King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

“Are you kidding? I will gladly help you. My stomach was so lucking happy last night. I’ll do whatever

you want. What are you going to make this time?”

“I was thinking of making ravioli. It’s one of my favorite recipes that Max’s grandmother taught me. I

haven’t made it in a while.”

He just stared at me for a long moment. “I love you so much right now,” he said as his broad smile

stretched across his face.

I couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I know,” I said as I winked at him.

I was still finishing up dinner with Misha when Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen got home. Misha and I were

busy talking and laughing quietly as I ordered him around the kitchen. Ivan was still passed out on the

couch. Misha had it timed perfectly. He would run in and restart the recording just as it finished each

time.

He had just walked back in the kitchen and I said, “we’re going to have to wake him eventually so that

you can stop having to restart the recording and make it longer for him. But so far, it’s working

smashingly well.”

Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen walked into the kitchen. I smiled at them, putting my finger up to my lips to

ntake sure they stayed quiet. They walked over to the counter before talki

“Ivan is finally asleep on the couch. I don’t want to wake him up just yet. He needs it,” I said.

Adrik walked to my side, his arm sliding around my waist. “So, heating you play works just as well as

you talking to him?” He pressed his lips to mine when I looked up at him to answer his question. I

smiled against his lips as I nodded my head.

“Misha got more recordings today and he’s going to put them all together so it will play continuously for

him. Then we just have to remember to plug in the phone, so he and Viktor don’t need to wake up in a

panic again.”

Viktor sighed. “I’d prefer to not have to fight him in the middle of the night, but I’ll do it if necessary. It

usually takes all of us to hold him down. He’s a beast on a good day, but when he’s like that, he’s out

for blood. It’s hard not to take it personal sometimes.”

“He doesn’t see you guys when he’s like that. It doesn’t matter who is in front of him, he can only see

his memories. He’s not fighting you guys. He’s fighting his past,” I said, looking at him sympathetically.

The fallout of trauma. It affected everyone.

“But he sees you when he’s like that,” Viktor said, somewhat perplexed.

I thought for a moment. I didn’t want to say too much, because I know Ivan didn’t want them to know

and I didn’t have the best track record lately with keeping my mo uth sh ut. Adrik still had his arm

around me, I fell him run his hand up my back. He knew I was trying to find the words.

“I think it’s because he and I go to the same place. What he described to me today was exactly the

same as what I experienced on the plane and when we were at the ranch.” I looked at Adrik, suddenly

curious as to how he could pull me into the darkness. “Like I said before, his demons recognize mine.” I

shrugged my shoulders, not really knowing how else I could explain it.

“Well, whatever it is, I’ve still never seen anything like it. I’ve known Ivan for over ten years now and

he’s never snapped out of it as quickly as he has with you. I’m glad. For him. And maybe a little bit for

me, too, because I don’t have to fight him,” he said as he grinned.

“I wouldn’t want to fight him, that’s for sure,” I said, as I winked at him.

“What’s for dinner, sestrichka? It smells amazing,” he said, rubbing his stomach.

Misha said, “she made mushroom ravioli. And bread. Bro. She made bread. And she made the ravioli

from scratch. Like everything you’re about to put in your mo uth was made by her.”

“To be fair, the chicken was not made by me. I just cooked it. And also, Misha helped with everything.

He’s quite the sous chef.” I said smiling at him.

Ivan walked into the kitchen, looking better than he had earlier. He still looked tired, but nowhere near

as tired as he did earlier- in the day, “Princess, that smells like it’s going to make my stomach happier

than it was last night, which is saying a lot.”

I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Squishy, you look better. You slept okay? It worked?”

He nodded, “Was that one a new one?”

Misha answered for me. “Can you believe she just like sat down and played that for the first time

today? She was like I have this melody in my head. Banı. Here’s a song. The End.”

I laughed. “It’s not finished yet. It’ll sound better when it’s finished.”

Ivan said, “I like It. It might be my favorite one so far.”

As I stood in the kitchen, looking at Ivan tell me he liked that song, I knew without a doubt that my dad

had put that melody in my head specifically for Ivan. I thanked him silently.

“Oh, Boss. I have news,” Ivan said as he indicated for Adrik to allow him to the next room. Adrik kissed

my temple and whispered, “be right back, love,” as he walked into the next room with Ivan.

“Viktor, would you mind seeing if Andrei is awake yet? He told us to make sure and wake him up for

dinner.”

“If I say no, can I get his portion?” he asked, his eyebrow raised like he was legitimately considering

saying no.

“Do you want me to smack you with this wooden spoon? Because I’ll do it,” I said, pointing at him with

the spoon.

He laughed loudly, walking out of the kitchen. Adrik and Ivan walked back into the kitchen, both looking

like they were trying to keep it together. That was serious news. Adrik walked back to me, pulling me to

him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. “I missed you,

solnishko.” I stepped back, looking at him, but saw only happiness in his eyes. I stood on my toes and

kissed him gently. “I missed you more,” I said smiling against his lips.