✨ Zale's POV ✨

A MONTH LATER...

I shot the man in the middle of his forehead, drops of blood splattering over my face and shirt. I then shot him in his heart, in his face, all over his body. He thinks he can run a sex trafficking ring.

Someone shoved me back. "Stop it, Zale. He's dead already."

When I didn't stop, I was punched in the jaw by Maverick. "I said fucking stop! What's wrong with you?"

He snatched away my gun and grabbing my hand, he dragged me to his car and made me sit inside.

Sitting in the diver seat, he tossed me a towel as he revved the engine and drove out of there.

I just stared at the towel lying on my lap, not bothering to clean the blood all over my face.

Maverick kept silent for the rest of the ride and reached my house. When we were inside, he made me sit on the couch and disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a wet towel and standing infront of me, started to clean my face.

"Go and take a shower. Calm the fuck down, okay?"

We heard someone climbing down the stairs and looked up to see my maid, carrying a now more than a month old Alaric in her arms.

"Thank you, Tess." Maverick muttered to her as he took Alaric from her in his arms and she left.

And he fixed me with a glare. "And you, get up and take a shower while I make us something."

"I am not hungry." I mumbled coldly.

"You haven't eaten anything since last night so don't fucking say that and get up right now."

Not wanting to hear his annoying voice anymore, I got up and went upstairs to take shower and by the time I came back down, he had set up the table.

"There was some lasagna left so I heated it up." He told me.

I wasn't in a mood to eat anything. I wasn't in a mood to do anything either.

I just went and sat down on the couch again and Maverick was infront of me in a moment with Alaric in one hand and a plate of food in the other.

He gave Alaric to me and I held him in my hands while he sat down beside me and cut a piece of lasagna and held it to my mouth.

"I swear to God if you don't eat it--"

Why the fuck does he have to be so annoying?!

I opened my mouth while glaring at him and he fed me.

"I know what's wrong with you, Zale." He spoke softly as he fed me again. "But she's not coming back, okay? It's been a month, you need to stop being like this and focus on your son. He needs you."

My jaw clenched and I refused to open my mouth so he grabbed my chin and forcefully opened it and fed me.

"And stop being a kid." He scolded, continuing to feed me until the plate was empty.

After he had put the plate away he leaned back on the couch and looked at me with concern. "Please talk to me. You have hardly said anything since the past one month, I sometimes worry that you lost your tongue or something."

I shot him glare making him chuckle for a moment before he became serious again. "Zale. Talk to me."

I didn't have anything to talk about.

"Why did you let her go?" He asked.

My jaw clenched. "Because it was the right thing to do."

"From when did you start to care about what's right?"

My heart ached, it was fucking aching for one month. I replied after a few seconds. "Ever since I fell in love with her."

"You...love her? I thought...you were sad about not getting Alaska..."

"I don't fucking want it anymore!"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Whoah, okay... it's okay...Alaska can go to hell...but you love her? Is that why you let her go?"

"Yes...I...I...wanted her to be happy...and keeping her locked up here... wasn't a good thing...she needs her family...not...me..." I said gloomily.

"Is that what you have been thinking about? That you are not worth her?"

"I kidnapped her, do you think she would like me after that? I threatened to kill her father and brother too..."

He face palmed himself. "You are stupid, fucking stupid. Did you even talk to her about this?"

My lips pursed. "Talk to her about what? That I love her and make her run for the hills?"

I continued. "Or should I just kidnap her again and make her marry me forcefully and then get her pregnant so that she is bound to me forever?"

"I like the second idea." He commented.

Seeing the deadly expression on my face he muttered, "Just kidding. Don't need to get riled up."

"How about I get you her phone number and you talk to her...?" He suggested.

"Talk about what?"

"Your feelings duh."

"Yeah...so that she can block me?"

His face blanked. "The fuck do you have to think about the negative things? What if she loves you too?"

She did...care for me but...

"Tell me you kissed her at least once..." He asked.

My mind drifted off to our kiss and fuck, it felt so fucking good to have her in my arms and kiss her and to never let her go.

I gulped. "I did."

He looked excited. "And...did she kiss you back?"

I sighed. "She did."

"Yes!" He jumped up from the couch enthusiastically. "That's what I am talking about! She kissed you back! If she really hated you she would have kicked you instead but she kissed you back."

"It was just lust..."

"You know what, I am done with you. You just can't let yourself think for a moment that she might love you, do you?"

I ran my hand down my face. "I don't want to give myself false hopes, okay? Just let it be, I'll survive."

"Sure." He sounded sarcastic and rolling his eyes he bid me goodbye and then left.

Sighing, I looked down at Alaric who was wide awake and watching me and I gave him a small smile and carried him upstairs to my room.

Ever since she left, I make Alaric sleep in my room, on my bed and I cuddle with him to sleep. It just feels so lonely without her.

I gently placed him down on the bed and watched him. Even though he can't speak or do much but it seems like he is always searching for her, looking around.

I laid beside him, propping myself up with the support of my elbow and stroked his nose. "She's not coming back, buddy. And she is not your mother. Your real mother is dead." And I kissed his forehead.

Am I consoling him or myself?

I am a fucking mess these days. Without her the silence feels like deafening, the days longer than they should be.

Her smile, her voice, her face, her every action keeps flashing in my mind no matter how hard I try to get her out.

Without her, I can't breathe.

.
.
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"Are you going to tell me where are we even going?" I asked Maverick as he rummaged through my closet and pulled out a pair of a black pants and a black shirt.

"You really need to buy other colour clothes, Zale." He commented as he laid down the clothes on the bed. "Now get dressed quickly."

"Where are we going?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Somewhere very important and you can't go there in a..." He pointed to my clothes. "...t shirt and sweatpants."

"I am asking you again. Where are we going?"

"Fine, listen." He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "There's this girl I was dating and I even met her parents so now her parents want to meet my parents but I told them I don't have any except my brother so they want to meet you now."

My eyes narrowed. "You have a girlfriend? And you never told me?"

"C'mon, man! It wasn't serious. Just come with me now for lunch at their house, okay?"

He looked really desperate so I nodded. "Okay...only for an hour or two."

He smiled widely and got up and patted me on my back. "I knew you wouldn't refuse. Now get ready quickly."

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.
.

The surroundings looked familiar as Maverick parked the car infront of a house. "Is this where they live?"

"No." And he grabbed my chin and turned my head forward, pointing to the mansion a few houses away and my jaw clenched. "That's where she lives. And you are going to see her now."

"The fuck are you doing Maverick?!" I seethed.

"Look, I am trying to help you, okay? Now get out and go to her house and meet her. Just meet her."

"And what? Get myself killed? The moment I walk in there I am getting shot!" I yelled at him.

"No, you won't. We have a peace treaty with them, remember?"

"Yeah, which I broke when I kidnapped his daughter." I was trembling with anger and frustration right now.

"Yes but...Enver could have hurt you after you let her go, but he didn't, did he? Nothing will happen, just go."

"If you want me dead just say it." I deadpanned.

He rolled his eyes. "You know that's not true. You are the only family I have."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because if you don't see her you will lose your mind and then I will lose my mind. So, just freaking go."

"How long do you think I will be able to see her before I die?"

"A minute maybe? But atleast it will be better than not being able to see her for a month." He leaned towards me and opened my car door. "Just freaking go."

"And give me all your weapons first. Show them that you are there just to talk." He added.

"I am seriously doubting your purpose here. You sure you don't want me dead?"

He gave me a sheepish smile. "I love you, you know that. Now come on."

Sighing, I pulled out my guns and daggers and gave it to him. "If I die, you better take care of Alaric."

"Don't be dramatic, nothing will happen to you."

"This is suicide." I muttered as I stepped out of the car.

"And you were also dying when you didn't have her, it's suicide anyway."

Glaring at him, I started to walk towards her house. Wait a minute, is she even at home?

He seriously wants me dead so that he can become the leader himself.

As I neared the gate of the house, there were two guards who looked shocked to see me and pointed their guns at me.

"I want to meet Enver." I told them coldly. "I just want to talk."

One of the guards, pulled out his phone and called someone and a few seconds later, he hung up the call and said something to his partner who lowered his gun hesitantly and then stepped forward and started to check me for any weapons, when he didn't find any he gestured me to follow him and I started to walk behind him, the other guard walking closely behind me.

Once we reached the front door, the guard in front of me opened it and gestured me to step inside.

Frowning I stepped inside and he closed the door behind me. What the fuck is--

Before I could realise what was happening I was held at gun point by at least ten men, surrounding me from all side and I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. If I make it out alive from here, I am killing Maverick.

He could have given me a gun at least.

I opened my eyes and looked around, a calm look on my face, to be honest I wasn't scared of them, I had these types of encounters a lot.

I stood there with a bored expression on my face and then slowly a few of the men parted away and Enver walked in between them, his hands in his pockets.

My fists clenched but I forced myself to be calm.

"You really have the audacity to walk in here after what all you did." He spoke walking closer to me.

"Honestly you should consider yourself lucky that I didn't kill you after what you did to my parents." I replied back and for a second guilt flashed across his face.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

Fuck. Maverick could have told me something! What am I supposed to tell him why I am here? To talk to him? About what? His daughter's hand in marriage to me so that he can cut off my hand only.

"I--" I stopped abruptly when something caught my attention from the corner of my eyes.

I glanced up and there she was standing on the top of the stairs watching us or watching me, completely astonished to see me here.

My mouth slightly parted and it felt like I could finally breath again, my heart clenching. I wanted to run to her and wrap my hands around her, to kiss her.

Jezebel. My princess. My queen. My heart skipped a beat on finally seeing her after such long and tortures thirty one days.

Enver must have noticed what had caught my attention and he gritted his teeth. "Fucking stop looking at her!"

But I didn't listen to him and the next thing I knew was that I received a punch on my face causing me to finally look away from her.

Don't. That's her father, don't kill him.

I grunted and looked back at her, I can't get enough of her. I don't know when I will see her again.

"Dad!" She shouted in protest and took a step down but Enver held up his hand. "Jezebel. Go back inside."

"Dad, stop it."

"I said go inside."

No. Just a minute more. Let me drown myself in your sight, let me fill my heart with you, I don't know if I will ever see you again.

She looked hurt. "Dad, don't hurt him. Please." And my heart fucking warmed. "You promised me."

Enver sighed in defeat. "Okay, but go inside your room first."

She looked unsure, her eyes locking with mine and she took a step back, my eyes not leaving hers for a second.

She gave her dad a warning look before giving me one last small smile and then she went away taking away all the oxygen with her.

"If not for my daughter, it would have been a war right now." Enver spoke, glaring at me.
My eyes still lingered at where she was standing.

I finally forced myself to look at him and he said, "Now leave my house and don't you dare ever come here again."

And I walked away with my heart crumbling inside me.

Chapter completion on: 19/6/22
Published on: 28/6/22