"It's endearing. Everything about you is endearing, my sweet little Ana. But you forget that I'm your big brother. So my responsibility to protect you is many times bigger than yours."

With these sentence, he pushes off her and faces the assassins who have gotten closer.

His smile turns into smirk.

Perfect opportunity. That was what he was waiting for.

****************

Anastasia waits with a loud beating hard, she flinches each time a gunshot rings in the air. Her heart thickens with worry.

In her mind, there is not only just 'her brothers are in danger' running. Instead 'her brothers are dangerous too', has made a heavy impact too.

Stefano killed without mercy. He did not care about anyone's live in defence. Anastasia does not want to pay attention to these thoughts but her idle mind is bent on playing games with her.

"Hell!" A loud curse from Stefano gains her attention.

She peeks from the wall. Her eyes widens at the scene that lay in front of her.

Her brother is shot in his side.

"Stefa--" Her concern raised voice dies on her lips as the gunshots starts to ring again.

Stefano does not seem to care about his wound. In spite of it, he looks quite furious.

Those men who stood outside have decided to join the others. Their overwhelming number and no more bullets in his grasp, irks him.

He quietly analyses the whole situation and curses again as another bullet pierces his thigh. His balance stumbles and he falls down on his one knee with a clenched jaw.

Anastasia seeing this, quickly rushes out of her hiding spot. She runs in front of Stefano, who has several guns pointed at him from each direction.

"N-no stop!" She pleads out.

Stefano is shocked to see her upfront and completely exposed to these men as she shields him.

"What the hell i-is wrong with you?! I told you to stay hidden!" Stefano grits his teeth.

Anastasia flinches in shock. She thought back to the second in which she ran here without thinking.

To protect him.

Even her brother was dangerous and a killer. She didn't want him to die.

She could not see him die.

Not just like that.

When she got to know him better.

She knew he worries about her. His words says it all and this really feels good.

Stefano may not seem like it but he's a kind person. To her atleast.

So that's why she was bent on protecting him. She would not watch as someone kills her precious person that she has gotten after long sufferings.

She will protect him again just like last time, even if it means she would have to die.

With her arms out, she pulls him into a hug, freezing him and his furious rant.

"I can't see you die.....I-I don't want to be a burden..."

Her arms tightens around him as she hears those strangers words. One of them speaks for the very first time, otherwise they killed robotically and emotionlessly.

"Boss's new order. Our last mission, Kill the girl and Bastard."

Stefano stilled hearing these words. Even without looking at them, he could see guns pointing at them.

He closes his eyes and huffs. He can absolutely feel Anastasia's slight shaking and it makes him clench his jaw. She is scared but trying not to show it.

Taking a tight hold of her, in the blink, he haa switched their position. It felt like a blur as he exposes his back to the bullets and protects Anastasia from her supposed death.

Her eyes widens after she opens them and looks up in Stefano's identical pair of eyes. The color drains from her face as three more gunshots ring.

A tear falls down her cheek as Stefano tries to give her a cheerful grin, concealing the grimace behind it.

"Always r-remember the words I said before."

'You forget that I'm your big brother. So my responsibility to protect you is many times bigger than yours.'

One and then another tear continues to fall down her face as her lips quivers seeing the trail of blood leaving down Stefano's chin.

Suddenly his eyes starts closing. Anastasia's heart drops.

"P-p-please."

Her pleads falls on deaf ears.

She freezes as his face falls to rest on her shoulder and all his movements ceases.

"N-no."

A whimper escapes her lips.

Anastasia hears more gunshots in background, including grunts and groans but she cannot pull herself out of her mind.

The blood coming out of Stefano's body is staining her clothes.

"D-don't go." She begs but he does not respond as if he is already gone.

The thought hurts her so much.

Suddenly she looks up to see as some new pairs of footsteps rushes in her direction.

"Curse the heavens! I told the boy to be more careful!" An unfamiliar voice cuts through the silence of air.

Her eyes make contact with this stranger's eyes. These dark eyes strangely looks familiar for some reason. He is covered with tattoos more than his two companions and a scowl is prominent on his face as he looks at the faces that lay covering the entire floor.

The man beside him has a worried expression while the other man on this tattooed stranger left side, watches the entire scene with a blank look on his face.

"What are your orders, Sir?" The third man asks, cutting the silence like a knife.

"Make arrangements to clean this mess up, Lucas. Make sure that no word reaches out that I think you have already done."

The man who now recognized as Lucas nods his head.

The second male within this talk decides to approach Anastasia who is looking at them with wide and fearful eyes.

"Hey pretty. Don't be scared. We are not gonna hurt you." The man tries to give her a reassuring smile.

"My name is Zack. And, you can say that I'm with those someones' that your family considers friend. So you can trust me, alright?"

She furrows her eyebrows at his question and tries to search for any malicious hint in his eyes and tone but he pretty much sounds true to his words.

"I need to check Stefano's state."

He carefully notices how her arms tightens around Stefano at the mention.

"I again promise that I mean no harm, gorgeous."

"Stefano will surely die if you waste time by the whole talking." The tattoed man lets out a huff of annoyance and by taking long strides, he approaches them.

Anastasia flinches in fear yet again as his hand snakes around her arm to grip and he hauls her up.

"L-l-let g-go." She squeaks out in fear.

Out of nowhere, it amuses this man.

"Just shut it." He says calmly, ceasing her struggles to get back to Stefano. She cowers down in fear. Something about his calm voice is wrong. It definitely isn't supposed to be calm.

"Hunter. Please be gentle. Little one is badly shaken up." Zack reminds him nicely.

"Yeah yeah. I know how to be gentle when need to be." Hunter rolls his eyes uncharacteristically.

A moment later, Zack speaks in a serious voice.

"This is bad. We need to get him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Hurry Hunter, he does not have pretty much time left."

Hunter nods, allowing them to take Stefano out of there. Still holding Anastasia's arm, he makes his way outside. Without speaking, he pulls her behind him as she stumbles on her feet several times.

Anastasia does not know what is she supposed to do in this whole situation.

These guys seems pretty dangerous and on top of it completely strangers too and no doubt, Anastasia is feeling scared from Hunter but the only reassurance is that they are her family's friends. This is the only thing making her trust them.

But she can only hope that she would not regret this decision any coming second.

She just wants Stefano to be safe and sound.

Him to live again without another danger to his life.

It hurts her thinking that somewhere it is her fault. Stefano is in death bed because of her and this guilt is eating her alive.

It will hardly take one more emotional hit and she will break down completely next time. That she is suddenly getting afraid to do.

Poor Stefano... So double update! Hope you enjoyed reading these chapters. Make sure to vote and if possible comment to share your views.... You guys can get access to the completed book on Patreon... The link to my patreon account is in my profile... Thank you again for reading...❤ Davina...