“Always,” he vowed.
I smiled. “Exactly.”
“I have done horrible things, Ayla, but my love for you is true,” he confessed.
“How horrible? Tell me,” I demanded.
“I almost killed a man in front of his wife and daughter. I made them watch as I tortured him. I have killed more men than I could ever count. I cut Artur’s tongue out.” He paused when I flinched at the visual.
“I made him bleed for hours. I cut off Enzo’s dick. I tortured them until they were unconscious and could barely breathe.” Alessio bent his head down.
“And I ripped Alberto’s fucking heart out of his chest with my bare hands,” he hissed in my ear. “Is that what you want to hear, Angel?”
“They were all bad men. They deserved it, Alessio,” I pushed out.
“Not all of them were bad,” he said drily.
My breath was stolen from me and I froze. “What?”
Alessio stayed silent, and I looked at him in shock. “Have you…ever…killed an innocent?”
He stared at me with hard blue eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. I do what I have to do for my family. For my empire. When I have a purpose, a goal…I go for it. I take what I have to take. I take what I want. It doesn’t matter who is in front of me. Everyone who is in my path ends up soulless. I go for my target, not caring what disaster I leave behind.”
My hands shook, and I took several deep breaths. “So, no. I don’t know who is innocent or who isn’t. I don’t care. It’s what I want and what I have to do to get it. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. Do I care? No, I don’t. But do I care what you think of me? Then yes, I do.”
I brought a shaky hand to my lips and shook my head, trying to find the proper words. He chuckled low and looked hurt when I didn’t say anything.
“Go ahead. Say it, Ayla. I’m a monster. Your husband is a killer,” he goaded.
I shook my head again.
“I know exactly who you are. I married you knowing what you do and how you do it. I’m not surprised. Just a little overwhelmed with the information. You’re right. You are a killer. You are a monster.” I paused.
His eyes widened, and he took a step back, like I had burned him.
Taking a step forward, I crowded his personal space again. “But you are my monster.”
Alessio sucked in a surprised breath, his shoulders sagging. “Do you understand what I’m saying? I accept you for who you are. You are mine. All of you. So I would really appreciate it if you stop lowering yourself. I decide what I deserve, and I say we deserve each other.”
Alessio was silent for a moment, his expression deadly.
And then he threw his head back and laughed. Pulling me into his arms, he buried his head in my neck. “You are crazy for loving me. You can’t back out now. It’s too late. I’m never letting you go, Angel.”
“I don’t want you to let me go,” I murmured, burying deeper into his chest.
“Good,” he replied arrogantly.
We hugged, both of us refusing to let each other go. I felt so warm and loved in his embrace that if someone tried to pull us apart, I would fight them.
Chapter 32
Almost three months later
I woke up with an uncomfortable feeling in my lower region. My stomach tightened for a moment, and I moved around, trying to get rid of the stiffness.
My stomach and back muscles contracted, and my eyes snapped open when I felt a gush between my legs.
Oh. Oh.
Not again.
I pinched my eyes closed in embarrassment.
This would be the second time I peed the bed this week.
How mortifying.
My cheeks heated, and I struggled in a sitting position. Thank God Alessio was downstairs. Last time, he was unlucky.
We were both sleeping, and in the middle of the night, I had the urge to pee badly. I was too late, though. By the time I was able to get up, I had already peed. Right there on the bed.
I cried in embarrassment, and Alessio woke up. The tears just kept flowing at how shameful it was.
But being the gentleman he was, Alessio never complained.
He kissed me softly on my forehead and got up from the bed. After helping me stand up, he walked us to the bathroom and pulled me into the shower.
While I stood there crying, he took care of me, showering me with care and then drying me with a soft towel. Alessio had dressed me again in a clean nightgown. He had even removed the wet sheet and had a clean blanket on.
And then he held me in his arms until I had fallen asleep again.
This time I was on my own. I was slightly grateful for that.