In the beginning, p.79
In The Beginning, page 79
My lips moved tenderly over hers, taking my sweet time. When I put the slightest pressure, deepening the kiss just a little bit, I felt her fingers tighten around the fabric of my suit.
I didn’t push for more.
It was just a kiss. A small, sweet kiss.
That was it. Nothing more. Yet it felt more.
When Ayla let another sigh, I pulled away. We were both breathing hard. I could feel how fast her heart was beating. It matched the same rhythm as mine.
Ayla’s cheeks were flushed, her lips a little swollen and red from my kiss. She blinked up at me, and the look in her eyes…it took my breath away.
Her eyes were warm and soft. But that wasn’t it. It was the look of pure adoration there that took my breath away.
In that moment, I realized that was the first time I had given her a kiss.
We kissed before. Twice to be exact. But those kisses…I took them. Without considering her feelings. All I cared about was me. What I wanted.
But this kiss…I gave it to her, wholeheartedly. The look in her eyes, I gave this to her.
Her eyes were filled with awe as she brought her hand up and placed a finger on her lips. At her reaction, I felt myself softening even further.
For years, I had lived in the darkness with no emotions. I had remained unfeeling.
Yet, with one look from Ayla, I felt everything.
And that scared me.
Whenever I felt something for Ayla, Alfredo’s voice resonated in my head. I would never forget the words he said to my mother.
The best way to bring a man down is by his weakness.
What I said to Maddie was the truth. This was not about me. It was about Ayla and what was right for her.
I let her go, and she blinked in surprise when I took a step back, forcing her to let go of me.
“We need to get back,” I said, turning around, refusing to look at her confused expression.
“Okay,” she whispered, her small voice hinting her sadness.
Both of us were silent on our way back to the mansion. As we got closer, the sound of the rushing water started to fade until we didn’t hear it anymore. Breaking away from the forest, I took a deep breath as we walked into the back garden.
Ayla was right behind me, her steps so close she almost tripped herself over my feet. When we walked inside, I slowed down and turned toward her.
She stopped too and grabbed onto the hem of her dress nervously. “I’ll see you later,” I muttered. Ayla nodded and then walked away without saying anything.
I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion when I saw her walking toward the kitchen. Quickly moving forward, I grabbed her elbow, halting her movement.
She gasped in shock and swiveled around, facing me with wide eyes. “Where are you going?” I demanded, letting go of her arm.
“To the kitchen,” Ayla replied.
Crossing my arms across my chest, I leveled her with a stare. “Why?”
She cocked her head to the side, as if debating what to tell me. “To help Maddie and Lena.”
“You are supposed to be resting, Ayla. No work for you.”
“But I have been resting for three days now. I can work. I feel okay.”
“No,” I said.
“But it’s boring. I want to help.”
“No, Ayla. You are going upstairs to rest.”
“But—”
“No. Stop arguing.”
Her mouth snapped shut and she cowered. The beautiful smile disappeared.
I didn’t like her sad expression.
Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair and looked away. Fuck.
“Fine. You can go. Just don’t overwork yourself. You don’t want to tear those stitches,” I said.
But it was worth it when I turned around to see her staring at me with twinkling green eyes, and then a breathtaking smile spread across her lips.
“Thank you,” she said before turning around and quickly walking away. I stayed frozen, my eyes glued on her retreating back.
Fuck. I was losing it.
***
The rest of the day was spent avoiding Ayla. I stayed locked in my office and then went to the gym to vent my frustration on the punching bag.
Leaning against the wall, I tried to catch my breath.
“You are going to kill us one day,” Viktor said.
“You are too stubborn to die,” I told him, breathless.
“Well, I have to agree on that.” He shrugged.
I pushed away from the wall and walked to the bench, grabbing a towel. “Are Artur and Phoenix coming back tomorrow?” I asked, rubbing the towel over my face.
“They are supposed to report back. We are going to Mark’s tomorrow,” Nikolay replied from his position at the door.
“Any news about the clubs?” I asked.
Nikolay shook his head. “No. Mark said he will give us the details when we meet.”
Since Alberto took over, he’d made it his mission to take over my clubs. So far, he had been unsuccessful, but everyone was taking extra precautions. Mark was one of my top managers, handling over ten clubs, brothels, and underground rings.
Nodding toward Nikolay and Viktor, I left the gym. It was late at night, and most of the lights were off.
After Ayla had played the piano and gone to her room, I couldn’t go to sleep. I stayed seated for some time, staring at nothingness and feeling frustrated at myself. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I went downstairs and spent more time in the gym.
When I went back up again, I stopped in front of my bedroom. Instead of going in, I turned to the left and stared at Ayla’s door.
I knew it was late and that she’d be sleeping, but I still couldn’t stop myself. I took several steps forward, walking past the piano room, until I was in front of her room. Placing my hand over the knob, I slowly twisted it and opened the door.
The room was dark. Only the small lamp beside her bed was on, barely illuminating the room. Walking deeper inside, I came to a stop beside Ayla. She was on her side, curled into a ball with the comforter up to her waist. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even as she slept soundly.
The lamp cast a soft glow on her face, making her look so peaceful.
Leaning forward, I lightly brushed a finger over her soft cheek, moving the few strands of hair away. At my touch, she moaned sleepily and shifted a little. I froze, waiting for her to wake up, but instead she kept sleeping.
Sighing in relief, I felt my lips twitch in a small smile as I stared at her sleeping form. My eyes moved from her face, down to her shoulders, and then her chest.
She was holding my suit jacket against her chest, her fingers wrapped tightly around the fabric.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. So, it was true.
Walking out of the room, I made my way to Ayla’s, deciding to check on her. But when I saw Milena coming out, looking affronted, I stopped in my tracks. She seemed surprised to see me, but then bent her head down in respect before walking past me without saying a word.
“What the fuck was that?” I muttered to myself, before resuming my walk to Ayla’s room. Stopping by her door, I was about to open it when I heard Maddie’s voice.
“Ayla, what were you doing with Alessio’s jacket?”
At her words, I froze, my eyes widening in shock.
What the fuck?
Leaning forward, I placed my ear against the door, hoping nobody was roaming the hallway.
I waited for an answer but instead all I heard was silence.
“You don’t have to…” Maddie said.
“I sleep with it.”
“What?” Maddie sputtered. I had the same reaction.
“I sleep with it,” Ayla repeated, making my heart flip again.
And then her next words were enough to bring me to my knees. My hands tightened in fists against the door and I closed my eyes.
“It keeps the nightmares away,” she admitted, her voice so soft that I barely even heard it. But I did. I heard it as if she’d whispered it in my ear.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I paced the hall outside of her door, trying to come to grips with what I had just heard.
My eyes widened when I heard Maddie at the door, telling Ayla that she would come back soon.
I quickly rushed into the piano room and closed the door behind me. Leaning against the door, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, feeling uncertain about whether I should act on this new revelation.
When I felt Ayla shift under my hand, I snapped out of my thoughts. I knew one thing for certain.
If my jacket kept Ayla’s nightmares away, that was all that mattered.
I rubbed my thumb over her cheek one last time before stepping away. Ayla sighed in her sleep, a small smile playing across her lips.
“Sweet dreams,” I whispered.
Giving her a final glance, I turned around and walked out of her room, closing the door softly behind me.
***
I stared at the beige walls. Mark’s house was homey. Toys were spread out over the carpet.
“So far, Alberto’s made no move toward the clubs I’m taking care of,” Mark said. My attention returned to him as he leaned back against his sofa. “I’m surprised. They are the most popular places. If he wanted to go big, those would have been his first targets.”
Alberto had some kind of plan, but every lead my men followed brought them to a dead end.
Every time we made a move, he was ready for them. Whoever the insider was, he’d been getting the information back to Alberto quickly, barely giving us time to put our plans in actions.
“What are you going to do?” Mark asked.
I scoffed. “The question should be, what am I not going to do?”
He raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. “Well, you definitely have something planned.”
“Always. I want you to keep a close eye on all the clubs. Every single one of them. If you can’t do it alone, I will send one of my man to help,” I said, my voice hard.
“I can handle it. I have been doing this for years, boss. But I think it would be better if you send another man. This way, we can keep a better watch.”
Nodding, I sat back against the couch. Just then, a small girl came running in the living room, a bright smile on her face.
She was wearing a purple dress, her short black hair hanging loose on her neck. She smiled up at us.
“Sophia,” Mark admonished softly. “You aren’t supposed to come in here.”
But the little girl paid no attention to her father. She was only two years old. All her attention was fixated on Nikolay, who stood stoically beside me.
Sophia took a step closer toward him and stopped right in front of him. I looked up to see his jaw twitch at how hard he was grinding his teeth.
He moved his eyes down to the small girl in front of him and I saw him swallow hard. Sophia raised her arms and said, “Up.”
When Nikolay didn’t move, Sophia lost her smile and she demanded again, “Up. Up.”
Mark rose to his feet. “I’m sorry, Boss.” He looked embarrassed. But just when he was about to move toward Sophia, Nikolay bent down and pulled the girl into his arms.
“What the fuck?” Viktor muttered beside me, voicing what I’d been thinking.
Sophia giggled. “Hi,” she said.
Nikolay didn’t answer, instead he glowered at the girl in his arms. But Sophia didn’t seem affected by his glare.
Instead she turned her attention to his scars, and her hand moved to cup his cheek, her tiny palm right over his scars.
“Shit,” Mark muttered.
But instead of Nikolay erupting in anger at the girl’s touch, he stayed still, tense, and completely silent.
“Boo…hurts?” Sophia asked.
I heard a gasp and turned to see Bree, Mark’s wife, standing at the doorway, her eyes wide.
But I quickly turned my attention back to Nikolay and Sophia.
When he didn’t answer, Sophia repeated her question again.
“She is asking if it hurts,” Bree translated. Nikolay swallowed hard and then he shook his head.
“No. Not anymore,” he said.
“Good. No hurt,” she replied with a smile, and then started to twist around in his arms, clearly wanting to be let down.
Nikolay set her down and then she was running to her mother, who gave us a sheepish look. “I’m sorry. I was busy and she ran before I could stop.”
“It’s okay,” I said. I got up and Viktor followed. “I will see you next month,” I told Mark.
“Sure, Boss. I will keep you updated.”
Nikolay was still visibly shaken by what had just happened. Fuck, even I was. That took us all by surprise.
We were almost out of the door when something caught my attention. Stopping, I glanced at it. Flowers. They were different from what Maddie had given Ayla but they still reminded me of her.
“Nice flowers,” I said dryly, trying to appear disinterested.
Bree smiled. “Thank you. Mark gave them to me for our anniversary.”
Nodding, I looked away from the flowers and walked out, followed by Viktor and Nikolay.
As Viktor drove us back to the estate, all I could think about was the flowers. And the beautiful smile on Ayla’s face when she was looking at them.
Flowers. Ayla’s smile. And Maddie’s words.
Sighing, I asked out loud, “Where do you get flowers?”
“What?” Viktor asked, confused.
“Where do you buy flowers?” I asked again.
“Flowers? What the fuck do you want to do with flowers?” He glanced back at me in the rear view mirror before moving his gaze back to the road.
“Nikolay,” I said, my voice hard.
“Yes, Boss.” He nodded and took out his phone. I saw him typing something and after a few minutes, he passed me the phone.
“I already dialed the number,” he said.
Placing the phone to my ear, I waited for someone to pick up.
“Hello, Starbright Floral Design. How can I help you?” a woman said.
“I want flowers,” I said abruptly. I heard Viktor chuckle from the front seat and I glared at the back of his head.
“Okay?” I waited, but she didn’t say anything else.
“I said, I want flowers.”
“Yes. I heard you, sir. But what type of flowers?”
“Any flowers,” I muttered impatiently.
“Any flowers? But, sir—”
“Just give me the best flowers you have,” I snapped.
“Okay. How many?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, I leaned my head against the back of the seat. Why the fuck was ordering flowers so damn complicated?
“Twenty, thirty…” I growled into the phone.
“I need an exact number, sir.” The woman sounded impatient. That was an understatement of what I was feeling.
“Damn it, just give me thirty.”
“Okay. When do you want them del—”
“In an hour.”
“An hour? Sir, we can’t do it in an hour—”
“I said, I want it in an hour.”
“Just give me a minute.” I heard her talking in the background and then she was back. “Okay, sir. Give me your address.” I quickly rattled off the address and then hung up, throwing the phone on the seat next to me.
“So, flowers?” Viktor asked.
“Not now!” I growled in warning before closing my eyes.
When the car lurched to a complete stop, there was a van outside the gate. The words Starbright Floral Design were written boldly across the side of the van.
“Nice timing,” I said when the driver stepped out of the van. He had a large bouquet of pink and white flowers in his hands.
Walking toward him, he nodded in greetings. “Sir, were you the one who ordered the flowers?”
“Yes,” I replied sharply.
“Here you go. You need to sign here.” He pushed a paper in my hand. After signing, he handed me the bouquet. The very big bouquet.
I looked down at it curiously. “Did I really order this much?”
I heard Viktor cough beside me. “If I remember correctly, you ordered thirty. That looks like thirty to me.” Glaring at him, I realized that I asked that question out loud.
I flipped him the finger and nodded at the guard to open the gates.
I didn’t care if it was five or thirty, as long as Ayla loved them. That was all that mattered.
Chapter 39
Ayla
I was lying in bed completely lost in the book that I was reading, when my door opened without a knock. Sitting up with a start, I dropped the book. It fell on my mattress soundlessly while my heart was beating loudly against my rib-cage.
Maddie walked inside, her face bright and in her hands was a large bouquet of pink and white flowers. “Alessio got you flowers!”
Again?
My eyes went wide as she got closer and I was able to take a better look at the flowers. Holding my hand out, my heart danced with excitement. Maddie gave me the flowers and I gasped.
They were so beautiful. Even more beautiful than the flowers he gave me before. And it was such a large bouquet.
Pulling it to my chest, I smiled up at Maddie. “What are they called?”
“Peonies. They are beautiful, aren’t they?”
I nodded, completely speechless. They were breathtaking. And the mixture of colors made the bouquet even more gorgeous.
I couldn’t help it. I was smiling hard and then a small giggle escaped my lips. “I can’t believe he got me flowers again,” I whispered.
My heart was going wild in my chest and my stomach was filled with butterflies. Holding the flowers close to my chest, I sighed in contentment.
As I held the flowers, all I wanted was to see Alessio. I wished he was the one who gave them to me. I wished he was here, so I could thank him.
I wished he was here, so that he could see how happy he made me.
Looking up at Maddie, I saw her smiling down at me. “He can be a romantic sometimes,” she teased with a wink.
I heard myself giggle again. I was giggling. Unbelievable. Placing my hand over my mouth, I looked down at the flowers and then nodded.
