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“I don’t know what to do, man. I’m trying to help you as much as I can, but the two of you make it difficult as fuck some days.”
“You don’t need to help either of us, Linus. The bottom line is we’re going to be forced to figure it out. It’s not your job to jump in the middle and try to save either of us.”
My father will have to realize that he isn’t the most powerful man in the family at some point. He wants me to take over the Organization, and I have to keep showing my strength. The only reason I push back so much is to show him that the business our grandfather built isn’t going to be in the hands of some weakling. I’m going to make my family proud by how I handle the business, and I’m only going to bring more power to the Galanis name.
Chapter Fourteen
Xava
“It’s a little hard to believe you came all this way just to take me on a date.” I smile before I take a sip of my freshly made hot latte. Ambros and I are at a new breakfast joint just outside the heart of Grozny.
Ambros is in a fancy blood-red dress shirt with black slacks and matching black Oxfords. “I told you I was coming. Plus, there wasn’t a way in hell I was going to make you fly out to visit me by yourself.”
“To be fair, I wouldn’t be by myself. I’d have Rolando with me.” The second I say it, Ambros’ expression drops. He knows better than anyone that Rolando has to be with me. There isn’t a choice in the matter. He goes with me everywhere for my own protection, and after this assassination attempt, I know better than to go anywhere by myself.
I dig my fork into my syrniki,which are like pancakes but much fluffier. They’re made with cheese, which gives them a much better taste, in my opinion. They’re sweet yet mildly cheesy. And a raspberry topping on them makes them mind-blowingly amazing. If I could, I’d eat these every damn day.
Ambros and I are sharingdraniki, a fried crispy potato pancake, and then he orders some vatrushkabuns. You can eat them at breakfast or dessert, and either option is a great one. They’re slightly sweet and are never overbearing at all. The filling is made up of cream cheese and cherries, and I think there might even be some cherry jam in the kind Ambros ordered. Of course, we’re drinking coffee with our breakfast, both of us enjoying it so much. They’re soft and sweet but also have a golden-brown chewy texture when you bite into them. Ambros has been demolishing his food, and I chuckle at his shenanigans.
“Ah, yes. Very true. We really need to order more of these so we can take them with us.” Ambros motions to thevatrushka.
“Get some different flavors. You haven’t even tried the blueberry ones. They’re my absolute favorite.”
“I’ll make sure we order a variety pack. Is there anything else we should take back to Greece with us?”
I think about what Ambros is asking me but quickly know I don’t want to bring anything from Grozny. “Honestly, I want to explore Greece and have a whole bunch of foods that are from your country. I can have my normal stuff when I come back home.”
“Okay. When we’re done here, we’ll head back to the airstrip. I’m sure everything will be finished by the time we’re done here.”
“I really do appreciate you coming out here to get me.”
“Xava, you can stop saying that. I was going to come here anyway. There’s no way I’d make you fly all the way to Greece like that.” Ambros takes a sip of his coffee and then clears his throat. “How is your new apartment? Do you like it?”
“Oh, I love it. It’s really giving me my own sense of independence while still being close to the rest of the family. Ever since I left Prague and moved to Grozny, I’ve been living with Mona, Nazyr, and the kids. In a way, I felt kind of like I was stepping on their toes. They said I wasn’t, but I don’t know if I really believe them. I think they were just trying to make sure I was happy.”
Ambros picks up his hot coffee again and takes another sip, holding the coffee mug in his hands. “In your case, family comes above all else. I’m sure them saying you weren’t a bother is the truth.”
I take another bite of my delicious food and follow it up with some coffee, nodding in the process. “You’re probably right. Still, it feels so nice to be out on my own. Even back in Prague, I was still living with my adoptive mother. I never moved out of the condo we shared back home.”
“That’s okay. There’s no golden rule that says you need to leave home by a certain age.”
“Very true. I don’t know if I told you, but the apartment I have is in a historic building. They renovated a good portion of it but saved a lot of the old charm the building had, too. The previous owner of my apartment had done some really cool upgrades.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Is it big enough for you, or is it small? A lot of the time in the Greek market, you find those hidden gems, but you’re sacrificing your space to get it.”
I shake my head. “No, there are three bedrooms, which is perfect. One for me, one for a guest, and one for Rolando. It really seemed to work out.”
Ambros draws his brows together and purses his lips for a few moments. “What do you mean, one for Rolando? He’s living with you?”
Uh-oh. I didn’t think that through. Not about Rolando living with me, but the part about me telling Ambros. “Yeah, he’s constantly around since he’s my security detail, and I thought it would make more sense if he had his own room. That way, he wouldn’t have to run back to wherever he lived and get relief for a few hours. I don’t really like the people who would come over and replace him while he’s sleeping and handling his affairs anyway. I’m much more comfortable with Rolando.” Rolando sits a couple of tables away, enjoying his own breakfast, occasionally looking over every couple of minutes. Then it hits me. The way I worded that last bit didn’t sound too great. “Not that I’m overly comfortable with him. He’s been working as my security for the last year, and I’m confident in his capabilities to protect me.”
“I’m glad you are, but I’m not. Rolando should have done more the day of your assassination attempt.”
I throw my head back in shock at what Ambros has just said. “What? He was getting the car, Ambros. You were the one right beside me, so of course, you took the brunt of the responsibility that day.” I don’t think it’s fair that Ambros is picking on Rolando. If I had to put my finger on it, I’d say it’s coming from a jealousy standpoint, and that’s frustrating for me.
“I haven’t been impressed by his skill set, and that’s all I’m saying.”
“I guess not everyone can be as good as you, now can they? I heard you’re the best in the business, and I’m not sure if that’s something I should be wary about. Is it, Ambros?” Now I’m getting annoyed. I haven’t completely lost it yet, though I don’t appreciate the attitude I’m getting from him. I get he’s this top-notch assassin, contract killer, or whatever you want to call him, but I’m confident in the man who’s actually being paid to protect me at all costs. Ambros just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
