Page 43 of The Umarova Crime Family

After we displayed my stepfather’s head in the middle of Grozny, everyone lost it. Some people cheered, thinking his death happened far too late. While some people like my mother tried to publicly condemn his “brutal and unwarranted” murder. It was a joke, really. How people could still try to defend him after everything I know is beyond me.

Footsteps come up behind me, and I turn around, expecting it to be Danill or Nal. Sure enough, it’s Lom, but he isn’t alone. In tow behind him is Emily, Amelia’s cousin. Someone I didn’t know was coming today. I knew she’d be here next week, so I cock a brow and look between Lom and Emily.

“Don’t tell Amelia. I want this to be a surprise,” Emily tells me as she comes over and scoops my son out of my arms. The bottle warmer dings, and she fetches the bottle like she knows exactly what she’s doing as she proceeds to feed Karim. “Gosh, you’ve gotten so big in these short few weeks, little one,” she tells him, and I notice Lom staring intently at Emily holding a baby.

It makes me curious if Emily could be the one to tame my wild brother’s soul. “Are you all right with Karim?” I ask Emily, and she almost looks annoyed at my question.

“Obviously, go do whatever you two need to do.” She waves us off and walks into the living room with Karim. Meanwhile, I take Lom into my office. We didn’t even see this on the blueprint of the place when we were looking at it online because it’s a safe room. It was a big plus for me, given what I do for a living.

Lom and I both take a seat once we’re inside, and I lean back against the leather couch. “How are things in Atlanta?”

“They’re going great. I actually wanted to speak to you about coming back home. Atlanta’s nice, but I’m growing bored of the view,” Lom comments, and I notice he swallows hard.

“Bored of the view or bored of Emily?” I ask him out of the blue. I’d rather cut straight to the chase, and I await Lom to comment. I thought he’d immediately be firing back, but he hasn’t.

“Emily is of no concern to you,” Lom hisses, glaring at me with all his might. “I want to come back to Grozny because it’s where I belong. Our business with the Steele family has gone on without a hitch, and it’s time for me to come back, brother. It’s been longer than we needed, actually.”

I smirk at my brother’s attitude, and it confirms everything I thought. He cares for Emily. Though, I wonder if he’s admitted it to himself yet. I can’t wait to see how this plays out between them. I want my brother to find happiness just as I have because there’s nothing else in the world like it—especially since my wedding to Amelia is taking place next week.

My life couldn’t get any better.

* * *

Book 2

Delicate Angel

Prologue

Lom

One Year Ago

I sit in the back of a town car as my hired driver weaves in and out of Boston’s streets. He could’ve easily taken me back to my hotel. However, I didn’t want him to. I need to think, and sometimes if I’m moving, I think better. I’m not idiotic enough to believe that simply by driving around in the back of a car, I’m going to find my stepfather, Anzor, but if it were to happen, it would make my life that much easier.

My phone dings, and I look down at a text message from my older brother, Ruslan.

Cian O’Dea confirmed you can stop by.

Along with the text message is an address, so I tell my driver, and he heads for the O’Dea residence. The O’Dea family is one of the Irish branches. Their family isn’t as complex as most think. The head honchos of the Irish are the Mackenzie family, who reside in Dublin, Ireland. The O’Deas are cousins of the Mackenzies and run their operations in Boston, handling a lot of their business here in the United States. But it doesn’t stop at the O’Deas. The Gallaghers are cousins of the Mackenzies and run things in Northern Ireland, specifically in Belfast. Now, to add a little bit of flare to this family dynamic, the Steele family is also related. Fiona O’Dea is Jordan Steele’s mother, tying them in deeply with the Irish.

It helps that we’re already on good terms with the Steele family, seeing as they purchase weaponry from my brother. Even though we’re on good terms with the Steeles, I must still show respect to the people who reign here—the O’Deas.

Within ten minutes, my driver’s pulling in front of a brownstone. The address number matches the text Ruslan sent me, so I open my door and get out of the vehicle. I walk up the few steps to the house, and the brisk Boston air brushes against my face. I didn’t expect it to be so chilly here, but I am up north. For fuck’s sake, it’s the end of summer, and Boston’s right on the water. It has been raining the last few days, so maybe that’s why it’s chillier here than I expect. I knock on the door, and within a few moments, the door opens.

“Mr. Umarova, my boss is expecting you,” the man tells me and ushers me inside with a hand. I walk inside, and he shuts the door behind me.

I’ve heard rumors about Cian and his now-wife burning down their old home, but I don’t know any of it to be true. In our life, rumors tend to spread like wildfire. I, however, am curious to know if this is the same place. If it is, they’ve done a fabulous job at remodeling it.

The foyer area is small and has dark hardwood spreading throughout every room I can land my eyes on. It even goes up the massive stairwell to my right, and I naturally assume it continues on the upper and lower floors as well.

“I appreciate your boss taking the time to meet with me under such short circumstances,” I tell the man, whose name I still don’t know.

“Mr. O’Dea is a very busy man, but he always makes time for what matters. Please, come with me. He’s already awaiting you,” the man says and leads me through an entryway on the right before continuing through the next one. Finally, we come up to a wooden doorway, and the man knocks a few times.

“Come in, Regis,” Cian calls out to his man, and Regis opens the door.

“Mr. O’Dea, Mr. Umarova has arrived,” Regis tells him, and Cian waves me inside. His study reminds me of many others I’ve seen before. I wonder if we all talk to each other about what they should consist of: large windows, floor-to-ceiling built-in shelving, a large wooden desk, a couple of armchairs, and a couch along the longest wall.

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