Page 99 of The Mafia And His Angel: Part 1 (Tainted Hearts 1)

“Ayla,” she gasped. “She’s hurt.”

My eyes widened and I quickly stood up, causing Nina to lose her balance and stumble.

“What happened?” I demanded, my voice filled with panic.

Maddie took a deep breath and glanced at Nina before answering. “She twisted her ankle really bad and she can’t walk. She’s in her room.”

I swore, rushing out of my office. I made my way to Ayla’s room and found the door already open.

“Ayla?” I walked inside. She was lying on her bed but quickly sat up at the sound of my voice.

“Alessio,” she said, and then I saw her wince, her forehead creasing in discomfort.

Rushing forward, I stopped in front of her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m all right,” she said.

I looked down at her reddened ankle, then knelt in front of her, but didn’t touch her, afraid I might hurt her more.

When she moved her feet closer to the bed and away from me, I placed a hand on her knee, stopping her. “Don’t move.” Gently taking her foot in my hand, I inspected it. “Does it hurt when you move?’

“A little.”

I looked up at Ayla. She was staring down at me, seemingly confused.

Standing up, I bent forward and wrapped an arm behind her back and one under her knees, pulling her up so that I was cradling her to my chest.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m taking you to Sam. He will know whether you are okay or not,” I replied, walking her out of her room and downstairs to Sam’s bedroom.

Ayla was silent in my arms. When we got closer, I heard her sigh. “How did you know I was hurt?” she asked.

“Maddie told me you twisted your ankle. She said you couldn’t walk,” I replied.

“Oh.” A small smile appeared on her lips. It was faint and quick, but definitely there.

I stopped in front of Sam’s room and Ayla leaned forward to knock at the door. It opened within a few seconds and Sam stood in the doorway. His eyes widened at the sight of Ayla in my arms and he quickly moved back, motioning for me to enter.

“What happened?” he asked.

I placed Ayla on his bed, and stood beside her. “She twisted her ankle.”

Sam knelt down in front of Ayla and inspected her ankle. His lips twisted thoughtfully and he asked Ayla several questions while I hovered over her, anxious and worried. The thought of her being in pain didn’t sit well with me.

The sense of protectiveness I felt toward her was a first. The need to keep her safe and happy was a primal feeling inside of me. Every day it grew stronger, until only she mattered to me.

“It’s not bad. Nothing to be worried about. Just a very tiny sprain that won’t even hurt after two days,” Sam said.

He looked up and smiled kindly at Ayla, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’ll give you some pain relieving cream. Just rub it over your ankle twice a day until it doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said.

Ayla nodded and looked up shyly at me as a faint color tinged her cheeks. When she saw me staring, she quickly looked down nervously.

Sam came back with a small tube in his hand. “Here. This should help with the pain. Rub it gently over the aching area and it should do the work.”

“Thank you,” she said.

Maddie stepped into the room. “So?” she asked, walking straight to Ayla.

Ayla gave her strange look and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she replied before mumbling something under her breath.

She stood up and wobbled a little, and I instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to me.

She placed a hand on my chest and tried to step out of my embrace, but my arms tightened around her, stopping her movement.

“I can walk,” she said, her voice coming out a little breathy.

“You shouldn’t put too much pressure on your ankle.”

Ayla glanced at Maddie. “She can help me. I’m sure you have other things to take care of.”

“Right. I’ll help her. Don’t want to disturb you from your work and all,” Maddie added, glaring at me.

Before I could answer, Maddie was already pulling Ayla away from me and I had no choice but to let her go. As she stepped out of my embrace, I suddenly felt empty and already missed having her small body against mine.

When they were out of sight, I nodded to Sam and then made my way upstairs. I saw Nina at the top of the steps. She smiled brightly, her eyes shining.

“Alessio,” she whispered.

“You need to leave,” I ordered, my voice harsh and unyielding.

“What?” she sputtered, her eyes widening.

“Exactly what I said. Leave. I don’t want you here anymore.” Nina was good at her job. She was an asset but I didn’t need her anymore, except for her work in the field.