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“I don’t know how you managed that, but the kid could have been an awful shot,” Lom comments.
Nazyr snickers at Lom.
“What’s that about?”
“Oh, nothing. It looks like Ruslan didn’t just forget to tell Eset until this morning. Did he also fail to mention Ambros Galanis was on a date with our baby sister last night?”
“Sorry, what?” Eset practically chokes on her coffee.
“Ambros Galanis,” Lom repeats.
I don’t know what the sudden problem is, but I’m going to be quick to squash it. “If it wasn’t for Ambros tackling me to the ground, I think I would’ve gotten shot last night. Now, why in the hell are you all in a tizzy about me being on a date with Ambros?”
Ruslan clears his throat and motions for me to sit down. I take a seat next to Eset and look at our oldest brother. “Ambros comes from a family of dangerous men. The Galanis family… they’re heavily involved in the organized crime world like we are.”
“Okay, so are they mafia, like us?” I don’t know too much about this world, but I’m doing my best to learn.
“No, not really. They’re involved in another way.” It seems like Ruslan’s trying to figure out how to tell me what the Galanis family is known for, but he’s struggling to do it.
“Just tell her what they do, Ruslan. It’s not going to kill her,” Eset pipes up.
“They’re contract killers.”
Contract killers? Does he mean like assassins?
“They’re hitmen, Xava. They take contracts to kill people. Some of them are bad, some of them probably aren’t, but his family has been doing it for a long time. It’s what they’re known for, and they’re the best killers in the world. Ambros has never failed to complete a job,” Lom comes out with it and tells me everything I need to know.
“So… what you’re saying is that Ambros is dangerous?” I’m looking at all my siblings, trying to understand this.
“To other people, yes. I think he’s infatuated with you, and I’ve never heard rumors about Ambros harming a woman,” Nazyr speaks up, and Ruslan appears annoyed that Nazyr is speaking in Ambros’ defense.
“He’s a dangerous man, but he’s the kind of man you want in your corner.” Eset is looking right at me.
“What do you mean by that?”
“He’s the type of man who will go to war for you, as are every one of the men in this room. I know a couple of you have a problem with Ambros going out on dates with Xava, but she’s an excellent judge of character. If she doesn’t want to spend time with him, then she’ll stop. If she wants to keep spending time with him, then let her be happy. After all, none of you can sit here and act like you haven’t been considered dangerous and deadly.”
“Okay, that’s a lot of information to absorb… but I want to know something,” I state, making sure to look at everyone in the room. “Do we know who tried to have me killed?”
“I have it narrowed down to two people, yes, and I’m working on confirming who ordered the hit.” Ruslan’s voice grows deeper, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’s going to make that person pay once he finds out. “I need you to stay here for a couple of days. I’ll let you know when you can stop laying low.”
“So, I’m hiding?”
“For the time being, yes, but I promise it will be worth it.” Ruslan has never looked more frightening to me. His jaw is clenched, and there’s this evilness in his eyes. I’m afraid for the person responsible because I know my brother isn’t going to show any mercy.
Chapter Eleven
Ambros
I find it a little hard to believe that I’m currently sitting on Xava’s bed in Nazyr Umarova’s home. If there wasn’t an assassination attempt on Xava, I’d be back in my hotel room with her right now, but even she isn’t here.
I’ve been here for a couple of hours, using the time to relax for a while and then going through some emails on my phone. There’s nothing too important, just some things I need to respond to so my father’s administrative team knows if I’m taking certain assignments or not. I did agree to take a job in a few days in France. There’s a rush fee on the job, which means the company will pay triple the amount, and I’ll earn double my usual fee.
Since then, I’ve been admiring Xava’s room while I relax. The deep cherry hardwood floors span the space, a different tone than the ones leading down the hallway. I wonder if this was a change that was made after she started living here or if it’s always been this way. It’s not an overly large room, but there’s plenty of storage space with built-in closets along the wall where the door is.
Her room is in the corner and overlooks the garden, giving a bit of a city view if you look out through the window on the right. It’s a modern yet contemporary design. I know Lom’s wife is into real estate and interior design, so I wonder if she helped Xava decorate. If she did, I might have to hire her. The room looks amazing.
There’s about an eight-foot wall between the two windows, and on the wall is textured wood behind the headboard. The wood design starts out yellow and then turns into a deep matte purple. The yellow wood compliments the light tones in Xava’s bedside tables, and different shades of yellow are spread across the room.
