AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Emily
It’s our first family Sunday dinner since we arrived here in Grozny, and I’m so excited to be here. Something I never really felt with my own family was a sense of closeness, but as I look at everyone mingling with one another, I can’t say the same about the Umarovas. Hell, Eset and Nazyr aren’t even Umarovas, but Ruslan suggested they formally get their names changed so they can become them. Their blood isn’t Umarova, but none of it matters to them. What really matters is the brotherhood the four of them have, or maybe I should say sisterhood.
Since coming to Grozny, I’ve noticed Sierra’s been sticking close to Lom, who she believes is her father. I won’t ever tell her otherwise, and I know he won’t do it either. He admitted to me the other night that he likes the fact she thinks he’s her father. He says that being a father gives him a deeper purpose, and I love it for him.
It’s the first time since coming home that Sierra has met Eset or Nazyr, and both of them are talking with her like she’s actually their niece.
Eset made the entire dinner herself, a combination of traditional Chechen foods as well as some American ones. We told Eset that Sierra hadn’t had many opportunities to try different foods until we got her back, so she made some things that are loaded with spices, and then she’s made some “bland” American food, as she calls it. Amelia and I got a good kick out of it, but all of the Umarovas looked at us like it was the most real insult we’ve ever experienced. American food is quite different than Chechen, but that doesn’t mean it’s awful.
We’ve all eaten dinner together, and it’s almost over. Sierra loves the fact she has a baby cousin to play with, so she takes Karim into the living room upstairs, and Ludvik goes along with her. We know he isn’t fond of being a babysitter, but it’s his job to make sure we’re protected, so he can’t really put too much of a fight up about it. As soon as the children are out of earshot, Eset clears her throat and looks right at her brothers.
“You’ve all been acting so weird with me for the last few days. Are you going to tell me what’s the matter, or should I go looking in the rumor mill for my answers?” Eset makes eye contact with every one of her brothers. First, it’s Nazyr, and then Lom, and finally Ruslan.
Ruslan takes a sip of his vodka on the rocks and looks right into his sister’s eyes. “I’ve gotten a request from Julio Ramirez to meet him in Paris. He wants to formally subject me to a business proposal where you would marry his eldest son, Santos.”
“Julio’s the one who’s making a bogus claim that he should be the leader of the Mexican cartel, isn’t he?” Eset seems amused by this whole ordeal as she takes a sip of her wine.
“Yes.”
Eset rolls her eyes. “I was told—by you, I believe, dear brother—that I’d never be forced to marry anyone in a political arrangement. I told you I didn’t want to have the value of a cow, and I don’t. I’m a person, not a piece of meat or property to be sold off to the highest bidder. However, saying that… I know what Julio has done to members of this family,” Eset looks over at me before she speaks again, “and the children within it… so I have a proposition for you.”
“Which is?” Ruslan questions, and every single one of us is holding onto the edge of our seats, waiting for Eset to speak.
“I want to entertain this idea because I want to know his angle. We all know we have more enemies than we care to admit, especially with Artos’ confession. I won’t be serious about it whatsoever, but Julio won’t know that. I want to go to Paris alongside you.”
“This is a joke, right?” I speak up, unable to hold my emotions back any longer.
Eset looks right into my eyes. “Our family business can sometimes be far-fetched, but I’m not kidding. I want to have the upper hand, and the only way I’m going to have it is if I toy with this idea. But I think it might be best if you go upstairs, so you don’t have to hear the rest of this.” Eset is a bit callous in her words. I’m new to this family, so maybe the shock factor of what they’re discussing will wear off soon.
I start to rise from my seat, but Lom shoots his eyes in my direction. “Stay right where you are.” I sit back down in my seat because he doesn’t sound pleased in the least bit.
“Now, back to what I was saying. Even if Julio is Rafael’s son, Alejandro has ruled very well for Mexico. Amazingly, in fact. We’ve never had an issue with the Mexican cartel, and I don’t see a reason for us to have an issue with them.”
“I think he has more than just a proposal planned, honestly,” Ruslan speaks up, looking at Eset.
“Me too, which is why I want to play the game and see where we end up. I’m tired of people fucking us over, and I mean that. I want to put an end to people thinking they can screw our family over. They’ve done it time and time again, and knowing what we do now… it’s high time it comes to an end, don’t you think?” Eset looks at everyone surrounding the table, and not one person disagrees with her.
I had no idea how much of a boss bitch Eset is, but I have to say I like it. I like that there’s a strong woman in this family making her opinion known.
Epilogue
Lom
Two Months Later
Emily and I took a vacation in Greece with Sierra. We gave her plenty of time to adjust to life in Grozny, and now we’ve finally reached a normal phase of life. We each have schedules, even Sierra, who’s been enrolled at a private school nearby. She’s years behind in terms of learning because of the child trafficking situation, but I’ve hired a teacher just for her at the school. Our goal is to keep her in school throughout the year, with two-week breaks every quarter, just so we can hopefully get her caught up to her current grade level within a couple of years. Sierra has such a bright personality that I know we’re going to be able to do it.
Sierra’s running around on the beach with some other children. We’re staying at a resort, and there are other families here, too, so it’s given Sierra a great opportunity to make friends. She doesn’t see too many people in school because of her private teacher situation, but she does get to play out at recess with children her age. It’s been hard for her to accept the fact the other kids her age are in a class with multiple kids, and she isn’t, but we’ve explained to her time and time again that she will eventually be in a class setting as well, it just takes some time before she can get there.
As I watch Sierra run around, I notice Emily seems a bit off. “Are you feeling all right?” I’ve noticed over the last couple of days how she hasn’t been drinking, and she’s gotten queasy quite a bit. I think I know what’s “wrong” with her, but she hasn’t told me anything… I’m just biding my time until she feels like she can tell me.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just feeling a bit sick to my stomach.” She pauses and lets out a pent-up breath.
“You’ve been this way for a few days, you know, and I noticed you didn’t get your period,” I point out.
Emily raises both of her brows. “Are you counting my tampons or something?”
“No, I’m not, but I tend to notice when you aren’t discarding them in the trash around that certain time of the month,” I state plainly, and Emily inhales deeply through her nose.
