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“Don’t be. It’s going to be an amazing day that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life. Um, did… did Lom tell you if your parents are coming?” I’m trying to distract Emily, but the second my question passes through my lips, I wish I hadn’t said anything. Amelia’s eyes dart right at me at the same time Emily’s do.
“I’m not sure, and I could honestly care less. I’m sure he invited them… but the last time we all spoke, we weren’t on good terms. They said some pretty unforgivable things to me. Things that I don’t know if I can move past.”
“Sorry, I brought it up. I was trying to distract you, and I guess I chose the wrong thing to switch the subject to.”
Emily begins laughing. “No, you did pretty well. Now I can think about everything I want to say to them if they have the nerve to actually show up here.”
“Good job with that one,” Mona whispers as she elbows me in the side. I guess Emily’s nervousness was pretty damn bad earlier today.
Chapter Three
Ambros
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been traveling in various parts of Russia to get work done. I started in Moscow, went to St. Petersburg after that, and then arrived in Sochi. I finished my Russian trek in Kaluga. Now I’m in a rural part of the Italian countryside for Lom Umarova’s wedding to Emily. I didn’t realize this at first, but Emily is the cousin of Ruslan’s wife, Amelia. What a small world it is.
I’ve rented a private château for a couple of days while I’m in Italy for the wedding, and then I’ll be heading to Rome for another job. You’d think I’d be able to relax while I’m here. That was the goal anyway, but my brother has made it a bit difficult to do.
Linus has been getting on me about coming home and speaking with our father, but I will continue to use my work as an excuse for as long as I can. I know the moment I see my father, we’re going to have a major confrontation. There’s no other alternative. He’s been pushing my buttons too much for far too long.
Linus has a way of being patient with our father, but I believe that has a lot to do with Linus being younger. He isn’t forced to make the same decisions as I am or even pressured to live up to exacting expectations. Since I’m the oldest, things are very different for me. A lot of the time, he ends up being a mediator for my father and me. Nothing makes me more frustrated than my father using my brother as a way to cool things down between us.
Luckily, I won’t have to worry about my father while enjoying my time here in Italy. I highly doubt he or my brother will attend, which means I’ll get a much-needed break from them as long as I turn my phone off. I love my brother, but God, he can be aggravating. A lot of times, it feels like he’s my father’s champion. I think Linus needs to get away from the family business and do something for himself. He’d be a lot happier if he did that, and then I wouldn’t be so frustrated with him. Sometimes, I worry I’m going to lose my relationship with my brother because of him constantly stepping in between me and our father.
For fuck’s sake. I’m in Italy. I need to not think about my family bullshit while I’m here and have a good time instead.
I’ve already pulled up to the property where the wedding is, and their valet parked my car. There are numerous event staff members walking around the space, showing everyone where they need to be. The staffers are in full, head-to-toe black outfits. All the women have their hair tied back in tight buns, and the men look rather clean-cut as well. Every single one of them has a smile plastered across their face, and you’d naturally assume they love their job.
The staffers are escorting everyone from around the villa to the back. The villa is made up of old cobblestone, and the pavers we’re walking on look like they’ve lasted through years of use as well. We continue heading down the path until we’re walking down a paved hill, and we’re taken to another building on the property. It looks newer than the villa we just walked past, but it seems like the owners of the property put a lot of thought into making sure it aesthetically matched the main villa.
At least sixteen-foot-high doors sit where attendees can walk inside, but the doors are wide open, allowing for an indoor-outdoor open concept. It reminds me of my home in Mykonos. I walk into the building, and a lot of guests are already there. A bar sits at the far side of the room, so I stand in line to get a much-needed drink. With my brother nagging me about our father, I need a little something extra to help me relax.
I stand in line for about ten minutes while the people in front of me are taken care of. While I wait, I look around the room and people watch. The best of the best are here. Diamonds hang from around women’s necks, their dresses are no doubt designer, and the men walking around are in thousand-dollar suits. I guarantee this is a mixture of family, friends, and criminal underworld connections.
“Sir, what can I get for you?” a man behind the bar asks me as the person ahead of me takes their drinks and walks away.
“Do you have Metaxa?” It’s a Greek drink, but if I’m lucky, I might be able to get some here. The Umarovas no doubt requested liquors from around the world, given the people they invited were probably from many different areas.
“Give me a moment to check.” He walks back and begins opening cupboard drawers. After a couple of minutes, he finds a fresh bottle, tears open the seal, and walks back over to me. “Would you like that on the rocks?”
“Yes, please.”
He puts three ice cubes in a glass and pours the Metaxa over it. Metaxa, a Greek drink made from brandy, is created from a wide variety of grapes, a combination of plants, and Muscat wines from Samos.
“Here you are.” He hands me my glass, and I pass him some cash for a tip. I then make my way out of the building and walk back onto the property grounds.
I note the wooden beams sticking up along the pathway with delicate lights draped at every beam. It really gives an all-around romantic feel. If I were to ever get married one day, I’m sure my future wife would want something as picturesque as this.
“Attention all guests, please make your way down the hillside to where the wedding will be held,” a woman in a black suit states as she walks around and repeats the same announcement over and over again.
I follow the lines of people, and we head down the hillside steps to an area I didn’t even notice before. It’s a ways below the villa, and in the background, you can see the vineyard and rolling hills. With this scenery, it’s no wonder the property owners wanted to have the ceremony area here. It’s mesmerizing, and I’m sure it makes for exceptional photographs.
I take a seat in the third row, not giving a damn whose side I’m actually sitting on. It takes about fifteen minutes for all the wedding guests to find their seats. If I had to guess, I’d say there are at least five hundred people in attendance.
Once everyone is seated, a live band plays off to the right. There’s a cello, piano, violins, flutes, and a woman singing in English. There’s an older man in the back with an acoustic guitar, but he hasn’t started playing yet.
Shortly, Lom and his best men begin their walk toward the altar. They include his brothers and his brother-in-law, Santos. There is another man, but I’m not too certain who he is.
When all the men are standing in place, I notice Lom just staring down the aisle. All the wedding guests turn to see who’s walking up the aisle, and the first woman is someone whom I don’t recognize. She’s young, maybe in her early twenties, with dark features and beautiful alabaster skin. After her comes a red-headed woman, who I believe is with Nazyr. Another woman walks up the aisle, and when she gets closer, I can tell it’s Eset Umarova. The last woman before the bride is Amelia, who is married to Ruslan.
