The Mafia And His Angel, Part 3 by Lylah James

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

 

1 week later

 

“We’ll be there in ten minutes, Boss,” Nikolay said from the driver’s seat.

“Hmm…”

“What if it’s a trap?”

“I don’t think it is. Not after I tortured their president and we killed half of their men in a span of minutes. They’re too scared,” I muttered, looking out of the window.

I hated being away from Ayla. But when the Black Club called and told me they had an idea of Alberto’s whereabouts, I had no choice.

Two weeks and he went into hiding again. A fucking coward he was. He had left the country the same day we found Ayla.

Shaking my head in disgust, I fought the urge to break something. He was a threat I had to get rid of as quickly as possible. As long as he was alive, Ayla was in danger. The baby was in danger.

I looked down at my phone, debating if I should call Maddie or Viktor. It was the first time I had been away from Ayla since we rescued her.

Ayla was still the same. Little to no improvement.

She hadn’t touched the piano again. No matter how much I urged her.

She still hadn’t spoken a word. It felt like it had been years since I heard her voice.

If I didn’t feed her, she wouldn’t eat. And we had quickly come to realize that she would only eat if I fed her. Maddie had once tried, and Ayla refused to eat even a bite.

I looked down at my watch. Twenty minutes since I’d left the estate. Ayla was asleep when I left her, and I hoped she stayed asleep until I got home.

Five more minutes. I would walk in, get the fucking information, walk out, and then I would be on my way back to Ayla.

Five fucking minu—

My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. Glancing at the screen, I saw Viktor calling. I quickly answered the call. “What is it? What happened?”

“Alessio,” he started but never had a chance to finish.

I heard a scream in the background. “No!”

Panic coursed through me, and I sat up straight, my hands shaking. “What’s going on?” I snapped, my voice heavy with fear. I saw Nikolay glancing at me in the rear-view mirror, his expression worried.

There were more screams, and then someone was sobbing.

Ayla!

“Alessio, it’s Ayla,” Viktor said quickly. “She woke up and didn’t find you there. Fuck! She completely lost it. I don’t know what to do.” His voice sounded strange. My heart clenched. Was he crying?

“I tried to get her to calm down, but as soon as I came near her, she would start screaming. Even Maddie and Lena can’t calm her down. She wouldn’t let anyone near her, and we’re worried she’ll hurt herself,” Viktor continued.

Something crashed in the background, and I sat, horrified, as I listened to Ayla screaming and crying.

“Alessio, she wants you. She won’t respond to anyone else. We tried. We fucking tried, but as soon as you left, she woke up. Maddie was with her, and Ayla completely snapped when she didn’t see you.”

“Viktor, do something, please!” I heard Maddie cry through the phone. “She’s going to hurt herself.”

I heard Viktor swear, and my heart stammered painfully. I closed my eyes as a wave of pain went through me.

“Can you get close enough to give her the phone?” I demanded. “Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.”

I heard screaming again. It was filled with so much pain, and I blinked away tears.

What have I done?

I should have never left her.

I opened my eyes to see Nikolay nodding at me. Without me saying anything, he was already changing the route and doing a U-turn.

Fuck the Black Club and Alberto. My Ayla needed me now.

I heard sobbing through the phone, and my heart lurched. “Angel,” I said gently.

She only cried.

“I’m sorry, Angel. So, so sorry. I’m coming home, okay? I will be there quickly. I didn’t leave you. I would never leave you. I just had something to take care of, and now I’m coming back home to you,” I whispered, hoping my voice would bring her back.

“You are so strong; you know that? The strongest person I know, and I am so in awe of you. Don’t cry, my sweet Angel. I am coming home and won’t leave you again. I’m not going anywhere.”

My voice broke over the words, and I closed my eyes as Ayla continued to quietly cry. Her cries were heartbreaking. It was agony to hear.

“Shhh…it’s okay. It’ll be okay. When I get back, I’ll take you to the creek. We’ll spend some time there. Just me and you, okay? What do you think? Would you like that?” I said, my fingers tightening around the phone.

“Will you play for me tonight?” I asked softly. “Or maybe do you want to dance? Remember how we danced before and you were smiling, laughing. You were so beautiful, my Angel. You took my breath away that day.” I held the phone tighter, desperate to get my feelings across to her.

“I’m coming home. Just a few more minutes and I will be in your arms again.” I kept talking even when I knew there would be no answer.

Her sobbing gradually dissolved to small hiccups. When the car finally stopped in front of the house, I breathed out. “I’m home, Angel,” I said before hanging up.

I opened the door and quickly got out. Running up the steps, I was almost at the door when a sharp pain shot through my wounded leg.

I limped inside the house. From the top of the stairs, I heard sobbing. Following it to my room, I pushed the door open.

My knees almost gave out at the sight in front of me. The room was completely trashed. Lena and Maddie were hugging each other next to the door, crying. Phoenix paced the room while Viktor stood in the middle, facing the corner next to the bed.

My hands curled into fists at my sides, and I moved forward slowly.

Ayla was on the floor, next to the nightstand. She sat against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking back and forth as she cried. She was curled into herself, as if hiding from everything and everyone.

My heart stuttered at the sight. She looked so broken, so fragile.

I turned to Viktor. He looked in pain. Shaking his head, he walked out of the room.

My gaze moved back to Ayla. Her face was hidden behind her arms. I walked forward and knelt down in front of Ayla. “Angel,” I whispered.

Her head snapped up, and she choked back a sob. Her eyes were red and filled with tears. Her cheeks flushed and wet. She looked at me with so much emotion that it was impossible for me to take.

So much pain. Sadness. Anger. Betrayal. Hurt.

I knew in that moment, she felt too much, too fast.

Ayla let out a loud cry, and in a flash, she was in my arms. We sank to the floor, and she climbed into my lap. With her face hidden in my chest, she burrowed deeper into my body like she wanted to hide in me.

I wrapped my arms around her and rocked her back and forth. “Shh…it’s okay, Angel. I’m here now, and I am not leaving you.”

Placing kisses on her head and face, I held her tighter. “I got you, Angel.”

Her arms went around me, holding me. Her fingers dug into my side as she cried in my chest. She never uttered a word. I didn’t urge her to.

I held her, and I knew it was enough for her. As long as she was in my arms, it was enough for me too.

The door closed behind us as everyone left. We stayed on the ground as Ayla continued to cry. I talked to her as I did before.

I carried her to bed. We laid under the covers, holding each other.

Her tears eventually stopped, and when silence fell upon us, I stopped talking too. I slightly pulled away and saw that her eyes were closed. I brushed her tears away and softly caressed her cheeks.

We stayed like this for some time, and finally, Ayla slowly blinked her eyes open. I tried to smile but found it hard to. My heart was in agony. It hurt so fucking much, it was almost impossible to breathe.

When Ayla stared at me, I sucked in a harsh breath.

The emotions I had seen in them before were now gone.

“Angel,” I whispered. “Let me see you…cry, be angry. Hit me. Scream at me. But I can’t bear to look into those empty eyes anymore.”

She continued to stare in silence and then closed her eyes.

That was it. I sighed and waited for her breathing to even out.

I slowly moved away and got off the bed. My leg continued to ache, the muscles contracting painfully as I limped.

After removing my coat and slacks, I examined the wound. It wasn’t bleeding, but it hurt as if the stitches were being ripped away from my skin.

I was taking off my shirt when I froze.

“You…are…hurt.”

My eyes widened, my mouth falling open.

That voice. That beautiful voice.

The words were so softly spoken, the voice slightly scratchy. But I heard it.

My throat was suddenly dry, and my heart drummed so loudly that I heard it in my own ears. My chest tightened. Swiveling around, I faced my Angel.

She was staring at my leg with her lifeless green eyes. But she fucking talked. To me.

I held my fist to my mouth, holding back my emotions before clearing my throat.

“I’m…okay,” I replied, taking a step forward.

Her gaze stayed fixated on my wound for another minute before she looked at me.

We stared at each other. Blue to green.

No more words were spoken by her.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and burrowed deeper under the cover.

This time, I smiled.

I had promised to give Ayla back her wings.

And I would continue to fight until my Angel could fly again.