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She’s curled her bottom lip into her mouth to stop it from trembling, and she’s blinking rapidly, like she’s trying to stop herself from crying.
Fuck.
Outside, the rain taps against the windows; England’s lullaby.
It feels like home.
It feels like a lifetime ago that Chiara and I were sitting here at home.
“We’re not forcing you to like us, Dario.” Nikolai finally says, causing Chiara to look away from me to look over at him instead. “But you need to understand something; we don’t play any games when it comes to Chiara. She isours.We willprotect her with everything that we’ve got. She willneverbe left unprotected with us.”
I shake my head, feeling my throat beginning to tighten up with emotion.
Fuck, not now!
Leaning forward, his elbow on my table, Mikhail looks my way.
“Look, Dario, I get it. If anybody came for my little sister like that—even though I have no idea who she even is—I would be dropping bodies like flies. I respect what you’re trying to do, but it won’t work. Chiara has accepted that she is ours, and she knows that we are hers. End of discussion.”
I swallow hard, feeling my throat bob as I do.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
I croak, not bothering to hide the emotion in my tone.
Mikhail only shrugs.
“It’s not. I’m only stating facts.”
Chiara’s gaze bounces between us, nerves flickering across her face.
“Can we not do this now?”
She asks us softly.
I force myself to continue breathing.
“Tell your boyfriends to stop being insufferable.”
Mikhail clicks his tongue.
“I like that you're now accepting us as her boyfriends.” He tells me, grinning. “And we’re delightful, to be honest with you.”
Nikolai breathes out a laugh.
“Speak for yourself.”
I almost laugh.
Me.
Instead, I shake my head.
“This is all insane.” I mutter. “But if it means that my sister is happy…” I swallow hard, feeling like I’m choking on glass. “Then that’s what matters.”
Mikhail’s grin only widens.
“Good, because we’re planning on keeping her that way.”