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Sure, they should be the very last ones to die when targeted, but that’s not always the case. And from what our father has said…I can only wonderwhy.
My gaze flickers over to Nikolai, and I see the tension in his shoulders, the slight crease in his brows. He’s deep in his thoughts, like I am, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking about. Between the two of us, Nikolai is the calculated one. But I spot the shift in him as he looks back to Chiara, the way his eyes scan the length of her body, and the way his breathing becomes heavier.
We need her to tell us more.
I know it. Nikolai knows it.
If we want our father off our backs, and the Italians to leave us alone, then we need to come up with a plan, and we need to come up with one fast.
Nikolai breaks the silence first, leaning into it a little, his voice calm but firm.
“We didn’t mean to upset you, darling, but we need to know. If we aren’t aware of all the details, bad things might happen.”
As soon as she hears those words, she flinches.
There’s another flash of fear on her face, and I know that it’s not only because of his words; it’s because of us too. And even though she has every right to be afraid of us, she has no need to. Not when we only want the best for her.
Chiara trembles all over as she slowly begins to fall apart.
I don’t blame her for it; this was bound to have happened. She’s been here for some time now, and she’s stronger than we thought.
Sighing heavily, I take a seat beside her. She immediately stiffens at how close we both are on the bed together, but I don’t pay her any attention. It’s more important that she gets to talking.
“Tell us about him, Chiara.” I say softly, my voice much more gentle now. “What exactly did your father do before you moved to England?”
She swallows audibly as she shrugs her shoulders.
“Like I said before, he was an underboss. I was too young to know the ins and outs of exactly everything he did as an underboss, but that was his role.”
I exchange a glance with Nikolai, and he nods at me, taking over.
“What about Dario? Did your brother ever plan to join too?”
Chiara looks over at my brother, nodding her head at him.
“He always hoped to start as a soldier, and make his way up like how Papa did. But after Mama…Dario wasn't allowed to return to Italy after her death, and neither was I.”
I’m about to push her for more, but she does something which catches me off guard.
Her lips tremble, and her eyes glaze over with unshed tears. I blink as she wipes them away quickly, but it’s too late.
I saw it.
So did Nikolai.
Leaning in even closer, I make my voice softer.
“You don’t need to tell us everything, Chiara, but you should know this: you’re in our care now, and that means you’ll stay here. Nikolai and myself will look after you, regardless of whether you want it, or not.”
My brother shifts beside me, his voice smooth as velvet.
“We’ll never hurt you, but we do need you to trust us. There’s so much at stake, Chiara, and everything can go so terribly wrong if you don’t cooperate with us.”
Her breathing becomes shallow as she stares at us both, tears now rolling down her face.
She hasn’t broken yet, but I can feel it—the cracks forming—and I know that it won’t be long now. Once we have all the information, we’ll be able to do something, and we’ll lead both the Italians, and the Russians, astray.
Nobody will ever know that Nikolai and I are the ones who have taken Chiara.