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One of these days, he’s going to turn on me. It won’t matter that I’m his son. He’s had men who worked for him for years who he called second sons, yet he killed them right in front of me. I think the only reason I’m still alive is that I’m the only confirmed child he has. I’m his legacy, and until he creates a new one, he has to deal with me.
I’m not an idiot. My expiration date is coming up soon, and the deeper we get into this alliance with the Umarova family, the more I’m going to see it.
Chapter Two
Eset
The last few weeks have flown by, but that happens when your family is as busy as mine. Even being so busy, I’ve still managed to find time to focus on some of my artwork. When all the shit was going down between my father and my siblings, my mother destroyed pieces I’d put hours and hours into.
I’m standing in front of my canvas right now. I’ve put over twenty hours into this piece, and I’ll probably put twenty more before I’m remotely happy with the outcome. I’ve been painting since I was a young girl, and over the years, I have found love for all sorts of artwork. What I’ve done here is created a seascape using oil paints. The bottom is a deep cerulean blue, and there are only shades of light peeking through. Past the water are dark, looming mountains, and beyond that are heavy overcast clouds.
Over the last few months, I’ve noticed that my paintings have gotten much darker than usual. Before, I would paint a lot of sunsets or sunrises or even floral gardens in the height of summer. I’ve never really had one area of focus, but I do notice the changes in my style. I think it comes down to the pressures of being an Umarova and the series of events that have plagued us recently.
Some days I even wonder if I’m happy in the first place, but asking myself a question like that would be foolish on my part. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if I’m happy. It only matters that we continue to push forward as a family.
As a teenager, I knew my life was different than others around me, but I didn’t realize the dangers hidden in the shadows. I was happy in my ignorance, and looking back now, I don’t know if that was a blessing or a curse. I remember the days of traveling wherever I wanted with friends, sitting in the kitchen with my mother and speaking about inconsequential things like what was happening at school… though it was all bullshit. I never knew back then the type of woman that I needed to turn myself into. I’m the woman I need to be now. Some call me callous, while others call me a bitch. I guess it doesn’t matter, though. What does matter is that I’m as strong as an ox.
It’s hard for me to believe it’s the beginning of November. It feels like yesterday that all the drama was happening between my brothers and my father. It was a time when my world did a complete one-eighty, but I needed it. I needed all these things to happen in order to discover who I was truly meant to be—a fearless businesswoman.
Sure, I still find time to pursue my passions, like my artwork… but my life is dedicated to my family now and what’s best for all of us.
I place my palette down on the counter and step back, looking at my painting one last time. I have a lot more work to do, but I have a dinner obligation at Lom and Emily’s house. Nazyr and I live in Ruslan’s old home, and our brother Lom recently shacked up with Emily, who is the cousin of Amelia, Ruslan’s wife. Lom and Emily purchased a townhome a couple of blocks away from our home.
I exit my art studio and proceed down the stairwell where my and Nazyr’s bedrooms are. “Are you going to be ready to leave soon?” Nazyr calls from his bedroom. He must hear my shoes clacking against the hardwood floors.
“Yes. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll meet you downstairs,” I call back as I disappear into my bedroom. I walk to my ensuite bathroom and strip out of the old t-shirt and sweatpants I wear when I paint. It’s my typical go-to attire because if I get paint on it, it doesn’t really matter. Once I’m out of my clothes, I toss them in the laundry bin, then walk into my closet. There’s an outfit I’ve been dying to wear, and while this is a family dinner, I can always look like a showstopper if I want.
I grab the hanger holding a matching vibrant sapphire blue pantsuit. The trousers are long and high-waisted, just the way I like them, and there’s an oversized jacket that will stop at mid-thigh. It has a huge belt buckle on the jacket, which is honestly the entire reason I bought it in the first place. I don’t have a top picked out, but there is this white bandeau crop-top sort of thing that’s been in my closet for a while. There’s a small “V” cut out in the center of it, and it’s thick enough that I think it’ll only maybe show off an inch or so of my skin. To finish the look off completely, I grab a pair of silver, glittering, pointed heels.
I grab the top from the drawer I know it’s in and begin putting the outfit together. Once it’s all on, I look in the mirror, and I’m more than pleased with my reflection. I look like a powerful, show-stopping woman, just like I want. I run a brush through my hair really quickly, apply a little bit more mascara, and dart downstairs to meet my brother.
“You think I’d know by now.”
“Know what?” I furrow my brows as I reach the last few steps.
“That every time you say ten minutes, it’s really going to be twenty.”
I roll my eyes at him, and once I’m beside him, I loop my arm through his. “Care to walk? It’s gorgeous outside.”
Nazyr grunts, but I know he’s going to give in to me. We exit the house with our bodyguards in tow behind us and walk a couple of blocks until we’re at Lom and Emily’s house. Nazyr presses the doorbell, and within a few moments, Emily’s opening the door for us.
“Ah, yay! Now we’re just waiting for Ruslan, Amelia, and Karim.”
Wow, for once, I’m not the reason we’re late.
I haven’t spent much time in Lom and Emily’s new house, but now I’m taking a good hard look at the space. It’s really beautiful, and I can tell it’s been renovated sometime in the last few years. It’s not covered with old, hundred-year-old wood like our townhome is, but it has its own character.
The floors are some sort of hardwood, but when it reaches the kitchen area, it turns into a tan tile. I head into the kitchen with Emily, and she goes back to the stove while I continue looking around. The cabinets are a cedar color, and they look very Eastern European in style to me. I’ll put some money on the fact the people who lived here prior weren’t from Grozny, and they were trying to transform their home into what they left behind. I do love the size of the kitchen. Emily seems to be the type who likes to cook and bake, so I’m sure she appreciates the size as well.
“Did they say when they were going to be here?” I ask Emily, and her daughter Sierra comes into the kitchen and goes straight up to her mother.
Sierra wraps her arms around Emily and holds onto her, causing Emily to focus on her daughter for a few moments. “Are you okay?” she asks her little girl.
“Yeah, I just wanted a hug,” Sierra tells her mother before she walks off.
“Make sure you’re back downstairs in twenty minutes! Dinner will be ready by then.”
“Okay, Mom!” Sierra calls back, and Emily laughs lightly.
