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“Yes, totally.” I laugh and squeeze him a little harder.
Nazyr is a dream come true, and he’s not someone I’m going to let slip through my fingers.
Chapter Fifteen
Nazyr
Another two weeks have flown by in the blink of an eye. I can hardly believe how fast the days are going, but at the same time, we’ve all been so busy, so it’s not too much of a surprise. When I told Mona about our plan to get her daughters, she seemed so happy at first. I am too. But a couple of days after we talked about it, she seemed a little down.
We ended up having a conversation, and she said it was happening a bit slower than she expected, but I assured her that we’re only doing things the best way we can. Mona isn’t a dumb woman by any means, though she doesn’t know too much about how criminal families operate or how we handle threats. So I put it in layman’s terms for her: the turtle is slow and steady and wins the race. I know why she’s anxious to have things happening sooner rather than later, but I also know she understands why we’re taking our time with this.
We’re going to get her children, but we have to do it the right way. At this point, we’re a little over a week away from the exhibit at the gallery in London, and my nerves are slowly beginning to settle in. There’s a lot riding on this meeting going well, and I want to make sure it goes flawlessly. If I fail Mona in any way, and if I fail those little ones, I don’t know if I will ever forgive myself.
Over the last couple of weeks, things between Mona and me have moved along exponentially. However, extracting her children from Duarte’s estate is constantly lurking in the back of my mind. I’m trying not to fuck up, trying not to ruin what we’re building. I don’t know if she’d necessarily blame me for whatever happens with her children… but I do think that she has a lot of hope and faith in my abilities.
I head into the girls’ bedroom, and Mona is folding a few throw blankets, placing them into the closet in the corner of the room.
“Hey there,” I say to her, and as she finishes putting the blankets on the shelf, she turns around with a beaming smile.
Mona’s been working tirelessly getting the girls’ room ready, and now it’s perfect for when they arrive. Mona has thought about every tiny detail, from the curtains to the art on the walls to the shade of the comforters and the throw pillows.
“Hey. How’s your day been?”
“It’s been pretty damn good. I just got off the phone with Ruslan a few minutes ago.”
Mona raises both of her brows, no doubt anxiously waiting for me to say something. I can tell she teeters on the line of asking me about calls with my brother. I think it’s because she knows what my family does for a living, and she’s never sure if it has something to do with business or if it has something to do with our effort to get her daughters. She isn’t saying anything, so I speak up.
“It was a good call. He’s spoken directly with Duarte, and he’s scheduled to be in London next week for the exhibition at the gallery.”
Mona smiles, and I can tell relief has washed through her system. “So, everything is going according to plan?”
“So far, yes. Something could pop up later, but as of right now, everything is going as well as we can expect. I want you to know something, though. Even if something happens and ruins this opportunity for us, we’re going to find another one. We’re going to get them back. I think you understand that I don’t make promises or vows without fully intending to make sure I can honor my end of the deal.”
“I do. I know. I am just praying so hard that this goes down the way we want it to.” She offers me a half smile and walks over to me, then wraps her arms around my body.
I hold onto her, knowing her children are the only thing that’s gotten her this far in life. Without her children, I don’t know if Mona would’ve stayed in Duarte’s home. I don’t know if she could’ve refrained from killing herself if she didn’t have something to live for, and what better thing to live for than your children?
“I don’t want to jinx it, but I have a good feeling. You’ve done an amazing job with their bedroom. I’m sure they’re going to love it,” I tell her honestly, looking around the room. She’s put so much thought into it, and it makes me wonder what Mona wants to do long-term.
We’ve already discussed that we have a pull toward one another, but I’m wondering what she wants to do for work. Sure, I know she went to school for business and Russian… but does she have a deep desire that she wants to explore? Or is she thinking that she wants to be a stay-at-home mother? Regardless, I don’t care. I could see her wanting to do something more with her life. She’s been trapped in a home for so long, so it wouldn’t be shocking to me that she’d want to get out and do more.
Mona doesn’t tell me, but I can see on her face that she loves how she can do the simplest things since being here. Whether it’s going out for a coffee in the morning or completing a simple task like running to the grocery store. She wasn’t able to do that with Duarte, and some days I have wondered if she’s felt trapped here, but since our discussion a couple weeks ago, I know she doesn’t. She’s well aware that she can walk out the front door any time she wants. All I can do is hope and pray that I keep making her want to stay.
“Thank you. I think they’re going to love it too, and I really appreciate everything you’re doing for us. You’re a dream, Nazyr, a dream I never saw coming.”
“Med, I think you know I’ll do anything for you.” I mean every word, and she leans up to kiss me sweetly on the lips.
As she pulls away, I inhale slowly through my nose. Mona goes over to the one bed and begins moving around the throw pillows. I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason for it, but I let her be. Mona keeps organizing things throughout the room. In the last couple of weeks, she’s gotten some clothing for the girls and some shoes as well. She’s folding clothes, putting them on hangers, and tucking shoes away in the closet.
She turns around with a pile of clothes in her hand and seems a bit shocked. “I’m surprised you’re still here. I thought you would have run into your office or had a call with one of your brothers.”
As of late, I’ve been quite a bit busy with the family business. In all honesty, being with Mona is teaching me to take a more serious role in the business. I’ve struggled a lot lately, and my brothers and sister are well aware of it. I couldn’t move past how I was lied to my entire life. It fucked with my head, but since being with Mona, I’ve realized a lot. I think I’ve learned how to be present in the moment and how for some people, their entire lives can be changed in an instant. It’s taught me to take my role more seriously. It’s taught me that I need to do things better and be a better man.
“Yeah, I want to talk to you about something if you’re not too busy.”
Mona glances down at the pile of clothes in her hands. “I’m not sure this classifies as being busy, but go ahead.”
“We spoke a couple of weeks ago about giving this a go, giving it an actual shot… but we’re sleeping separately every night, and I’d like to change that.” It doesn’t feel like we’re in a relationship. It feels like we’re friends with benefits, and if I’m in a relationship with someone, I want to at least be sleeping in the same bed. I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask. I feel like it’s a normal phase of being with someone.
