The Mafia And His Angel Part 2 (Tainted Hearts)

by Lylah James

  I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt a finger probing me through my lace panties. Pain. All I felt was pain. This couldn’t be happening again.

  Maybe it was just a dream. A nightmare. But I knew it was real. This nightmare was my reality.

  He grabbed my thigh possessively, his fingers digging into my skin, leaving his marks. I sniffed as my tears continued to run down my cheeks.

  I didn’t say anything. I knew how it worked with Alberto. As long as I stayed quiet, it wouldn’t be as bad.

  And then suddenly the gentleness was gone. The back of his hand smacked across my face, and my head knocked against the wall. I screamed as agony pierced through my head and neck.

  Alberto gripped my hair and shook me. He yanked me forward until the shackles bit into my skin painfully. I cried out again, the pain too intense for me to bear.

  It didn’t hurt just physically. My heart was hurting too. I was breaking inside, slowly losing myself to the darkness that surrounded me.

  “Did you really think I would go gentle on you, love?” he spat into my face.

  I shook my head, my stomach cramping violently at the unspoken promise in his words. My heart throbbed, and I was paralyzed.

  His fist made contact with my face, and my lips cracked open. I didn’t scream this time. I just waited because I knew what was coming next.

  “You betrayed me, Ayla. You are making me do this. This is all your fault,” he said against my neck as he ripped my dress.

  I shuddered as his hands groped my body. As he touched me, Alberto placed kisses over my face. A mixture of gentle and pain. He was giving me both, trying to confuse me, trying to trick my mind.

  “I’m going to fuck you and show you exactly who the fuck you belong to,” he growled into my ears.

  My heart sank, and my mind went blank.

  I resisted at first. Something I had never done before. But that only angered him more. I didn’t want him. I only wanted Alessio. I wanted my Alessio’s touch. Instead, I was forced to feel the monster’s touch.

  I tried to be strong, but in the end, I was weak.

  Alberto twisted me around until I was on my knees, my back against his front. He forced my face against the wall until I was trapped. I couldn’t do anything, not with the chains wrapped around me so tightly.

  He pushed my thighs apart, and I felt his tip at my entrance. “You are mine! Never forget that, Ayla. Mine!”

  He slammed inside me, painfully and ruthlessly. I couldn’t stop the scream that escaped past my lips.

  I felt his breath at the back of my neck as he took me roughly and painfully. He pounded his cock inside of me repeatedly, his fingers wrapped around my throat the whole time, making sure I knew he was the one in control.

  I was being cut from the inside. It felt like I was being prickled with glass shards. I was bleeding inside. My heart was bleeding. My soul was bleeding, begging for mercy. The pain was too much. I stayed silent as my body and heart broke into pieces. I felt disconnected.

  It felt like this cruel punishment was never ending. He took me over and over until I slipped into the darkness.

  And I knew this time I wouldn’t be able to come back.

  When he came with a roar, my head spun. Alberto slipped out of me, and I felt his cum slide down from the inside of my thighs, branding me in the most humiliating way.

  My whole body was aching from his assault. I couldn’t move so I just laid there, my head hanging limply against the cold wall.

  I felt Alberto’s lips next to my ears. “He’s not coming for you. No matter how much you beg, he’s not coming. He will never find you. Nobody is coming for you.”

  I closed my eyes, refusing to accept his words.

  “You’re a ghost, Ayla. A forgotten ghost. You always lived in the shadows.”

  His words impaled my heart in the most horrendous and painful way. Because I knew they were the truth.

  But what made the pain worse was the realization that I would always live this way. In the darkness. Hidden with no escape.

  I was truly a ghost. A forgotten one.

  My eyes rolled into my head as I slowly succumbed to the agony coursing through my body.

  But even through the numbness, I still thought of Alessio.

  No matter how impossible it was, I still wished I could feel him again and listen to his beating heart. Just one more time.

  Just for one last time, I wanted to feel his beating heart.

  Chapter 32

  Alessio

  I felt numb as I stepped out of the car. Standing in the driveway, I stared at the estate. The front doors were open, but my feet were rooted in place, refusing to move.

  There was an ache in my chest. I left with Ayla but was coming back without her. At the thought of coming back home without my Angel and knowing she wouldn’t be there to greet me or kiss me, the pain in my chest intensified.

  Viktor came to stand beside me, and he waited. I felt Nikolay on my left side. And then Phoenix and Artur. Nobody stepped forward. They all waited for me.

  No matter how much pain I was in, I was still a Boss—the King. I couldn’t let myself get weak at a moment like this. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I took a step forward and walked toward the door. Each step I took was heavy, a reminder of my failure.

  I stepped inside, and as soon as I had walked through the doors, Maddie was on me. She grabbed my collar, her face a mask of anger and disbelief.

  “Where is she?” Her voice was chilling as she screamed. “How could you have let this happen?”

  Her eyes blurred with tears as she choked back a sob, her chest heaving with the effort. “You promised to protect her, Alessio.”

  I didn’t say anything.

  She was right. I vowed to protect Ayla, but I wasn’t able to. My father was also right. I thought I wouldn’t let it happen. I thought I was strong, but history was repeating itself.

  The tightness in my chest was back again. Maddie released my collar, and she sank down to her knees, her anguished cries ringing through my ears.

  “You promised,” she sobbed at my knees. “You promised.”

  I heard another cry, and my head snapped up toward Lena. She was holding her chest, her eyes wide as she gasped.

  “Lena!” Viktor rushed to her, pulling her to the sofa before she could fall over. “Call Sam,” he ordered as Lena continued to gasp for air, her face twisted in agony.

  “My sweet child,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

  This was all too much. All their emotions washed over me; disappointment, pain, sorrow so deep that my heart ached with it. I ran a trembling hand over my face, trying to stay calm. Trying to be strong for everyone.

  For Ayla. She needed me strong.

  Artur pulled Maddie into his arms. She buried her face into his chest as she sobbed. Swallowing against the lump of emotions around my throat, I shook my head and walked forward.

  Maddie stopped in front of me. “Ayla might be an Abandonato, but she is innocent.”

  Her voice was a mere whisper, but it reached me. And the words were a straight blow to my heart.

  “I know,” I murmured, looking straight as I walked past her.

  “Alessio, you have—” She broke off, her voice cracking. “I can’t even imagine what she is going through right now.”

  My eyes closed, my fingers tightening into fists at the thought of Ayla being in pain.

  “I will find her,” I said, my voice gruff from the effort of keeping my emotions in check.

  I will find her. It was a vow spoken out loud.

  Maddie stepped in front of me, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “You promise?”

  I broke my promise before, but not this time. So I nodded. Maddie seemed satisfied enough with my answer, and her eyes held no doubt. They only shone with absolute trust.

  She stepped out of my way, and I continued upstairs. Walking down the hall toward my office, I only heard Ayla’s beautiful laughter and sweet voice. She was everywher
e yet nowhere at all.

  A sudden surge of anger coursed through my body. Alberto had to die.

  But first I had to find him. And the fucker was smart. A coward, but smart. The moment Ayla was in his trap, he went off the grid. Nowhere to be found.

  It had only been hours since Ayla was taken, but it felt like years.

  “Fuck,” I swore, opening the door to my office, only to stop dead in my tracks.

  Lyov was staring out the window, while Isaak’s body sagged against the couch, his head in his hands as if all his energy had left his body.

  I walked inside, analyzing both men closely. They hated the Abandonatos with a passion, but I wasn’t going to let them stand in my way to find Ayla. Consequences be damned.

  From the corner of my eyes, I saw my men following me inside. My expression stayed cold and emotionless as I faced my father and Isaak.

  “I should have known,” Isaak said, causing a cloud of confusion to settle around us. Lyov’s back went rigid at Isaak’s voice, his eyes closing tightly.

  “She looked so much like Leila, but I didn’t want to believe it. I refused to believe it,” Isaak continued, his voice breaking over the last words.

  Alfredo’s wife?

  “What?” I snapped, moving forward.

  Isaak looked up, and I was shocked to see his eyes red. No, he wasn’t crying. But the agony on his face spoke more than the tears would have.

  “You knew Leila?” I asked when our eyes met. He flinched and stared at Lyov, who still hadn’t turn around to acknowledge us.

  “Yes. I knew Leila. I more than just knew her,” he murmured.

  Cocking my head to the side, I stared and waited. I could have guessed the answer, but I needed to hear it from him. The truth.

  My thoughts ran wild as I waited for Isaak to explain.

  “To understand, you will have to know the beginning.”

  My eyes widened when I heard Lyov’s guttural voice. “Tell him,” he ordered without turning around.

  Isaak stood up and paced the room. “After your mother’s death, our only goal was to take down the Abandonatos. I was sent to find Alfredo’s weakness.”

  He paused, taking a deep breath, as if it pained him to continue. “We thought Leila was his weakness, so for months I kept an eye on her. From far away. I watched her every move and waited. After weeks of watching, I started to see signs of abuse. Sometimes she would have a bleeding lip. Her cheeks would be red or a shade of purple. Once she was walking with a limp.”

  Why did that sound so familiar?

  Ayla. Her name was a whisper in my head, and I clenched my jaw, my teeth grinding together.

  “Every day, at the same exact time, Leila would go to a coffee shop. I watched her cross the street. I watched until I couldn’t stay away anymore. She was so sad. So broken,” Isaak continued. He had long ago stopped pacing. His eyes were now glued to the wall. He was lost in his memories.

  “But she was never alone. She always had a baby in her arms. The only time I saw her smile was when she played with the small little bundle. I approached them, desperate to know the broken woman in front of me.”

  I knew where this was going, but I didn’t stop Isaak. So he kept talking. And in doing so, his words stabbed at my already fragile heart.

  “The baby’s name was Ayla. Ayla Abandonato. She was the sweetest little baby. Only three months old when I met her.” Isaak’s voice slightly broke over Ayla’s name.

  My eyes snapped shut as I sank down on the couch.

  “Leila and I got to know each other, but she didn’t know who I was. Not my real name. We…we started an affair. It was forbidden, and we both knew it. But that didn’t stop us. It lasted for several months. I watched Ayla grow. She took her first step in front of me, and it was toward me.”

  I heard Viktor swear, and Isaak paused. The room was suddenly filled with silence, and the silence was suffocating.

  “What happened?” I asked, my voice harsh against the silent room.

  Isaak took a deep breath before continuing. “Leila was mad when she found out the truth about me, but she understood why I did it. That night, we planned her escape. It was the only way to protect her and Ayla. But I was a little too late.”

  “Leila died in a fire,” I said.

  “No,” Isaak suddenly growled. “She didn’t.”

  My head snapped up toward him as he turned to face me. “I heard her die. I heard her screams as Alfredo killed her. Shot her. The bastard fucking called me and made me listen. Three gunshots and then there was silence.”

  Shaking his head, he ran a hand over his face, his body shaking. With anger. And deep sorrow.

  “Leila had died, and I couldn’t do anything. But I knew I had to get to Ayla. I promised Leila that Ayla wouldn’t live the life that she did. Ayla would be free and happy. I vowed to protect her and take her out of that hell.” Isaak broke off with a harsh, emotionless laugh.

  He shook his head, still laughing. “I was too late. Again. Ayla—”

  “—died in a fire,” I finished off.

  Everyone knew that story. Half of Alfredo’s estate caught on fire. So many lives were taken, including his wife and daughter. That was the story, but it clearly didn’t happen that way.

  “Ayla was only a year old. I didn’t believe it at first. But I saw her casket. It was so small. She was so small. She looked so fragile as she was lowered into the ground next to her mother,” Isaak’s voice was a mere whisper now.

  I had known Isaak for many years, but I had never ever seen him so broken. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to release the tension there.

  It all made sense now. Why we never got anything on Ayla…no matter how intensive our research was. Why I never even thought for a moment that Ayla could have been an Abandonato.

  She was a ghost. Alfredo had made sure of it.

  “That fucking bastard,” Isaak hissed, his eyes suddenly sparking fire. “He knew. He fucking knew I was coming for Ayla. She might not have my blood, but I loved her as my own.”

  “He made us believe that Ayla died. It was the only way to keep Isaak away. All these years we thought she was dead.” Lyov finally spoke again when it became clear that Isaak couldn’t say anything else.

  There was only silence for a few seconds, until Isaak exploded. He reached forward and grabbed me, almost frantic in his actions.

  “You have to find her. Please, Alessio. She won’t survive there. Not again. We have to save her. We have to find her. She…she…you…” Isaak begged me, his breathing panicked.

  My chest went tight, so tight that it was almost impossible to breathe. And the anger, it clawed at my body, laughing, taunting, shaking me, begging for release.

  My fists shook as Isaak stepped away when I didn’t answer him.

  It was vicious cycle. Pain, suffering, and anger. It clouded us until we were blinded with it. But through it all, there was only one light.

  Ayla.

  Standing up, I walked to the large panel window. Lyov stood beside me, where he had been throughout the whole confrontation.

  And then Viktor was beside me. Isaak on Lyov’s side. Nikolay next to Viktor. Phoenix beside Nikolay and Artur right next to Phoenix.

  A brotherhood.

  Taking in a deep breath, I let it out slowly. When I spoke, my words rang with finality.

  “I’m going to bring Ayla home.”

  Alberto didn’t know what was coming for him. He may have taken my Angel away, but I was coming for her.

  I may have been a monster. A killer. Heartless. Ruthless. But what was worse for Alberto was that I was Ayla’s monster.

  I wouldn’t stop until I had delivered all their corpses at Ayla’s feet. My blood roared with the need to seek vengeance against the men who caused Ayla pain.

  I would burn everything in my path to find her. It was the beginning of destruction. A bloodbath.

  And I wasn’t going to stop looking. Not until I found my Angel.

  Chapter 33
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  My knuckles cracked when my fist made contact with his face. The sound was deafening in the silent room. I didn’t feel anything, and the poor bastard at the receiving end of my furious fist was whimpering in pain.

  When I pulled away and sat down on the chair, he looked at me through swollen eyes. His cracked lips were bleeding profusely, and his cheeks were red and oozing with blood from several cuts. They weren’t deep, but they were enough to cause him blinding pain.

  His mouth opened, but the sounds that came through his lips was almost too soft to hear. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it. I don’t know where he is.”

  It had been two hours since he was tied to the chair. One of Alberto’s men. But he knew nothing of Alberto’s whereabouts.

  It had been one week since Ayla was taken away. It didn’t matter that I had already killed eight of Alberto’s men. Tortured them until they begged for death. No one knew where he was.

  Reaching forward, I grabbed the index finger of his right hand. I looked into his eyes as I bent the finger backward. His body shook as he tried to escape my cruel ministration. But he had nowhere to go.

  He was at my mercy.

  I heard a pop sound; his finger cracked, his bone crushing. I let the broken finger go as he wailed. His screams still resonated around the room when I grabbed two more fingers, bending them into an impossible angle until I heard another crack. Or several cracks, I should say.

  This time, the bones broke through the skin. They stuck out, taunting him.

  “Where is he?” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t…don’t…kn…ow…” he sobbed, looking at his mutilated fingers.

  Viktor wrapped his hand around the man’s hair and pulled his head backward, his neck pushing painfully against the back of the chair. A wet cloth slapped against his face before he could protest.

  Viktor held the cloth, heavy and wet with freezing water, over the fucker’s face. He spluttered and fought against the invasion as Viktor pressed harder, stopping his circulation.

  Then the cloth was gone. He panted for air but could barely breathe through his swollen nose.