me by such surprise that I almost failed to see the nurse who attended to him. She smiled and said she would give us a few moments alone. Even after she left, I remained standing at a safe distance. The only sound disrupting the ominous silence was the beeping of the machines that controlled his breathing.
Repeating to myself it was safe to come closer, I pursued a few steps in his direction and was instantly struck by Alessandro's appearance. Sheer masculine strength emanated from his bare chest, and he looked exactly the same as this morning when he demonstrated once again that he held all the power in this poisonous relationship.
As I stared, all those attractive features that drew me from the very first moment I saw him, held much less appeal. Alessandro was breathtakingly beautiful, and it was his most powerful weapon of destruction because his looks could make you see right past the danger. His long slim body was covered in muscles, and the dark strands of hair still fell perfectly over his face, complementing his olive skin. Even at the brink of death, he appeared intimidating and powerful enough to instill fear in me.
His eyes were closed, but I knew what I would see behind the firmly shut eyelids. Those endless, black voids that mirrored the frenzied coldness of his dark soul remained the most captivating pair of eyes I had ever seen. How many times was I imprisoned by his inquiring gaze? How many times was I unable to look away even when those eyes radiated nothing but cruelty and hatred? Silent memories trickled into my consciousness, and I imagined him opening those eyes. I imagined him watching me with controlled condemnation. I remembered the self-satisfactory sneer that would grace his lips every time he thought he had won and suddenly, I felt like I was falling.
Something that had been buried deep for ages had finally risen to the surface. I hated this man! I despised him with raw passion! I squeezed my fingers into a tight fist to fight the urge to take advantage of the opportunity. I felt tempted to turn off the machines one by one and slowly watch him draw his last breath. Startled by the thought, I released a long exhale filled with suppressed bitterness and the need to lash out at everything and everyone that made me into what I was for this man.
“I hope you rot in hell, Alessandro!” I hissed the words at the unconscious man lying in front of me, seemingly helpless, and I could only hope he had heard me because it felt so good to say them. It felt so good to speak after so many years of silence.
I took one last look at him and walked out the door with the thought that the tables had turned. It was only temporary, but that didn't matter. The only important thing was, it was his turn to suffer, his turn to drown in silence. I didn't care if it was only for a short while or even for a moment. It was still a small fracture in time I could savor and possess forever. Alessandro could do whatever he wanted, but he could never get this moment back. I was the one who owned it.
CHAPTER THREE
The Present
Broderick waited for me in the hallway, a worried expression on his face. Our eyes met.
“Are you okay?” he demanded in a gentle tone.
I swallowed the residue of my fear and offered a small smile. “I'm fine.”
His gaze lingered a few more seconds, and then he stalked over and pulled me into a tight embrace, kissing the top of my head. It was harder than ever to hold the tears at bay.
“What if he wakes up?” My body tensed at the thought. “What are we going to do, Broderick?”
“We'll pretend we don't know what happened,” he whispered. “Don't worry, Olivia. Alessandro has no way of finding out.”
“You don't know him like I do. Nothing can stay hidden from him,” I choked out. “It will only be a matter of time before he figures it out and when he does, he'll kill us all in cold blood.”
Broderick drew me even closer and scrutinized me with hard resolve. “That bastard will never lay a finger on you again, Olivia. I won't allow it.”
I observed the giant who was so caring and patient with me, and I spotted the difference between him and my husband so clearly. Broderick couldn't match Alessandro's good looks,