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As I nodded, I saw Nina rushing past me She knelt in front of Alessio and Ayla Nina was still and I counted the seconds in my head

One Two Three Four Five

She turned around, her expression cold, but her eyes spoke voluht shake of her head

I understood what she meant It was bad Very bad

Nina turned back around, and I saw her quickly re her jacket

“Alessio, we need to go,” she said, placing the jacket over Ayla’s almost bare body

He didn’t move Alessio was so lost, he didn’t even hear us

“My jacket is too short It barely covers her”

Nikolayhis jacket I closedtime

Fuck! We didn’t have time to waste For all we kneere about to be ambushed as we stepped out

I waited for Nina to wrap Nikolay’s jacket around Ayla’s body as much as she could with Alessio in the way

When she was done, I nodded at her toher place in front of Alessio, I looked down at Ayla Her face was pressed in Alessio’s neck, and it was hidden by her greasy, matted hair

I leaned forward, ignoring the sound of Alessio choking back his cries I even ignored the wayher hair to the side, so that her bruised face and neck were visible, I placed ht over the pulse

It was faint Slow, but at a steady rate It was good At least for now

My eyes shifted to her chest, watching the slow rise and fall It was too slow, al to take each breath

My gaze followed a path down her body to the shackles around her I touched the heavy chain and pulled at the save way The shackles weren’t locked around her wrists and ankles One after another, I pulled theer chained

Sighing, I looked up at Alessio “We have to go”

When he didn’t respond, I touched his shoulder “Alessio, we need to get out of here Now!”

No response What was going on in his fucking one?

Shaking ht away

My hand tightened on his shoulder There was only one way to snap him out of his daze

“We need to get Ayla out She is not safe here,” I muttered quietly

His head snapped up, his eyes ht have stopped for a second The look in his eyes was heartbreaking

I remembered the day of his mother’s funeral Or even the moment we found him after his mother’s death He didn’t cry No, he stood there e around him

You would think a man like that wouldn’t understand heartbreak

But the look in his eyes right noed so much pain that even I felt it