The Last Hope

17

He chuckles, clearly showing his disdain, "Believe me, you're not the first, and certainly not the last. Unfortunately, it's impossible. He's the sole heir of that pig Rasili; killing him will lead to a war that will make the last one look like a children's cartoon. And who do you think the Italians will come looking for as an heir after his death?" he asks, making me clench my jaw, Rafael, "No one will touch Rafael or Selina; I'll break their damn necks with my own hands."

An intense silence settles for a moment, where I only hear the crackling of his cigarette as he takes a drag, and he finally speaks in the same dull and annoying voice, "I see." "What?" I growl, turning away from the window to slump into the copper chair behind the desk, crossing my legs over it, enjoying the absence of my sister-in-law who is unlikely to appear out of nowhere as usual.

"Are you going to make her yours?" he suddenly asks, and I freeze, his question catching me off guard, make her mine? Keep her close to me? Me, a monster, hurting and killing? After all she's been through to escape exactly the same kind, "I'm not the man she needs," I reply, gripping the phone, staring into space, "what if you're exactly the one she needs?" he retorts, making me furrow my brows, "what do you mean?"

I hear him grunt and a sound of leather as if he's getting up from a couch, "all I'm saying is that a mere man won't be able to fight the monster chasing her, Nikolaï," he responds before hanging up, leaving me with my thoughts. I sigh, closing my eyes, letting my head fall back, a monster against a monster then?

My phone rings in my hand, and I can't help but let a smirk appear, she and her damn sixth sense, "Are you not sleeping?" Elif asks, her voice still as soft as ever, well, when she's not yelling behind her sons or even us.

"And you? Hasn't the jet lag knocked you out?" I retort, smiling when she laughs, "me ? Who survived sleepless nights dealing with Roman's crises when he couldn't find his dinosaur, it's not jet lag that's going to knock me down, aptal, ( idiot)" she replies, making me grimace at the memories; Roman and his childhood crises were one of the most horrible things to deal with. "Does Grigori still want to slit my throat?" I ask, sighing and rubbing my forehead where a headache was starting to appear. "Come on, Niko, we both know he doesn't really blame you. He's just worried, like me and you, it's just that his way of expressing it is a bit more..." "bloody? Violent? Murderous?" "Excessive," she says, grumbling, making me chuckle, very excessive indeed.

"Tell me what's really bothering you," she says as I hear her open the glass door leading to the terrace just above the beach, the sound of waves behind reminding me of how much I missed this house. It's been over three months since we haven't returned there, mostly staying here or traveling to distract my sons.
"Nothing that requires your worry, I have it under control..." "No,no, no, none of that with me, little Niko. Don't make me get on a plane to come back," she interrupts. "Should I remind you that we're only four years apart?" I ask at the nickname, making her snort disdainfully, "I'm waiting, Niko," she replies with her mom voice that always gets to me.

"I don't know, Elif, I... I'm afraid of making a mistake," I grumble, closing my eyes. Admitting that I'm scared, especially of making a mistake? Something I would never do, but here I am facing Elif, the one I've cried to, the one who has seen me at my worst.

"Oh Niko, I still remember the first time you opened up to me a few weeks after I arrived," she says with compassion, and yes, I remember that night when our bond truly formed.

Nikolaï, sixteen years old.

Grigori left hours ago, the guys at the Nevada border had called to inform him of a problem during an exchange with the Italians. Those bastards thought they could do anything ever since father... I clenched my fists, ready to head to the basement gym to blow off steam after my argument with my brother, with father, I participated in exchanges and sometimes even meetings, but Grigori kept me out of the business, I was sixteen for god's sake!