Alessio
I watched her wander toward the ocean, watched her experience the feel of the sand for the first time. Ayla’s steps were almost feather light, as if she was floating toward peacefulness. As she grew closer and the water rushed around her feet, I saw her shoulders relax further, and she tilted her head toward the sky.
I’ve been to many places with beaches but never cared about it. Never thought of taking the time to feel the sand or the ocean. But watching Ayla experience this, it showed me that sometimes we needed to be grateful for what we have.
And I was grateful for her. My Angel.
Rolling my slacks up above my ankles, I walked over to Ayla. When I was close behind her, my arms instinctively went around her waist, pulling her small body to mine until her back was pressed against my front. She rested a hand over my arm, and I smiled.
This…this was what I needed. Her. Us.
As the tides crashed gently around us, I could only think of one thing.
I was never letting her go. Now that I had had the taste of true happiness, I didn’t think I could live without Ayla. She was everything and more.
Placing a kiss next to her ear, I let my lips linger there. Ayla sighed and then turned around in my arms. Her hands went to my waist, and she tilted her head up.
Ayla beamed up at me, her smile so big, her green eyes lighting up…actually her whole face lighting up. It was enough to make me catch my breath as I stared back in awe at her beauty.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, her eyes trained on mine.
“Do you like it here?” I asked, my fingers brushing against her cheek lightly.
“Yes. And you still have to show me the house,” she murmured. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss in the middle of my chest and then laid her head there. Seconds turned into minutes, and I had no desire to move.
Finally, I gently pulled away. “Let’s go. I’ll show you around the house. And then I have to take care of some business.”
“Okay!” She stepped back and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the house excitedly. We walked up to the porch that overlooked the ocean, but instead of going inside, I froze on the steps.
“Right. I need to do something first,” I muttered, looking down at Ayla’s confused face. Without giving her a chance, I bent down and swept her off her feet, cradling her to my chest.
“Woah. What are you doing?” Her arms went around my neck, but I just smiled, walking inside the house with her in my arms.
“Carrying you over the threshold,” I announced, almost too proudly. Thank fuck the guys weren’t present or I would never hear the end of this.
“Why?”
“Maddie said I had to do it. Don’t know why. She said it’s important.” I rolled my eyes, remembering her order and murderous intent if I didn’t do as I was told.
“That’s weird.”
Agreed. I didn’t know why we had to do this either, although I wasn’t complaining. I would carry Ayla anywhere, and having her in my arms was enough to make me a happy man.
Damn, I really was pussy whipped.
Putting Ayla back down, we walked around the house, showing her everywhere. Ayla loved it. If I wasn’t mistaken, she loved it more than the estate. It was a simple beach house.
Our final stop was our bedroom. Ayla pushed open the door. “Wow. We can see the beach from here.” She ran toward the balcony and laughed. “Alessio, this is gorgeous. I love it!”
“Glad you love it.” I watched Ayla bounce on her tip-toes as I made my way to the closet. “Ayla,” I called out, bringing her attention back to me.
She swiveled around, and her eyes went wide. “How?” She walked toward me in astonishment.
“I hired a maid when I bought the house. She made sure it was clean, and I told her to buy some clothes for you.”
“That’s not just some clothes. That’s a lot!” Ayla mumbled, looking at the closet and then back at me.
I shrugged, suddenly finding myself fidgeting under her intense gaze. Ayla stepped forward and slipped her hand into mine. A breathtaking smile appeared on her face. “You are so sweet.”
Great. I was now sweet.
“We’ve been over this before, kitten.”
She nodded furiously. “And I’m sure we came to the conclusion that you are sweet.”
“No. You came to the conclusion that I was sweet.”
“And what’s so wrong about being sweet?” she argued, her smile now a frown as she glared up at me.
I felt my lips turn up in a small smirk. Grabbing her waist, I pulled her to me, her body molding mine. Soft against hard. She bit on her lips nervously. “Do you want me to show you why I’m not sweet?”
“You’re teasing me now,” she muttered. “I take it back. You are a beast.”
“Oh, kitten, I’ll show how much of a beast I am when I get back home,” I promised before pulling away. After kissing her soundly on the lips, I sauntered out of our room.
As I made my way outside, I saw Nikolay, Viktor, Artur, and Phoenix standing next to the car. “Viktor, I want you to stay with Ayla. I don’t want to leave her alone.”
Viktor nodded and went inside. Without a word to the others, I got into the car. I didn’t have to say anything. They already knew the routine.
I had several underground fighting rings operating in several states. Several checkups were made through the year, and this month it was Florida.
It was time to recruit more members. Only the best fighters—killers—have the honor to work for me.
Now that Ayla was in my life, more protection was needed. I didn’t want to risk anything. I was going to protect her with everything I had.
As the car lurched to a stop, I was already pumped. I walked toward the door, Nikolay, Artur, and Phoenix closely behind me.
The men bowed their head as I entered. Walking further inside, I heard the screams from the crowd. People were cheering, pushing for more, chanting for death.
I walked upstairs to the VIP lounge, where we had the best view of the fight. My gaze stayed on the glass window when I sat down.
My blood roared as I watched the fight. The ring looked more like a dungeon. It was a cage, and only one person walked out after the fight. Only the winner. The fighters sliced, stabbed, bled, and fought to live. They were brutal, almost animalistic in their attacks.
After watching for several minutes, I already had my favorite, and I knew he was the one to win. He was, after all, ruthless. I watched him play with his opponent, turning him into a puppet with his moves.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“He’s known as KILLER. He’s twenty-three years old and has been fighting since he was thirteen. He’s one of the best and never loses a fight. Makes about five million dollars for every fight,” Nikolay quickly reported.
“Hmm…hire him.”
“Boss, he also does Alberto’s dirty work. I guess you could say he’s a mercenary.”
“Hire him. I will give him thrice what Alberto is giving him.”
“And if he betrays you?” Phoenix asked behind me. “He can’t be trusted.”
“He won’t betray me. If he does, then simple—I’ll put a bullet between his eyes. If he is Alberto’s man, then having him on our side is important. He will lead us to the fucker. And also, he won’t refuse the money I’m giving him.”
In this world, when it came to business—it was only about the money. Whatever worked in your advantage, you went for it.
I didn’t have to go far to know that KILLER wasn’t a loyal man. He might have been working for Alberto, but there was no way he was loyal. Men like him didn’t bow down to others. Everyone feared killers like him.
I didn’t watch the rest of the fight. I didn’t have to. It was obvious who won. Getting up, the crowd exploded, the volume deafening as the winner was announced.
The screams still rang through my ears as I walked to the car. Alberto’s end was coming soon. I could taste my need for revenge. The Italians would bow to me. Every single one of them. I was going to make sure of it.