The Last Hope

7

"My sources are reliable; they're here with the kid," Sasha replies, massaging his jaw. "He also sent me the identities they used for traveling," he says, handing us his phone.

I take it and look at the three photos and the names next to them. Nina Lebedeva. That's not suit her, I scrutinize the photo; she looks much younger, barely in her twenties. "There's only one way to find out if this is the right place," I say, opening my car door and stepping out. My brothers follow suit as we head towards the narrow alley leading to the motel entrance. "Stay outside, Roman. Let us know if you see anything."

"No, moy brat ! I don't want to miss Sasha hitting the ground again," he retorts, but he falls silent quickly under our stern gazes.

We both enter, moving quickly towards the reception. "Good evening, miss. What's Alina Lebedeva's room number?" Sasha grumbles the name.

The girl, no older than eighteen, looks up from her phone and freezes upon seeing us. Two men in luxury suits must not be a common sight around here. "I... I can't give you the room number. It's confidential and against the rules."

"Come on, young lady, let's not waste our time. You'll give me that number in the end, no matter what," Sasha threatens, leaning towards the girl who has sunk into her seat. "So, what is it?" my brother adds.

"203, they arrived a few hours ago," she says, pointing towards the stairs at the end of a hallway with a trembling hand.
"Thank you, and have a good evening," I say, advancing without another glance. I grimace at the nauseating smell as we climb the stairs to the second floor, quickly reaching the door labeled 203, I glance at my brother, and he nods slightly. I finally knock, but nothing happens, so I knock again, more forcefully, after a few seconds, the door opens, revealing a little boy with green eyes, Rafael Rasili. He looks at us, and I see the moment he recognizes me, his eyes widen, and he takes a step back, trying to close the door, but I stop him with my hand on the door.

"Rafael, angelo mio, wait..." Selina Rasili appears behind her son, her face marked with bruises. Our eyes meet, hers widening as mine lower to her fingers wrapped in bandages. Rafael rushes towards his mother and hides behind her legs as she steps back, her chest rising more rapidly.

I enter the room slowly, with slow steps, hands raised in front of me as if approaching frightened kittens. "I won't hurt you," I murmur.

Selina shakes her head, her eyes shining, raising her valid hand in front of me, begging me to stop, which I do instantly. "Please, don't tell him, please," she implores with a trembling voice. A weight settles on my chest, leaving me breathless, not to mention the rage that seizes me at her numerous injuries. "No, I won't..."

"Selina!" a female voice cries out as a blonde woman appears at the door, breathless. Her gaze first finds Selina and the child before sliding to me and finally on my brother near the door. "You," my brother hisses, recognizing her.

She furrows her brow and swiftly throws her fist towards Sasha in a quick and precise motion, but he catches it before it reaches him. "Once, not twice, gadyuka !" he growls against the woman's face after pulling her towards him sharply. Then, he puts her in an arm lock, pressing her face against the wall.

"Sienna!" Selina cries behind me, and only now do I realize that I've positioned myself in front of her in a protective stance.

"Sienna? A sweet name for a viper like you," my brother says, tightening his grip as she struggles like a demon. "Let me go, and I'll show you how the viper bites!" the woman spits, kicking Sasha's shins, making him grunt. He then wraps his hand around her neck, bringing her head against his chest and pressing on her artery, his face lowered towards hers.

"Don't hurt her! Don't hurt my sister!" Selina implores again, grabbing my arm. I lower my face to hers and clench my fists at the tears streaming down her cheeks. I grasp her hand gently, "Don't worry, he won't hurt her; she'll just lose consciousness," I reassure her. Indeed, her sister gradually stops struggling, becoming limp in my brother's arms, unconscious. At that moment, Roman appears at the door with his phone to his ear, "Grigori says there's a problem with... What the hell is going on?" he says, realizing the scene.

"What's happening?" I ask, not moving from my spot and without releasing Selina's soft hand. "We need to go; there's an issue with the deliveries, and I saw Vassili's men hanging around," Roman answers, putting away his phone.

It was normal for Vassili's men to be in the area; his drugs circulated even in the darkest corners of the city. What was abnormal was our presence; we needed to move before attracting attention. "Let's go, grab your things," I tell Selina, releasing her. She looks at me hesitantly, holding her son close, and quickly obeys when Sasha lifts his sister over his shoulder and heads towards the exit, grumbling something in his beard. Roman follows them, chuckling and asking if she's the woman who hit him this morning.

Selina quickly gathers their few belongings into a small bag, her son following like a chick. I tense up every time she winces in pain, likely from her fingers. She eventually joins me in front of the door, followed by her son, who avoids looking at me. I take the bag and let them pass in front of me to join my brothers in the car.