“Mom…” Grigori said as tears streamed down his cheeks, and I started crying when I saw him. Why was my big brother, the strongest after Dad, crying? And Nikolai too? Where was Dad? I was scared.
“Promise me, Grigori,” Mom continued, her grip on my hand loosening. “Promise me you’ll watch over each other, that you’ll never let anything or anyone break you.”
“I promise. I promise you,” my brother finally sobbed and mom smiled, her beautiful white teeth stained red, her whole mouth was red, her lips too. “I love you. I love you with all my heart,” she breathed as she gently closed her blue eyes. Her hand slipped from mine, her chest fell and did not rise again.
“Elif!” Roman’s voice snapped me out of my stupor as he dropped to his knees beside her, shrugging off his jacket and pressing it against her abdomen. His denim jacket was turning red, far too quickly. “Stay with us,” he pleaded. “You promised me you’d make pancakes tomorrow morning, remember?” he said, and Elif grimaced. “Mom!” Ivan and Dimitri cried from the car when they saw what was happening.
“No…” Elif breathed, clutching the sleeve of her husband as he brushed the hair away from her face. “Don’t let them… don’t let them see me like this,” she begged, her breathing growing ragged, while Sienna’s voice behind me tried to calm the children. Sirens wailed in the distance, probably the police while cries and sobs of pain rose all around us. Others had been hit too, but my eyes couldn’t leave Elif.
Selina knelt beside her, her skilled fingers probing beneath my brother’s jacket. Elif groaned again as Grigori kissed herforehead, murmuring softly to her. Selina froze and lifted her gaze to us. “There are two wounds,” she whispered.
The world seemed to shrink around us, as if a trap with no exit were closing in. “Quick, she has to get to the hospital now, she’s losing too much blood,” Selina gasped, her hands pressing the second wound as I unlocked my phone to call an ambulance.
But Roman suddenly sprang to his feet, his crazed gaze sweeping the area, “David! My car!” he shouted, and the bodyguard bolted. “Elif, hold on,” Nikolai begged, gripping her hand as nausea surged through me. She couldn’t die. Elif couldn’t die.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself to focus. I had to keep control. I turned toward Marcus, who was bent over Samy’s motionless body. He lifted his head, met my gaze and slowly shook his head. Samy was gone.
Roman straightened, pulling his bloodied phone from his pocket as his sports car screeched into view, “Vadim! I want all the guys on the street!” he barked, hisKaratelvoice ringing out. “We were attacked in front of Le Four. Elif… she’s been hit,” he informed his right-hand man as I helped Grigori to his feet. Grigori tried to lift Elif, but he couldn’t. It was as if all his strength had drained away, as if his body no longer obeyed him.
“I’ll carry her. Get to the car to receive her,” I said, bending down to hoist my sister-in-law into my arms while Nikolai steadied Grigori, who staggered.
“Nikolai, take the kids home,” Roman ordered as he opened the rear door, then circled the car to slide behind the wheel. His years in the army made him a cold-blooded soldier, he was the best one to react in a crisis.
Nikolai hesitated, his gaze flicking first to our eldest brother, who stumbled toward the car, then to Elif in my arms. Finally, he nodded, guiding his wife toward the minivan. My eyes met Sienna’s as I carried Elif to Roman’s car, where Grigori climbed in. Sienna looked at me, her eyes shining with tears, and Iclenched my jaw. Whoever had done this would pay. Elif would survive and those who had dared attack us would pay for it.
Roman ran yet another red light as my fingers curled around Elif’s wrist, checking her pulse. It was weak, but still there. “Look at me, my love. Look at me,” Grigori begged, brushing the damp strands from his wife’s forehead with one hand while the other held Roman’s jacket and Sienna’s cardigan tight against her wounds. Elif opened her eyes and locked her gaze onto my brother’s, panting. “Grigori,” she whispered as I felt her shudder beneath my fingers, my throat tightened at the sight of her like this, she who was always joyful, who shone even in the darkest moments, lighting our way. But the sun had vanished behind thick, dark clouds. The road home felt impossible to find.
“I’m here. It’s going to be okay,” Grigori told her, and told himself. I didn’t know. My mind struggled to process anything. I couldn’t think anymore. “Grigori…” Elif repeated, the color draining further from her face, leaving a grayish pallor that made me want to vomit. This wasn’t her.Damn it, this wasn’t her.
“It looks like… Maria needs help crossing the bridge,” she smiled softly, lifting her trembling hand to rest it against her husband’s cheek. “And Elena is waiting for me…” I felt myself falter as I shook my head. “No,” Grigori cut in, grabbing his wife’s wrist and kissing her palm again and again. “Maria can ask one of the angels or whatever damn things up there for help,” he refused, frowning. “And our daughter is strong,moylyubov, but we aren’t. You can’t leave. We need you. I need you, Elif. I need you,” he sobbed, pressing his forehead to hers and I looked away, unable to bear the sight of my brother like that.
“Grigori…” Elif cried and my gaze slid to Roman’s profile, his face twisted with rage, his eyes bright with pain.
“I’m so cold,” Elif murmured and I reached for the heater, but Roman was faster. His blood-soaked fingers smeared the white leather dashboard as he turned it on, Elif’s blood staining it. Staining the leather of the back seat. “We’re almost there, Elif. Hold on,” Roman sniffed as he honked at a car that swerved aside, yes, we were almost there.
“Take care of each other,” Elif suddenly murmured and I froze, my gaze locking onto Grigori’s as we both thought of the same thing of similar words once spoken by another woman. Our mother.
“You know perfectly well we’ll kill each other without you,” I said, my fingers tightening around her wrist as it became harder and harder to feel her pulse. It felt like she was slipping through my fingers.Damn it.
The hospital sign appeared in the distance. “For the family,” Elif breathed, a faint smile on her lips as her eyes slowly closed. “No, no, no, Elif! Elif! Open your eyes, look at me! Elif!” my brother called as Roman sped into the hospital parking lot, slamming the brakes in front of the emergency entrance.
We threw ourselves out of the car. Roman rushed inside while I opened the back door to retrieve my sister-in-law’s limp body. I ran toward the entrance, Grigori right on my heels, as Roman reappeared with nurses and a stretcher. I laid Elif onto it, and they rushed her away.
Chapter 14
Sienna
“Be careful,” I warned my sister as I helped her sit down on her bed, crouching to slip her socks onto her feet. “Are the boys asleep?” she asked, her voice trembling and I lifted my face to hers, pressed my lips together at the sight of her reddened eyes. She had not stopped crying since we came home, nearly two hours ago. Two hours since we had been attacked. Two hours since Samy had died. Two hours since Elif had been in surgery, with no news. “Yes,” I answered as I stood and moved behind her to braid her hair, which I had dried after her shower. Nikolai had locked himself in his office after our return, after entrusting Selina and the children to me. Sometimes we heard him shouting; other times, things shattered. “Velma and Sena are with them. They won’t leave them for a second,” I said, referring to Elif’s two housekeepers, who were in reality professional assassins.
My sister nodded when she suddenly placed a hand on her belly and groaned, “Selina!” I panicked, leaning toward her, but she shook her head. “It’s okay, just a contraction,” she replied, and I pressed my lips together. “Selina, let’s go to the hospital. All this stress, the way you fell to the ground…” “I’m fine, Sienna. It’s already chaos enough,” she sniffed as I tied off her braid and sat beside her. I placed my hands over hers as she twisted them on her thighs, “Selina,” I breathed as she lifted her tearful gaze to mine. “This isn’t your fault, Selina,” I sighed, and her face twisted in pain as fresh tears spilled over.I knew it.I knew her. She was my sister, I knew how she thought.
“If only we hadn’t gone to the bathroom,” she sobbed, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against me,her head resting on mine. I understood her. I knew exactly how that kind of guilt felt. I knew it far too well.
“No, Selina. This is not your fault,” I repeated, kissing her temple as her body shook with sobs, “Elif was the target, no matter where or when. If it hadn’t been today, it would have been another day,” I tried to reassure her, even though it was impossible, not until Elif pulled through. And she would. I did not doubt it for a second.
Elif Ivanov was one of the strongest women I had ever met. She would fight to the end, and she would come back for revenge. For those who had forced her children to see her like that. For those who had endangered her family. For those who had plunged her family into this pain. Because if there was one thing I had understood about her, it was this: you never went after her family, especially not her children.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door, which opened to reveal Sena, her face tired, her eyes red. “Madame Selina, I’ve prepared a hot soup for you,” she informed us with a faint smile. “Mr. Nikolai said you must drink it before going to bed” she looked at me, and I nodded, “I’ll take care of it, Sena. Thank you,” I said, and she nodded before leaving.
