“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.