I walked out of the room, leaving Lyov alone with his thoughts. He would be okay. This little princess just gave us all hope.
Alessio was leaning against the wall. As soon as I walked out of the room, he pulled me in his arms.
I sobbed in his chest. “He’s going to be okay, Alessio.”
Alessio didn’t say anything. He just let me cry. When my tears finally dried, I placed a kiss in the middle of his chest, right over his beating heart.
“Can we go to the creek?” I asked, pulling away.
He smiled. “Let’s go.”
We walked down the stairs, and I waved at Maddie. She waved back and went into the kitchen.
Our walk to the creek was slow. We took our sweet time, our hands intertwined. No words were spoken. It wasn’t needed. The silence was enough. It was comfortable. It was us.
When we arrived at the creek, I settled on a rock, my feet in the water. Alessio stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders.
“Are you happy?” I asked, rubbing small circles around my pregnant belly.
“I’m more than happy, Angel. I’m fucking ecstatic.”
“You always addressed the baby as a boy. Are you happy that it’s a girl?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I grew nervous. Finally, I felt his lips next to my ear. He placed a kiss there before saying, “I’m happy.”
I sighed in relief, and when he continued, my heart soared higher with contentment. “I think deep inside I always wanted a princess. After losing…” He paused, but I got what he meant. “I was just scared. I didn’t want to hope. But when I heard it’s a girl, I felt like my heart just flipped. I swear it stopped for a second. I’m the happiest I can be right now.”
I leaned back against his chest and tilted my head backwards. Alessio looked back at me. “I’m happy too.”
Alessio smiled and kissed my forehead, my nose, and finally my lips. He took my lips sweetly.
“Such a sweet moment. I almost feel bad for interrupting.”
My eyes widened, and my heart stopped. I froze and slowly went numb.
No. No. No. Please no.
My mind screamed, my heart wept, and I was suddenly hurting everywhere.
That voice.
This couldn’t be happening.
Not again. Not now.
I felt Alessio freeze behind me. From our position, I saw his lips curl in a snarl. I tilted my head down, fear clouding my vision. I shook with terror.
In that moment, I just wanted to disappear into thin air. I didn’t want to exist. I wanted to be far…very far away from the Devil.
Alessio stood straight, and I felt him turn around. I slowly got up and turned around too but stayed hidden behind Alessio.
I couldn’t see Alberto from where I was. I was completely hidden, protected behind Alessio’s back.
Alessio moved his hand to his waistband, where his gun was.
“Ah. Ah. Don’t move or I will shoot. Trust me, this time I will,” Alberto warned. “Step away from her.”
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!”