Lyov
22 years later
It took Alessio three years before he started speaking again after witnessing his mother’s death. Since that night, my boy was never the same. Not the innocent, sweet boy Maria used to love, coddle, and cherish. He changed the night he watched his mother’s blood flow, saturating our lives with its painful meaning.
Three years after Maria took her last breath, Alessio made his first kill at only eleven years old. I wished I was a better father. Maybe stopped him when I could have. I wished I had kept him away from this fucked-up life. But I didn’t. Life had fucked me up so I could only see my pain and revenge. I didn’t understand Alessio. I didn’t understand his fear, his sorrow…and his emptiness. Only because I was too blinded by my own.
Life had hardened Alessio Ivanshov into a ruthless, merciless King. He built the Empire I turned into ash with his own bare hands.
I wished I could have done a lot of things differently. But now, as I watched my son wrap his arms about his woman, his Ayla, his Angel…I wouldn’t change anything.
Some would say it was fate. Destiny.
Maybe this was meant all along.
Maybe I was meant to lose my Angel.
So Alessio could find his.
I had given them both a hard time. I believed that Angels didn’t belong in our world, and by pushing my anger and sorrow at losing my wife on Alessio, he almost lost his Ayla.
But now they were happy. They were together, with a baby on the way.
A princess, Ayla said.
It hurt to think about it, to think about their happiness because mine had just been an incomplete, broken story. Even after twenty-two years, the realization that I would never hold my daughter…the ache in my heart only worsened.
I watched as Alessio laced his fingers with Ayla’s and they walked toward the woods that led to the streams and a field of flowers. A sanctuary, a piece of heaven in this hell.
I watched as my son leaned down and kissed his woman on her lips. Ayla threw her head back and laughed. Even from far away, I saw Alessio’s lips tilted up in a smile. The way he looked at her, it reminded me of the times when I would look at my Maria. I was sure I had the same look in my eyes, on my face. That look of love and absolute adoration. A look of protectiveness. A look that said this woman…she was mine.
They walked further into the woods together. My hand came up, and I touched my silver chain from under my shirt. My fingers rubbed over Maria’s wedding band. I could almost feel her presence, as if she was right next to me. I could feel her smile…her warmth.
I imagined she was here right now, standing beside me, watching over our son and his Angel.
I gripped the ring tighter. “They are happy, Maria. Alessio found her. And I think…I think they are going to live happily ever after. Just like you always wanted for him.”
Alessio and Ayla disappeared into the trees, and I couldn’t help but smile. They were beautiful together.
Leaning against my window, I stared outside at the back garden where my Angel had spent most of her time. I would always find her, hands buried into the soil as she planted more and more flowers.
The thought came to a screeching halt when something else caught my eyes. Silence filled my ears, and I forgot about Maria. I forgot about the flowers.
I only saw the shadow following behind Alessio. Someone who shouldn’t have been there.
Shock coursed through me. My heart kick-started, and every instinct in me told me something was wrong.
Just like that night…twenty-two years ago.
My instincts were never wrong. Without thinking, I turned away from the windows. My legs were shaking almost, but I ran out of my room. A deep sense of fear was instilled in me.
I ran down the hall and the stairs. I heard Isaak yelling. I heard other men running behind me, following me as I ran toward the woods. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t stop once because something was wrong.
They were in danger. Alessio. Ayla. Their baby.
Something deep within screamed and urged me to run faster, to save them.
Finally, I broke through the trees. From a distance, I saw Alessio first. He was only a few feet from Ayla. She had her hands over her stomach and tears running down her cheeks. She looked scared. Alessio looked scared.
And then I saw him. The Devil of their story.
His gun was pointed at Ayla’s stomach. And I heard his words. Loud and chilling. Hurtful to my ears. He was going to hurt their Princess.
NO!
I didn’t think. I didn’t stop. I had to save them.
Never again. This family wouldn’t lose another Angel…another Princess.
In a flash, I saw Alessio running to Ayla. I saw him standing in front of her. I knew he would take the bullet.
But this…this couldn’t be the end of their story. This couldn’t be another broken love story.
And I couldn’t lose my son.
My feet took me forward. Time slowed. The chirping birds…and the flowing water…everything disappeared into silence.
In my head, I saw a brief flash of black hair and blue eyes standing in the distance. It happened fast. I was far away from them, and then I was in front of the gun.
Even the gunshot was silent.
Everything…was…empty. Silence.
I was falling…falling…and falling.
I saved them.
I saved his Angel. I saved their princess. I saved my son.
Darkness engulfed me, and I sunk deeper into it, waiting for the pain. But nothing hurt. I felt…peaceful.
I love you, Master.
I love you, Angel.