Page 33 of The Umarova Crime Family

“So there’s a bit of a background story I need to give you. You know I’m involved in the criminal world, but you don’t have all the details. You know my name, Ruslan Umarova, and I gather you understand the Umarova name is where my family’s power lies. My stepfather came into my life when I was merely ten years old, and my father was killed shortly before then. As the eldest son, it was my right to lead, but I was a child. My mother and stepfather agreed it would be best for him to take control of the family organization because I was so young.”

“You were a child, and he had no place in speaking for you. He isn’t an Umarova, correct?”

Ruslan smiles at what I’ve said. It has to be because I’m catching on quickly. “Correct. He has no ounce of Umarova blood in his body. He’s an outsider, an outsider who methodically planned every move he made from my father’s death to my capture.”

My eyes go wide. Did he just say his father’s death? “He killed your father?”

Ruslan nods once, and his expression grows more serious by the moment. “Yes. I only found out because of my sister, Eset. She was able to get the information I always wondered about. In the back of my mind, I had a theory he was responsible, but she got the hard proof he was. He planned it out, killing my father and then marrying my mother. He even took something off my father’s body, something that was very important to the Umarova family. Eset looked around our family’s estate and, sure enough, found the missing item safely tucked away.”

God, this is horrible. It has to be awful to know your stepfather killed your dad, but there also has to be some sort of relief in finally having the answer too. “I am so sorry, Ruslan,” I speak with the utmost sincerity, and he offers me a soft smile.

“There is nothing to be sorry for, malen'kiy krolik. I have the answers I always sought. And now I will make him pay for everything he’s done.”

“What will you do?” I’m not sure I’m ready for the answer he’s about to tell me.

“I’m going to make him suffer in ways he’s never dreamed of. He not only killed my father and put my life on a path that could’ve been avoided, but he also had me captured and tortured. Not to mention he beat my mother for most of their marriage. She even called me today and told me if I go forward with this, she isn’t my mother anymore. She truly believes I’m the person in the wrong here, and that is a sad thing.”

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?” My question even surprises me. Deep down, I think I already know the answer, but I want some sort of confirmation from Ruslan.

“Yes, I will. No one goes against my family or me and gets away with it. Just as no one will ever do the same to you. I won’t let them, Amelia. Anyone who goes against my loved ones is also going against me.” Ruslan’s words take me by surprise a bit. I’ve known I’m important to him. That was made evident the other day when we had our heart-to-heart. Though, I didn’t ever expect he’d go to such great lengths to keep me safe. Right now, at this moment, I realize Ruslan would kill for me if he had to.

I begin to break the distance between Ruslan and myself. He takes off the undershirt that was under his dress shirt. He lays it down on the back of the dining room chair and turns to face me as I come right up against him. “Thank you for doing everything you do for me.”

Ruslan cups my face in his hands. “There’s no need for thanks. I’d do it all again if I had to. For you, I’d do anything.”

His words cause me to smile, but not in a happy way. It’s more grateful for what he’s doing. Thankful for having him in my life. I don’t know what I’d do without Ruslan. My life could’ve been so different over the last few months. I could’ve been stressed and working my ass off, making no progress with my identity theft case. But because of Ruslan, we were able to figure out Carter’s behind it all.

“You’re like my dark guardian angel,” I tell him, and a smile tugs at his lips.

“I like that. I will always make sure you are protected, Amelia. Forever and always.”

I step closer to him and press my lips against his. Our kiss is soft and delicate, something I really need right now. I continue to kiss Ruslan, and his hands drop from my face down to my sides, pulling me flush against his body.

I pull my lips away from his and look up into his eyes. “Ruslan, I know what you said the other day… but I have to know. Are you serious about the money going in the past?”

Ruslan presses a chaste kiss to the center of my head. “The money means nothing to me, Amelia. You, on the other hand, are everything. I’m not ever going to hold you accountable for the money I paid Christian to get you out of that situation. I don’t want there to be anything monetary between us. You’re simply my woman, and I am your man.”

Any residual heaviness I have left in me immediately leaves my body. We’re both on the same page, and it feels so good to be here. I reunite my lips with his and kiss him with a feverish need. He runs his hands along my body, going down from my waist, over my ass, and skirting against my thighs.

Chills run up my spine, and I know we’re about to take this to the bedroom. At least, I think we are. Ruslan brings his hands up over my hips and slides them under my silk pajama shirt. Ruslan breaks the kiss, and I suck in a breath in anticipation. He pulls it up and yanks it over my head, leaving me standing in front of him shirtless in just fuzzy socks and pajama bottoms.

He wastes no time hooking his thumbs under my waistband and doing the same thing to my bottoms, pulling them along with my thong until I’m solely standing in fuzzy socks. “You’re so fucking beautiful, malen'kiy krolik.” His tone comes out hot and breathy, and I drop to my knees.

I’ve been thinking about this, about needing him in my mouth, for a couple of days. I love sucking his cock, and it makes me feel like such a whore when I think about it, but I don’t care. There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to be a sexy vixen with him. Not with the way he makes me feel.

I unbutton his pants, then unzip them. Tonight is going to be a long one, and I can’t wait for how late he’s going to continue to keep me up.

Chapter Twenty

Ruslan

Amelia and I spent most of the night caressing each other’s bodies and bringing the other more pleasure than we’d felt in a long time. I find myself falling for this woman, and that’s something I’m not used to. I think I might have told one other woman I loved her, but that love compared to what I feel for Amelia isn’t even comparable. Is this what love should be? Is this what love should feel like? I think so, but I’m not too sure. All I know is that when I’m with Amelia, my entire life makes sense. I feel like I’m on top of the world, and nothing can knock me down.

I’m glad last night we spoke about things. It seemed like she really wanted to clear up what she is to me and what I am to her. It makes me think her feelings are growing just as strong as mine are. One day soon, I’ll tell her how important she is to me, but I do think she has some sort of idea. It’s not that I don’t want to tell her how I feel. What I want is for all this madness with her ex and with my stepfather to be over with.

Amelia left this morning to go to her apartment with Emily. A place she barely goes to these days. Emily practically lives there alone, but I haven’t brought up that fact to Amelia. I very much enjoy her warming my bed every night, and I don’t want to give her a reason to head back to her apartment. She can go there whenever she wishes, but I’ve grown used to her being with me every night. After spending so much time without her, she’s the one thing I craved more than anything else.

I’m almost at the factory now, and I did a lot of thinking during the night and through this morning. As much as I want to torture Anzor for as long as possible, I want to be done with him. All I want is for him to be a distant memory in the past, and soon he will be.

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