Page 17 of The Last Hope

We came to another halt, and this time, Sienna pushed the cart outside and after a few moments, she stopped and lifted the sheets covering us.

“Come on, quickly,” she said, bending down to grab Rafael.

I climbed out of the cart, glancing around. We were in the hotel’s boiler room.

“This way. A car is waiting outside,” she informed me, heading toward an emergency exit with my son in her arms.

I followed them on shaky legs. The pain in my fingers was becoming unbearable. I was sweating, struggling to breathe slowly.

Sienna opened the door with her back to let me through. A black car was parked just outside, an unfamiliar man behind the wheel.

I froze.

“Sienna…”

But she was already opening the back door, securing Rafael in his seat. She motioned for me to get in, but I hesitated, looking at the driver.

“Don’t worry, Selina. I trust him,” she reassured me, her eyes pleading.

I finally climbed in next to my son, still wary as Sienna settled into the front passenger seat, and the car pulled onto the road.

I glanced through the rear window, watching as the hotel faded into the distance.

The weight on my shoulders began to lift.

But the fear was still there—stronger than ever, more visceral than ever.

I pushed it down.

I held my son close and buried it deep.

For him.

Chapter five

Nikolai

Andrei wouldn’t stop crying. We had all tried to calm him down—even Elif couldn’t do it. He kept asking for the woman from earlier, Selina.

I closed my eyes, rubbing my beard. I had let her go. I hadn’t wanted to, but I had to. Andrei was my priority. Right now, we didn’t even know how long it would take to get our ‘ship’ back on track. This was not the time to turn the Italians against us, even if it was an idiot like Rasili.

I knew I had made the right decision in letting her go. But then why did I feel like this ? A weight I had never experienced before had been crushing my chest ever since I watched them leave.

“Come on, Andrei, that’s enough,” Elif soothed him softly against her chest.

“No, I want mom,” he sobbed against my sister-in-law’s neck. Alexei hadn’t left his side, holding his hand tightly.

Grigori placed a firm hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. “We should head home,” he said.

Sacha nodded in agreement, getting up and clapping me gently on the back. I nodded as well and slowly stood, Mikhail got up and handed me my jacket. I thanked him and quickly put it on before helping Dimitri, who was struggling with his own.

“Come on, Roman called the cars,” Sacha signaled.

I reached for Andrei in Elif’s arms, but he wriggled free and ran straight to Mikhail, slipping under his arm. My eldest son held him close and walked toward the exit.

I sighed and followed them, my thoughts drifting to Selina’s little boy, Rafael. The moment I had held him. The way he had clung to me—just like my sons did after a nightmare.

I searched for them with my eyes, but I never saw them again after we crossed paths in the hallway. After I let them leave with Antonio.

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