Page 216 of The Umarova Crime Family

“Everyone thought so, but no. Xava was a hidden child who was recently introduced to the Umarovas and their world.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Linus is in complete shock. I can’t blame him in the least bit. I would be, too.

“No, I’m not. She’s a good match, a powerful one. But I didn’t pursue her because of who she’s related to. I went after her because I had a connection with her. It hasn’t fizzled out, and I’m going to keep exploring that.”

“I don’t know if I believe what you’re telling me.” Linus chuckles lightly, and I understand where he’s coming from. What he doesn’t know is that I didn’t know who Xava really was when I met her the night of Lom and Emily’s wedding. All she was to me was a gorgeous woman who could hold a great conversation.

“It’s all right. I’m not asking you to. I’ll naturally assume our father is really pressing Zoe, above all the other potential women?”

Linus nods. “He has made up his mind that you’re going to marry Zoe.”

I crack up laughing. “He’s delusional. I’ve told him once I’m not interested, and I’m not. I’ve made my choice, and I’m sticking with that.”

“I don’t know what to do, man. I’m trying to help you as much as I can, but the two of you make it difficult as fuck some days.”

“You don’t need to help either of us, Linus. The bottom line is we’re going to be forced to figure it out. It’s not your job to jump in the middle and try to save either of us.”

My father will have to realize that he isn’t the most powerful man in the family at some point. He wants me to take over the Organization, and I have to keep showing my strength. The only reason I push back so much is to show him that the business our grandfather built isn’t going to be in the hands of some weakling. I’m going to make my family proud by how I handle the business, and I’m only going to bring more power to the Galanis name.

Chapter Fourteen

Xava

“It’s a little hard to believe you came all this way just to take me on a date.” I smile before I take a sip of my freshly made hot latte. Ambros and I are at a new breakfast joint just outside the heart of Grozny.

Ambros is in a fancy blood-red dress shirt with black slacks and matching black Oxfords. “I told you I was coming. Plus, there wasn’t a way in hell I was going to make you fly out to visit me by yourself.”

“To be fair, I wouldn’t be by myself. I’d have Rolando with me.” The second I say it, Ambros’ expression drops. He knows better than anyone that Rolando has to be with me. There isn’t a choice in the matter. He goes with me everywhere for my own protection, and after this assassination attempt, I know better than to go anywhere by myself.

I dig my fork into my syrniki, which are like pancakes but much fluffier. They’re made with cheese, which gives them a much better taste, in my opinion. They’re sweet yet mildly cheesy. And a raspberry topping on them makes them mind-blowingly amazing. If I could, I’d eat these every damn day.

Ambros and I are sharing draniki, a fried crispy potato pancake, and then he orders some vatrushka buns. You can eat them at breakfast or dessert, and either option is a great one. They’re slightly sweet and are never overbearing at all. The filling is made up of cream cheese and cherries, and I think there might even be some cherry jam in the kind Ambros ordered. Of course, we’re drinking coffee with our breakfast, both of us enjoying it so much. They’re soft and sweet but also have a golden-brown chewy texture when you bite into them. Ambros has been demolishing his food, and I chuckle at his shenanigans.

“Ah, yes. Very true. We really need to order more of these so we can take them with us.” Ambros motions to the vatrushka.

“Get some different flavors. You haven’t even tried the blueberry ones. They’re my absolute favorite.”

“I’ll make sure we order a variety pack. Is there anything else we should take back to Greece with us?”

I think about what Ambros is asking me but quickly know I don’t want to bring anything from Grozny. “Honestly, I want to explore Greece and have a whole bunch of foods that are from your country. I can have my normal stuff when I come back home.”

“Okay. When we’re done here, we’ll head back to the airstrip. I’m sure everything will be finished by the time we’re done here.”

“I really do appreciate you coming out here to get me.”

“Xava, you can stop saying that. I was going to come here anyway. There’s no way I’d make you fly all the way to Greece like that.” Ambros takes a sip of his coffee and then clears his throat. “How is your new apartment? Do you like it?”

“Oh, I love it. It’s really giving me my own sense of independence while still being close to the rest of the family. Ever since I left Prague and moved to Grozny, I’ve been living with Mona, Nazyr, and the kids. In a way, I felt kind of like I was stepping on their toes. They said I wasn’t, but I don’t know if I really believe them. I think they were just trying to make sure I was happy.”

Ambros picks up his hot coffee again and takes another sip, holding the coffee mug in his hands. “In your case, family comes above all else. I’m sure them saying you weren’t a bother is the truth.”

I take another bite of my delicious food and follow it up with some coffee, nodding in the process. “You’re probably right. Still, it feels so nice to be out on my own. Even back in Prague, I was still living with my adoptive mother. I never moved out of the condo we shared back home.”

“That’s okay. There’s no golden rule that says you need to leave home by a certain age.”

“Very true. I don’t know if I told you, but the apartment I have is in a historic building. They renovated a good portion of it but saved a lot of the old charm the building had, too. The previous owner of my apartment had done some really cool upgrades.”

“I can’t wait to see it. Is it big enough for you, or is it small? A lot of the time in the Greek market, you find those hidden gems, but you’re sacrificing your space to get it.”

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