The Mafia And His Angel Part 2 (Tainted Hearts)

by Lylah James

  He threw me on it, and I bounced on the mattress. Opening my eyes, I gaped in shock when Alessio climbed on top of me. With his knees on either side of my hips, he held me immobile.

  My heart stuttered to a stop for a second before thumping faster again.

  “Alessio—listen—”

  “Shut up.”

  His lips found mine, successfully shutting me up. He took my lips possessively and kissed me breathlessly.

  Oh yeah, he definitely shut me up. He knew exactly how to shut me up.

  As he pulled away, I tried to move my hands and realized they were trapped. While kissing me, Alessio had brought my arms up above my head, and now he was holding me captive.

  I was completely immobile and at Alessio’s mercy under his body.

  His lips were only inches apart from mine when he spoke the next time.

  “This time I’ll be doing the talking and you will listen. Not a word, kitten. Not until I’m done talking.”

  Chapter 16

  Alessio had left me breathless and completely in a daze with his kiss, and now his words made my heart jump. My body melted under his, and I stared up into his furious yet painful eyes. I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. Not of Alessio.

  He might have been angry with me, but he was still gentle. Even as he gazed down furiously, his fingers were gently and softly caressing my cheek. Alessio was doing it almost unknowingly, as if he needed to touch me, feel me.

  We stared at each other for a few seconds, Alessio looking suddenly lost for words. Slowly the rage in his eyes disappeared until they were soft with unspoken emotions. Still holding my hands captive above my head and my body under his, he slowly bent down until our foreheads were softly touching.

  “I’m going to tell you a story,” he said.

  Confused, I only blinked up at him. A story? Is that why he dragged me here…for a story?

  “Alessio—” I started, struggling under him, twisting my body with hopes that he would let me go.

  But he didn’t. Instead, his hold on me tightened, and the glare was back.

  “Stop moving and listen. Not a word, Ayla.”

  With a sigh, I laid limply and waited for him to start his story. In fact, I was curious what he had to say. So I was going to listen to his story.

  And then I would let him know I forgave him.

  Alessio lost his glare again, and his lips touched the tip of my nose in a small feather light kiss. “There was once a woman with blue eyes and beautiful long black hair. She was so beautiful and the kindest person ever. Her smiles and laughter were infectious. A man saw her, and she saw him. It was love at first sight, they said. They fell irrevocably in love with each other.”

  A love story? More confused than ever, I listened silently, my heart accelerating just a little bit.

  “They had a boy.” Alessio paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “He was her sweet gentle boy.” His voice cracked at the last words, his fingers tightening around my wrists. “They were a happy family.”

  My body prickled with nervousness. I had a feeling that this wouldn’t end happily.

  “The man would always call his wife Angel. The little boy was curious to why. So they told him what Angels were and why she was an Angel.”

  Angel.

  Sleep, Angel. I will watch over you.

  A sudden memory flashed in my head. It was blurry, the voice barely a whisper in my head, but I heard it. Alessio’s voice, whispering to my ears once.

  Sleep, Angel. I will watch over you.

  I didn’t even have a chance to react because Alessio continued speaking. “The father replied that an Angel is someone who is sweet, kind, caring, calm, and mellow. The most beautiful woman on the planet. Someone who is amazing in every way. An Angel is the girl who makes your heart beat faster when she walks into the room. The girl you will need wherever you go. The girl who makes you want to be better. Angel is someone who is your rock. The person who you love with your entire heart. The person you can’t see yourself living without.”

  His answer was almost monotone, like he practiced it. Like this had been running in his head for a long time and he knew it by heart.

  And I had a feeling that this story, the definition of Angel, Alessio did know it by heart.

  The way his voice had cracked slightly over the words and the way his muscles were locked tight with tension, I knew this story wasn’t just any story.

  “They also said that if you find your angel, don’t ever let her go. Because you would forever be incomplete without her.” His voice had softened a little, just above a whisper now. His fingers on my wrist were not tight anymore, so I twisted my hands a little, to see his reaction.

  Instead of struggling to get free from his grasp, my hands went to his shoulders. My fingers tightened around them as I held him. When Alessio shuddered with relief, I didn’t regret holding onto him.

  My body was calling to his; the need to hold and be held was a need impossible to refuse. So I didn’t fight. I gave in and held onto this broken man as he continued to tell me his story.

  “The little boy was happy with the explanation, and he couldn’t wait to meet his Angel one day, although he was hell bent on believing that his mother was his Angel.” A small smile played on his lips when he said that last few words.

  When he lost the smile and his face twisted with a wave of pain, my heart slammed to a stop before restarting with a painfully racing beat. My hold tightened on Alessio, my fingers softly caressing his shoulders. I wanted to offer him any type of comfort.

  “But then the mother died. A slow, painful death. A cruel death that left everyone heartbroken, especially the little boy.”

  I sucked in a harsh breath, and I knew…I just knew…this wasn’t a story. It was reality.

  “All he felt was darkness and pain. He was blinded by it, but over the years, he learned to be numb. Not to feel. He became darkness. He became a monster.” Alessio paused and then gave me a small sad smile.

  “Cold. Ruthless. Heartless. Arrogant. Killer. Unlovable. These are all the words that little boy goes by now. He’s respected and feared by all. He can’t love or be loved.”

  I flinched, my eyes squeezing shut for a second with sorrow. Those words were the same words I had hurled at Alessio in my attempt to hurt him.

  “The boy long ago lost hope to find to his Angel. He thought it was a stupid idea. He refused to believe in Angels, for he believed that a monster can never have an Angel. And he was a monster.” His voice was low and gruff, almost pained.

  Never once did he stop touching me while talking. And I never let go of him.

  “Alessio, no.” I shook my head, trying to stop his agonizing story.

  But it was impossible to stop him once he had started. He softly continued to caress my cheeks.

  “But then everything changed when he found a broken girl hiding under his bed. She was dirty and so damn scared of him. But he was instantly taken by her. There was something about her that called to him and made him…feel. He hated it. He loathed the idea of feeling. He pushed until he couldn’t push anymore. He couldn’t deny the truth anymore.”

  While speaking, he placed another kiss on the tip of my nose and then continued with his tale, this time taking away my breath yet again. Tears sprung in my eyes, and one single drop slid down the corner and disappeared into my hair, leaving a wet trail.

  “She was the sweetest, the kindest, and so gentle. So beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was the true definition of beauty—inside and out. She was love, while he was hatred. She was kind while he was unlovable. She was sweet and gentle while he killed in cold blood and felt no remorse. She was light while he was darkness. He realized that he’d found his Angel. He couldn’t deny it any longer. Because he needed her. He couldn’t live without her. He didn’t want to imagine a world where she wasn’t in it.”

  Alessio paused for what felt like the longest time, leaving the words hanging around us, our ey
es connected together. We breathed together, our heart racing in unison.

  Another tear spilled from my eye and ran down my cheek. Alessio caught it quickly with his lips, kissing it away. When another fell down my face, he did the same thing. Closing my eyes, I hiccupped back a sob.

  “That little boy was me, Ayla,” Alessio whispered in my ear, his breath tickling me there. “And the broken girl he found under his bed, his Angel, she is you. You are my Angel.”

  “I—” I started but then quickly snapped my mouth shut. I didn’t know what to say. His confession had truly left me with a mix of emotions.

  I felt light, almost as if I was floating. My heart was beating as fast as the wings of a hummingbird, and it hummed just like a hummingbird. It sang with happiness and so much…love. I was filled with pure elation.

  Alessio’s lips lingered on my cheeks before he slightly pulled away, looking down at me with his beautiful blue eyes. His expression was soft yet determined. “You are right. I did touch Sasha.”

  I blinked away tears, my fingers digging into his shoulders painfully. He didn’t wince, not that I expected him to.

  He instantly noticed my change in demeanor. He soothed me, caressing my cheeks yet again. “I touched her, but I didn’t kiss her. I touched her, but I didn’t fuck her. I didn’t do anything with Sasha.”

  I only blinked up at him, confused and feeling slightly bewildered. “I’ll be blunt and honest. Yes, I was so close to fucking her. Yes, I had ripped her panties and had her bent over my desk, but no, I didn’t fuck her. I couldn’t, Ayla. You were all I could think about. You. Every single minute. All I could see were your eyes, beautiful smiles, serene expression as you played the piano and walked to the creek. All I could hear were your laughter and sweet voice.”

  Alessio dragged in a harsh, deep breath before releasing it with a tired sigh. His expression was haggard, his voice filled with uncertainty and so much grief that my heart ached. It ached for his pain. “I was mad. At my father and at everything. My feelings. My weakness for you. And I was so scared. My mother died because my father loved her. An angel living in the world of the devils, and in the end, she got killed because of it. I am so fucking scared that I’ll lose you too. The mere thought of losing you drives me insane.”

  “I didn’t do anything with Sasha,” he said again, his voice almost filled with ferocity as he willed me to believe him with his eyes. They begged me to see the truth. “Tell me you believe me, Ayla.”

  My hands left his shoulders, but instead of pulling away, I palmed his cheeks. “I believe you,” I whispered.

  I truly did. His words and face spoke honesty. It was right there for me to believe. Not once was I filled with doubt when he said he didn’t touch Sasha. If I had doubts before, it was now erased.

  “I believe you, Alessio,” I said again, my fingers pressing gently into his cheeks. Alessio shuddered in relief atop of me, his eyes closing as he finally relaxed in my hold.

  We stayed like that for a few seconds, with me soothing him. When he opened his eyes again, this time the blueish orbs were glistening with intensity. “The plan was to get close to you to find out if you were a traitor,” he started.

  Flinching, I started to let go, but he quickly grasped my hands, holding them firmly to his cheeks.

  “But it was just an excuse,” he quickly added. “I was using it as an excuse to get close to you. From the very first time I saw you, I had this urge to be close to you. To hold you. But it was a show of weakness. So I tried to find every excuse to get close to you. The plan ended the same day it was made, because no matter what, I couldn’t lie to myself. I kept telling myself it was what I had to do for the safety of everyone, but deep inside, I knew I was doing it for myself. I needed you, since the very beginning.” He looked in her eyes.

  “I messed up,” Alessio breathed sadly. “I know I did, but I’m asking you to forgive me. To give me another chance to prove myself. Please let me in your heart again. Give me this chance and I’ll never let you go again. I’ll never break you again.”

  He paused and took a deep breath before continuing in the same soft voice. “I’ll never be the man you deserve, but I’ll be the man you need. I’ll be the man who makes you laugh and smile, the one who drives away all your nightmares, the one who kisses you good morning and good night and so many kisses in between. I’ll be your savior. Now and for the rest of my life.”

  Tears sprung in my eyes at his confession, and I gave him a wobbly smile. “You definitely do have a way with words,” I replied.

  Alessio let out a small laugh and shook his head, his lips lifting up in a small smile. “Only for you, Angel.”

  My eyes widened as he called me Angel, the tears falling before I could stop them. “You are making me cry,” I muttered as Alessio swiped the tears away.

  “Are they happy tears?” he asked, looking a bit uncertain.

  I nodded, speechless, and he gifted me with one of his breathtaking smiles. “Good. From now on, the only tears you will cry will be happy tears.”

  “You’re sweet.”

  Alessio looked affronted by my admission and sent me a mock glare. I couldn’t help but laugh. It looked like the Mafia Boss didn’t like being called sweet, although he really was…sweet.

  “I’m a killer, Ayla. Definitely not sweet,” he said, looking deep into my eyes.

  Smiling, I leaned up and placed a kiss on his nose like he had done to me. “You might be a killer out there, a monster, as you said, but in here,” I pressed my hand over his heart, “in here, you are sweet. To me, you are sweet.”

  Another breathtaking smile from Alessio. This time the smile lit up his face and eyes with such happiness that it made my heart ache…in a good way. It fluttered, and I melted into his embrace.

  Finally, the pain that I had seen before was no longer there. He looked hopeful.

  Taking a deep breath, Alessio continued. “When I’m with you, it feels as if I can finally breathe. I have been living in the darkness for so long, but you bring me light and peace. You make me laugh and smile, something I haven’t done in so damn long. When I’m away from you, I feel empty, like I’m missing a piece of myself. I don’t ever want to be without you, Angel. I don’t think I’ll survive it. When I’m with you, it feels like I’m the king of the world. I can accomplish anything with you by my side. I used to believe that you are my weakness. You are. You will always be my weakness, but you are also my strength.”

  Oh wow. Wow. My throat tightened up at his confession until it felt impossible to breathe. “Alessio,” I murmured, a constant smile on my lips.

  “I don’t know what love is,” Alessio mumbled, brushing his lips against mine in the lightest kiss. “But if what I feel for you is love, then so be it.”

  “I don’t know what love is either,” I admitted, my fingers softly moving over his cheeks and then his lips.

  Kissing me again on the lips with the slightest pressure, as if he was scared to break me, Alessio smiled. “We’ll learn it together then, Angel.”

  Angel. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of Alessio calling me that.

  “You called me Angel once. When I had my breakdown,” I murmured.

  Alessio smiled. “Yes. I always knew you were my Angel, but I was too stubborn to admit it.”

  It didn’t matter anymore if he was stubborn or not.

  “You are my Angel.”

  Yes, I was. I was his. I was his Angel.

  And he was mine. My Made Man. My monster. Whoever he was, whether he was the killer or the sweet man he was with me, I accepted him.

  I breathed him in. Closing my eyes, I let my senses take over, feeling Alessio, savoring his touch and voice. I couldn’t live without him. This beautiful broken man had given me his heart, and in return, I had laid mine in his palms.

  We were two broken hearts. Two broken halves making a whole.

  “I can’t promise you everything will be perfect.” My eyes snapped open at Alessio’s voice, and I wait
ed for him to continue. “My life is not perfect. The world is fucked up and dangerous. Life is not going to be rosy. But I can promise to make it as perfect as I can. All I know is that I need you. This makes me a selfish man, Ayla. I should let you go. You would be better off without me, but I’m selfish when it comes to you.”

  My fingers went to his lips to silence him. “It’s okay. That’s all I needed to hear, Alessio. I can’t live without you, either. This is enough for me. It’s more than enough. I don’t need or want anything else. I just want you.”

  Before I could say anything else, Alessio had me crushed to his chest, hugging me so tight. My ribs felt like they were about to break. “Can’t breathe,” I squeaked, but I still wrapped my arms around him, returning the hug just as fiercely.

  He kissed the top of my forehead, his lips lingering there. “You are my Angel.”

  There it was. Those words again.

  I sighed in contentment. I love you was needed. We were more than that. The words that Alessio had whispered to me meant more than those common three words.

  You are my Angel. These held more power.

  “And you are the man who brings me peace.” I whispered the words ever so softly. “The man who makes my heart flutter and fills my stomach with butterflies. Just one look from you, a simple word, just one sweet kiss, or one soft caress, it is enough to make me the happiest woman. You are my strength, Alessio.”

  His arms tightened around me, and I smiled. Oh yes, my words had the same effect on him as his words had on me.

  Alessio was a man of few words, yet he was able to say so much to me. I wished I had more to say. I wished I had more words to show what my heart…what I truly felt. But I didn’t.

  I’d rather just show him. Bringing his lips to mine, I kissed him. Softly and gently. The kiss wasn’t fast or hard. It was sweet and slow. We took our time, our lips moving in sync, and we savored each other. Alessio let me lead the kiss. He didn’t push for more. He let me kiss him. So I did, for the longest time.