Page 41 of The Umarova Crime Family

“Amelia Umarova does have a nice ring to it.”

I smile from ear to ear and pull her into a kiss. “That it does,” I mumble against her lips, very well knowing I’m the happiest man on the face of the planet. This woman is my fiancée, and she’ll soon be my wife. The only thing I need to do is take her ring shopping and have her pick out the ring of her dreams because as long as I’m beside her, I’ll make sure every one of her dreams comes true.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Amelia

I can hardly believe this right now. Ruslan asked me to marry him, and I said yes. I said yes to marrying a man I’ve only known for a few months. A man who I met under very dark circumstances, where I was unsure if I was even going to make it out alive. Then he surprised me with his actions, and since then, he’s continued to do so.

I’m going to be Amelia Umarova very soon, and it really does have a nice ring to it. It sounds beautiful.

“You have made me the happiest man in the world, malen'kiy krolik. You’re giving me a child and becoming my wife. My life couldn’t be any better.”

I lean further against Ruslan and press a kiss to his neck. I doubt he realizes it, but when he came into my life, he saved me—quite literally. “I’d have to agree with you.” I smile at him and take my lips away from his neck. I place my hands where my lips just were and seal my lips against his. His lips are as soft as ever, and his hands skirt along my body.

He breaks the kiss for a moment and looks into my eyes. “I want us to buy a new place in Grozny, a place that’s our home, not just mine.”

I narrow my eyes at him. Just because his townhome is his doesn’t mean I don’t like it. “I love the home you have now. It’s absolutely breathtaking.”

“It is, but I purchased it as a single man, not as an adult. We have a little one on the way, and all those stairs are a hazard, yes?”

He isn’t wrong, but I know he’s trying to take a mile with this inch. “We can put up baby gates when the time comes. There are ways our little one will be safe, darling.” I try to assure him, but I see on his face that he isn’t convinced.

“I think we need a fresh start, and I think we should look for real estate in Grozny now. I want to have a meeting set up by the time we arrive back home.” Ruslan’s making his opinion known, and I shake my head at it.

“I don’t think we need to get another house. The one we have is already so beautiful, not to mention charming.”

“Yes, well, I wouldn’t sell it. Just in case you’d want to go back to it at some point. Eset and Nazyr will need a place to live now that our mother has cast us all out.”

What is he talking about? “I knew you and your mother had a falling out, but why did Eset and Nazyr?”

“They were with me and took part in my actions. My mother technically owns the home they were living in, and I know they’re not welcome there. I’ve already arranged for movers to go and collect their things. The last thing I want is for our mother to go through their personal items and burn or trash them. Especially Eset’s paintings. They’re beautiful creations that have taken hours upon hours to create.” One thing I’ve noticed about Ruslan is how much he loves his sister’s creativity.

“Maybe we could commission your sister to create something beautiful for us,” I suggest, and Ruslan smiles brightly.

“Eset would really love that.”

“Then we’ll have to do it. So, do you want a new place because of the baby and us being together or because your siblings have nowhere to return home to?”

Ruslan sinks back on the couch a bit more. “It’s a bit of both, really. I want them to have a safe place to rest their heads, yes, but I also want us to have a fresh start too.”

“Okay, then I’m on board for looking at houses. I just didn’t want to spend money unless you absolutely needed to. You might have a lot of it, but I don’t like to spend for any silly reasons.”

“Speaking of money, I want to pay off all your debts from the identity theft, Amelia. We know who did it, and I have the ability to completely replenish your credit and savings. You’re to be my wife, and I know the stress of all this has heavily burdened you. I don’t want it to do that any longer.

Ruslan pulls out his phone before I can even make a comment about what he’s said, and he’s pulling up what looks to be a real estate app on his phone.

“Ruslan, are you serious?”

He cocks one brow. “When do I joke about things such as this?”

Never. He never jokes about these sorts of things. I don’t bother answering because I know a reply isn’t needed or warranted.

“You’re really looking at homes right now? We haven’t even discussed anything about what we’re looking for.”

Ruslan eyes me up and down and cackles a bit as he does it. “I know you like the back of my hand, Amelia. You enjoy being in the center of the city, so you’ll be able to go on a stroll in the park or stop at a local coffee shop. There are small food stands all around the parks, and the weather is always gorgeous. You wouldn’t want to be in the suburbs because it would be more driving for you and Danill. You’d appreciate something a bit easier, nestled in the heart of Grozny. I’ll make sure we’re in a building that accepts children, and I’m sure you’ll make friends once we move.”

The more Ruslan speaks, the more it becomes evident he does know me like the back of his hand. He scrolls on his phone and lands on one building specifically. He taps on it and looks at the floor plan first. I’m peering over his shoulder at his phone, and it’s a four-bedroom, three-bath condo with two balconies. One of them is to the side, and the other is on the back. The balcony on the back has a small pool.

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