It was 5:30 A.M. Alison was running in the yards of the King property. Everything looked gray in the twilight. Just as gray and gloomy as her thoughts. Her world had been changed dramatically since a week ago. So much that it was funny. How much someone's life could change in the matter of only one week? Just 10 days ago she was a normal girl living her normal life. Now she was living with the mafia king and his family and more importantly, the heir of one of the biggest gangs of the city was claiming to be her boyfriend and she had accepted like an idiot.
She gritted her teeth and ran faster. The invading thoughts were annoying like a bunch of flies that were flying near the ear.
It was near 6 o'clock when Alison finished her jogging and went inside the house. She was thirsty, so she went straight to the kitchen. Once there, she saw Ben sitting there. He looked up when she entered. "Alison!" he said and a smile graced his grim face. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Ben." greeted Alison quietly and uneasily and walked to the sink. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water.
Ben's happy face fell and he looked at her with worry. There was no sign of her friendly face. "We are still friends, aren't we?" he asked.
Alison sighed and put the glass in the sink. Her heart ached as she heard pain laced with his words. She put the glass in the sink and rubbed her face. "I don't know, Ben." she groaned.
Ben stood and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Alison!" he whispered and Alison turned to him. He looked sad. "I'm still Ben, the man you were considering as your friend yesterday."
Alison dropped her head and shook it. "That's not the problem, Ben." she sighed. "You have not changed since yesterday, yes. But I have got to know you better. And what I have learned about you all, is not good. For God's sake, Ben, you are criminals." she said frustrated, and threw her arms in the air. "I have not broken a law in my life and now, look at me. I'm living with a bunch of criminals. No offenses."
"But you are still here." said Ben and Alison frowned. "You have not run for the hills. You are not as scared as you should be when encountering a bunch of criminals. You are still trusting us."
"That's the problem." said Alison desperately and rubbed her face again. "Albert knew when to spill his secret. He kept it until we got attached." she paused for a second and then continued. "What can I say to my mother? Love can make you forgive your love's worst sin. It can make you run with them to the flames of hell itself even if you are an angel and you know that it will burn you to ashes. That is the power of love and you can't control it. It's wild."
Ben looked at her for a second before hugging her to his chest. To his joy, she didn't pull away. Instead, she hugged him back. "I have gotten attached to you guys." said Alison. Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and Ben hugged her tighter. "To you, Rich, Hunter, Damien, James, and Jordan. I have tasted the bitter-sweet taste of having a big family and I like it."
"And believe me when I say that we have gotten attached to you as well, Al." said Ben. "Damn, even Xander has come around. He had become like a maniac last night from worry for you."
Alison pulled away and her watery eyes met Ben's piercing green ones. "What should I do?" she whispered.
Ben smiled sadly and kissed her forehead. "It's not my decision to take, Alie." he said. "But you should always pay in life to have something. We are the biggest mafia in America and this big empire will not be stopped for you or your mother's comfort. It's now time for you to take the most important decision of your life, to either stay with us and bear living with a bunch of underworld criminals as you put it, or leave us and go back to your own life."
Alison sighed again and sat on a chair. "I have already been engaged in this life. I have been targeted last night." said Alison. "And my mother doesn't want to leave, so I'm connected to this life forever. But the question is, can I leave even if my mother would come with me? Do I want to leave and go back to my previous life? It seems that part of me craves this chaos."
Ben chuckled under his breath and sat at well. "We all have the devil in ourselves." he said. "So don't be worried if it's convincing you to stay. But I can assure you that you will not be engaged in any dirty works or mafia works and we will do anything in our power to protect you. That's for sure."
Alison stared at the table silently. Leaving there meant she had to leave Alex as well. She didn't know why, but the thought of not seeing him and her stepbrothers was making her sad. "How did you join the mafia?" she asked without looking up.
Ben raised his eyebrows and looked at her a bit shocked. "Well I was born into the mafia, just like your brothers." he said and scratched the back of his head as Alison looked at him curiously. "My father, Tony, is Albert's right hand. They have created this empire together. I'm taking his place as Mason's second in command while Rich is his right hand."
"Why?" asked Alison confused. "You could have left once you were at the age. Why did you stay? Why did you choose this life?"
"You mean being a criminal?" asked Ben with a sly smirk. He laughed when Alison rolled her eyes. "Well, It's hard to say, sweetheart. Once you get engaged with the mafia it's hard to leave. We are loyal to each other, especially the inner circle who are like family members, and family members protect each other, even if it means giving your life. I stayed because I wanted this. To stay side by side with my brothers."
"Are you ever planning to go out?" asked Alison. "What you are doing is not right, you know that? Selling drugs, weapons, human trafficking."
Ben scrunched his face in disgust at the last thought the last part. "Ugh, Alison, please don't think that low of us." he whined. "We have never done and will never do human trafficking. We have forced so many gangs and mafia families to stop human trafficking and will deal and stop those who do that nasty job in our territory." he paused and continued once Alison nodded. "And for your question, if you want the truth I never have thought about it. Never anyone has asked it from us. But I don't know. I for sure will never leave my brothers. Changing our business? Nothing is impossible. But it needs so much preparation before we want to quit and for that, we have to vanish from the surface of the world. We have so many enemies."
Alison sighed and stood. "Thank you for answering honestly, Ben. I should get ready for school." she said and walked to the door.
"I wish you think about what I said, Al." said Ben softly when Alison reached the door and she turned to him. "Your new family has gotten attached to you a lot. I wish you have gotten attached as well. We need you here. All of us."
Alison nodded her head once and left the kitchen. She took a long hot shower and then changed into her floral blouse and skinny jeans. She then french braided her hair, applied a bit of makeup to cover a few scratches on her face.
Just as she grabbed her bag and phone and was ready to go, the door of her room opened and two sleepy James and Jordan walked in. The sight of their sleepy grim faces while walking to her in their pajamas brought a smile to her face unconsciously. "Guys, you really should learn to knock." she scolded with a hand on her hip, but the twins ignored her and both hugged her tight around the waist and buried their faces in her belly.
Alison ran a hand through their messy hair. Her heart was melting. How she was spoused to leave these two at least? "Hey, buddies." she cooed kindly. "What's wrong? Another nightmare?"
James looked up. Alison frowned at the sight of his watery eyes. "Are you leaving us, Alie?" he asked.
Jordan looked up as well. Tears were brimming in his eyes too. "Were we bad brothers for you that you want to leave?" he asked.
"Hey!" said Alison and knelt in front of them and kissed their cheeks. "Who told you that I want to leave?"
"Mummy and dad were talking in their room." said James while sniffling. "Mum was crying, telling dad that you are going to leave us for sure now that you know about the family business."
"She is wrong, isn't she, Alie?" asked Jordan hopefully and grabbed her hand with her small ones. "She must have had a bad nightmare like us."
"Please, we really love you, Alie." pleaded James and grabbed her other hand. "Don't leave us."
Alison smiled sadly and kissed his forehead. How could she disappoint them? But yet again she couldn't stay. She felt her heart tear into two pieces. She forced another smile as she kissed their foreheads. "Don't worry guys." she said reassuringly. "For now I'm stuck with you for at least three months. Let's see what time will bring for us. Now go to your room and clean up. You should go to school."
The twins both hugged her and kissed her cheeks. "Thank you, Alie." said James. "Please don't leave us. We promise to be good boys and don't prank on you."
They then turned and left the room, leaving Alison more conflicted than before. She sighed after a moment and then headed downstairs and straight to the front door, not wanting to see anyone.
Once outside she asked one of the guards to call Oliver and tell him to come and take her. Thankfully, a few moments later before anyone can see her, Oliver pulled over a car in front of the house and she hopped in unaware of the fact that Oliver had confirmed everything with Mason, and Mason, Rich, and Ben were watching her leaving from a window.
"Do you think she will stay?" asked Rich sadly. "She is avoiding us like a plague."
"I think she will." answered Ben. "She is in an internal battle with herself. On one hand, she is afraid that staying with us makes her a criminal and on the other hand, she has gotten attached to everyone."
"We should give her time." said Mason. "I'm sure she will choose to stay. At least that is a perk of having West like her and being her boyfriend."
Ben frowned and looked at Mason. "Do you really want to let that prick near her?" he asked frustrated. "He is trouble."
"So we are." answered Mason without taking his eyes from the window. "Harrison would want us to give his brother this chance." he said and looked at Ben who looked away defeatedly. "Besides, his relationship with Alison has brought Gray wolves' alliance for us. I don't think he would do this if it was not for Alison." He then turned on his heels and walked to the door with clenched fists and a face as cold as ice. "Come! We should find that sly rat named Volkov. He is playing with death."
**********
Alison was happy that she was early. She wasn't in a mood to meet anyone unwanted. She texted Jess and Ayda and told them to find her in the library before the first period and walked there herself, trying to collect her thoughts.
What she should do? Ben was right. Sure they would do their best to keep her away from the mafia, but still, they were criminals. Could she ignore this fact and live with them happily?
Just as she was reaching the library doors her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Ed's name on the screen. She cursed herself for forgetting to tell them that she was fine. They must have been worried. "Hey, Ed." she said innocently but her smile dropped when she heard shouting in the background.
"You can't tell me what to do." she recognized Ed's deep and angry voice. "Get the fuck out of my life. You are not my fucking father. Don't flatter yourself."
"Ed?" called Alison worriedly. That was not good. Not at all. She turned on her heels and walked quickly to the school's backdoor which was near.
"I'm your goddamn father." growled another voice dangerously. "Get over with it, you brat. You will do as I say. Now take this and deliver it."
"Don't come close to me." yelled Ed. "Or I swear to call the cops."
"You fucking bastard." shouted his father and then there was a sound of fighting and shouting.
By then, Alison was running. "ED!" she shouted in her phone as she jumped out of the doors. "For god's sake, Ed, answer your damn phone. DAMN IT!"
She waved for a taxi and hopped in quickly and gave the driver Ed's address and then quickly called Logan. "Logan!" she said quickly when he picked up. "Where is Ed? He went to his house?"
"Wow, wow, calm down, Al." answered Logan. "Yes, he went to his father's house to grab his other things before school. What's wrong? Why are you panicked?"
"He just called me. He was fighting with his dad. Logan, go there. quickly." she rushed in saying.
"Fuck!" whispered Logan.
"What's wrong?" Alison heard Ashley's voice. "Wow, L, what are you doing?"
"Alison we are getting in the car. We will be there in 10 minutes." said Logan and Alison heard the car's doors being slammed shut.
"Me too." said Alison before ending the call. She then begged the driver to drive faster and that she would pay him double if he take her to her destination in ten minutes. She then leaned back and waited impatiently to get there. Ed was a strong boy but his father was an addicted manic who was buff and strong as well after working for years in a carpentry workshop. She could only sit there and pray that Ed would be fine until they reach there.