“She heard, through one of her household staff, who’s close to someone working for the Rasilis, that Pietro questioned Alia all afternoon.” Her eyes shone with a sharp intelligence none of the three of us could ever match. “So even Antonio’s father didn’t know about this?” Nikolai asked darkly, the name alone enough to chill the room. “That seems to be the case. I’ll try to dig deeper,” she said, her gaze shifting from Niko to me before she smiled softly and moved behind him. Nikolai’s leg was bouncing, his eyes fixed on the carpet. As for me, I paced in front of the window, jaw clenched, searching for a way to protect Sienna who took far too much pleasure in sneaking out of the house like a runaway teenager. “Don’t worry, boys,” Elif continued, resting her hands on Nikolai’s shoulders, her gaze steady on mine. “Nothing will happen to Selina or Sienna” she reassured us calmly. “We will protect them. Because that’s what we do in a family. For family.”
I nodded, just as determined as she was, while Nikolai placed one of his hands over Elif’s. “Alright, I’m going to get ready. I have an appointment with Maria,” she informed us as she turned toward the exit but Grigori stopped her “take Roman withyou,” he muttered, now clearly irritated. “Let him enjoy himself. David and Samy will be enough,” my sister-in-law replied. But my brother shook his head, serious. “No. Not with all the uncertainty surrounding Vassili and Yelsky” Elif rolled her eyes.
“I’ll go with her. Let’s not ruin the children’s fun,” I intervened, my gaze drifting once more toward the pool below, where Sienna was climbing out of the water and sitting on the edge. I brought my thumb to my lower lip as the memory of her taste sent a shiver through me, the softness of her mouth against mine, her scent, that damn scent. Sienna had a perfect body. So perfect I could rise from the dead just to worship it again and again.
“Alright. I’ll get ready and meet you outside,” Elif said, her footsteps fading away to the sound of her husband’s grumbling, which made Nikolai chuckle.
“Stop laughing and go prepare a security escort,” our eldest brother sighed and Nikolai obeyed, still laughing. I couldn’t help smiling as I watched him leave until I felt Grigori’s gaze settle on me.
I wiped the smile from my face and slowly turned my head to meet his dark look. “Who do you think she was referring to when she mentioned old friends? The Greeks or the Georgians?” he asked as I was already walking toward the exit, feeling the ticking bomb my sister-in-law had just set off.
“I’m going to wait for Elif downstairs,” I replied, leaving the room quickly after grabbing my jacket and ignoring his calls. There was no way I was getting dragged into this again.
I’d already paid my dues a year and a half ago during that business trip when Elif had heard a woman’s voice from room service while she was on the phone with Grigori. She’d blocked him immediately and spent the entire night calling me, forcing me to spy on my own brother. I hadn’t slept a minute.
Never again.
—
Even in the middle of summer, the cemetery felt cold. I stopped as Elif walked ahead toward Maria, who stood beside her son’s grave. He had died twelve years earlier. They embraced for a long time, like sisters reunited after years apart even though they had seen each other just two days earlier over tea at Maria’s house. Elif pulled back, cupping Maria’s face in her hands and wiping her cheeks with her thumbs. “No matter how many years pass, the pain stays the same,” Maria sighed, taking the handkerchief Elif offered. Elif turned toward Vladislav’s tomb, but her gaze went far beyond it, into the past, into painful memories. “An eternity wouldn’t be enough to soften this pain,” she murmured as her friend slipped an arm through hers. “We have lost mothers, fathers, brothers but the pain of losing a child is incomparable. Especially for a mother”. The pain in her voice tightened my chest.
I have no doubt my Vlad is watching over your little Elena wherever they are,” Maria said softly and Elif returned her smile, nodding gently, then inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders.
“I didn’t like the way Ksenia behaved at the last meeting”. “We’ve all lost a child,” Maria replied, grimacing as she began walking along the path between the graves. “But she lost many other things along with her son.” It was hot, hotter than usual and the shade from the tall trees was a blessing. I kept three steps behind the two women as I followed them, while several bodyguards, Ivanov and Vasilkova alike were spread out around us. “Her misfortune of marrying Vassili and failing to give him another heir does not give her the right to unleash her hatred on everyone around her, Maria,” Elif replied darkly. “If she must hate someone, it should be her husband. Although I believe she already does. But power is hard to give up once you’ve tasted it, despite betrayal and humiliation ”. She sat down on a bench,followed by Maria, who shook her head, amused. “And that’s why you sit at the head of the table, my friend,” Maria observed with a smile. “Always choosing what is right, even when your feelings tell you otherwise”. Elif frowned “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she retorted. But the way she pushed her long hair back behind her shoulders told me she was lying. “Oh come now,moyàsestra. You can be as firm as a prison guard and as cold as an iceberg but your heart is still vast. Vast enough to feel compassion even for someone like Ksenia,” Maria continued. I looked at Elif, surprised, compassion for Ksenia?
I had always believed that woman inspired nothing but disdain in us. But I quickly realized I was wrong when Elif’s expression softened. “As I said, the pain of losing a child is incomparable,” she sighed, her gaze fixed on the distance. “Even when that mother is Ksenia Kosnetzov.” Maria placed a hand over hers. They spoke for a while longer about upcoming council decisions, profitable events on the horizon, and many other matters for which I silently thanked them for handling on our behalf.
“Let’s go have tea at the house,” Elif suggested as we walked toward the exit. Maria gently shook her head, stopping once more in front of her son’s grave, “I’m going to stay a little longer before heading back. Alina is waiting for me,” she declined softly as Elif’s smile widened at the mention of her friend’s daughter. “That’s right! Her birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it?” she exclaimed, clasping Maria’s hands and Maria nodded. “Yes. We’re preparing a small celebration for her. Already sixteen, can you believe it?” she sighed, shaking her head nostalgically. Elif laughed, rubbing her arm, “they grow up so fast. Look at this one,” she said, jerking her chin toward me as I raised an amused eyebrow. “He barely reached my hip, and now he’s twice my height,” she chuckled, making Maria laugh as well. “Call me if you need anything at all for the birthday,” Elif told her beforepulling her into a hug and Maria nodded again, “I’m warning you, I’ll take you at your word. With all the contacts you have, everything will be sorted in no time,” she teased. They said their goodbyes and I stepped aside to let Elif pass and nodded to Maria, who smiled back. I followed my sister toward the exit as I scanned our surroundings, making sure everything was in order. Marcus, standing near the car with Samy, gave me a sign that it was. “Elif!” Maria suddenly called out and my sister-in-law turned back to look at her friend, now a few meters away. “Don’t forget the list of caterers for…” a loud crack tore through the air, birds perched in the trees took flight as two more sharp sounds followed the first. Gunshots. The unmistakable sound of a sniper rifle. The shots were fast, too fast but Maria Vasilkova’s body collapsed to the ground almost in slow motion before our eyes. I tried to grab Elif’s arm to pull her behind me until the threat was neutralized, but she was already running toward her friend. “Maria!” she screamed, her voice tearing from her throat and I followed, weapon in hand.
The bodyguards rushed toward the direction of the shots while others surrounded us, forming a security perimeter. Marcus and Samy closed in as Elif dropped to the ground, lifting her friend’s body. “Maria! Maria, I’m here, it’s going to be okay,” she pleaded as Maria gasped in her arms. My sister-in-law gently turned her friend’s body, searching for the wounds, and I grimaced when I saw the three holes torn through her dress. She was losing an alarming amount of blood. “Elif…” Maria whispered, Elif screamed for an ambulance one had already been called. “It’s going to be okay,moyasestra, hold on,” Elif said, stroking her friend’s face, her eyes shining with tears. “Is this… is this what my Vlad felt before he died?” Maria murmured, blood beginning to spread across the stone tiles as her gaze drifted to her son’s grave just at our feet. “It’s… it’s horrible,” she sobbed and Elif sobbed with her, shaking her head. “You’re not going to die,Maria. You’re not going to die!” she cried, kissing her friend’s forehead, her hand gripping Maria’s tightly. My jaw clenched as I saw Maria’s body twitch. That wasn’t good, not good at all. “Where’s the fucking ambulance?!” I barked, rising to my feet and two guards ran toward the exit. “Elif…” Maria breathed, weaker now as I knelt beside my sister-in-law, placing a hand on her back. If Maria died, nothing would ever be the same again, not for Elif, not for the Bratva. “I’m here. I’m here, my friend,” Elif whispered, tightening her hold around Maria’s shoulders as blood stained her white dress.
“Pro… promise me you’ll watch over my daughter. Protect my Alina,” Maria murmured.
Elif shook her head, crying, and I closed my eyes, unable to bear the sight. “No… you’ll take care…” Elif began, her voice breaking. “Promise me,” Maria insisted, squeezing Elif’s hand.
They exchanged a long look, one that perhaps reflected eighteen years of friendship, eighteen years of war endured side by side, eighteen years of a shared destiny. “As if she were my own,” Elif promised firmly, her dark gaze locked onto her friend’s. “Thank you,moyasestra. Thank you for everything,” Maria smiled as a thin line of blood slipped from the corner of her mouth, as the ambulance sirens wailed in the distance. “I’m going to hold Vlad and Elena close to me now.” Elif sobbed “Maria, no…” she cried but her friend closed her eyes, defeated.
—
I draped my jacket over Elif’s shoulders as we waited outside the operating room. My jaw clenched again at the sight of the blood stains on her dress, her ashen complexion, her vacant eyes. She didn’t react to my gesture either, her hands, freshly scrubbed clean of her friend’s blood, were folded on her lap, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her. I had stopped her from getting into the ambulance, pulling her back toward the car. There was noway I was letting her out of my sight. And she hadn’t spoken a single word since we arrived at the hospital. Rapid footsteps made me lift my head, and relief washed over me when I saw my brothers arriving. “Elif,” Grigori murmured as he dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes lingered for a brief second on the dried blood before he cupped her face in his large hands. “Elif,” he repeated and at last, his wife’s gaze detached itself from that damned wall and settled on her husband. “Oh, Grigori…” she suddenly sobbed, throwing herself into his arms and he held her tightly as she collapsed against him. “They… they shot her in the back, Grigori! Three bullets in the back! Those cowards!” she cried, pouring her rage into his chest. He kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair. “She’s going to make it, isn’t she?” she sniffled. Grigori looked over her shoulder at me and I pressed my lips together and slowly shook my head. Maria’s chances of survival were slim. She had lost far too much blood; one bullet had punctured her lung, another had struck her liver. Roman sat down beside Elif, gently rubbing her back, his eyes reflecting our sister-in-law’s pain. When Grigori didn’t answer her question, Elif broke down completely in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Which, in itself, was an answer. Nikolai joined me, his dark gaze fixed on Elif. “Did you corner the shooter?” he asked quietly and I shook my head. “He was gone by the time our men reached the apartment where he was positioned,” I replied, my hatred growing by the second.
“The target was Maria. If it had been Elif or me…” I didn’t finish the sentence. The rest was obvious. If we had been the targets, they would have killed us. We hadn’t expected a long-range attack in a cemetery. The topography didn’t allow it, especially with the density of the vegetation. I didn’t know how that son of a bitch had managed it but we would find out soon enough, once we got our hands on him. One of those bullets could just as easily have hit Elif. She could have bled out in my arms in thatcemetery. She could have been the one fighting for her life in the operating room right now.
“Mama!” a voice suddenly echoed down the hallway as Alina Vasilkova appeared at the far end, followed by her father. Elif stood up quickly, wiping her tears as Maria’s daughter hurried toward us. Her red hair, braided down her back, swayed as she moved. Her pale eyes widened at the sight of blood on Elif’s dress. “Is… is that my mother’s blood?” she asked, her lips trembling and Elif didn’t answer. She simply pulled the girl into her arms, holding her tightly as they both began to cry. “Is there any news?” Yaroslav Vasilkova asked, Maria’s husband stared anxiously at the bloodstained dress. “They took her into emergency surgery,” I told him. “She lost a lot of blood, and vital organs were hit.” My tone was enough for him to understand that he should prepare for the worst. His gaze shifted to his daughter in Elif’s arms, and I saw pure despair in his eyes. Yaroslav was a strict but good man. He knew exactly what awaited his daughter if Maria didn’t survive. A Vasilkova had to represent the family at the council, regardless of age. And Alina was the only woman of that name after her mother. A child at the council. A child among lionesses.
An hour later, the doors to the operating room opened, and a doctor stepped out. “How is my mom?” Alina asked, rushing toward him, Elif right behind her and the doctor looked at them both, then at us, his face dark, lips pressed tightly together and I understood immediately.
Maria was dead.
And nothing would ever be the same again.
Sienna
A heavy atmosphere had settled over the house for two days now, since the death of Elif’s closest friend. I had met Maria a few times. We had even had lunch together once when Elif invited her over. She was a woman of great kindness and intelligence, and the way she spoke with Elif revealed years of deep friendship. A friendship that had ended in a cowardly attack, the most cowardly way possible, in one of the most cowardly places imaginable.
A mother standing at her child’s grave, shot three times in the back, before her friend’s eyes.
Elif hadn’t left her bedroom since returning from the hospital, her clothes stained with blood, her face haunted. I never would have imagined seeing Elif like this.
