Page 44 of Delicate Angel
Eset looks right into my eyes. “Our family business can sometimes be far-fetched, but I’m not kidding. I want to have the upper hand, and the only way I’m going to have it is if I toy with this idea. But I think it might be best if you go upstairs, so you don’t have to hear the rest of this.” Eset is a bit callous in her words. I’m new to this family, so maybe the shock factor of what they’re discussing will wear off soon.
I start to rise from my seat, but Lom shoots his eyes in my direction. “Stay right where you are.” I sit back down in my seat because he doesn’t sound pleased in the least bit.
“Now, back to what I was saying. Even if Julio is Rafael’s son, Alejandro has ruled very well for Mexico. Amazingly, in fact. We’ve never had an issue with the Mexican cartel, and I don’t see a reason for us to have an issue with them.”
“I think he has more than just a proposal planned, honestly,” Ruslan speaks up, looking at Eset.
“Me too, which is why I want to play the game and see where we end up. I’m tired of people fucking us over, and I mean that. I want to put an end to people thinking they can screw our family over. They’ve done it time and time again, and knowing what we do now… it’s high time it comes to an end, don’t you think?” Eset looks at everyone surrounding the table, and not one person disagrees with her.
I had no idea how much of a boss bitch Eset is, but I have to say I like it. I like that there’s a strong woman in this family making her opinion known.
Epilogue
Lom
Two Months Later
Emily and I took a vacation in Greece with Sierra. We gave her plenty of time to adjust to life in Grozny, and now we’ve finally reached a normal phase of life. We each have schedules, even Sierra, who’s been enrolled at a private school nearby. She’s years behind in terms of learning because of the child trafficking situation, but I’ve hired a teacher just for her at the school. Our goal is to keep her in school throughout the year, with two-week breaks every quarter, just so we can hopefully get her caught up to her current grade level within a couple of years. Sierra has such a bright personality that I know we’re going to be able to do it.
Sierra’s running around on the beach with some other children. We’re staying at a resort, and there are other families here, too, so it’s given Sierra a great opportunity to make friends. She doesn’t see too many people in school because of her private teacher situation, but she does get to play out at recess with children her age. It’s been hard for her to accept the fact the other kids her age are in a class with multiple kids, and she isn’t, but we’ve explained to her time and time again that she will eventually be in a class setting as well, it just takes some time before she can get there.
As I watch Sierra run around, I notice Emily seems a bit off. “Are you feeling all right?” I’ve noticed over the last couple of days how she hasn’t been drinking, and she’s gotten queasy quite a bit. I think I know what’s “wrong” with her, but she hasn’t told me anything… I’m just biding my time until she feels like she can tell me.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just feeling a bit sick to my stomach.” She pauses and lets out a pent-up breath.
“You’ve been this way for a few days, you know, and I noticed you didn’t get your period,” I point out.
Emily raises both of her brows. “Are you counting my tampons or something?”
“No, I’m not, but I tend to notice when you aren’t discarding them in the trash around that certain time of the month,” I state plainly, and Emily inhales deeply through her nose.
“I wanted to wait to tell you until we got back to Grozny. I didn’t know if you were going to be excited or if you’d be frustrated because this wasn’t something we had exactly planned. It just happened, and you’re so new at this whole fatherhood thing with Sierra. I just… I didn’t know if it was too much.”
I grab onto Emily’s hand and run my thumb over the top of her hand. “Do you realize how silly you sound right now? We did this, not you. We got you pregnant. You’re not solely capable of creating a child on your own.” I toy with her a bit, and she ends up smiling.
“So, you’re not mad?”
I shake my head. “No, not in the least bit. I’m elated, really. We already have a family together with Sierra, and now we’ll be adding another child to the mix. I couldn’t be happier. I’m here in Greece with the woman I’m going to make my wife one day, and we already have a daughter, and now I’m told we’re having another baby? This is what dreams are made of.”
“I’m so relieved to hear you say that. I kept working myself up that you weren’t going to be happy about it.”
“I’d never put you through something like that. A baby is a blessing, Emily, and I’m feeling very blessed right now. Our family is coming together, and I’m so very proud of it.” I lean over to kiss Emily. Once my lips press against hers, I smile, andshe smiles as well. I hate that she was so nervous, especially when she had no reason to be.
Once we pull away from each other, I decide to share some great news with Emily. “As you know, I have connections, and those connections helped me get birth certificates for those children who were with Sierra. Well, I had them create a birth certificate for Sierra. I know you knew that, but I had them put Mathers as the last name. I want to formally change Sierra’s name to Sierra Umarova if you’d let me do such a thing.”
“If I’d let you? Lom, she’s assumed you were her father this entire time, and you’ve never broken her heart, not once. Of course, I’d let you do such a thing.”
“I’m never going to break her heart. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a good father to her at all, now would I?”
Emily shakes her head and leans over her chair to kiss me again. “I haven’t told Sierra about the baby yet, either. Maybe we can wait to get back to Grozny before we tell her about her little brother or sister’s arrival?”
“That sounds fine. It’ll be nice to have something to myself for a little while. That hardly ever happens these days.” I poke fun, and Emily laughs. “I do want you to get some more nutrients in you. The baby needs something, and even if we need to get you some nausea medicine, we will. You need to stay strong as well.”
“I know, and now that we’ve talked, I’ll do a better job of it.”
“Good, and I’ll do a better job at finding the right ring and us throwing together the biggest wedding Grozny has ever seen. I want you as my wife, Emily, and I mean that with all my heart.”
“What if I don’t want a big wedding?” Emily sticks her tongue out at me in jest.
“Then too bad because I’m going to show off my soon-to-be wife and my daughter to the entire city. I don’t know how I ever got this far without the two of you, but I love you bothdearly.” I never knew love could be so calming, but with Emily, I discovered it firsthand.
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