This song always hit hard.
~~**~~
Karl Alfred Ivano's POV
"I apologize for my impolite behavior." I stiffly stated out hearing a deep sigh coming from the opposite line."I understand.You are welcome there anytime." I heard Gabriel's gentle voice replying back as I increased the speed of my Bentley continental GT V8 mulliner in the empty midnight road.
After starting my journey towards Gabriel's home,I eventually decided to call Gabriel for informing my unexpected arrival there. Instead, Gabriel informed that him and Bella still needs time to come back home as Bella needs a few days more to recover.
Not having the will to turn back without calming down,I remained firm in my decision to give a visit there."The room at the end of corridor of the apartment belonged to Azaleas."I heard Gabriel humbly adding causing my grip to tighten over the steering wheel.
"Grazie.Parliamo più tardi."( Thanks. We'll talk later)I simply answered disconnecting the call.With my storms roaring inside,I reduced my speed realising that I've reached my destination earlier than usual due to my reckless driving.
Exhaling a loud breath,I parked the car at the corner alley of backside of the cafe and shut off the ignition. Loosing my necktie,I opened the car door and slowly got down as my gaze fixed over the shadow of the building.A street lamp remained glowing beside the pavement as I closed the car door locking it.
Taking slow steps towards the back door of the cafe,I felt my each steps getting heavier as the fragments of past continued to flash before my eyes one by one.
The past of my first meet here with Azaleas in the underground,as a Don.Both of us leaving for our first mission,together.Bading my goodbye with thousand unsaid words to Azaleas as she went for the undercover mission as a regal warrior.
How did so many storms went in our lives at a stretch? How did not for once I felt myself faltering whenever you were there? How did these storms managed to snatch you away from me?
Millions of why's floated through my mind as I finally stand at the end of the stair towards the backdoor of the cafe. Again looking up at the building without moving,I remembered her name for the thousand times.I remembered the meaningful two weeks with her at the hospital. I remembered about our us. I remembered everything like a faraway dream.
How did I ended up being the same cold shell of a person?How did fate again managed to be the most cruel with me?With her?How?
"I'm sorry Azaleas."I whispered out in a heavy tone feeling my knee almost buckle under my heavy thoughts."I'm sorry for not saving you.I'm sorry for failing you.I'm sorry for failing us." I whispered out in the cold and silent night feeling my lungs almost suffocate me in agony.
I wish I could do something more than saying sorry.
"No Karl." I heard a small feminine voice whisper out causing me to immediately look around with alarm. "Don't say sorry." The same voice again whispered out as my frantic gaze watched a shadow emerging out from my right.With bated breath, I watched as a battered figure finally stand a distance away from my defeated figure as the street lamp finally exposed the shadowed figure.
A familiar figure which is haunting my mind.
My heartbeat stilled momentarily as the figure stand infront of me like a mirage.Like a lost traveller reaching his destination.Like a lost soul finally finding his soulmate.
Not believing my eyes, I rubbed my fist over my eyes harshly to make the hallucination I was seeing disappear.
This can't be.She can't be.She can't be Azaleas. My mirage needs to vanish. She can't appear in my thoughts looking that beaten and battered. That's not how I want her to envision. That's not what she deserves.
Azaleas POV
I watched with glossy eyes as Karl rubbed his fist over his eyes which followed by continuous shake of his head in disbelief. "I'm getting mad.I miss you but I can't hallucinate while you look like as if you've went through hell and back."I heard Karl muttering out with closed lids as I took two more steps ahead with tears brimming my eyes."I won't survive for long if this continues." I heard Karl continued to mutter out feeling my vision blur due to unshed tears.
"Can you hold me?Can you hold me and confirm your hallucination into reality, please?"I pleaded out in a choked tone again taking a few steps towards his vulnerable figure. Catching his eyes follow my movement,I slowly outstretched my arms as tears finally rolled down my cheeks.
What has padre made him? What hell he went through this past week? Did anyone comforted him? Did he let anyone comfort him?
Series of questions went through my mind as I watched Karl cautiously took a step ahead with that disbelief and pain filled orbs.I watched as his eyes remained fearful with the fact that I'll vanish into thin air and won't even come back if he comes anymore closer.
Feeling my heart squeeze painfully at his agonising state,I finally let my feet take the final steps ahead and encircling my arms around his neck. Feeling him going stiff at my touch,I tightened my arms over his neck as a sob finally escaped through my lips sensing the familar smell and warmth of his body.
This is the reason for which I came through that dark and looming forest, for my safe haven.For my heart.For my home.
Hearing my cry, Karl finally encircled his arms around my waist as he dropped over his knees causing me to follow him along. I felt him muttering out you're real, this is not dream under his breath as I softly pressed a kiss over his head to calm him down.
"I'm here,in your arms."I softly whispered out beside his ear as he tightened his hold over me to show agreement at my words.Loosing my arms from his neck, I inched back as my tear stained eyes glanced over his rugged face with pain and relief while he kissed my forehead warming my heart.
Slowly, my honey orbs connected with those midnight orbs as he watched over my face with the emotion mirroring with my own gaze.
The words which I had thought to take along with me in grave.
"I love you." I said out loudly and clearly without hesitation.Without fear of chains of past.Without the fear of rejection.Without the fear of separation.
There's nothing to hold me back anymore.
I watched as Karl leaned ahead again kissing my forehead as his arms remained wrapped around me providing warmth."I died every moment for the past week for not saying you these words earlier." Karl whispered out in a thick tone causing me to run my fingers over his luscious unruly hair for providing comfort.
Abrubtly, he leaned back catching my gaze as I looked over his face with a loving expression already seeing the answer of my confession in his eyes. In his subtle trembling figure.
"I love you.I love you Azaleas Eleonora.I love you after everything you went through, I love you after everything I went through and I still love you after what both of us went through."Karl firmly declared out looking at my eyes as more tears gather behind my lids at his confession.
"I thought I'll never get to hear them or say them back to you."I stated out in an emotional tone causing Karl to quickly wipe off the tears which managed to escape through my lids."I love you and I can't stop loving you."I again whispered out as Karl smiled softly cupping my left cheek.
But, his smile instantly faded as he eyes zeroed over something on my head.Slowly, he leaned over my face as I wondered what's over my head staring at his examining face."You have a bruise here." Karl seriously stated out as he carefully poked over my head causing me to yelp out in pain.Immediately, he got up on his feet holding my arms causing me to also get up along with him.
Here comes the questions.
"Where were you for one week? How did you got that bruise? Are you injured in any other place? What actually happened to you and what about Lucifer?" Karl asked out everything in one breath as his eyes and hands worriedly moved over my body for further injury.Before I can calm him down, I felt his hand pausing over the dressing of my right abdomen as he carefully touched the bandaged place again.
"Is this caused by Lucifer?" Karl lowly asked out as I cupped his unshaved cheeks making his eyes connect with me.I watched as those previous soft gaze now replaced with restrained fury as I softly rubbed my thumb over his cheekbones to calm him down.
"The injuries are not severe and you getting restless won't heal them." I calmly stated out as he took off his black blazer wrapping it around my body. Within a blink,I was in his arms before I can even wear the coat properly.
"Karl!" I shouted out in surprise as he swiftly carried me towards a posh black Bentley in a bridal way. Feeling good, I wrapped my arms around his neck without protest and silently gazed at his side face with a smile as his face now remained serious and concerned for me.
"Karl,Lucifer needs to be captured. You can then treat my wounds." I requested in a pleading tone as Karl silently rounded over the driver's seat with me still in his arms.With no intention to put me over the passenger seat, he opened the door as he easily seated himself over the seat still holding me firmly. Stretching out my legs over the passenger seat, I sensed his hand pausing over my knee as I positioned myself comfortably over his thighs and slackening my arms from his neck.
"Your feet." Karl informed gruffly causing my eyes to focus over my now bare and bandaged feet.Nearing Bella's cafe,I had threw away the shoes as they were extremely huge in size to walk in comfortably.I watched as my dirty feet remained scratched here and there while Karl stretched out his hands to examine my feet.
"Karl,you can look them later.I did the first aid." I consoled in a soft tone pulling his hands towards me.Giving an assuring smile towards his rugged face,I watched as he tucked my curls behind causing me to beam towards his brooding face which now turned around focusing over the ignition.
He knows he can't talk me out from this.
"The passenger seat looks spacious enough for me to sit,you know?"I mused out to shift his mood as he glanced over my face with seriousness."I want to hold you.You still feel surreal." Karl seriously murmured out causing my amusement to instantly disappear at his words.I watched as he started the ignition while his left arm remained circled around my waist in a protective manner.
"I'm not going anywhere."I softly whispered out leaning over his shoulder as Karl sighed lightly tightening his hold over my waist. "Lucifer is at the bunker of his previous abandoned home,which you burned ten years ago while escaping." I informed him in a casual tone feeling his gaze sweep over my relaxed face briefly."I know the way. Went there a few days after that escape."Karl informed out as I peaked up at his face sensing the car move ahead. Feeling my gaze, he again refixed his left arm over my body as he slowly rubbed his warm palm over my cold left arm.
"I wanted to go back for finding any evidence.Of Lucifer,of you."Karl informed me in a serious tone as I gazed at his face with a amused smile. "You would have discovered the surprise existence of Lucifer's daughter hadn't you burned the home."I retorted with a small smile causing Karl to tighten his arms around me.
"The house was completely ruined. That time,the parking area was also destroyed which I thought to be spread from the mansion given the proximity." Karl informed out about his visit as I hummed with closed eyes."It was dark, but from I saw while escaping now,the whole place was actually ruined like a haunting house."I murmured out as an unwanted shiver went through my spine causing Karl to pull the coat he wrapped earlier over my left arm.
"How did you escape?" Karl questioned out as I continued to lean over his shoulder pulling his coat closer to my body. "I tricked him to believe that I died while he was strangling me." I informed out with closed eyes feeling Karl tensed up at my words."Then I knocked him out and came here as his burner phone is useless like him."I summarised out the story hearing a brief chuckle of Karl at my answer.
"You came through that forest like ten years ago?" Karl asked out in a light tone as I nodded my head to affirm his words."Thanks to papa's breath holding training,I could save myself."I whispered out as my eyes immediately snapped open remembering about the said person.
"Papa." I softly called out looking up at Karl's face as he silently leaned ahead dialing a number over his phone in phone stand.I watched papa's name flashed over the screen as my left hand fisted over Karl's shirt in mixed feelings.
What am I supposed to say first?
"Don?Is everything alright?" I heard papa's clear voice gently asking out causing an unwanted sob to escape through my lips.The line went silent for a while as Karl silently patted my arms still driving with his right hand.
"Don? Is that you?" Papa again asked out carefully as I gulped wiping off my tears. "Papa,it's me.Your cara."I whispered out with a sob causing Karl to pull me closer to his body. A stretching silence passed through the car as I continued to stare at the screen waiting for papa's response.
"Gabriel,it's Azaleas.She's with me.You're not hearing wrong." Karl seriously spoke out breaking the silence as I nodded my head forgetting that papa can't see me.
"Cara." I heard a strangled voice calling out resulting my eyes to again fill up with tears. "Si papa. It's me." I choked out the words hearing a sharp intake of breath from the opposite line. "I-- how're you? Are you hurt?Where are you two? Are you two coming back in safe mansion?" Papa asked out rapidly as I heard some more shuffling sounds from the opposite line. "Not now. We're going to catch the unconscious Lucifer from his bunker.You meet us in my militant hospital.We'll go there after getting Lucifer."Karl informed out our plan shortly as I again wrapped my arms around his neck inhaling his familiar musky and sandalwood smell.
"Hospital?Why?Is Azaleas hurt badly?"Papa worriedly asked out causing me to open my eyes at his anxious tone."No,the hospital is closer than safe mansion.And it's better if I check her condition as quickly as possible."Karl informed in a condensing tone as I felt my eyelids dropping down in exhaustion.I zoned out the rest conversation catching the words of papa coming with everyone causing a small smile to spread over my lips by the thought of meeting everyone.
Soon, I felt myself slipping away into darkness as the cocoon of comfort and warmth lured me into a quiescent contentment.
Karl Alfred Ivano's POV
Shifting myself carefully,I briefly glanced downward watching Azaleas sleeping over my shoulder with a content look.With a smile, I looked up as the long forgotten familiar scene started to appear before my vision.
Feeling tension spike through my muscles,I tightened my hold over the sleeping Azaleas as I neared the haunting house Azaleas escaped at this cold dark night.Feeling the earlier storm brew at the back of my mind, I parked my car in front of the broken rusted door as the headlight illuminated the area ahead showing nothing but fragments of ruination.
The ruination two of us left behind ten years ago.
Carefully raising up Azaleas and sitting her over the passenger seat, I pulled out my gun from the compartment and checked it's load. Placing the gun at my waistline,I grabbed my phone and silently got down from the car without making any sound.
I'm not eager to wake up Azaleas and take along with me.
Locking the car, I carefully walked towards the door as dry fallen leaves crunched beneath my shoes and pierce through the silent dark night. Switching on the torch of the phone, I walked ahead carefully pulling out my gun incase situation arises. Holding the phone in left hand targeting the torch ahead, I neared the parking house as my gun on the right hand remained pointed ahead.
Walking inside the broken structure, I looked around finally watching a open trap door at the further left of the room. Quickly walking towards it,I casted the light below the space watching a staircase going downward. Without waiting, I lowered down and descended the stairs carefully taking my steps over the narrow stairs.
Finally getting down from the final steps, I glanced over the whole dark area watching a dim light at the further right of the room. Noticing a haunced figure,I quickly walked towards the light founding Lucifer's head leaned ahead hiding his face.
Halting a few distance away pocketing my phone, I glanced around the whole place with my gun pointed towards Lucifer's head as my eyes caught droplets of blood over some glass shreds beside his chair. Remembering the injuries of Azaleas feet,I looked over Lucifer's figure with heated rage and hatred as my eyes finally noticed an unusual factor about his figure.
Taking some careful steps ahead with my gun pointed, I again examined carefully realising the unusual factor which caught my gaze earlier.With humour now sparking inside me,I amusedly watched the twisted wrists of Lucifer as his legs remained dislocated over the ground in a bothersome way.
"No wonder Azaleas was so relaxed about holding you as hostage."I muttered out with humour as I kneeled down deciding to make my task more easier.Placing my gun at waistline,I grabbed Lucifer's right knee and twisted it in a blink hearing him cry out in pain at the assult.With his cries as the encouragement, I again gripped his left knee and instantly twisted it watching him fidget weakly to escape the pain.
But, it's just the beginning of his pain and there's no escape for him except death.
With a cold smile, I smoothly untied Azaleas signature palamor knot as our past in New York flashed before my mind.Throwing his weak figure over the ground,I turned him towards me watching his dropping lids look over me with daze.
"Have your last doze of ignorant peace.Because,your nightmare awaits just as you get back your sense."I darkly murmured over his face kneeling beside him. Raising up his broken knees upto his chest,I tied the same old rope over his broken knees as it remained pressed painfully over his chest.Satisfied, I raised up his now worm like figure gripping his broken feet and pulled out my phone to drag him out of the bunker.Struggling for some minutes through the stairs,I finally managed to drag the heavy figure of Lucifer over the car as I heaved out a deep breath dropping Lucifer's body at the ground with a loud thud.
Unlocking the car, I opened up the hood and threw Lucifer's figure inside like a garbage he is.Shutting down the hood, I went over and seated in driver's seat as my eyes glanced over Azaleas still sleeping face.With a small smile, I leaned ahead deciding to shift behind the passenger seat and fix her seatbelt.Leaning over Azaleas still position, I placed my hand over the side of her face to fix her face into a much comfortable position.Instead, I felt her unnaturally cold against my palm causing me to immediately grip her face with both hands.Alarmed,I checked her pulse rate and breath founding them unusually slow than usual.Worriedly,I pulled her body over mine wanting to provide her as much warmth as possible.Placing her head over my left shoulder while stretching out her legs over the passenger seat,I quickly started the ignition wanting to get her hooked with IV drips and stitches as early as possible.
"You've survived this far Azaleas. You'll be fine.You need to be fine." I murmured out in a firm tone as I reversed back the car and drove towards the militant hospital.
**
"Look over my car and don't go anywhere until Gabriel comes."I rapidly ordered out the security guard of the VIP parking area as he saluted back with a firm nod. Without responding, I quickly ran inside the elevator with Azaleas in my arms as my hand coated with her fresh blood from the abdomen injury.
No wonder her heartbeat was slow.I should haven't believe her I've taken care of it speech.Pulling her body closer, I waited impatiently as the lift ascended upwards.
Reaching the emergency floor, I quickly walked out as a nurse walked ahead watching the motionless women in my arms with surprise. "Arrange A negative blood from the blood bank.Get me the required equipments for stitching right now."I rapidly instructed out as another nurse walked towards me with a stretcher and an oxygen bag.
Placing Azaleas carefully over the stretcher, the nurse placed the oxygen mask over her face pumping the air while I rolled the stretcher towards the first empty cabin said by the nurse.Laying down Azaleas over the empty bed carefully, I checked her abdomen founding the white gauze completely soaked up with blood.As the nurse injected an IV drip over Azaleas hand, I quickly took off the bloodied bandage founding an open stab injury.
This will need stitches.I thought with clenched jaw.
Without any words,I checked the vitals of Azaleas as the nurse checked her blood pressure and saturation rate without me instructing out. Silently watching the low bp rate of Azaleas and somewhat stable oxygen saturation,I took a step back watching another nurse enter inside the room with a blood bag.
"Try to stop the bleeding first. Check her haemoglobin level if she needs blood transfusion. Also,change her dress and check up other injuries in the body.Call me when you're done changing." I briskly instructed out watching the nurse nod her head and silently get into her task.
Turning away from Azaleas, I walked out from the room pulling out my phone.Dialing Gabriel's number,I walked over at one bench outside the room as the whole corridor remained empty at this corner.
"Five minutes more to reach,Don." Gabriel swiftly informed me as I nodded my head at his words."I'm at the second floor.You'll go to the VIP parking area where my black Bentley is parked.Send someone to take car keys."I ordered out watching the earlier nurse come towards the room with the required equipments."Roger Don."Gabriel replied back as I looked over the nurse disconnecting the call.
"Check inside to see if her dress change is done."I tonelessly ordered out as she nodded her head opening the room door.Watching the nurse figure disappear inside,I sighed loudly looking down at my bloodied hands.
I don't want my hands to coat with your blood anymore Azaleas.I don't want to see you bleeding anymore.I don't want you to protect me by costing your life anymore.Your sacrifices and pains end here, and I'll ensure of that with my every ounce of strength.
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Thank you so much for the 10k reads.