Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
He slammed my head into the door. Once. Twice. Pain splintered its way into my skull, and my cheek ached. I could taste blood in my mouth.
“You’ve been very bad, love. But it’s time for you to come home now,” Alberto said, keeping my cheek pressed firmly against the door. I winced as tears splashed down my cheeks.
He pulled me so that I was facing him. Alberto smirked, but his eyes were on fire. My blood ran cold.
My death had come sooner than expected.
“Time for you to go to sleep.”
My eyebrows furrowed, and then I screamed when I felt a sting in my thigh. I looked down to see a syringe in his hand and the needle in my thigh. “No,” I slurred.
His stares were cold and unfeeling, just like him. The back of his hand smacked across my face, and I flew against the door, my head cracking under the pressure.
I was losing myself as darkness clouded my vision.
“Alessio,” I whimpered.
Alberto roared and pressed my face harder against the window. “You will learn to never say his name again. I think you forgot that he handed you over to me.”
I tried to shake my head, forcing my eyes open even though I was slowly fading away.
“I think I’ve been too easy on you before. Now, you will feel what real pain is.” Alberto whispered his promise into my ears, his nail digging into my cheeks painfully.
A wash of numbness filled me, and I shuddered violently, my body crumbling and weakening under his hold and the drug he gave me.
My eyes rolled into my head. This was it. My reality. My fate.
All I could do was cry and stay still as the drug took over and the dizziness threw me into a cloud of darkness and despair.
I submitted to the heavy hold that was pulling me under, and my eyes closed.
My final thought as darkness took over was Alessio.
I’m sorry, Alessio. I love you.
His name was a mere whisper in my head as I lost consciousness.
Alessio.
Chapter 28
Alessio
The sight of Alberto had caused a lava of rage to course through my body. But I had tried to stay as calm as I could.
My only thought was to keep Ayla safe. Far away from Alberto.
He couldn’t know that she was my weakness.
But then he looked at Ayla like he knew her. Like she was something to possess. I wanted to gouge his eyes out, put a bullet right in the middle of his eyes. Only because he was looking at Ayla. My Angel.
What I never expected was the shock that came next. And the pain of betrayal.
I heard Ayla whimper behind me and felt her nails digging into my skin. I felt her panic. It was vibrating off her. The air surrounding us growing thick with her fear.
But only Alberto’s words were ringing through my ears. Everything else was a blur.
The woman you are protecting behind you right now is Ayla Abandonato. The late Alfredo’s daughter and only child. And my very soon-to-be wife. The Italian’s queen. Your enemy.
Ayla Abandonato. A fucking Abandonato.
She lied to me. All this time, it had been a lie.
My shoulder ached with the tension, but I kept my face as blank as I could.
No weakness. Alberto didn’t need to know how his words affected me. Ayla didn’t need to know what her betrayal was doing to me.
I trusted her. I let her in.
She was my fucking Angel.
I swallowed the boulder of emotions that clogged my throat and stared straight into Alberto’s eyes.
“Viktor, get her inside,” I said, my voice calm yet the coldness and deadly warning was there.
The words came out instinctively. She was the enemy, yet my need to protect her never lessened. No matter how much my mind raged, I still felt for her.
She betrayed me, but she was still my Angel.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Viktor pulling Ayla toward the gates. She was staring back at me, her eyes never leaving mine, begging me to give her a chance.
I saw everything there. Her pain. Fear. Panic. And lastly, her love.
My stupid treacherous heart hung on to it. I wanted to believe that look.
My decision might have been stupid, but it was the only one that made sense.
Giving Alberto my full attention, I sent him a chilling glare. “Get the fuck out of here, Alberto. This is the last time I am going to say this. It takes only one bullet to be fired and war will upon us. Leave my property or my men will be forced to shoot.”
Alberto raised an eyebrow and started to back away slowly. “You are right. We will let Ayla decide.”
I was tempted to shoot him right now. Put a bullet right through his eyes. But that would only bring war upon ourselves.
And Ayla would be right in the middle. Her safety couldn’t be compromised.