“You have everything you deserve, Ayla.”
Alessio palmed my pregnant belly. “I will never let our daughter go through what we went through.”
My heart soared, and I closed my eyes with a relieved and happy sigh. “You are amazing; you know that? Sometimes I feel like it’s all a dream. Like you aren’t real. You can’t be real.”
He stiffened behind me, and my eyes snapped open at the sudden change. “I’m not amazing, Ayla. I’m far from amazing. If you knew what I had done…then you wouldn’t say that.”
I turned in his arms, looking at his cold face. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m a killer, Ayla,” he stated, staring at my face intently. He was looking for my reaction.
“I know that,” I replied softly.
“I have killed for years, and I will keep doing it—for this family. To protect my empire. And to protect you and our kids. It’s who I am,” he explained quietly.
“I know.”
“No. You don’t. You don’t know, Ayla. You have no idea of the things I have done. I’m not an amazing man. I’m a monster,” he continued, looking slightly heartbroken. “I don’t deserve you.”
My hands went to his chest. “Stop saying that. Just stop, Alessio. I get to decide if you deserve me or not. And I say you deserve me. Just like I deserve you.”
Alessio let out a dry laugh. “So innocent, Angel. I’m tempted to keep you that way. I don’t want to drag you into the dark side with me, but I can’t let you go either.”
“Alessio—” I started, but he shook his head, cutting me off.
“If I were a good man, I would have let you go to have a good life. Not trapped you here with me.”
“But it’s my choice. I decided to stay here with you. I chose you,” I quickly fought back. He was just being plain ridiculous now.
Alessio brought his hand to my face. His thumb caressed the underside of my eye, slowly dragging his finger to my cheek. “I’m not any better than your father or Alberto. You ended up falling in love with the Devil.”
My eyes widened, my lips parting in shock. “You don’t mean that. Stop it!” I screamed. “Don’t ever compare yourself with them. Do you understand?”
Holding his collar, I glared at the man I desperately loved. How dare he lower himself to their level?
“Tell me something, Alessio. Have you ever taken a woman against her will? Have you ever hit a woman? Rape her until she was unconscious and couldn’t move? Rape her while she was pregnant with another man’s baby? Have you ever chained a woman to a wall and beat her up…whipped her until she puked from crying too much?” I questioned fiercely.
Before he could answer, I continued. “Alberto did all of that to me and more. I know the difference between a good man and the Devil. You might be a killer, but you are a good man.”
My tears ran freely down my cheeks. I wanted Alessio to believe me. I was desperate for him to believe me.
Grabbing his cheeks, I stood on my toes until our faces were closer. Our lips were mere inches apart. “You said you have trapped me here. But tell me, if I ever want to leave…if I ever want to take our daughter and leave this place, will you let me go? What if I can’t bear to stay on this estate any longer…or stay with you? What if I chose to leave, would you let me go?”
He sucked in a shocked breath and looked pained. Like I had shot him, took his heart, and trampled over it.
“Even if it fucking killed me and I would be so tempted to tie you to our bed, I would let you go. Only if that’s what you wanted and made you happy. But not after fighting for us,” he choked out, like the words were hard to say.
I nodded, already knowing that would be his answer. I took his lips, and he let me lead the kiss. I kissed my husband slowly and softly, pouring all my love in that one kiss.
“And that’s exactly why you are different from Alberto. You two can’t even be compared in the slightest bit, my love,” I breathed against his lips.
His arms wrapped around me so tightly that it was almost impossible to breathe. “You won’t leave me?”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t. It was used just for an example,” I muttered. His heart drummed faster against mine, and I rubbed his chest, trying to soothe him.
“Don’t ever compare yourself with them. I know you have killed, and I know you will kill again. It doesn’t scare me. Because I know in the end, when you come back home, you will hold me in your arms and make sweet love to me…showing me exactly how much you love me,” I continued softly, this time my lips on his chest, right over his beating heart.