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“Sure thing,” Emily says as she walks away.
“Hey,” I say into the phone as I answer it.
“Hey. How are things at home? Lom sent me a selfie of him in our living room. He looks… messed up.”
I laugh at Nazyr’s comment. “Yeah, because he is. He’s on pain pills, and they’re really messing with him.”
“I figured he was on something.” Nazyr laughs for a moment and then clears his throat. “I should be home late tomorrow. Will you be okay in the house alone?”
“I don’t think I’m alone when we have an entire security team here.”
“Fair enough,” Nazyr chuckles. “I hate being away from you, but I promise I’ll explain everything when I get home.”
That comment alone makes me want to ask him what the hell he’s doing in the United Kingdom, but I have to trust that he will end up telling me tomorrow.
“Are you at least okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay. Are the girls doing well?”
“Yeah, they’re sleeping right now. I think the last day has been exhausting for them.”
“No doubt. So, listen, I did want to discuss something with you.”
Okay, now he has me a little bit nervous. “Okay, what’s up?”
“I don’t know if Duarte’s family is going to try and take the girls, so I’m having a contact in the government make birth certificates for Vanina and Ira. It will mean that if anything were to ever come up about them, they’d be considered Chechen citizens, and thus the laws here would protect them.”
Basically, it’s a safeguard in case anyone tries to take my daughters from me, plus more.
“Thank you, Nazyr,” I mumble as tears fill my eyes at this man’s generosity.
“No need to thank me. I’m only doing what I think is right.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Nazyr
I could have easily gone back to Grozny, but I chose against it. There was something in the back of my mind floating around, and I debated going home the same day my brother, Mona, and the girls did. Since I’m already in the United Kingdom, getting to Ireland isn’t difficult at all. Instead of coming back weeks later, it made more sense for me to handle this now, and so I am.
Mona doesn’t know what I’m up to. When I get back to Grozny, I’m going to be sure to tell her. Currently, I’m parked in front of her uncle’s home, which is surprisingly outside of a small town. I wouldn’t call this area the suburbs, and the nearest neighbor is a good bit away.
There’s no better moment than the present one, so I get out of my vehicle and shut the door quietly. I slide my keys into the pocket of my trousers as I approach the cottage. It looks to be built in the early nineteen hundreds. It’s two stories but doesn’t seem overly spacious. From what I’ve been able to find out about Mona’s uncle, he’s a single man who doesn’t have any family besides her. It would make sense he’d have a smaller home. He doesn’t need the extra space.
Vines with pink flowers are growing up around the bay window, and to the right of the bay window is a small porch where the front door is located. I can tell it’s been recently painted because of how impeccable it looks. There isn’t one mark on the door, not one smudge, and the fixtures look to be made of iron. It’s interesting to me how this is very much a traditional Irish cottage, but there are some more expensive upgrades.
I inhale slowly through my nostrils and put my hand up to the door, then rap my knuckles against the wood. At first, there’s dense silence, but a few moments pass by, and I can hear someone shuffling around inside.
Eventually, the door is pulled open, and an older man looks me up and down. “Can I help you?”
“Possibly. Are you Sean Buckley?”
The older man licks his lips and nods. “Yes, I am. Who’s asking?”
“My name is Nazyr. I’m actually a friend of Mona’s.”
As soon as I say Mona’s name, his eyes go wide.
“Mona, as in my niece?” He’s looking for clarification, and I’ll give it to him.
