stood up to walk out of the elevator. I didn’t get more than one step and Ivan had scooped me up, carrying me to Adrik’s office. “Come on, you goddamn princess, your goddamn prince awaits.”
Adrik looked concerned when he saw us walk into his office. He immediately stood and came toward us. Ivan set me down, so Adrik could have access to me. “Solnishko, what happened? Are you okay?” He put his hands on my shoulders, holding me at arm’s length to look me over.
I chuckled. “Please say no the next time someone wants me to go shopping or anything closely related to a girls’ day out. Just flat out tell them I’m not allowed to go. I promise I won’t argue. I fucking hate shopping. It was endless. They wouldn’t stop. They’d still be going if you hadn’t called. It was torture. My hip is fucking killing me now.”
He cursed under his breath as he bent down and picked me up. He walked me to the couch, sitting with me in his lap. I sighed as I leaned against him, happy to be sitting and happier to be in his arms. The guys were still mostly amused at my response to shopping.
Ivan looked at Viktor and Stephen. “You should’ve heard her in the elevator when we got rid of the other two. She really hates shopping.”
“The Devil invented shopping. That was the forbidden fruit. I know it. Eve fucked us all with her weird need to try on every article of clothing known to man.”
They all laughed. Adrik kissed my cheek, a somewhat surprised look on his face. “I didn’t know I should’ve put a time limit on how long you could stay gone.”
“Yes. Give me a curfew next time. Twenty minutes, tops. Then I have to be back. This is a good plan. You’re a genius.” I grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.
They were all still laughing at my anger over shopping all day long. It was funny, admittedly, but I was going to pay for it tomorrow.
I looked at Adrik. “Did you really have news or you just said that to get us back here? Either way, bless you.”
He chuckled. “I do have news, but I’ll keep that in mind the next time I need you back here quickly.” He winked at me. “I spoke with the Colombians today. Trino called me not long after you guys left.”
I looked at him, curiously. “Have they met with Lorenzo and Anthony?”
He laughed. “They did, but not before making them wait for two-and-a-half weeks.”
“Seriously? Have they been in South America waiting since they left Sicily?” Ivan asked, surprised.
“It appears so,” Adrik said, still chuckling. “Trino said they had heard about the attempt on my life at the ball, but he didn’t believe it. He was contacted by Anthony a few days after, wanting to have a meeting about a new deal with him, Lorenzo, and Salvadori. Trino told them to come to Colombia, then made them wait while he investigated whether I was still alive or not. He couldn’t confirm it until we came back to the city, which is why he made Lorenzo and Anthony wait that whole time. Once Trino knew I was still alive, he knew Lorenzo and Anthony were up to no good. He met with them under the pretense that I was dead. He said either they don’t know for sure or they were trying hard to sell it to him, because they acted as if I was dead. They gave him a story about another boss being killed overseas as well, which meant the city was in chaos and they were trying to restore order, which is why they were coming to him. They’re trying to align with him, hoping he can help them restore order.”
“He’s going to help them?” I asked.
“He’s going to make them believe he’s helping them. Trino is a very smart man. He’s trying to be as legitimate of a businessman as Armando and me. He would’ve seen through their story even without doing his due diligence to see if I was still alive or not. Trino has people throughout the city. That was part of the deal he made with me. He said there were a few bosses that he didn’t trust and wanted his people to be able to keep an eye on them. I agreed to it and made very lucrative terms for him, so he would remain loyal to me. No one knows the actual terms of our deal, so Lorenzo and Anthony didn’t come close to matching it with the deal they offered him. He told them he would consider it and get back to them. They’re still down there.”
“Do they really think Armando is dead too?” I asked, not totally comprehending how sloppy they were being.
“I’m not sure on that one. They likely didn’t wait around to see if the explosion was successful or not. I’m also not convinced the lawyer told them about you and I. Trino seemed pretty convinced that they believed I was dead, and you were in the wind.” He had started playing with the curls around my face as he talked, wrapping and unwrapping them lightly around his finger. I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted, but still wanting to hear the details.
“How long does Trino have to give them an answer?” Ivan asked.
“He said he’s supposed to give them an answer by the end of the week, so three days,” Adrik said, still wrapping and unwrapping.
“I think we should create a bit of our own chaos, Boss,” Ivan said.
“How so?” Adrik asked, genuinely intrigued.
“I wonder if Dario and Massimo know that they’re meeting with the Colombians. It doesn’t make sense to me that Dario is working with Salvadori. Armando was right—those two hate each other and have for years. I think Dario and Massimo are quietly trying to form their own faction, if you will. Let’s see if they contact Trino, after they find out that Lorenzo and Anthony are down there. Maybe we can get them to take care of each other,” Ivan said, his hands running over his dark goatee. “Or at the very least, take one faction out, so we have less to worry about.”
“Squishy, if I haven’t told you this lately, I’m telling you now, I fucking love your brain. You, sir, are diabolical and I am fucking here for it. I would high-five you but you’re so far away and I’m a goddamn princess that can’t be bothered to walk on my own.”
They all laughed. Ivan got up and came to the couch, just to give me a high five.
