The Mafia And His Angel Part 2 (Tainted Hearts)

by Lylah James

  With a dejected sigh, he shook his head. “I don’t want you to go through the same thing, Alessio,” he whispered. “I’m saving you from years of heartache.”

  He took a step away from me and turned around, walking away without a second glance. Isaak followed behind him without any words.

  Opening the door, he stopped in the doorway. His next words were a blow to my chest. I closed my eyes and swiveled around, facing away from him.

  “Angels don’t belong in our world.”

  With that as his final words to me, I heard the door close, and then it was only silence. An unbearable and painful silence. I felt suddenly empty, my heart aching at the thought of Ayla.

  “Alessio…” Viktor started, but I quickly cut him off.

  “Leave. Just…leave.”

  He sighed but left without uttering anything else. I walked around the desk and fell on my chair, staring at the ceiling.

  Lyov’s words echoed in my ears. I wanted to say he was wrong, but he wasn’t. I was living in denial. I didn’t want to think of Ayla as my weakness, but she was.

  The fear of losing her was instilled inside of me…but I was powerless. Instead of pushing her away, I was holding her closer every day.

  Ayla consumed every fiber of my being. Ayla was everything I couldn’t have but everything I needed.

  She was my light. I’d let her into my heart where she had showered me with her sweet venom.

  I was so lost in her, forgetting that I couldn’t feel what I was feeling. It was all a temporary bliss and happiness, but now reality tasted sour.

  Ayla was my Angel, but I couldn’t have her.

  ***

  I didn’t know how long I stayed like this. Hours maybe, but I couldn’t move. Eventually, a knock sounded on my door, and I opened my eyes. “Come in,” I ordered. The door opened to reveal Sasha, one of the maids, holding a tray.

  “Mr. Ivanshov, Viktor told me to bring your dinner to your office,” she said.

  Dinner? Looking at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was already past seven.

  “Place it on the coffee table,” I replied before closing my eyes again. I expected to hear the door close, but when none of that happened, my eyes snapped open.

  Sasha was standing in front of my desk. Her eyes roamed over my chest, and she bit down on her lower lip. “Alessio,” she started, her voice turning more sultry and softer. “You look really stressed out. Can I help in any way?”

  With a sigh, I closed my eyes again. I used to fuck her. A pastime when I needed the distraction. But since Ayla came into my life, not once did I think of going back to Sasha. Ayla had my absolute attention.

  I felt something on my crotch, and my hand quickly snaked around Sasha’s wandering fingers, stopping her movement. “Get the fuck out of here,” I snapped, pushing her hand away.

  “I can make you feel good. Like always,” she whispered in my ear.

  “No. Leave.”

  I heard her frustrated sigh as she moved away. But Lyov’s words echoed in my ears, and my fists clenched in anger as I fought for control.

  Come to your senses before it’s too late. Get rid of her. Build that fucking wall around your heart again. Don’t do the same thing I did.

  Angels don’t belong in our world.

  My eyes snapped open, and I moved my chair back. Standing up, I quickly grabbed Sasha’s hand, and I pulled her toward me.

  I placed a hand on her back and pushed her front against the desk, bending her forward so her ass was pushed back. I heard her gasp of surprise, but then she moaned, moving her ass against my cock.

  “Fuck me, Alessio.”

  I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I hissed in her ear.

  “Hmm, okay. Do whatever you want,” she murmured huskily. Releasing her hair, I moved her dress upward until her red lace thong was visible.

  Angels don’t belong in our world.

  I squeezed my eyes shut against the words, my fingers digging into Sasha’s hips. Blindly moving my hand to her thong, I ripped it away and dropped it on the floor. I let go of her to unbutton my slacks and pulled my cock out.

  Angels don’t belong in our world.

  I kicked her legs open, my body pressed against hers. Without touching her, I already knew she was wet and ready for me. The tip of the soft cock brushed against her inner thigh. Sasha let out a moan and wiggled closer to me.

  At the sound of her moan, my eyes snapped open. Fuck. No.

  What the fuck am I doing?

  Pushing away from her body, I stumbled back, completely horrified at what I was about to do. I couldn’t this. Not to my Ayla. She trusted me. She gave me herself. I couldn’t betray her like this.

  Shame filled my body, and I sucked in a painful breath. “Get out. Get the fuck out now,” I growled, zipping my pants again.

  “But…” She glanced over her shoulders, her face a mask of confusion. Just then, the door crashed open, and I saw Viktor coming in. He took his gun out and pointed it at Sasha.

  “Get out before I blow your fucking brains out,” he snapped. Sasha gasped in shock and fear before quickly bending down and grabbing her ripped panties. She ran out of the room, closing the door behind her with a bang.

  “Are you serious?” Viktor roared at me, his eyes glistening with anger and disgust.

  “Don’t.” I raised a hand, but he talked over me.

  “Were you going to fuck her?”

  “No!” I quickly answered. “I stopped.”

  Shaking his head, he walked toward me. “Are you really going to let your father’s words take over your head? Are you going to let him control your life?”

  “No,” I growled.

  Viktor shook his head. “What’s Ayla to you?”

  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Viktor. None of this was supposed to happen. My plan was to get close to Ayla to make her reveal her truth. We had to know if she was a traitor. That was the fucking plan,” I snapped, running my fingers to my hair in frustration.

  That was the plan from the beginning. Get close to Ayla, gain her trust, and make her reveal her truth. But it didn’t end that way.

  “I wasn’t meant to feel anything,” I ended brokenly.

  “I know,” he agreed softly. “But that’s not the plan anymore. That plan ended the same day it was made. It ended the moment you gave her your jacket and you felt her tears as if they were your own.”

  “He’s right. Ayla will be my downfall,” I whispered, turning around to face the window.

  It was pitch black outside, so similar to the darkness inside of me. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the glass. “I can’t lose her, Viktor. She is everything.”

  “If something happens to her because of me…” I started but didn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I couldn’t imagine myself without Ayla. She was a part of me.

  “I agree. Lyov was right. She is your weakness,” Viktor replied coldly. I sucked in a harsh breath, my chest squeezing tightly in pain.

  “But she is also your strength,” he finished. My heart raced at his words, and I opened my eyes, swiveling around to face him.

  He nodded with a sigh, his eyes turning slightly softer. “You’ve changed a lot since she came into our lives. Ayla is your strength. She is the one who’s going to stop you from stumbling in the darkness every time. It’s for you to choose if you’ll let her be your weakness or your strength.”

  Sinking down on my chair, I placed my head in my hands. How was I going to protect Ayla?

  “Don’t hurt her, Alessio. After all she’s been through, she doesn’t deserve to be hurt by you.”

  “I don’t want to, Viktor. For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do.” I spoke my harrowing thoughts, the words tasting bitter against my lips.

  “Only you can answer that. Just remember one thing, though.” Viktor paused, and I looked up, waiting for him continue. “She is you
r Angel.”

  With that, he gave me a nod and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  My Angel.

  Rubbing my hands over the back of my neck, I tried to relieve the tense muscles there. I spent hours thinking about what Lyov and Viktor said. I paced, frustration building inside of me with each passing minute.

  The next time I checked the clock, it was almost ten. Ayla would be waiting for me in the piano room. Closing my eyes, I sighed. Ayla’s smiling face flashed behind my closed eyelids. After many frustrating hours, I came to only one conclusion.

  I needed Ayla.

  Remembering my father’s words from twenty years ago, I stood up.

  An angel is the person you can’t see yourself living without. Don’t ever let her go. Because if you lose her, then you will forever be incomplete.

  He was right. I would be incomplete without Ayla. I thought about her sweet voice, gentle touch and kisses, and her loving eyes. She was mine.

  As I walked out of my office, I prayed that Ayla could forgive me. I had to tell her the truth about Sasha. I didn’t fuck her, but I still touched her. I wasn’t going to lie. Ayla didn’t deserve anything less.

  I also prayed that she accepted me. I wasn’t going to change. I was still the Boss and would be until my last breath. I prayed she was ready for this fucked-up life.

  I stopped in front of the piano room and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. All I wanted was to hold her in my arms and forget everything.

  Opening the door, I stopped when I saw the room empty and dark.

  What the fuck?

  Quickly walking out of the piano room, I made my way to our room. I opened the door and saw it was only gently illuminated with the lamp on the nightstand.

  Ayla was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall. The soft glow danced over her beautiful face as she sat stoically.

  “Ayla?” I questioned, walking further into the room and closing the door behind me.

  “Cold. Ruthless. Heartless. Arrogant. Killer. Unlovable. Alessio Ivanshov can’t love or be loved. Those are all the words that you are known as, right?”

  Ayla’s words stopped me dead in my tracks, my heart stuttering at her bleak, distant tone. She let out a small laugh, shaking her head.

  “Ayla, what are you talking about?” I asked, panic welling inside of me. I didn’t like her tone or the way she avoided looking at me. She didn’t sound like my Ayla.

  “I wanted to believe you were different,” she whispered, this time her voice breaking over the words.

  I lurched forward, desperately wanting to wrap her in my arms and erase all her sorrow. Ayla’s head snapped toward me, and I sucked in a painful breath at her expression.

  Her eyes were filled with tears, her face red and filled with pain and grief. She looked at me as if I betrayed her.

  The look in her eyes was enough to tell me what I needed to know.

  No. No. No. I panicked.

  “I thought you were different.” She wiped her tears away. “But I was wrong.”

  Chapter 10

  Ayla

  “Ayla, what are you talking about?” Alessio asked. He was panicking, scared about what my words meant, while I was breaking inside.

  “I wanted to believe you were different,” I whispered hoarsely, hating how my voice broke over those words. I hated how much power Alessio had over me. He was my peace, my strength, but he was also my weakness. He had the power to break me.

  And that was exactly what he did.

  After putting my heart together, after giving me hope, he took it all away, leaving me empty and broken again.

  “I thought you were different,” I continued in the same small voice. It was true I knew what type of man he was, but with me, he was different.

  The Alessio I knew was sweet and gentle. Out there he was a killer and heartless, but with me, he was everything I needed.

  But it was all a lie.

  Swiping my tears away, I finally turned toward Alessio. Even in the darkness, I could see his tensed body and rigid shoulders. His face was twisted with panic and dread.

  “But I was wrong.” I choked on the words.

  I didn’t have to say anything else. Realization flashed in his blue eyes. He understood that I knew the truth.

  “Why?” I asked, my voice dropping to a mere whisper. He took a step forward but stopped when I shook my head. A sudden surge of anger coursed through my body, prompting me to quickly stand up and face him.

  “Ayla…” he breathed, his voice shaky. I didn’t know why, but his voice made me angrier. It reminded me of when my world fell apart around me, crushing me mercilessly.

  “Where are you going?” Maddie asked as I walked up the stairs.

  Without stopping, I said over my shoulder, “I’m going to see Alessio.” Since the morning, after Lyov and Isaak made their appearance, I hadn’t seen Alessio. His missing presence had left an aching hole in my chest, and I just wanted to be near him again, even if it was just for a few minutes.

  Smiling, I made my way to his office. I was only a few feet away when I saw the door open, and Sasha ran out, her face panicked. My eyebrows pulled up in a frown at the sight of her.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, walking closer. She gasped at the sight of me, her hands going up to her chest. My eyes widened when I saw what she was holding. A ripped red thong.

  My eyes snapped to hers, and she looked away guiltily, biting on her lips nervously.

  No. Please.

  “Why are you holding your underwear?” I asked curtly after a moment of silence. Before she could answer, Viktor’s loud booming voice came through from Alessio’s office.

  Confused, I looked back at Sasha, but she avoided eye contact with me. Without answering to my question, she walked around me. I was left dumbfounded, as I stood frozen in my spot.

  My hands were shaking, and I trembled slightly as Viktor continued yelling. When I heard Alessio’s voice, I finally snapped out of my daze and walked forward until I was standing in front of the door.

  I didn’t know what to expect, my mind still lost on what I just saw. But then my heart stuttered to a stop, my chest contracting painfully when I heard his words…Alessio’s words. My legs weakened, and my stomach twisted. I suddenly felt nauseous.

  “My plan was to get close to Ayla to make her reveal her truth. We had to know if she was a traitor. That was the fucking plan.”

  I choked back a sob when I understood his meaning. They still thought I was a spy. It was all a lie. They never believed me.

  Having heard enough, I pushed away from the door.

  Alessio and I…whatever he said, his sweet words, his kisses, his gentle caresses, were they all a lie? Was it just a ploy to get closer to me?

  I was paralyzed by just the thought of it. Bringing a shaky hand to my mouth, I tried to control my breathing. But it felt like my world had just ended around me. I could feel myself spiraling down toward the darkness again.

  I heard yelling, but none of the words made sense to me. I could only think about what I heard. The same words repeated over and over in my head. My ears were ringing from their painful betrayal.

  Giving the door a final glance, I turned around and blindly ran to my room. I needed to escape this harsh reality. I didn’t want to believe it. Not Alessio. Not my Alessio.

  The door closed behind me, and I sank down to the floor, holding my knees to my chest as I sobbed.

  He wouldn’t do that. He cared…I saw it in his eyes.

  But Alessio Ivanshov was known to be deceitful. If he thought I was a traitor, he would stop at nothing to find the truth.

  Even if it meant breaking me until I had nothing left to give.

  When I saw Alessio take another step toward me, I snapped out of the painful memories and took a step back. His eyes flashed with hurt, and he placed a hand out as if to comfort me.

  “What did you do with Sasha?” I asked, my voice almost emotionless, hiding the true turmoil i
nside of me. Alessio’s face contorted in guilt, and he swallowed nervously. His eyes shifted away for a few seconds, his hands tightening in fists.

  At his reaction, I felt my already fragile heart crack further, deepening the holes in it. He didn’t have to say anything. I already got my answer.

  “Ayla, it’s not what you think—” he started, but I quickly cut him off.

  “Did you touch her?” He paused at my question, his eyes closing tightly for a second. Alessio paced in front of me, his fingers going to his hair in frustration.

  “Did you touch her, Alessio?” I asked again.

  “Ayla…” he growled.

  “Did you?” This time my voice was louder.

  Turning toward me, he glared. “Damn it, Ayla. It’s not what you think.”

  I let out a small harsh laugh, leaning back into the wall. “So you did.”

  Alessio lost his glare, and he shook his head. He moved toward me, but I raised a hand, stopping him again. “Don’t come near me.”

  “I heard you talking to Viktor,” I admitted, my voice strangely soft. Alessio flinched, if possible his whole body growing tenser. “Is it true? Do you think I’m a traitor?”

  Deep inside, I prayed he would say no and that it was all a misunderstanding. “I’m not the spy,” I continued softly, desperately hoping he would believe me.

  I saw Alessio visibly swallow hard, and he slightly shook his head. “I know, Ayla.”

  He accepted my plea, but I still couldn’t forget those words. It still hurt. I still felt like I was breaking. Under the layers of hurt, deep anger was raging. Never had I felt this way. Not even when I was tortured.

  I loathed that Alessio could make me feel this way.

  My body vibrated with the force of my anger, and as I stared at Alessio’s guilty face, I snapped. I was holding on tight to the string, desperate not to lose control, but right at the moment, I lost it.

  Lurching forward, I slammed into Alessio’s body, holding onto his collar tight. “Why? Why did you do it? Was it all a lie? Tell me!”