Page 198 of Rise of the Queen

“You don’t,” Sephie said. “But you do remember how good things were a few years ago, compared to now. This is a much bigger conspiracy than exorbitant taxes. Without the other bosses to harass you, you’ll essentially be left alone. Just like you were before.” She took one step closer to me, pointing at me, as she said, “He is not the problem here. The other bosses are the problem.”

Dr. Williams stepped forward, adding, “He’s the one who found the doctor that’s been terrorizing this city for a decade. You’ve all heard of someone that’s had some back-room procedure done on them. He’s the same doctor that created brawn, which has been plaguing the city for years as well. This man found that doctor when the police couldn’t. He’s on our side. He wouldn’t be here right now if he wasn’t.”

“Why hasn’t the doctor been arrested then?” someone asked.

“He will be, soon. We needed to make sure we had enough solid evidence that he would be convicted,” I said. “We have that, so now he can be handed over.”

We continued our discussion as well as making a strategy for how to handle the underbosses when they come to collect taxes once more. It would be dangerous, but the people had strength in numbers. It didn’t hurt that Boris had access to enough firepower to completely level a block of the city in under two minutes.

He was also willing to donate his supplies to the cause, which he very rarely did. Sephie had been worried that he would also supply the bosses with extra firepower, since I had told her he enjoyed arming both sides of a conflict.

“Most conflicts do not include Ricardo De Luca,” Boris had said. “Whatever it takes to make sure his side is crushed, I will happily provide,” he had told her.

She had studied him for a few minutes before answering, “Is it wrong that I find your hatred of Ricardo to be one of your finest qualities?”

Boris had laughed, but Vitaliy actually spoke up in Boris’s defense, telling her, “He’s not such a bad guy, malishka. Maybe a little rougher than some of us, but not a bad guy.”

My father had known Boris for most of my life. Boris had helped him get out of a few tricky situations, even. Vitaliy spoke the truth. Boris wasn’t all bad. He just preferred everyone think the worst of him. It meant less effort he had to put in to making an impression. When everyone thinks the worst of you, it’s easy to prove them right or wrong. Boris was simply saving his energy.

Once a plan was in place, the weapons were loaded into their vehicles and everyone left separately. Dr. Williams hung back for a few minutes before taking his leave, wanting to check in with Sephie one more time. He fought it most of the time, but there was still a scientific fascination with her after her time in the hospital that he couldn’t always suppress. It irritated Ivan.

I admittedly stayed a few steps away from Sephie on purpose because I was enjoying the irritation I felt from Ivan when Dr. Williams approached Sephie again. I felt his bubble go up around her. I was sure there was no reason for it other than he didn’t like it when the good doctor showed too much interest in her.

“I know you said you’ve been healing well, but you were very beat up. Still no issues with your lung?” Dr. Williams asked Sephie.

She looked surprised when she felt Ivan’s bubble, but at least he allowed her to hear Dr. Williams through him. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he cut her hearing off completely just to be a shit. I was going to be her ears if he did, just because I was enjoying this a little too much. She answered Dr. Williams, saying, “Only if I exert myself a little too much do I have problems catching my breath, but it happens very rarely. My arm and shoulder are mostly back to normal and my ribs only hurt if I do way too much. I have very good trainers who insist that I properly stretch just so that doesn’t happen though.” She threw a glance at Andrei who was listening in on the conversation and winked at him.

“How often do you struggle to catch your breath? Is it frequent?” he asked.

Andrei walked over, catching on to what was happening as well. He wasn’t as irritated as Ivan, but he wasn’t thrilled about this conversation either. “It’s only happened twice in the last month. Both times she was doing more than she should’ve been doing,” Andrei said, smirking at her.

Dr. Williams looked from Andrei to Sephie, silently asking for confirmation. “It’s true. Sometimes I forget and try to be normal,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “But they all take very good care of me, so nothing to worry about, doc.”

Dr. Williams ran a hand through his hair, looking between her, Ivan, and Andrei. “Well, if it continues to happen, don’t hesitate to come in for a check-up,” he said.

“No offense, doc, but I would rather avoid that. That being said, they will drag me to the hospital kicking and screaming if they have to, should they think something is wrong with me.”

He laughed, studying her for long enough that both Ivan and Andrei stepped slightly in front of her. It was enough of a move to break him from whatever thoughts he was having. I was stillenjoying watching when I noticed Andrei’s demon was angry. Andrei still looked completely calm, but his demon was raging.

It was completely different from everyone else. He was actually much more frightening. I would much rather deal with someone who was visibly angry than deal with Andrei. He was completely cool, outwardly, but I could tell he was thinking of at least forty-seven different ways to kill the doctor in that moment.

As Dr. Williams pulled out of the parking lot, I walked to the three of them. Sephie knew Andrei was mad; they were having a silent conversation between the three of them. When she felt my arm around her waist, I could feel the worry as she looked up at me.

“Tell me what he was thinking,” I said. She chuckled softly, amused that I already knew what was going on.

“I felt Ivan’s irritation through Sephie, so I paid attention. The doctor has some weird fascination with Sephie since he saw her shaking in the hospital when she was away from you. It’s turned into somewhat of an obsession, but he can’t bring himself to ask her about it.”Andrei said.

“That’s what has you ready to follow him and rip his head off?”I asked.

Sephie looked up at me, grinning. “You can feel him too?”she asked.

I shook my head no. “Andrei? No. Andrei’s demon? Absolutely. He’s going complete apeshit in there right now.” Sephie giggled.

“No, it was him replaying checking her over in the hospital in his mind that did it. When he lifted her hospital gown to check for internal injuries,”Andrei told me.

I felt Sephie grab both of my arms and wrap them around her waist as she held onto them. Her grip tightened as she felt myanger making an appearance, which only served to make Andrei and Ivan even more angry.

“Boys,” Sephie said sternly. “You all intimidate the absolute fuck out of that man. It will never be an issue unless I’m left alone in a room with him.” She paused, then added, “Under heavy sedation, since he clearly knows how to paralyze me.” Her body shuddered at the thought.

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