by Lylah James
Alessio didn’t move. “Step away from her or I will shoot. What’s the point of being a hero? After I shoot you, I can shoot her. So step the fuck away from her.”
Alessio’s hand stayed on his waistband, and he still didn’t move. I heard Alberto laugh. My ears rang with it, and I pinched my eyes closed.
Without thinking, I stepped from behind Alessio’s back and came to stand beside him.
Alberto’s eyes roamed over me, and I saw his vile smirk. “There you are, love.”
I shuddered at his voice but kept my eyes on him. He looked different. He had a beard, and his clothes were rumpled.
His eyes appeared red, tired, and…crazed. Their maniacal gleam pierced me until all I felt was absolute fear.
My head ran wild; my stomach cramped. My heart ached. It hurt so much.
“If only you hadn’t run away,” he tsked. “I would have kept you alive. But now you just pissed me off. I don’t feel generous anymore.”
Panic clawed at my throat, and I glanced at Alessio. He was staring at Alberto stoically. How did it come to this? Everything was perfect just moments ago.
Alberto took a step toward us, pointing the gun in my direction. His gaze moved to Alessio. “One move and I will shoot her brains out. You know it takes only seconds.”
Alessio’s hands fisted at his side. I wanted to fall down and beg for mercy.
My breathing accelerated, and my chest grew tight. Alberto continued to walk forward until he was only a few steps away.
He pointed the gun at Alessio and then at me. “Hmm…I wonder who I should shoot first.”
Alberto pointed the gun at me. “The little Angel?”
He cocked his head to the side before pointing the gun at Alessio. “Her savior?”
My heart stuttered in pain, and I rubbed my stomach. I could barely breathe.
“You are such a coward, Alberto. Why don’t you fight like a man?” Alessio growled.
Alberto tsked and pointed the gun at me again but this time toward my stomach. “Or the baby?”
NO! I wanted to scream. My heart was trying to pound its way out of my chest. My hands shook, but I cradled my pregnant belly protectively.
“Aww, how cute,” he mocked. “The baby it is, then.”
My eyes widened. Everything happened so fast. I saw Alessio lurch forward, and his leg kicked out. He got Alberto in the hand, and the gun flew away.
Alessio tackled Alberto to the ground, and I stood frozen, watching the two men roll on the ground, fighting.
I couldn’t lose Alessio. I just couldn’t.
I was blind with terror as I watched them fight. They were out for blood, and in that moment, I didn’t know who would win.
With wide eyes, I looked for the gun. Where did the gun go?
When I finally noticed it next to a tree, I took a step forward but stopped when Alberto pushed Alessio off him.
He had another gun in his hand.
Oh please, no.
He laughed, a laugh filled with so much madness that made my skin crawl in dread and disgust.
Alberto didn’t even appear out of breath. He looked like a man on a mission. There was something making him stronger, crazier.
Alessio slowly stepped toward me.
Alberto moved his dead eyes to mine, smiling grimly. “Did you really think you could escape? Ayla, you seem to forget. You are mine.”
He really was the Devil. For a split second, I wondered how it was possible for someone to be this cruel.
But the thought was quickly gone when he pointed the gun right in the middle of my stomach. “Say good-bye to lover boy.”
I whimpered, holding my stomach as if I was trying to hide my princess from this horror.
But the Devil had found us, and this time there was no escape.
This was it. This was my end.
My heart hammered when I saw him pull the trigger. My eyes closed as two gunshots sounded. Terror washed through me as I waited for the pain.
Seconds ticked by, and I felt nothing.
My eyes snapped open.
I gasped and cried out when I saw Alessio standing in front of me, his face a mask of shock and pain.
“No!” I screamed, moving forward. I wrapped my arms around him, moving my hands over his body, looking for where he was injured.
No. Please. This was a nightmare. This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t lose Alessio. My face contorted as wave after wave of pain crashed through me.
“Alessio,” I sobbed, running my hands over him. “No. Why, Alessio?”
Alessio grabbed my waist and pulled me to his chest. His hands went to my stomach, holding the bump. His other hand traveled the length of my body, like I was doing to his.
“Where are you hurt? Ayla, where are you hurt?” he asked urgently, his voice hoarse. “Please, say something!”
A crippling grief swept over me. I cried in his chest. “I’m not hurt. You…took…the bullet…”
“Ayla!” Alessio shook me, his face horrified. “No. You got hit! I didn’t. I was too late.”
Agonized sobs tumbled from my mouth, my lungs constricting painfully as I shook my head. My stomach started to cramp from the severity of my sobs, and I palmed Alessio’s cheeks. “You are not hurt?” I asked.
I saw confusion in his eyes, and he slightly pulled away, his eyes roaming over my body, inspecting me. I did the same for him.
“You are not hurt,” he stated.
And he wasn’t either.
My eyes widened as my blood rushed so fast through my body that I felt suddenly weak. I couldn’t hear anything but the wildly beating pulse in my ears. What was happening?
“Then…who took the bullet?” I whispered. Alessio swallowed hard, and he held me to him.
We turned around, Alessio protecting me with his body.
The sight that beheld me took my breath my away. Agony shattered my heart, and I sank to my knees, too weak to stay upright, too weak to think.
I wailed in anguish.
“NO!”
Chapter 17
Alberto
She really thought she could escape.
How naïve of her. Stupid even. I thought she had learned her lesson from way before, and even now—but it looked like she still had so much to learn.
Too bad I had reached my limit. I was no longer patient. She tested me every day. Every time she escaped. Every time she uttered his name.
Ayla was mine. Even if she didn’t want to be. It wasn’t her choice. It was never her choice.
Only because she didn’t have a choice.
How much do I have to break her until she finally understands?
I thought I had her bent to my will. She was mine. No other man would touch her.
But I had clearly assessed her wrong. That was my first mistake.
Since the first time I saw her, it was only Ayla and me. But then Alessio came and fucked everything up.
If it wasn’t for him, Ayla would have still been mine.
From my place in the shadows, I watched them. I watched him hold her, his arms around my woman.
I watched her smile—laugh with him.
My fingers tightened around my gun. Fury rolled off me in heavy waves.
This was the end.
It was time for their end.
My eyes moved to Ayla’s round stomach. His baby. Not mine. Every time I looked at her, it served as a reminder.
He touched her.
I should have gotten rid of it when I had a chance.
At the thought, my lips turned up in a small smile. It didn’t matter anymore. I would get rid of it now.
I would take everything from her until she had nothing left. Until she would have no other choice but to fall back at my feet.
I watched them.
When he kissed her, I rubbed my finger over the trigger. I was itching to pull it. To end their lives.
That would be too easy.
I wanted to see the fear in their eyes. In Alessio’s eyes.
I wanted to see him helpless.
He had taken everything from me.
And I was going to return the same favor. After all, payback is a bitch.
With my fingers wrapped firmly around the gun, I walked out of the shadows.
“Such a sweet moment. I almost feel bad for interrupting.”
I laughed when they swiveled around to face me. The surprise in Alessio’s face was almost comical.
But he wasn’t my target.
My target was the woman hiding behind his back.
When she came into view, I smiled. This was it, love.
Ayla didn’t realize what I wanted, I got. It didn’t matter if I had to take it by force; in the end, I always got what I wanted.
She wasn’t any different.
Pointing the gun at Ayla, I stared at her. I saw the fear and panic. It didn’t faze me.
I was going to drag her to hell with me.
She would be mine in the end.
Chapter 18
Ayla
My throat hurt from screaming. I had no tears left. I couldn’t even find my voice. Shock coursed through me, and I froze at the sight in front of me.
This couldn’t be happening.
Not after everything we had been through. After coming such a long way, this couldn’t be the end.
My palms met the grass, my knees hurting as I looked at my lap. My baby was going crazy, moving around wildly. It was like she could feel my stress. She knew something bad happened.
Oh baby.
There was yelling. I could hear people fighting, but I chose to ignore everything.
When someone grabbed my shoulders, my eyes snapped up to meet Alessio’s blue ones. I could see the panic and shock there too, but all his attention was on me.
“Are you okay?” he asked in panic.
I nodded and looked over his shoulders. “But he…he…”
Alessio closed his eyes tightly. After taking a deep breath, he stared at me again. “Can you stand up?”
“I think,” I muttered. Alessio helped me stand up, and he wrapped his arms around me.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered in my ears.
“No. It’s not. Your father…” I trailed off, my words catching in my throat. “How…why…?”
Isaak knelt down beside Lyov. He coughed into the grass. When I saw blood, I pushed away from Alessio. “We have to help him! Oh my God, we have to help him. He’s bleeding badly…and he’s coughing blood.”
My fingers tightened around Alessio’s arm. I looked around wildly, looking for something to ground me. My skin itched with uneasiness and my head was pounding.
When my eyes made contact with the scene behind Lyov, my lungs constricted.
Alberto was on the ground with Nikolay on top of him. Viktor was standing beside them, his gun pointed at Alberto’s head.
It would take only one bullet to end his life, but Viktor made no effort to do so.
I saw Nikolay landing furious punches in Alberto’s face. He tried to cover his face, to evade the ruthless punches, but there was no escape.
The only thing I could hear was the sound of knuckles making contact with skin. It sounded harsh. Bringing my hands up, I covered my ears. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to think of it.
My eyes moved back to where Lyov lay, unmoving. My breathing came out harder and harsher. “Alessio, we have to help him!”
“Ayla, calm down! You shouldn’t be stressing out like this. It’s not good for the baby,” Alessio snapped, his hand molding over my stomach protectively.
My eyes widened, and I pushed his hands away. “Are you crazy? Your father has been shot! He took the bullet for us. How can you be worried about me and the baby right now?”
Without giving him a chance to answer, I ran to Lyov’s side. I felt a hard kick and winced when I knelt down beside him. Lyov’s eyes were closed, his breathing labored. I choked back a sob when I saw his bloodied stomach.
There was so much blood.
His face was pale, his eyes pinched closed. I saw the line of stress on his forehead. My palm pressed against his clammy skin, and I tried to soothe his aggravated movement.
“Please don’t move. You will only hurt yourself more,” I said softly.
I heard Isaak swear. Alessio came to stand beside me. “Let’s move him,” he muttered.
I stood up and moved out of the way. Isaak and Alessio helped Lyov stand up.
“Ayla, walk in front of us,” Alessio ordered. His tone held no room to argue. His eyes begged me. I knew what he needed.
Alessio needed me in front of him. His eyes on me. He needed to make sure I was safe. Giving them a final glance, I turned around.
The others were already gone. I had tuned them out and didn’t even realize they had taken Alberto away. I breathed out a sigh of relief, my shoulders sagging.
Alberto had finally been caught.
***
We made our way to Sam. Even Ivy was there. Maddie and Lena were standing in front of the door.
Isaak and Alessio dragged Lyov into the room and pushed him on the bed. Before I could go in, Maddie grabbed my arm. “I think we should wait here,” she suggested in a gentle tone.
My eyes went to Alessio and saw him coming my way. He opened his arms for me, and I went into them gladly. Burying my head into his chest, I let out my worst fear. “Will he be okay?”
When I heard no answer from him, my arms tightened around his waist. That was when I noticed his arms trembling. It was a slight shake but enough to tell me what he was feeling.
I felt his lips on my temple, and my eyes stung with unshed tears. I placed a kiss over his beating heart, not wanting to let him go.
We stayed locked in an embrace. In that moment, I was his strength. “He’s going to be okay, Alessio. He promised that he will hold Princess. Lyov needs to meet his granddaughter.”
The words were hard to speak. My voice came out scratchy as I tried to keep the tears at bay. I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t be weak. Not now. I had to be strong.
Lyov saved us…he took the bullet for us.
I had to be strong for all of us.
Now that Alberto was captured, everything would be okay. We were safe.
Fear. Anger. Relief. Sadness. Disgust. Shock.
At the moment, my feelings were a dormant volcano. I buried everything inside and concentrated on Alessio and Lyov.
“Ayla.”
My name brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked at Maddie. “Why don’t you go rest? When Sam is done, we’ll call you.”
I shook my head and hugged Alessio tighter. “No. I’ll stay here until I know he is perfectly fine.”
“Ayla,” Alessio warned.
Before he could say anything, I pulled away and stood on my toes. Bringing my lips to his, I kissed him softly. “I’m not going anywhere, Alessio. Please, let me stay here,” I whispered against his lips.
He sighed, his eyes closing. “You are so stubborn.”
“I know,” I muttered back, hugging him again. “We will wait together, Alessio.”
And that was exactly what we did.
The air around us was heavy with uncertainty, like a dark cloud settling over us.
With every minute that passed, I grew more scared. I felt chilled to my bones at the thought of Lyov not making it out alive.
“Ayla…Ayla…wake up.”
I groggily blinked my eyes open and stared into Maddie’s smiling face. Rubbing the sleepiness away, I went to stand up. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”
“Sam was able to take the bullet out. Lyov is okay. He’s resting now,” Maddie said excitedly.
My mouth fell open, and my heart leaped at Maddie’s words. When I felt a kick, my hand instinctively went to my stomach.
I rubbed soothing circles around my belly. Turning, I looked for Alessio. His tensed back was to me as he faced the wall. I walked over and placed a hand over his shoulder.
He instantly re
laxed under my touch, and I heard him release a long, painful breath. “He’s okay, Alessio.”
He gave me a sharp nod. “I know.”
“Do you want to see him?” I asked when silence fell upon us.
I moved in front of Alessio and palmed his cheeks. “What are you scared of?”
I sucked a harsh breath when I saw the pain in his eyes. “I thought he never cared, Ayla. He wasn’t really a father. After I lost my mother, he never acted like a father. I was just a forgotten son most of the time.”
Alessio bent his head, burying his face in my neck. “I don’t know how to look him in the eyes and thank him for saving you. He took that bullet for you.”
Wrapping my arms around his head, I rubbed my fingers on the back on his neck. “You’re wrong. He saved us. If it wasn’t for him, you would have gotten shot. In that moment, I don’t think he cared who he was saving. Whether it was me, you, or Princess. He’s a good man, Alessio. Just a little lost and broken, but a good man.”
I felt Alessio’s sigh against my skin before he pulled away. “Let’s go.”
I smiled, looking into his captivating blue eyes. Taking hold of my hand, he intertwined our fingers together before pulling me into the room.
Lyov was on the bed with Isaak beside him. When we approached, his gaze went to us. His face was a mask of pain, but he sent us a smile. “Glad…you…are…both okay.”
I gave him a wobbly smile. “Thank you…thank you so much.”
He chuckled but quickly gasped, his face turning pale. “Don’t…thank me.”
Isaak looked at us before standing up. “I’ll leave you guys alone,” he muttered before leaving the room.
I took his place on the chair beside the bed. Taking Lyov’s hand in mind, I looked at his stomach.
He was covered with the bedsheet, but I grimaced, remembering the bloodied scene from before. “Does it hurt really bad?”
Lyov shook his head. “Not at all.”
Alessio huffed. “No need to act all tough, old man.”
Those were the first words he spoke since we came into the room. His voice sounded gruff, and I looked up to see him glaring at Lyov.
In fact, they were both glaring at each other.
