The door opened, and my heart hammered. I thought it skipped a beat because of how hard it pounded against my ribcage.
My hands trembled, but I clenched them into fists. I walked inside to see Alessio swiveling around, facing me in shock.
I flinched at the sight in front of me.
The first thing I noticed was how bloodied his clothes were. His hands had blood on them too.
The second thing I saw was Viktor, Nikolay, and Phoenix staring at me with wide eyes. They had blood on them too.
And the last thing…was Alberto.
He was strapped to a chair, his arms tied behind his back. His head hung low, his chin almost touching his chest.
He looked dead.
But I knew he wasn’t.
I could hear his labored breathing.
Blood was everywhere. The copper smell of blood in the room made me nauseous, and my stomach rolled painfully.
“Ayla,” Alessio breathed. He took a step toward me, and my lips wobbled, trying to keep the tears in.
“What…?” He shook his head, dropping his knife to the floor. My eyes followed it. There was blood on the blade too. Actually, the whole knife was covered in blood.
My eyes went to Alessio’s hand. The same hand that held me gently and loved me.
I should have been scared, but I wasn’t.
Because I knew these hands would keep me safe. They were bloodied for me.
I looked at Alberto again.
He moved slightly. The Devil raised his head with great difficulty.
And when his eyes met mine, my heart found its way to my throat. It felt like sharp knives were piercing me. His stare made me sick.
This man broke me. Humiliated me in the worst way possible. He was my nightmare for so many years. The Devil in my life.
I quaked as I kept my eyes on him. He represented every ugliness in my life.
I wanted to sink to the floor. I wanted so sink and sink into a pit of darkness. To shut out everything. Every pain. Every hurt the Devil caused me.
I wanted to fade away into nothingness.
I didn’t want to feel. My legs felt numb, and my whole body felt heavy.
It hurt so much. Everything hurt.
In front of me, I saw the Devil. But I also saw every painful memory.
Every rape. Every sinister laugh. All the torture I went through. I remembered being shackled to the wall, being fed, beaten, and then raped.
I remembered the years he let his men take me over and over again until I would fade in and out of blackness. Until I would feel nothing but pain.
I saw everything. I felt everything.
The agony made me dizzy.
All those emotions that were dormant inside of me, they all erupted.
Fury, disgust, sadness, pain. They coursed through me, fueling something deep inside of me. Something I didn’t even realized I was capable of.
Without thinking, I lunged forward. Alessio reared back in shock when I grabbed his gun.
I held the gun in my hand and pointed it at Alberto.
I saw Viktor moving forward, but Alessio stopped him with a raise of his hand.
My hands trembled around the gun, but my grasp never slipped. I just had to pull the trigger.
I wanted him to hurt, just like he hurt me.
My eyes moved back to Alessio for a second. His gaze was already on me. He looked shocked but proud.
When I saw him smile, I relaxed.
It wasn’t a sweet smile. No, it was a smile filled with promises of darkness. A sadistic smile.
“You want to shoot him?” Alessio asked, walking toward me. His steps were deliberately slow. He looked powerful and ruthless. Alessio Ivanshov looked like the King he truly was.
He appeared like the very monster he was described as. The monster everyone feared.
I nodded my head, keeping my eyes on Alberto.
Alessio stopped beside me. “You really want to do this?”
I nodded again.
I wanted to shoot him. But now that the gun was in my hand, I couldn’t move.
I froze, my throat closing up, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Viktor,” Alessio growled. Viktor looked at Alessio before nodding. He untied Alberto and hoisted him off the chair.
Viktor held him by the nape and dragged him across the floor toward me. Wiping the tears away, I felt a sudden fear rake through me.
Viktor kicked Alberto’s leg, making him kneel in front of me. I stiffened, taking a step back. My back hit a chest, and I knew it was Alessio.
When did he move behind me?
I sucked in a breath and held the gun tighter. My finger feathered against the trigger, but I couldn’t do it.
“Angel, you don’t have to do this,” Alessio whispered in my ears.
I shook my head wildly.
“No,” I replied brokenly. “I want…to…”
He swore under his breath. “I’m letting you do this only because you want to. Only one shot, Ayla. That’s it.”
My gut clenched as I stared at the Devil kneeling in front of me. I held the power, yet I couldn’t do it.