Chapter 12 #2
Sienna stared at me wide-eyed from the pool’s edge, her forearms resting on the stone, as my brother surfaced beside her with a grin.
I took a step onto the terrace, trying to understand what game he was playing, ready to drag him out of the water by the ass when children’s screams erupted behind me.
My nephews rushed past me like tiny zombies, their bare feet slapping against the tiles as they ran toward the pool.
“Don’t run!” Sienna scolded, pointing at them and they stopped immediately.
“Are you coming too, Uncle Sasha?” Mikhail asked, stopping beside me, “Aunt Sienna and Uncle Roman promised to play with us,” he added and suddenly, everything made sense.
They were going to play with the kids. Sienna helped Andrei and Rafael down the steps so they wouldn’t slip, while my brother kept watching me with that mocking look.
Son of a bitch. “No, my boy. I need to go see your father. Have fun,” I said, stepping back as he joined the others in the water.
I closed the sliding door slowly, my gaze briefly catching Sienna’s before her attention was pulled away by the boys’ shouts.
Jaw tight, I turned and headed upstairs to find my brothers in Grigori’s office, “Sasha,” Grigori greeted, lifting his eyes from his computer as I closed the door behind me.
Nikolai was sitting in one of the armchairs, rereading some documents.
“Any news from the Italians?” I asked, taking off my jacket and draping it over the back of the empty chair before adjusting my sleeves.
“Nothing. My call with Marino didn’t give us anything.
He seemed surprised, though he tried to hide it,” Grigori explained, closing his laptop, removing his glasses, and rubbing his forehead.
If Marino didn’t know, then no one in the Cosa Nostra did, which confirmed our suspicion that Alia Rasili had acted alone, probably with help from someone on our side.
Or Sienna’s side, since she was the target.
She might have someone in her circle who wanted her dead.
Fuck. “I contacted Lorenzo, he’ll get back to me if he finds anything,” I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets as I moved toward the large windows overlooking the garden.
I could see part of the pool and the loungers around it. The boys’ laughter echoed, along with Roman’s exaggerated groans and above all, Sienna’s giggles.
“In the meantime, I might have some news,” Elif said suddenly, closing the office door behind her, “I contacted an old friend among the Italians,” she continued, moving around the desk to sit on the armrest of her husband’s chair.
Grigori immediately wrapped an arm around her waist. “Oh, you and your old friends,” he teased gently, “I had a life before we got married, askim. Lots of friends,” (my love) she shot back with a wink, making him grumble.
“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 with you,” 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, moyà sestra. 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.