Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 118410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
I looked up and our eyes met again.
Blue to green. Both unflinching.
We stared.
We breathed. Together.
When I couldn’t hold his eyes any longer, I looked down.
A few seconds later, before I could move, I felt a tug behind my head and then my hair was falling down my shoulders in waves.
And I saw my hair band in Alessio’s hand.
I looked up at him in surprise, and his piercing eyes stared back.
Then he spoke. And his words went straight to my heart. My breathing stuttered.
“You look more beautiful with your hair down,” he said, his voice gruff from sleep.
Chapter 29
Alessio
When Ayla brought the first aid kit, I didn’t want her to see me like this—broken and in pain—so I ignored her. She saw enough already.
Emotions I never wanted to experience were coursing through my body and self-loathing took its place. Feelings were a sign of weakness. And I showed Ayla my weakness.
Whenever she was near, I couldn’t think straight. No matter how hard I tried to be indifferent, she always knew how to break through the walls.
When she played the piano, I saw my mother sitting there.
The pain in my body reminded me of why I was in this position.
Alfredo. Whatever death he experienced, it wasn’t enough. He shouldn’t have died so easily.
The image of my mother’s lifeless, bloodied body flashed behind my closed eyes and the ache in my heart was almost unbearable.
All these years, I kept it in. I locked it inside of me, refusing to feel.
“What am I supposed to do now?” I whispered to myself.
I had lived with one goal. To kill Alfredo, to end his family and his empire.
My revenge was on him. But the only thing left of him now was his family. By the time I was done, nothing would be left.
Every single Abandonato would be wiped off the Earth. His allies. Everything would be mine.
That was my last thought before closing my burning eyes. My restless sleep was haunted by images of a black-haired, green-eyed angel, laughing and happy. But far from my reach. No matter how hard I tried to catch up, she always slipped right through my fingers. Always leaving me feeling empty as she faded away.
At some point, I heard the door open.
As the footsteps grew closer, my body instantly warmed. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know that Ayla stood in front of me. Keeping my eyes closed, I feigned sleep as I waited for her next move. I needed her far away from me. Her sweet smell. Her melodious voice.
She came so close that I could smell her vanilla shampoo. Then she knelt down in front me and I found it hard to keep my eyes closed. I wanted to see her. The total contradiction of what I wanted a few seconds ago.
My heart wanted her near while my brain told me to push her far away.
Feeling conflicted, I kept my eyes closed instead. And then her small hands were holding mine. I resisted the urge to quickly pull away. She was so near. Touching me.
Control. Keep in control, I admonished myself as Ayla rubbed her fingers over my bruised knuckles. And then I felt something wet rubbing over the backs of my fingers. It stung and I bit down my lips to keep from hissing in pain.
When realization crashed through me, my eyes snapped open. I looked down at Ayla and saw her bent over my hand as she cleaned my wounds with an antiseptic wipe.
She took her time, slowly and gently cleaning each knuckle, then the rest of my hand. She applied the bandage, then sighed and leaned away.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was so damn beautiful.
At the thought, my heart stuttered and I swallowed hard.
Get a grip on yourself, Alessio.
And then she looked up, her eyes widened, and her lips fell open in shock. “Alessio.” My name was a whisper on her lips.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed and it made her even more beautiful. Moving my gaze away from her face, I looked at my bandaged hand.
“I…saw that you didn’t clean your hands,” she stuttered. “I thought that maybe I could clean them for you.”
She had no idea what that did to me. She cleaned my wounds. She still cared for me when I was harsh to her.
“It could get infected. That’s why I cleaned it,” she continued.
When was the last time someone took care of me? My heart raced wildly.
“You should clean your other hand,” she said. She sighed and then started to get up.
Panic filled my chest and before I could think, my hand snaked out and I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and tugged until she was kneeling down again. She fell back on her knees in front of me.
I needed her closer. I wasn’t ready to let her leave yet. Ayla tipped her head back and stared at me in shock.