AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I went to the piano, still not believing this was real. It was like seeing an old friend again. All the dings that I put into it when I was a careless child running around the house. I ran my hand over the music rack. I glanced back at the guys. They were still standing, watching me. Still smiling, but actively wiping their eyes.
I sat down on the bench. When my fingers touched the keys, it felt like home. Most pianists will tell you that each piano has its own feel. The keys respond differently, they feel differently. You can adjust your playing to each piano, usually easily, but each pianist has that one piano that will always be their favorite. This piano was that for me. I’d played plenty of others, but this piano was always my favorite. Once I was older, my mother managed to buy a new piano. It was larger than this one, which she loved, but I did not. I hated it. It was all wrong. This one was perfect for me. Once she got the second piano, I always told her this one was mine. It crushed me to have to sell it.
I thought I would never see it again.
I took a deep breath and started to play. Craig had taken care of it all these years and it had been tuned since they moved it. It sounded perfect. It felt perfect. It was perfect. As I played, I was lost in thought. I knew Adrik had put this together. Clearly, Ivan had a hand in it as well. I’m sure they all knew about it. That’s why they’ve been grinning like idiots all day long.
I couldn’t help but think about how they were all so different from the people I’d had in my life until I met them. Since losing my mom, I’d never really had anyone that I was that close to. Ms. Jackson was great. I loved her, but she didn’t know everything about me. She kept an eye on me, she helped me, but I also kept my distance from her on many things. She didn’t know I played. Max was the same way. He kept an eye on me, but he would ditch me more often than not. I’d had other friends, but they never lasted long. I’d only dated once or twice before I met Adrik. Everyone in my life up until I met Adrik knew as little about me as possible. I felt safer that way.
But then, these six men had come into my life and shown me not only what love was but also what loyalty was. I knew that even if something were to happen to Adrik, the rest of them would make sure that I was never alone and was always looked after.
My mind went back to the day we went to the house after returning from Italy, when we were avoiding the house because of Tori. Misha had told me that I was so much like them it was scary, but I think I can now say the same thing about them. They were looking for ways to make me smile, to make me happy. Their future girlfriends better thank me.
I smiled, thinking about how I went from being completely alone to having six men willing to die for me. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that our individual paths had led us all to this moment.
The song ended and I sat for a moment, still in shock over having my mom’s piano back. I felt the tears threatening to fall once again, but I didn’t care. I got up and turned toward where they were all standing, watching me. It was my turn to grin like an idiot as I walked quickly to Adrik. He opened his arms for me, still smiling at me. As soon as he opened his arms for me, I ran to him and jumped into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck.
“I didn’t think you could make me any happier than you already do.” I leaned back, holding his face in my hands. “I was wrong. I was so wrong,” I said, smiling as my happy tears fell freely down my face. I pressed my lips to his. I felt his arms hold me tighter.
I unwrapped myself from him, going to Ivan next. “I know you had a very big hand in this, Super Squish.” He grinned as he pulled me to him with his good arm, hugging me tightly.
I went to each one of the guys, thanking them each individually for making this happen, feeling incredibly grateful for each one of them.
Adrik pulled me close, looking at me thoughtfully. “You’ve been quieter than usual tonight. I just want to make sure you’re really happy?” He was in his usual battle with the curls around my face, trying to get them to obey his commands.
“I’m really happy,” I said, smiling at him. “I don’t have the words to tell you how much. You gave me a piece of my childhood back. I don’t know how to tell you how much that means to me.” I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I looked at him, still smiling. I was surprised to see tears forming in his eyes. He pressed his palm to my cheek. “I would give you the world, solnishko.”
Trino had a villa on one of the Caribbean islands where Adrik would sometimes meet with him. It was faster, and in this case, safer, than going all the way to Colombia. None of the other bosses knew of this meeting place and Trino wanted to keep it that way. He agreed to let Armando come, simply because Adrik asked.
Adrik had told Trino that he felt better meeting with him in person, given the circumstances, than speaking over the phone. He wanted to make sure their deal was still solid. Trino, of course, agreed to meet with Adrik right away. It appeared that Trino respected Adrik as much as Adrik respected him, but I was still to be the deciding factor.
Giana was excited to be going to the Caribbean. It was starting to get cooler in the city; she preferred the warmer climates. She had to go shopping again to buy winter clothes, but thankfully, she took Ms. Jackson and her own guards while we were at the house. I’ve never been more relieved in my life to have missed something.
I had to admit to looking forward to a few days on a tropical island. I’d already been to more places since I’d met Adrik than I had for my entire life. Misha felt like it was a good idea, so I tried to feel less nervous about going.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Adrik
Sephie was right. Giana was latched onto her anytime she was around. We all thought Giana was quiet, but it turns out she’s only quiet until you take her shopping and then she won’t stop talking. I caught myself wondering what conversations between her and Mando were like. They both like to talk so much, how did that work? Did they have to take turns talking? Was there ever silence?
The guys noticed it too, all giving Sephie sympathetic looks. We were on the plane on the way to Trino’s villa. For once, Armando was quiet. Maybe he had figured out how nice silence was now that he’d been with Giana for a short time. It was clear that he cared for her. We were all waiting for her to prove herself. No one had made a definitive decision on whether she was a keeper or not yet. Sephie had said that she was insecure with herself. I think we could all tell that she was still pretending to be someone she wasn’t. We were waiting for her to just be herself around us.
I could tell Sephie’s patience was starting to wear thin, but we couldn’t figure out how to get her out of the situation, as we were all basically stuck together for the next hour. I was trying to have silent conversations with the guys to see if anyone could come up with a plan to save her.
Ivan stood up, faking a pain in his arm. Armando and Giana had no clue that he couldn’t feel a thing and he took full advantage of that. He told Sephie that he had a weird pain and asked her if she could look at it to make sure one of his stitches hadn’t popped.
Sephie stood up, looking completely relieved, and Giana stood as well, offering to help. Just when I thought Sephie was going to lose it, Ivan turned to look at Giana with his murderous aura on full display. She quietly sat back down. The rest of us had to look away to keep from laughing as Sephie and Ivan walked to the back of the plane, so she could “look” at Ivan’s stitches.
Sephie’s Russian was getting better and since she let us know that she was learning it, we had been speaking it more around her. She was getting more fluent in it, which came in handy in situations like this. They were speaking quietly, but we could still hear most of their conversation. She told Ivan that he saved her just in time. She was contemplating jumping out of the plane, just for some quiet.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I tried to hide it by coughing, but the guys heard her too. They were all fighting back their own laughter. Armando and Giana both looked at us, fully aware something was going on. Stephen saved us all. He said, completely straight-faced, “It’s never not funny when she threatens his life.” Armando chuckled, but Giana looked mortified.
Ivan and Sephie stayed in the back for a while longer, their conversation minimal. I was sure she was trying to stay back there as long as possible. Giana moved closer to Armando, those two quietly talking. Sephie likely heard them talking and felt like it was safe to come back out. She looked apprehensive when she slid open the door from the back. She saw that Giana was occupied and she walked quickly to me, curling up beside me on the couch.
“All good?” I asked, to try and help them maintain their cover story.
She nodded. “Stitches are still good. I think the bandage caught one of the stitches and pulled on it slightly.” She rested her head on my shoulder, whispering, “Maybe if I pretend to sleep, it’ll be okay.” I chuckled, kissing her forehead.
