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I chuckled, pulling her closer against my side, “even with gray hair and wrinkles, you’ll be beautiful.”

I led her toward the staircase as she sighed, shaking her head.

“Don’t worry about Grigori, Niko. I’ll handle him.” She cast a glance toward Selina as we entered the living room, her voice dropping in amusement, “you, on the other hand, should focus on her.”

Selina sat stiffly on the couch, her wary gaze locked on the doctor as he set up his instruments on the coffee table. Sacha and Roman entered from the garden but hesitated to step further when they noticed how tense Selina became at their presence.

“Let’s begin, shall we ?” said Doctor Semionov in Russian as he sanitized his hands. He leaned toward Selina, reaching for her face but she made a strangled noise, shrinking away.

Before I even realized it, I was by her side. One hand on the doctor’s shoulder, I straightened him up, “gently, doctor. Limit physical contact as much as possible.” my voice was low, firm.

His eyes flicked to Selina, now trembling, her gaze glued to the floor. I clenched my jaw and stepped back, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Understanding the unspoken request, Semionov knelt in front of her instead, focusing on her injured hand rather than her face.He carefully examined her swollen, purplish fingers, frowning. Selina whimpered in pain, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.

Behind the couch, Elif’s worried gaze darted between her and Rafael. “Rafael ? Would you like to see the children’s playroom? I bet you’d love it.” Rafael shook his head, struggling against my sister’s gentle hold.

“Rafael,Pulcinomio, how about we go together ?” Sienna suggested, standing up.

“No ! I want to stay withMamma! I have to protect her !”

Selina pressed her lips together, her eyes shining with emotion as she looked at her son. I crouched to his level, stilling him.

“Let’s make a deal,moymal’chik(my boy)”

From my pocket, I pulled out my steel lighter, engraved with my name and a bear. I placed it in Rafael’s small palm.

“This lighter is very precious to me, just like your mother is to you. I’m entrusting my treasure to you. In return, I will protect yours. What do you say ?”

He studied the engraving, then looked up at me, “you’ll protect mymamma ?The monster won’t hurt her anymore ?”

I grabbed his right forearm and gently positioned his fingers more or less around mine. “On my honor and my blood, I swear that no one will ever lay a hand on your mother again, Rafael,” I vowed, making theBratva’soath—without the cut on our palms meant to seal it in blood.

For a few long seconds, he studied me with those scrutinizing green eyes, as if measuring the weight of my words. Then, slowly, he nodded, making the corner of my lips curl in satisfaction.

“Good. Now go with your aunt. I won’t take my eyes off your mother, don’t worry,” I assured him.

He nodded again, clutching my lighter in his small hand before following his aunt. Elif led the way, and just before stepping out, he turned back, throwing his arms around his mother in a brief embrace.

I straightened up, and as I did, my gaze met my brothers’. They stared at me, surprised—perhaps even shocked—but it wasn’t surprising. That lighter was one of the few possessions of my father that I truly valued. The fact that I had entrusted it to a child—one I had just met—was bound to throw them off.

But when my eyes found Selina’s, I knew without a doubt that it had been worth it. And fuck, everything else faded away.

She was looking at me in a way that ignited something deep inside me—something primal, something fierce. It made me want to burn down the entire world if it meant keeping her safe.

I wanted to shield her like I did my own sons. I wanted to pull her against me so she’d know—so she’d feel—that nothing, nothing could touch her anymore.

That she was safe.

With me.

I walked Semionov to the door after he finished. He handed me a tube of cream and pulled on his jacket.

“Apply this to the bruises on her face. I’ll come back in three weeks to check on the condition of her fingers. No water on the cast,” he reminded me before stepping outside.

I closed the door and rubbed my face, clenching my jaw at the sound of sobs coming from the living room. Her cries, her tearsas the doctor treated her—I was ready to go to Rome and rip Rasili’s damn head off.

“Moybrat ?” Sasha’s voice echoed behind me, and I turned to see both him and Roman watching me intently.