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“For the first time since finding out you and my sister have been going on dates, I’m relieved. There’s no one else in the world outside of this family who is more capable of protecting her than you are. Don’t disappoint me, Ambros. If you do, you’ll have hell to pay for your mistakes. Xava is irreplaceable to us.”
Ambros takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Relax, Ruslan. Nothing is going to happen to your sister.”
“Are you okay, Xava? You’re being awfully quiet,” Ruslan points out.
“Yes, I’m okay.” I nod a couple of times even though he can’t see me. “I’m just shaken up. I’m so sorry. I’m just… I can’t believe that happened just now.”
Ambros grabs ahold of my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re okay, Xava. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Rolando and I are going to get you out of here, and then we’ll head somewhere safe. All right?”
I nod over and over again. “Okay. I’m sorry, I… that was just so much to process. If we had been any closer to that, a piece of the plane could’ve flown at us and decapitated us, hurt us badly, you never know.”
“God, you have quite the morbid imagination.” Ambros chuckles, appreciating my dry humor.
Ruslan sighs on the other end of the line. “I need to let the rest of the family know what happened and get people in Greece to see if we can figure out what actually transpired. Keep in touch so I know where and how you are. For now, you’re safe, and I know Ambros will do what he can to keep you that way. Try to relax, Xava, okay?”
“I’m trying,” I reply.
“Okay, I’ll reach out in a bit.” Ruslan hangs up the phone, and a thought runs through my mind. We think the person who tried to get me killed is either a member of Duarte’s family or Julio Ramirez… but Ruslan just said the person who did this had to be in Greece.
“Could your father or that Zoe woman have anything to do with this?” I ask Ambros point blank.
He says nothing at first. “I’m not going to act like they couldn’t. Anything is possible, but if they did, they’re going to want to get the fuck out of the country before I find out they were responsible.” Ambros looks like he’s angry enough to tear the limbs off their bodies, one at a time.
This is what Eset must have meant when she said it’s good to have a monster in your corner.
Chapter Seventeen
Ambros
We have been in Udine, Italy, for about twelve hours now. Rolando and I took shifts driving so we could get here as soon as possible. We picked this because it’s a smaller city in Northern Italy and close to Slovenia, where I believe we can safely get a flight to Grozny. I haven’t spoken to Ruslan recently, though Xava has been texting her brother updates on how we are doing every few hours.
I put in a call to a friend and have rented a small home outside of Udine, which has a privacy fence and is on its own property. It’s close enough to the city but isn’t directly in the heart of it either. We need to lay low for a while, especially while Ruslan and I both try to figure out what happened.
I’m lying down in bed next to Xava, who’s curled up under the covers. The last few days have been very draining for her. She hasn’t spoken to me much about anything in particular, but I can tell she’s anxious. She keeps tapping her fingers against her arm when we’re downstairs in the living area or out back. Not to mention, she’s been getting overly quiet. I’ve noticed that she only gets quiet when she’s thinking too much.
It isn’t too early in the morning, and the birds are already chirping. Sun floods in through the window leading into the bedroom, and while I don’t want to get up and leave Xava alone, I’m in desperate need of some coffee.
I slowly remove the covers and slide out of bed, putting them back where they should be if I’m not lying beside her. I have a pair of pajama pants on and a black T-shirt. Rolando stopped in town and got me some clothes after we arrived so I’d have something to wear since I didn’t bring anything with us. With the plane blowing up the way it did, we didn’t have time to return to my house so I could pack a little bit. It was far too dangerous to do anything like that, especially considering the person responsible for this had to have been close by.
Ruslan’s plane was fine when it left Grozny, but it stayed overnight at that private airstrip, and something was obviously done to it. The question is, what was done. Hopefully, within the next couple of days, Ruslan will let us know if he’s heard anything about it or if there have been any updates we should be aware of.
I head downstairs to where the kitchen and living room are, only to find Rolando sitting at the small breakfast nook table against the large window in the kitchen. “Good morning,” Rolando states.
“Morning,” I reply.
“I made some coffee a few minutes ago if you want any. I wasn’t sure when you and Xava would be awake, so I didn’t make too much.”
I glance over at the counter and see there’s a decent bit of coffee left, so there’s enough for me to have at least one cup. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
I go over to the cupboards and grab a mug, then pour myself a cup of coffee and lean against the kitchen counter. The massive window in the kitchen offers a beautiful view of the Italian countryside. Through the window, you can see some of the farm animals the property owner has, or possibly the neighbor. There’s older wooden fencing containing three horses and some cattle. They all seem so peaceful, grazing on the grass in one of the most serene settings I’ve seen.
I’m so used to living in Mykonos, where there’s a mixture of locals and tourists from around the world. Travel agents would argue in certain months, things are slower there, but I’d have to disagree. It’s constantly busy, so in moments like this, I really savor what I’m seeing. So much free space is a rarity. The green hills go on for acres and acres, yet in Mykonos, we aren’t so lucky. There are mansions, clubs, spas, restaurants, resorts, boutiques, and things of that sort.
I take my first sip of coffee and am genuinely impressed by how well Rolando’s done. But there are things on my mind when it comes to him. I’ve been beating around the bush by not saying anything for the last couple of days, though if I keep doing what I’m doing, I know I will burst at some point. “Xava told me she recently got an apartment.”
Rolando’s just taking a sip of his own coffee. He has one leg over the other as he sits back in a chair and looks right up at me. “Yes, she did.”
“She told me you have a room there.”
