by Lylah James
He pulled me so that I was facing him. Alberto smirked, but his eyes were on fire. My blood ran cold.
My death had come sooner than expected.
“Time for you to go to sleep.”
My eyebrows furrowed, and then I screamed when I felt a sting in my thigh. I looked down to see a syringe in his hand and the needle in my thigh. “No,” I slurred.
His stares were cold and unfeeling, just like him. The back of his hand smacked across my face, and I flew against the door, my head cracking under the pressure.
I was losing myself as darkness clouded my vision.
“Alessio,” I whimpered.
Alberto roared and pressed my face harder against the window. “You will learn to never say his name again. I think you forgot that he handed you over to me.”
I tried to shake my head, forcing my eyes open even though I was slowly fading away.
“I think I’ve been too easy on you before. Now, you will feel what real pain is.” Alberto whispered his promise into my ears, his nail digging into my cheeks painfully.
A wash of numbness filled me, and I shuddered violently, my body crumbling and weakening under his hold and the drug he gave me.
My eyes rolled into my head. This was it. My reality. My fate.
All I could do was cry and stay still as the drug took over and the dizziness threw me into a cloud of darkness and despair.
I submitted to the heavy hold that was pulling me under, and my eyes closed.
My final thought as darkness took over was Alessio.
I’m sorry, Alessio. I love you.
His name was a mere whisper in my head as I lost consciousness.
Alessio.
Chapter 28
Alessio
The sight of Alberto had caused a lava of rage to course through my body. But I had tried to stay as calm as I could.
My only thought was to keep Ayla safe. Far away from Alberto.
He couldn’t know that she was my weakness.
But then he looked at Ayla like he knew her. Like she was something to possess. I wanted to gouge his eyes out, put a bullet right in the middle of his eyes. Only because he was looking at Ayla. My Angel.
What I never expected was the shock that came next. And the pain of betrayal.
I heard Ayla whimper behind me and felt her nails digging into my skin. I felt her panic. It was vibrating off her. The air surrounding us growing thick with her fear.
But only Alberto’s words were ringing through my ears. Everything else was a blur.
The woman you are protecting behind you right now is Ayla Abandonato. The late Alfredo’s daughter and only child. And my very soon-to-be wife. The Italian’s queen. Your enemy.
Ayla Abandonato. A fucking Abandonato.
She lied to me. All this time, it had been a lie.
My shoulder ached with the tension, but I kept my face as blank as I could.
No weakness. Alberto didn’t need to know how his words affected me. Ayla didn’t need to know what her betrayal was doing to me.
I trusted her. I let her in.
She was my fucking Angel.
I swallowed the boulder of emotions that clogged my throat and stared straight into Alberto’s eyes.
“Viktor, get her inside,” I said, my voice calm yet the coldness and deadly warning was there.
The words came out instinctively. She was the enemy, yet my need to protect her never lessened. No matter how much my mind raged, I still felt for her.
She betrayed me, but she was still my Angel.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Viktor pulling Ayla toward the gates. She was staring back at me, her eyes never leaving mine, begging me to give her a chance.
I saw everything there. Her pain. Fear. Panic. And lastly, her love.
My stupid treacherous heart hung on to it. I wanted to believe that look.
My decision might have been stupid, but it was the only one that made sense.
Giving Alberto my full attention, I sent him a chilling glare. “Get the fuck out of here, Alberto. This is the last time I am going to say this. It takes only one bullet to be fired and war will upon us. Leave my property or my men will be forced to shoot.”
Alberto raised an eyebrow and started to back away slowly. “You are right. We will let Ayla decide.”
I was tempted to shoot him right now. Put a bullet right through his eyes. But that would only bring war upon ourselves.
And Ayla would be right in the middle. Her safety couldn’t be compromised.
My murderous intent must have shown on my face, because Alberto smirked and then glanced at Ayla, his look lecherous. “I will be waiting, love.”
I felt Phoenix’s hand on my arm, making me realize that I had reached for my gun. I was vibrating with the need to end the bastard’s life. Slowly and painfully.
That day would come. Not now. But soon.
I watched the cars drive away before finally taking the courage to turn toward Ayla. I saw her bend forward, and she started to dry heave, hyperventilating right there in the driveway. Her small body was shaking violently, her sobs making my heart clench tightly.
I wanted to take her in my arms, hold her safely, and tell her everything was going to be okay. But I stopped myself.
I knew I would lash out and hurt her. And the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her…even though she was the reason for my pain right now.
So I walked away. From her.
I did it to protect her.
I had been shot before. Multiple times. But Ayla’s betrayal was more painful than bullets piercing through my body.
She called out after me, my name on her lips. She begged me to listen, but I was numb. Too numb to care. To numb to understand her lies, her betrayal. I trusted her, but she didn’t give me anything in return.
After giving her myself and opening my heart to her, she still lied.
But even through the tides of anger, I understood why.
I hated the Abandonatos.
And she was one of them. The daughter of the man who killed my mother and sister.
“Fuck!” I swore, punching the wall next to the door. She must have been scared. So damn scared. No wonder she never told any of us.
What about those who are innocent? Will they perish too? Just because they were doomed to be an Italian—an Abandonato?
Ayla’s question rang through my ears, and I pulled at my hair in frustration, my fingers digging into my scalp. She wanted to tell me. So many times, she wanted to say it, but my hatred for the Abandonatos always stopped her.
I still remembered my words clearly, as if they were said the day before.
There is no fucking innocence in that family. They are all the spawn of the devil. They are tainted with my mother’s and sister’s blood.
How could I have expected Ayla to tell me the truth when those were the words I fed her?
You said you’d kill anyone in your path. But what about the innocent?
When realization dawned on me, I felt sick. She was talking about herself. She was the innocent.
I was running away from home when I found you and hid in your car. That’s how we met. I’m not a spy, Alessio. I’m just someone running away from her nightmare, desperately seeking peace.
Everything she said came rushing back to me until my thoughts went wild. And that was when I lost control.
With a roar, I reached for the coffee table and flipped it over, sending it crashing into the wall. Hundreds of glass shards flew everywhere.
My hands clenched into fists, and I punched the wall again, harder than before. My skin over my knuckles tore, but that wasn’t enough.
I was panting, fighting for breath, fighting against the monster that wanted to be unleashed.
The sudden rush was of realization made my head spin. My lungs constricted. “Fuck!” I bellowed.
The man I hated, the man I vowed to kill…my enemy, he was the one who had hurt my Angel. He was the one who caused her pain. The reaso
n for her nightmares.
Alberto. He had ruined my Ayla.
My blood roared with the urge to kill him. To end his life. To end Ayla’s nightmare.
Turning around, I saw Artur, Viktor, and Phoenix standing there. Their faces were impassive as they stared back at me, waiting for me to give them orders.
But something else caught my attention. Someone was missing. My heart accelerated in panic as I glanced around the room almost furiously.
“Where’s Ayla?” I growled, my knuckles aching as I tightened my fists.
Viktor’s eyebrows raised in question, and he looked behind him. “She was right behind me,” he grumbled, his face twisting with slight panic.
“You left her alone!”
I threw my fist, and it connected with his face. A crack resonated around the room, but I didn’t care. “I left her with you. You were supposed to bring her inside.”
I trusted Viktor to get her inside, to keep her safe while I tried to get myself under control.
“I thought she would follow. She’s probably outside. Calm the fuck down,” Viktor said, holding his bleeding mouth.
Artur came to stand beside me. “I’ll get her, Boss.”
I nodded, pulling away from Viktor. “Bring her inside,” I ordered. Artur nodded and left without a glance. The need to protect her, shield her away from any suffering, was overwhelming. Alberto wasn’t getting anywhere near her.
My head tilted to the side, and I speared Viktor with a glare. He glared back. “Are you done? Because you can’t act like that when Ayla comes inside. You’ll scare her to death.”
I didn’t say anything. Only because I knew he was right.
I had to get out of here, think clearly, away from Ayla so I couldn’t hurt her.
Even though she was my Angel, she still betrayed me. My heart and mind were in a constant battle.
In that moment, I realized that I was more hurt that she lied to me than the fact that she was an Abandonato.
Ayla might have been an Abandonato, but she was innocent. She was another victim. And I couldn’t hurt her for that.
I shook my head at that thought. That was exactly why I had to be heartless. Ruthless. That was why I never wanted to get close to her in the first place.
The human heart was a strange thing. It was treacherous and weak. It made us weak. It was easy for me to forget my revenge, only because what I felt for Ayla was more powerful.
What we had was more powerful than my need for vengeance.
I sank down on the couch and rubbed my forehead tiredly. How did this happen? One minute everything was perfect, and now…it was ruined.
What concerned me more was Ayla’s feelings. How scared and worried she must have been.
“What are you going to do?” Viktor asked, sitting down on the sofa facing me. He regarded me with curious yet suspicious eyes. “With Ayla?”
I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees. “Is that even a question?” I hissed. “Do you really think I will hurt her?”
Viktor stared at me in silence and then shook his head. “I know you won’t hurt her.”
“And what if I did?”
I needed to know his answer. I needed to know where Ayla stood with my men, how much she meant to everyone.
I needed to know that when the time came, they would all stand in front her, protecting her.
“I would have had to go against you,” he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders as if it meant nothing. But his eyes were intense and told me everything I needed to know.
My head turned toward Phoenix as I waited for his answer. He shook his head. “We can’t let you hurt her, Boss.”
I felt a sense of relief. They were Ayla’s champions. If something happened, they would protect her.
But the relief was short-lived.
I saw Artur standing in the doorway. Alone. His face was forlorn, and when he caught my eyes, he looked down, shaking his head.
“Where’s Ayla?” I asked, standing up.
“Boss, I’m sorry,” he replied, keeping his head bowed.
“Where. Is. Ayla?” I asked through gritted teeth, punctuating each word as my heart accelerated almost painful.
“Boss, I tried to stop to her. I really did. But she left. With that fucking bastard. I couldn’t believe my eyes, either.”
“No!” I bellowed, rushing past him.
Panic rushed through me as I ran down the steps and into the driveway. The gates were closed, and I tore them open, but I was too late.
There was no sign of Alberto. No sign of Ayla. My Angel. She was nowhere to be seen.
I heard Viktor, Phoenix, and Artur behind me. The air crackled with tension.
“Ayla was just playing with you this whole time. She lied to us. That little bitch,” Artur said in disgust.
Turning around, I grabbed Artur by the collar. “You are lying!”
It was impossible. Ayla couldn’t betray me. She wouldn’t betray me…not like that.
Artur winced as I pressed my fingers around his neck. “Don’t ever call her a bitch! Where is she?”
“Boss, I saw Ayla going to him. She was in his arms,” he wheezed as I pressed my fingers tighter around his throat.
I wanted to scream. Rage. Hit someone. I wanted to kill…I needed to kill.
“She betrayed you, Boss,” Artur said, his voice hoarse.
And that was when I exploded. I lost it.
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up!”
Taking my gun from my waistband, I pointed it under Artur’s chin. His head tilted up in surprise, and his eyes shone with sudden fear. “You are lying!” I growled, pushing the barrel into his throat. My fingers itched to pull the trigger and end his life.
He gulped hard and shook his head slightly.
I almost pulled the trigger then. If it wasn’t for Viktor pulling me away, Artur would have been dead.
“Alessio! Damn it!” Viktor hissed in my ears. I glared at Artur as he coughed for air.
“Have you lost your mind? Pointing your gun at your man. We are a brotherhood, Alessio,” he tried to reason with me. But I barely heard Viktor.
The only words that rang through my ears were Artur’s.
She betrayed you, Boss.
She left. With that fucking bastard. I couldn’t believe my eyes, either.
She was just playing with you this whole time.
“No!” I gripped my hair in frustration, in denial. “Ayla wasn’t lying!”
It was a lie. Ayla wouldn’t betray me. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it.
I was sixteen when I was raped.
He raped me on my sixteen birthday, and he continued to do so every single night for seven years.
My father never did anything. He never even paid attention to me. I was a loner, never allowed to leave the house. And then he handed me over to him. A cruel man who destroyed me.
He used to beat me. He would chain me to our bed and then whipped me if I did something wrong or what he perceived wrong.
Every word, every moment rushed back to me until I was blinded with grief. My lungs constricted as I fought for breath, my heart aching in the most painful way.
When Ayla was telling her past, I heard the truth in her words. Her pain-filled eyes, her nightmares, they weren’t lies. They were real. Her suffering was real.
But why would she leave? With him…the same monster who destroyed her?
It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.
I refused to believe it.
Because I believed her. I believed in us.
“She didn’t leave,” I said, staring at the gates. “She wouldn’t go back to Alberto.”
“I agree,” Viktor said beside me. “There’s no way she would leave of her own will. I saw how scared Ayla was of him.”
There was only one conclusion.
Alberto took her. Snatched her away right under my nose.
My eyes widened, and a sudden pain went through my chest and I almost doubled
over.
My stomach lurched, and my hands shook beside me. I shuddered as I thought of the things Alberto had done to her. And now she was with him again. At his mercy. She had been thrust back into the darkness she’d been running from.
And it was all my fault.
I had one simple job to do. Protect her. But I failed. I failed my Angel.
“Are you sure you saw her leave with Alberto?” I heard Phoenix ask behind me.
“I saw her getting in his car,” Artur replied.
“So it’s possible Alberto had threatened her,” Viktor added.
It didn’t matter.
None of it mattered. How or why it happened.
The only thing that mattered was getting Ayla back safely. And making sure Alberto was no longer a threat.
In that moment, my vengeance was forgotten. The reason why I needed to finish the Abandonatos was forgotten.
It was replaced with another purpose.
Getting rid of every single person who had hurt my Angel. Slowly and painfully. Until they wished they had never laid eyes on her.
Chapter 29
I swiveled around and stalked back inside. My men followed close behind me.
“Boss, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I thought—” Artur started but then quickly broke off.
I faced him, and he went to his knees, bowing his head, his gun placed in front of him. A posture of submission.
“I have failed you and Ayla. You have every right to take my life.”
Bending down, I took his gun in my hand. “You are right. I can take your life right now. Only because you called my woman a bitch. You made a mistake, but that will be your last mistake.”
I stood up to my full height, but instead of pointing my gun to his head, I gave him an order. “Stand up.”
He stood up, facing me with his head still bowed down. “You have one more chance. Protect Ayla with your life and you will be forgiven.”
I couldn’t condemn him for thinking what any of us would have thought. It was easier to think that Ayla had betrayed us.
But I knew…my Angel would never do such thing.