Alessandro's POV~
It only took some cash for the guard to let me enter her dorms. If this is the type of security they provide here then I have to have a talk with the principal.
I can not risk her safety.
Fortunately no one saw us entering due to it being night.
Taking the keys from her purse, I unlocked the door. Turning around, I closed it with my foot.
She is still asleep in my arms.
Entering her room, I slide the covers and put her down on the bed gently. I put the covers back up till her chin and she instantly curls into a ball on her side, still not waking up.
I move the stray hair locks from her face and tuck them behind her ear, caressing her tear-stricken cheek in the process.
I hate seeing her like this but I hate what it makes me feel more.
It is..it is weird.
I have grown up in blood and guns. All my life I have seen people in pain. I have tortured them, made them beg for their lives, watched their soul leave their bodies and did not regret a single second of it.
So it should not make a difference now, right?
Yet it does.
This girl here is making me feel things I never have without even trying. Just seeing her tearful eyes makes me want to kill the person behind it.
My eyes roam over her stunning features in silent admiration.
She is so painfully beautiful it hurts.
Every time I look at her pale face, my anger rises and I am tempted to just go back and end the fucker right there.
Backing up, I go to leave her here and wait up in the living room in the thoughts of cooling my mind.
But before I can leave, Angel's left hand shoots out, her small fingers wrapping around my wrist with a soft whimper.
I turn around and try to pry it off, but she does not loosen her hold on me instead the more I do so the more she groans in her sleep.
Sighing, I drag the chair next to her study table and place it beside her bed. Sitting down, I replace the hand she is holding with my left one. She groans again but then goes back to sleep when I rub it.
I take out my phone and use this time to do some pending works with my free hand while caressing her palm with the other one.
It is ten p.m. and I am almost done when I hear the sound of her sobbing. I snap my head in her direction.
She is crying in her sleep and murmuring something I can not quite hear.
Nightmare.
I pat her cheeks so she can wake up from her dream. But she does not and continues to mumble in sleep.
Nearing my ear to her face, I hear her saying something like "do not", "leave" and "stop".
Guess it is from the incident today.
I get up on the bed and sit beside her. Holding her shoulders, I shake her firmly and this time she wakes up. She looks at me with wide frightened eyes and starts screaming loudly. "Leave me. Leave me."
Ignoring her yelling, I yank her towards me and she falls on my chest. I trap her body in my arms and she struggles to set free. "Please do not."
"Help." She cries in my arms.
I whisper in her ear, "There is no one, Angel. Just you and me. You are safe now." and rake my fingers through her hair.
She seems to calm down a little at this.
Sniffling in my chest, she mumbles, "Make it stop. Make him go away."
At the mention of him, I am reminded of what could have happened if I had not been there.
But I was and I will be. For her.
I tighten my arms around her protectively. Planting my lips on her head, I say, "He is not going to come near you again. No one will, without your permission. I promise you, Angel."
She relaxes hearing this and hugs me back. "Do not leave me." She whimpers.
I bury my face in her hair and take a long much needed inhale, the scent of her calming my temper.
"Never, my Angel." My tone hard and finalizing.
I keep rubbing her back till I can no longer hear her crying. Pulling away a little, I see she has fallen asleep again. Wiping her eyes, I make her lie down and cover her with the duvet.
When covering, she whispers, "Save us." making my brows furrow.
Leaving her, I settle back on my seat with only one thought in mind.
Who is 'us'?
I have a feeling this is more than what happened today.
She does not wake up crying after this, much to my relief.
It has been a long time since I am here and now it is starting to ache all over my body for sitting in this small chair in the same position for hours straight.
This does not stop me from looking at her though. Like she is the last thing I can see and I know for a fact, I will not have it any other way.
I remember our last meeting. It did not end well.
It should have.
Everything was perfect up until that call. Me coming here, seeing her dancing, saving her from falling, her kissing me, me kissing her back, getting Damien's god forsaken wallet, going to the restaurant.
Then the call happened.
One of my men informed me that the man I and Angel took to Joan, one of the doctors that work for us, previously had escaped.
He was a manager in one of my clubs and was cheating in the accounts department. He went into hiding for two days. My men found him that night and followed him in that alleyway.
There was no point in giving him time. He had to be wiped out. There is no place for betrayal in our work. I gave them straight orders to kill him the moment he is seen.
When they called me telling that they found him, I wanted to be there to see him taking his last breaths. But when I reached, Angel was already there, being his fucking saviour.
I did not want her to know my real identity yet so I stopped my men from doing what they were ordered to, albeit unwillingly and sent them back.
To add more problems to the list, the fucker was alive. I took him to Joan on Angel's wish since I could not take him to a normal hospital.
I intended to kill him some other time when she would not be around.
It was awful enough that I took back an order for the first time in my life, saved the very man I told to kill and even provided him with medical attention.
Then I get a call that the man had fled before I could do anything. Right out of my clutches.
How do one feels when his much awaited prey is snatched from him?
I felt the same.
As soon as I heard the news I wanted to hit someone badly but only Angel was there with me at that time and I could not hurt her physically. So I chose the other way. I hurt her emotionally.
I wanted her to feel what I was feeling. I wanted her to know what happens when something does not go my way. I wanted her to bear the consequences of her stupid deed. So I said the things even if it was total bullshit and I did not mean anything.
Sadistic much? I know.
But I could not stop myself from doing that to her.
I have been taught that way. If someone hurts you, hurt them back so much that the only thing they remember is the pain you have given them.
But seeing those beautiful eyes filled with tears made me soften and regret my decision. That was a first for me too. I never regret or repent. That is for cowards who do not think before acting.
And seeing her in pain? Knowing that I was the reason? was the worst part. It made me feel guilty. Made my anger fade. I was about to take back my words if she had not left so soon.
By the way she was talking I did not think she would want to see me anytime soon.
But here we are. Together again.
The cell ringing in my pocket, interrupts my staring. Taking it out, I see it is Carlo.
I turn my eyes back to her. She has slept after so much effort. I do not want to disturb her.
Leaning down, I cup her cheek and kiss her forehead. The feeling leaving me somewhat content.
Getting up, I leave with my phone in hand.
When I return from the living room after a few minutes there is no sign of her. The bed is empty. The covers on the floor.
I get worried and almost call out for her when I hear sounds in the bathroom. The shower is running.
This girl is going to give me heart attack one day.
I decide to wait for her in the room.
A click sound is heard along with light footsteps making me look up from the screen of my phone. My fingers stop halfway into typing and I immediately curse my decision of staying back.
There, before my eyes, stands Angel with nothing but a towel on her body and to make things worse the water droplets from her hair are running down the upper portion of her bare chest and taking refuge in the dip of her cleavage, wetting the piece of clothing even more.
When she sees me standing before her, her eyes go wide. She screams and turns around in a hurry. This pulls me out of the trance.
"Carefu..." I yell.
But before I can even finish, her knee hits the opened door of the bathroom and she stumbles. "Oww!"
"Fucking Christ!" I run to her and grab her before she can fall.
Holding her hands, I make her stand straight.
"Are you ok?" I search her for any injuries.
"Yeah. I am fine." She says.
We stare at each other for a while, my hands still holding hers. Not saying anything. Our eyes speaking volumes.
Suddenly she shoves me back.
"What are you doing here?" He tone is accusing.
"I took you here if you forgot." I say, straightening my jacket which I took from her before putting her to bed.
"Why?" She asks.
"You needed me."
"Not you. I needed someone." She presses on the word 'someone'.
I take a step towards her. "And that someone was me." I emphasize 'me' like she did.
"Then why are you still here? I do not need you any more."
"You needed comfort and I needed to make sure you were safe. I could not leave you just like that." My voice turning harder.
"I do not need your pity Mr. Alessandro." She spits out.
This is the first time she is calling my name with such hate and I conclude I definitely do not like it.
"I can...Never pity you." I answer, gritting my teeth.
She crosses her arms over her chest, pondering over my words and the motion only makes my situation difficult.
I close my eyes, controlling myself.
We are fucking arguing. For fuck's sake!
When I open my eyes, Angel squirms under my intense gaze. A hint of red adorning her cheeks.
She still has her arms in front of her but a bit loosely. So it is not making the swells of her chest bulge now.
"Uh..ummm." She coughs a little to get my attention.
"Eyes up here mister." She scolds me.
I look up at her face and see her still blushing.
Adorable.
"Angel."
Just as I utter the name her demeanor changes.
"Do not." She shouts.
"What is wrong?" I ask, bewildered.
Why is she behaving like this?
"Nothing." She huffs. "Thanks a lot for your concern but I do not need you any more. You can go now."
"But..."
"The door is there." She makes a gesture with her hand showing the door.
"I know where the fucking door is." I growl, loosing patience.
But one look at the bruises on her arms, and my anger melts. I close the distance between us. "Why are you doing this?" I ask her, this time softly.
"Just leave." Her eyes staring right into mine.
"Angel." I raise my hand to touch her cheek.
But she turns her face away from my advance, my hand stopping in mid air.
And this shit stung a hell lot more than anything she has been saying till now.
"Leave." She whispers.
I take my hand back, clenching it into a fist by my side. "If this is what you want then..." I take one last look at her and storm out of her room, picking my car keys on the way out.
I stop at the door, remembering something, a smirk on my face. Holding it open with one hand and another stuffed in my suit's pocket, I say without turning, "Try to be safe and do not hesitate to call me if you need me again." The last part was just to tease her.
Her reply comes in an instant. "I will not."
I chuckle and come out, driving away from her university.
While on the ride, I think about our little argument.
No one, not even my brother has the guts to raise his voice before me. And here she did not just raise her voice. She talked back, denied my help, insulted me, rejected my touch even told me to get out. All in one fucking day! And is still breathing.
That is some serious magic she has up her sleeves.
The worst part? I let her do all these.
I should be fucking furious instead I am smiling.
This girl never ceases to amaze me.
A smirk is tugged at my lips the whole way back to the estate.