by Lylah James
Slowly, I sank down to my bottom and pulled my knees to my chest, folding my arms over them in a protective manner. Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath.
No matter how hard I tried to avoid him, he would always find me. I couldn’t deny him and I couldn’t stop him. If he kept playing me like he was, I would slowly lose myself until I had nothing left. Opening my eyes, I shook my head.
No. I couldn’t let this happen.
I stood up and quickly put on a black shirt and the blue jeans that Lena had bought for me. Looking around my room, I felt a pang of sadness. I thought about Lena and felt hot tears prick my eyes. I would miss her. She was the little light in my dark world. And Maddie. But I had no other choice. It was time to move on. I couldn’t stay in the estate any longer. I wasn’t as safe as I had thought.
Alessio was the new danger. His touch, his voice, his controlling stare.
Before he could break whatever was left inside of me, I had to save myself.
***
Alessio
“What?” I growled at Nikolay’s statement.
Viktor nodded and took a step forward. “It makes sense. Ayla is an outsider. Don’t you think it’s a big coincidence that as soon as she settled in, the Italians started to get information about us?”
Viktor seemed a little conflicted and then shook his head, his expression turning hard again. “We can’t find anything about her. We have no idea who she is.”
For a second, I wanted to scream in denial. I didn’t want to believe that Ayla could be a spy, but when Viktor’s words started to penetrate my mind, it made sense.
He was right. We knew nothing about Ayla, and it was too much of a coincidence that she found me and decided to hide in my car. And then a few days later, the fucking Italians were getting information about my plans.
“Fuck!” I screamed as I punched the desk. Raking my aching hand through my hair, I gripped it tightly as rage pulsed through my body. “That bitch!”
Phoenix cleared his throat and I saw him shrug. “It’s hard to believe. I mean she looks so innocent, but sometimes the most innocent can be vicious. It’s usually the shy one who is the viper.”
“They just hide it well,” Nikolay added. All four of my men looked forlorn, as if they couldn’t believe Ayla could be the spy.
I turned around, giving them my back. Staring outside through my large windows, I let my thoughts wander. I didn’t want to believe it either, but if she was a possible suspect, I couldn’t overlook it.
As silence fell upon the room, my anger started to diminish, but my tense muscles refused to relax. The little kitten had successfully wrapped me around her finger. I thought I was the master, but clearly she had been playing me.
Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I blew out a frustrated breath and took it out.
“What the fuck do you want?” I snapped into the phone.
“Boss, Ayla is escaping through her window.”
My eyes widened and the anger was back, full force.
“Get on her,” I ordered harshly before hanging up and facing my men. “Ayla is escaping,” I told them through gritted teeth. They swore simultaneously. “I want you to go after her,” I told Viktor.
“I’ll come with you,” Nikolay suggested. I gave him a nod and they started to back out. But before they could close the door, I added, “Get her to the basement.” My voice was brittle and full of venom.
I saw Viktor sigh, and for a second, his eyes flashed with pity, but it dissipated quickly. I looked at Phoenix and Artur, my gaze unyielding as I ordered them out of the room.
“Get out. Call me when you have her in the basement.” They nodded, their faces impassive as they walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Placing my hands on the desk, I leaned forward and glared at the door. My knuckles were white with the pressure and my veins throbbed in my throat.
My jaw tensed, my teeth grinding in an attempt to control my fury. I wanted to strike something. Someone.
The beast inside of me was raging, demanding that I kill. Spill the blood of whoever betrayed me. Only then would I feel at peace.
I felt my eyes turned into slits as I continued to stare at the door. Slowly rolling my neck, I tried to release the tension.
Kitten, you might think you have fooled me, but this is my game now. One way or another, doesn’t matter how, I will get the truth out of you.
I hoped that for her sake she hadn’t truly betrayed me.
Because if she had, there would be no mercy.
Chapter 11
Ayla
My heart thrummed hard like the wings of a bird. I climbed out the window, and when I reached the ground, my legs felt weak. I stumbled for a moment. Looking around me, I didn’t see anyone.
Relief filled me and I took off running toward the woods behind the house. It was a long way, and the muscles in my legs burned as I ran full force.
C’mon, Ayla. C’mon. Don’t give up. Not now.
Suddenly, I heard shouts behind me and my heart stuttered. Turning my head, I saw a few guards running after me. I looked back toward the woods and kept my eyes focused on my escape.
I was almost into the woods when the steps drew closer, and all of a sudden, someone grabbed my arm. I screamed and tried to escape, but I was dragged down and someone sat on my back. My arms were pulled back and my attacker held on forcefully.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. It was no use. No matter how hard I fought, they wouldn’t let me go. He pulled me upward and I stood on shaky legs. Closing my eyes tightly, I sobbed and begged.
“Please. Please let me go. Please.”
My chin was grasped firmly by a rough hand, the fingernails biting into my skin. Whimpering, I tried to move away, but he held on hard.
“If you come with us quietly, we won’t have to hurt you. And I sure as hell don’t want to hurt you, Ayla.”
I let out a cry. I knew that voice. Opening my eyes, I saw Viktor’s angry expression.
I made a weak attempt at struggling. “Stop moving,” another voice growled in my ears. Nikolay. He was the one holding me.
“Do you understand, Ayla?” Viktor demanded. He always looked so scary, and a dangerous aura surrounded him, just like Alessio and Nikolay.
As he stared at me, I cowered back in fear. He looked murderous, and his voice was filled with fury. “Please,” I whispered.
“Ayla, do you understand?” Viktor snarled. Nodding, I let myself go limp in Nikolay’s arms.
“Good,” he said through gritted teeth as he let go of my chin. My skin was burning and itching where he had touched me. Moving my jaw around a little, I winced at the pain.
Taking a few steps backward, he nodded at Nikolay and started walking back to the mansion. He led the way as Nikolay pulled me forward. My feet were dragging behind and I resisted.
“Fuck, girl. You really don’t understand.”
He let go of me, but before I could run away, Nikolay wrapped his arm around my waist. Sending me a fierce glare, his hold was unyielding as he pulled me over his shoulder.
I tried to kick, punch, slap, scratch, and scream, but nothing worked. Nikolay kept walking, his body hard as a rock.
When we got inside, instead of taking me up, they turned to the left and walked down a dark corridor. The air was cold and it was dark. I instantly froze on his shoulder.
A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach, and a cold wave overtook me as the hairs rose on the back of my neck and my mouth went dry. I was paralyzed over Nikolay’s shoulder. A menacing aura gripped me.
We stopped for a moment, and then I heard a door squeak open and I shuddered at the sound. There was the rattling of a metal, it sounded like a heavy chain.
A shiver ran through me as I felt my blood run cold. My hands balled into tight fists and I closed my eyes in terror.
The door banged shut and I saw light underneath my closed eyelids. Slowly opening my eyes again, the first thing I saw w
as shiny white marble floor. I was placed on my feet.
My head spun at the sudden movement and I stumbled, but Nikolay caught me. Looking up into his dark eyes, I silently begged. Please let me go.
But he stared back, expressionless, his eyes cold.
I felt a hand grasp my arm, and then I was being pulled back. I opened my mouth to scream but found that no words came out. My throat closed up and I couldn’t breathe. Panic filled me and I went numb.
Viktor pulled me to a chair and pushed me down so that I was sitting. He twisted my arms back. Nikolay walked past me until I couldn’t see him.
A few minutes later, I felt something around my wrists, and realized that I was being tied down.
“No!” My screams echoed around the room. I tried to move, but the rope held me immobile. As I struggled, the roughness bit into my skin and scratched until my skin felt raw and hot.
“You are only hurting yourself. If you keep moving, your wrists are going to bleed from the rope,” Viktor said behind me. “I suggest that you stop moving.”
“Please…”
There were noises behind the door. A moment later, it opened with such force it banged against the wall. Flinching at the sound, I pushed back against the chair, my body trembling with panic.
My body froze in terror. Alessio walked into the room with two other men.
One of them closed the door as Alessio walked toward me.
He wore the same suit as the last time I saw him, but this time his hands were covered with black leather gloves. Slowly bringing my eyes up to his face, I let out a gasp when I met his fierce glare. His eyes glowed with such ferocity that it took my breath away.
His dark presence loomed over me, dread filling me as my spine prickled with unease. The tiny hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up straight and my skin itched.
Alessio bent down at his waist so that we were eye level. I whimpered as I stared into his cold eyes.
I had seen him angry before, but this time, he looked deadly. His blue eyes crackled with fury, his face red, and his jaw twitched.
The Alessio standing before me was ruthless, and I could see the killer he truly was—the monster I had always heard about.
And there I was, trapped in the lair of the monster everyone feared.
My heart hammered so hard that I could feel it in my throat. My nails dug into my palms and the slight pain brought me comfort.
Pain meant I was still alive, still breathing.
But for how long?
Chapter 12
Alessio
“Boss, we got her in her basement,” Phoenix said breathlessly through the phone. I felt the side of my lips tilt upward at the news.
Let’s see if you can run away from the truth now, kitten.
“I’m coming,” I snapped and then hung up. Throwing on my suit jacket, I fixed my tie and then opened my drawer to take out my black leather gloves.
I always wore them when we had a problem in the basement, just in case I had to get my hands dirty.
Closing the drawer with a bang, I swiftly walked out of my office. Each step I took, I let the anger inside of me build again. It consumed me, and all I saw was red for my betrayer.
My blood roared in my temples and I could feel the veins throbbing. I grasped on the fierce rage inside me and pulled, hard.
My body tensed, my muscles locking as I stomped through the dark corridor. The cold air crackled with my hot fury, and only my footsteps sounded off the walls as the frigid atmosphere became deadly. It sang to me and my body fed on the scent of death.
I wanted to squeeze the life out of someone. I wanted to see the life leaving my traitor’s eyes until there was nothing left, just another corpse.
The monster inside of me was raging, begging to be unleashed. I had kept him in for too long and it was time to let him free. And so I did.
As I drew closer to the door, I saw Phoenix and Artur. I pushed the black wooden door open with such force that it banged hard against the wall.
Inside, Ayla had been strapped to the wooden chair. She was folded into herself, sobbing and begging to be released. Her eyes widened at the sight of me and she cowered, terrified.
My monster laughed and fed on it. He wanted more.
Keeping my eyes fixed on the frightened kitten, I walked straight up to her, stopping only an inch from her chair. I bent down until we were eye level and she whimpered. Perfect. Just the way I wanted her.
She flinched and pushed back, trying to escape from my cold, angry stare.
She stared at me for a few seconds, her mouth gaping as silent tears streamed down her round, rosy cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and at the sight of her vulnerable face, my heart constricted. Just a little, but it was enough to weaken my resolve.
The monster roared, furious at my show of weakness. He clawed inside me and a blinding rage encompassed me again.
There was no room for weakness in my life. My heart was cold and lifeless, and it had no right to feel. I did not want to feel anything but anger.
I grabbed her chin in my hand, my fingers digging hard into her cheeks. She moaned in pain and thrashed against my hold.
“Please,” she mumbled, her face turning red.
“Why the fuck are you spying for the Italian?” I growled, my voice hard.
She stopped struggling for a moment, seeming surprised, a reaction I hadn’t expected. After a few seconds of silence, she shook her head and then started crying again, whispering no over and over.
“Please no. No. I’m not spying. Please. No. No,” she said in a rush, shaking her head left and right, her hair covering her sweaty face in the process.
I expected that answer. Who would be stupid enough to accept their betrayal? They would lie until there was nothing left to lie for. Only when they saw their life flashing before their eyes, just before their last breath left their body, only then would they tell the truth.
Letting go of her cheek, I moved my hand downward, prolonging the suspense before grabbing her neck firmly in my hand and squeezing. She choked, sputtered, and flailed, but she couldn’t escape my unyielding grip.
Her cheeks puffed and she emitted a gurgling sound. When I saw her starting to lose consciousness, I let go of her neck. Her head rolled back and she panted. Ayla tried to take a deep breath, but she struggled with it.
Gasping and moaning in pain, she begged again. “Plea…pleas…please. Believe me…” She coughed violently, her chest heaving, drool running down her chin. She shook with wild tremors.
“I’m…te…tell…telling…the…tr…truth.” Ayla sobbed. “I…did…I didn’t do…any…didn’t do…anything.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.” My voice boomed in the sterile, frigid room.
Shaking her head again, Ayla looked me straight in the eyes. “Please, Alessio. I didn’t do it. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She coughed again, then took a deep breath in, wincing in pain. “Believe me, please. Please, Alessio. I didn’t spy on you. Alessio, please believe me.” She kept repeating it over and over again, every word growing fainter as she began to lose her resolve.
Her body fell limp against the chair, and she could barely keep her eyes open.
Growling, I raked a hand through my hair. What if she is innocent? Could it be?
Is it worth torturing someone who could be innocent? The nagging voice in my head persisted.
My monster argued. He roared. He wanted death. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She could be the traitor. Don’t let her go.
Confused, I turned my back to Ayla. I couldn’t look at her anymore. Her tears. Her pain. Her vulnerability. The begging. Her voice as she said my name. She made me weak.
It made my heart do a strange thing. It made me…feel.
A sudden pain went through my chest and I hated it.
What’s happening to me?
For the first time in my life, I fought against my monster. He wanted to be free, but I pulled him back inside.
He fought and roared, but I continued fighting.
Why was I fighting for her?
Looking up, I saw Artur and Phoenix looking at me strangely, their eyes questioning. I glared and bared my teeth at them angrily. Both of them quickly averted their gazes, their faces becoming a mask of impassiveness.
Standing up straighter, I didn’t turn around, refusing to look at Ayla. I took a deep breath and walked toward the door. Artur and Phoenix followed me outside and the door closed behind us.
“Keep her here and keep questioning her. She will eventually break down.”
“Yes, Boss,” Phoenix said.
I took a step forward, but then stopped. Turning around, I faced my men and growled in a deadly tone. “No one lays a hand on her.”
If anyone dared to go against my order, then they would die. Both Phoenix and Artur seemed surprised, but then nodded.
My order took me by surprise too. I didn’t know where it came from, but all I knew was that I didn’t want anyone touching my kitten. That admission shocked me too.
Without sparing them another glance, I walked away, my stomach in knots. I still felt angry at myself for the weakness I had shown.
And then I was angry at Ayla.
I didn’t have my answers yet. I wanted to believe her, but could I really? My empire was at stake and she was a possible suspect. It didn’t matter what I felt for her, or why her pain was my pain. I still had to get answers, and it didn’t matter whether I played fair or not.
Slowly, I felt my aching heart return to its unfeeling state. In my bedroom, I took a deep breath and stared at the wall, letting the coldness seep back into my body.
She wouldn’t make me weak. I wouldn’t let her.
***
Ayla
I didn’t know how long they kept me there, and I wasn’t sure whether it was day or night. All I knew was that I wanted the pain to end. I couldn’t take it anymore. My head pounded and my body felt weak.