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His arms wrapped around my waist, but I pushed him away, hard. He stumbled over his feet before quickly straightening up, his face a mask of complete bewilderment.
“You want to know the truth, right? Fine. I’ll tell you,” I yelled, my chest heaving with exertion. My harsh breathing filled the room, and Alessio looked in pain.
“I believe y—” he started to say, but I talked over him.
“I was sixteen when I was raped.” Alessio’s mouth snapped shut, his jaw clenching as his eyes glittered with a sudden rage. But I continued, pushing forward in my own anger.
“The man who I was supposed to marry raped me on my sixteenth birthday, and he continued to do so every single night for seven years.” I choked on the last words.
Tears blinded my vision as the memories assaulted me. They flashed in front of my eyes, and my body shook as if I was experiencing all the nights of torture again.
“My father never did anything. He never even paid attention to me. I was alone, never allowed to leave the house. And then he handed me over to him. A cruel man who destroyed me.”
As I revealed my truth, I saw Alessio’s face changing. So much fury. I could feel it from where I was standing. The air around us grew rigid as my words echoed around us.
“Who hurt you?” he growled, his body prowling forward to me. His voice was deadly, his words so sharp it felt like a whip had sliced through the air. And his eyes…the look he gave me was completely ferocious.
I could see the monster there. The one everyone feared.
I felt my chest start to burn with the pressure building there. I didn’t know how to feel. He looked in pain for me…but he was also the cause of my pain.
“He used to beat me. He would chain me to our bed and then whip me if I did something wrong or what he perceived wrong.”
His face was already a mask of rage, but it darkened more ominously as I admitted another truth. I held my breath when I saw him clenching and then unclenching his fists. Alessio did that a few times, and each time he clenched his fist, my heart squeezed.
“I was running away from home when I found you and hid in your car. That’s how we met. I’m not a spy, Alessio. I’m just someone running away from her nightmare, desperately seeking peace,” I murmured as my shoulders sagged, the anger leaving my body until I felt empty.
My mind was lost somewhere I didn’t want to go.
“I’m not your enemy. I’m just another victim,” I whispered brokenly, hoping he could hear the truth in my words. I might have been an Abandonato, but I wasn’t Alessio’s enemy. My real enemy was my own family.
Alessio’s face was thunderous as he moved into my space. Even when I placed my hands out to ward him off, he didn’t stop. He kept moving until he was in front of me, my shoulders held tightly in his hands. I flinched when his fingers dug into my skin.
“Who?” One simple word but it spoke volume. The raw brutal energy coming off Alessio wrapped around us. He exuded danger, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
When I didn’t answer, he shook me, his beautiful bluish eyes darkening even further. “Who the fuck hurt you, Ayla?” Alessio roared.
“You!” I screamed, pushing him away from me. A sudden surge of anger coursed through my body again. “You hurt me. You are hurting me.”
He flinched at my words, his body tensing fiercely. Hurt flashed over his face, his eyebrows pulling together tensely.
“I never had hopes for my father or the man he handed me to. I grew numb in their hands, learning to block away the pain. But you.” I pointed at Alessio. “You hurt me because I trusted you. I gave you everything. I let you touch me—” I broke off on the last words. I gave you my heart.
Deep regret was written over his face as he stayed rooted on the spot. “Ayla, please let me…”
“When I ran away, I didn’t expect to find peace. I didn’t even know what I wanted until I found you. You brought me peace. I was basking in this light until you took it away,” I snapped, my voice rising.
I felt something wet on my cheeks and brought my hand up. I didn’t even realize I was crying. Alessio made an agonized sound at the sight of my tears, and he moved forward again, wrapping his arms around me before I could say anything else.
My head was right over his loudly racing heart. His arms tightened around me at my next words. “You were my savior. My own guardian angel.”
At the word Angel, I felt him suck in a harsh breath, his arms growing impossibly tight around me. “But it feels like my heart is splintering into pieces right now, Alessio.”
