by Lylah James
“He did look very remorseful.”
Laughing, Maddie shook her head. “Then, there you go. You have your answer.”
My heart did a flip and I felt my lips twitching into a small smile. With Maddie’s reassurance, I felt light and my shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you,” I whispered, turning my palm over to hold her hand.
“It’s okay. By the way, Mom is very worried about you. Alessio told her that you won’t be working today. She sent me to check up on you,” Maddie explained.
Pushing the comforter away, I struggled out of bed and stood up. “I want to see her.”
I couldn’t bear the thought of Lena being worried about me.
In a short time, she had become a second mother to me. I never had anyone hold me when I cried. Most importantly, no one had ever been worried about me.
But Lena had been, and all I wanted to do was hug her. I needed her comforting touch and soft smiles. I felt like a child desperate for her mother.
“Okay,” Maddie said, her voice snapping back into the present. I looked back to see her standing up and fixing her black dress.
“I’ll see you downstairs.” She gave me a quick hug and then walked out of my bedroom, closing the door behind her.
I changed into my black dress. After brushing my teeth, and fixing my hair in a tight ponytail, I went downstairs. As soon as I walked into the kitchen, Lena gasped.
“Oh, my Lord. My sweet child. I was so worried!” She crushed my body to hers, holding me tight.
“Lena, I can’t breathe,” I managed to say. She instantly loosened her hold and took a step back.
“Let me look at you.” Before I could say anything, Lena grasped my face in her hands and turned it left and then right, checking for bruises. When she didn’t find any, she took a step back and inspected me from head to toe.
“Lena, I’m okay,” I mumbled, the lump in my throat growing tighter. I thought my words would calm her, but when she saw my bandaged wrists, her eyes grew stormy.
“Stubborn man,” she hissed. “I told him you were innocent. Took him long enough to realize his mistake.” Her lips pulled down in a sad frown.
Taking a step closer, I wrapped her in my arms and gave her a hug. I took in a deep breath, her jasmine perfume filling my nose and instantly soothing me.
“As long as he believes that I’m not a traitor, then I don’t have any problem,” I said. Lena was silent, so I added with a reassuring tone, “I’m okay. Really.” After a few seconds, she finally nodded and turned around.
“Sit down. Maddie and I are almost done with lunch,” she said, pointing at the stools by the bar. As I settled myself in a stool, Maddie brought me a plate of toast, eggs, and potatoes.
“Thank you,” I said, then ate in silence as I watched Maddie and Lena working in the kitchen.
I was slowly sipping my juice when Maddie spoke, and her words made my breath catch in my throat.
“Mom, why do the Ivanshovs and Abandonatos hate each other so much? I mean, I know it runs deeper than just two mob groups fighting. But I never asked why.”
I almost choked on my juice.
Coughing, I placed the glass on the counter and brought a shaky hand to my mouth. Maddie and Lena turned toward me, looking concerned. I just brushed them off with a flick on my wrist, letting them know I was okay.
Actually, I wasn’t okay. I could barely breathe.
“Oh dear, it’s a long story,” Lena said, sighing.
Straightening my shoulders, I instantly perked up. I knew our families hated each other with a fierce passion, but I didn’t know why. A few times, I had heard Alberto talking about the Ivanshovs and how they would wipe out the Abandonato if they ever had a chance.
Clearing my throat, I said, “I was wondering about that too.” When Lena gave me a strange look, I quickly made an excuse. “I mean, when Alessio thought that I was a spy for the Abandonatos, he was really furious. So, I was wondering why.”
“He does truly hate them.” Wiping her hand on her apron, she walked toward the bar and sat down on a stool. Maddie and I sat on either side of her.
“Maddie, you were still a baby. So, you won’t remember anything. There was a big fight between the two families. I mean, they were always enemies, but after that night…” Lena paused and shook her head sadly. “Alfredo invaded the estate. Lyov, Alessio’s father, wasn’t home.” A tear escaped Lena’s eye. “It was a whole bloody mess. So many men died that night. And poor Maria, Alessio’s mother. She was killed. Alfredo killed her and then left a note on her body. It said, ‘Let that be a lesson for you.’ She was pregnant.” Lena broke off and started crying, her sobs filling the room.
My eyes widened and it felt like my heart would burst any moment. My stomach twisted so painfully that I thought I would puke. My body tingled. I felt as if I was being stuffed into a small box. Numbness swam through me.
Everything muted around me and the only words that kept ringing through my ears were, Alfredo killed Alessio’s mother. My father had killed Alessio’s pregnant mother.
It felt as if I had sunk deep underwater, and I suffocated as I tried desperately to take air into my lungs, but they burned with the pressure.
Placing my trembling hands over my thighs, I squeezed them hard, forcing myself to stay still and listen to the rest.
“She was five months pregnant. Lyov and Maria were so happy. They were having a girl. But everything ended that night. And poor Alessio,” Lena continued with a hoarse voice, her words breaking my heart. “Alessio saw everything. He was hiding under the bed. Poor boy, he was only seven and saw his mother being murdered before his eyes. Nothing was the same afterwards. Darkness filled the house. Maria, our light, she was gone. She was our queen. It broke everyone’s hearts. Eventually we all learned how to move on again. But Lyov and Alessio were never the same again.”
My cheeks were wet with my silent tears. My heart constricted in pain and my chest swelled with the grief that consumed me.
How could my father be so heartless?
My mind fogged up and I felt my lips quivering as I tried not to cry out loud. It was too much. Too much pain filled my chest.
I was truly the enemy.
I will never survive if they find out the truth.
“Alessio didn’t talk for three years,” Lena said. “Didn’t show any emotions, and Lyov, he totally shut down. When Alessio finally spoke again, his first words were, ‘I will avenge my mother.’ Since then, that has been his goal. He vowed to kill every Abandonato. To make them all pay.” She choked through the tears and buried her face in her hands, her chest heaving almost painfully with the force of her cries. “Maddie, your father died then, too. He died while trying to protect Maria. I didn’t just lose my best friend, I also lost my husband that day.”
The kitchen was silent for a few minutes, only our sniffles and cries filling the room. I closed my eyes and brought a hand to my mouth as I wept, my body trembling. Goosebumps rose on my skin and my breath hitched.
“I hope Alessio makes them all pay,” Lena said, bringing her head up as she wiped at her tears. “They all deserve to die, every last one of them.”
Her words were a slap to my face, and I froze for a moment, holding my breath. I let it out in a whoosh and stood from the stool. I brought my hand to my stomach, rubbing it gently, trying to get rid of the sick feeling. Lena and Maddie watched me, probably thinking I was crazy.
I felt crazy, and I’d begun to lose my mind.
Breathe, Ayla, breathe.
My chest felt tight, painfully tight. Clenching my fists tight, I gasped for air as I entered a full-blown panic attack.
My eyes were wide in terror as I stumbled back a few steps.
“Ayla?” Lena asked, her voice filled with concern as she stood up. My body felt cold.
Outside. Air. Breathe. Now.
I pressed my hand hard against my burning chest and quickly swiveled around, running out of the kitchen. But before I could make my escape, I hit a ro
ck hard chest.
Bouncing back, I stumbled as a strong hand grasped my arm, pulling me straight up again. My vision blurred with dizziness and I felt my head rolling back slightly.
My head snapped up, and I met cold bluish-steel eyes. Only one person had these beautiful captivating eyes. Alessio.
As I stared into his eyes, Lena’s words rang in my ears, causing me to whimper in fear and pain.
He vowed to kill every Abandonato.
And I was an Abandonato.
Chapter 15
Alessio
Viktor walked beside me as we headed for my office.
“Are we still on for the clubs’ check-up tonight?” he asked.
I half-grunted in reply, nodding my head.
When we arrived, Artur, Phoenix, and Nikolay were already waiting. They stood up at the sight of me and nodded in greeting. They waited for me to sit down first and then took their respective seats.
“Alberto sent us another warning,” I announced. “He’s going after another club, and he doesn’t care who he kills along the way. He wants the whorehouse as his. I want at least a dozen men there, protecting the place.”
They said nothing, focused on me as I spoke, my voice ringing with authority.
Nikolay nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
“The fucking Italians are not backing down. I think we have stayed silent for too long,” Phoenix added through gritted teeth, his eyes crackling with anger.
I sat back in my chair and crossed my right ankle over my left knee. Leveling Phoenix with a glare, I spoke smoothly. My voice was slow and quiet, edged with threat. “The Italians can try as much as they want, but they aren’t going to bring my empire down.” I let out a harsh laugh. “They have been trying for years with no success.”
Phoenix sighed and leaned back, raising his hands to his head in a gesture of surrender.
I shook my head. Funny prick, he was. All of us were silent for a moment.
“What’s happening with the prostitution rings?” I asked Artur. Alberto had been running such establishments, which were different from mine in that he had a heartless approach to his commodities. “I will not have women being abused in those brothels,” I added. “They are there because they have chosen to make a living that way, but I will not stand aside and watch them being abused.”
“There’s no way we can control that,” Artur said. “We don’t even own the brothels.”
“Do I look like I give a fuck if I own them or not? I don’t care how you do it, but it needs to be stopped. Understood?”
He immediately backed down. “Okay. I’ll take care of it.”
“Anything else?” I asked.
“We’re good, Alessio,” Viktor said. “We need to get this shit moving. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on everyone and make sure nothing gets out of control. I’ve got your back.”
Viktor was a man of few words, but his silence was not a weakness. When he said he had my back, I knew I could trust him.
If anyone could be more ruthless than me, it was Viktor. All my men were vicious—the five of us against the rest of the world.
“We’re done then,” I said, pushing my chair away and standing up. I fixed my suit and moved toward the doors, but Artur’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Boss, there’s something I don’t understand. Why did you let Ayla go? We have no proof she isn’t the spy.”
“Shut up, Artur,” Nikolay warned, but it was too late. I swiveled around and lunged for Artur, clutching at his throat and pushing him hard against the wall.
“You fucking dare question my decision?” I roared, squeezing on his windpipe until his face began to turn purple. His eyes rolled back in his head but I didn’t let go. Viktor pulled me off before I could kill him.
However, that hadn’t been my intention. Not yet. I wanted to warn him—for now.
Phoenix helped Artur stand, and the poor bastard was struggling to breathe, his gasps filling the room.
“S…S…Sorry…” Artur said, his hand clutching his throat.
“Ayla is no longer a suspect,” I said, my fists tightening. Actually, she still was, but they didn’t need to know that.
Torturing her wasn’t the best way to get the truth out. There were other ways to find the truth, but I would explore that alone.
I gave them a final glare and left my office, shutting the door loudly.
I tried to calm my breathing. Artur had gotten me riled up, but his question wasn’t the only source of my anger.
I was trying not to think about Ayla. But then he went and said her name. Fuck. I was losing it again. A fucking woman was making me lose my shit.
What was it about her?
When I let her go the night before, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Black shiny hair. Green eyes glistening with tears as she screamed her innocence. Oh, how badly I wanted to believe her.
She had me tied in knots and I fucking hated it.
My mind went back to the scene in her bedroom. She had been shocked at my change of character. Hell, I was shocked too.
Her vulnerability called to me, and surprisingly I had a desire to protect her. When I saw her in pain, my chest ached.
Lost in thought, I walked past the kitchen, but Lena’s voice snapped me back the present and I stopped.
“I hope he makes them all pay. They deserve to die, every last one of them.”
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I stepped closer, standing right outside the entrance of the kitchen. Ayla was there, sitting beside Lena at the bar.
I was about to take a step forward but stopped when she quickly jumped off the stool. Her tiny body shook violently and her face was red and puffy from crying.
She swiveled around and tried to run out of the kitchen, but I was in the way. She hit my chest and bounced back, then stumbled over her feet and I quickly reached out to catch her.
She was gasping for breath, her chest heaving.
Ayla trembled in my arms and brought her head up, her eyes meeting mine. Her breath hitched in surprise. She went still in my arms, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she held her breath.
As I stared into her eyes, I could tell she was petrified. My hands tightened on her arms and she gasped, cowering in fear.
“I…” She sucked in a deep breath, but started coughing. Her hands went up to her neck and she rubbed furiously. “I…I can’t…breathe…” She was having a panic attack, and struggled out of my arms. I let her go. She stumbled back and then ran past me.
I glanced in the kitchen, where Lena and Maddie were giving me worried looks. I didn’t wait for an explanation. Turning around, I ran after the frightened kitten, and saw her running for the back door, which led to the garden. She rushed outside. I slowed to a walk and followed her.
Squinting at the bright sunlight, I found Ayla sitting on the top of the hill, huddling under a tree.
I gave her a few minutes by herself and then made my way toward her. She hugged her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped around them tightly, her face buried between them.
When I got closer, she tensed. Rolling my eyes with a sigh, I sat down on the grass beside her shaking body. She was slowly coming down from her attack.
I didn’t know why I followed her, and I sure as hell didn’t know why I sat down beside her. For some strange reasons, my heart ached at her pain. I wanted to offer comfort.
I rubbed my face tiredly. This girl. I closed my eyes tightly and pinched the tip of my nose in frustration. She was messing with my head.
I heard her sobbing quietly, but eventually she quieted down. “Why did you follow me?” she asked, her voice scratchy.
“You’re crying.” My voice came out hard, so I quickly cleared my throat and attempted to soften my tone. “Why are you crying?” I tried to sound gentle, but I sounded demanding instead.
Way to go, Alessio. Great way to get her to open up.
“That wasn’t an answer,” she replied, her voice barely audible. I was sure she didn’t
mean for me to hear it, but I did.
I bristled slightly at her tone but took a deep breath, not wanting to sound harsh. This wasn’t the time to scare her.
“Well, that’s the only answer you’re getting,” I said, turning to my side to face her. I didn’t have any other answer for her.
Ayla lifted her head slightly and placed her chin on her arms, looking me straight in the eyes. “Lena told me about your mother.”
I was taken aback—shocked. Ayla noticed, and bit on her lip nervously.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, tears forming in her eyes again.
Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I shrugged. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not your fault.”
“I know. But I’m sorry for your loss.” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
I followed the single drop as it trailed down her rosy cheek. I felt my heart stutter at her admission. She was sorry for me. She was crying for my loss.
I stared at her, filled with confusion. Who was this girl? And what was she doing to me?
“Okay,” I replied, my voice gruff. I couldn’t say anything else because I didn’t know what to say.
Ayla being nice to me was a big surprise. I never expected it. She always appeared scared of me, but now she was giving me her condolences for my mother’s death.
She closed her eyes and sighed loudly, as if a big burden had been taken off her shoulders. I saw her trembling and she huddled tighter into herself.
Without thinking, I shrugged off my suit jacket and leaned forward, gently placing it around her.
She instantly stilled.
“It’s a little cold today,” I said, then shifted away from her.
Why the fuck was I explaining myself to her?
My body rigid, I stood up and brushed the grass from my clothes. I avoided looking at her. I felt annoyed at myself and the way I reacted to her.
Focus, Alessio. Focus on your task. Don’t lose yourself in her beautiful eyes and gentle soul.
My hands tightened into fists, and without sparing her another glance, I turned around and walked back to the house.