Elijah
I can't believe she fucking caught me red handed, literally, while I was teaching that punk from the Irish mob a lesson. She's shaken up badly and I don't know what to do.
My father asked everyone to gather in his office so that he could tell her our secret. The one thing I dreaded her finding put about me.
"Before we begin to tell you anything you have to do a blood oath which is a form of contract that requires you to never break it, because if you do then you pay the price with your life, understood?" Vincent asked.
"Yes sir," she said. I watched as she slowly swallowed the lump in her throat.
Vincent took the knife that had been used over and over to cut each of our hands for the blood oath ritual practiced in my family. He slid the knife along her palm letting her blood drip onto the parchment paper. We all took turns doing this before he placed the knife down.
I tugged on my hair another time after doing so several times before as my father cleared his throat to begin.
"Let me not beat around the bush. My sons and I are apart of the Italian mafia. I am the Capo dei Capi meaning that I am the boss of all bosses, a leader in the underworld. We are involved in many illegal activities such as fraud, money laundering, smuggling, illegal gambling, loan sharking, weapons and drug trafficking."
"Elijah is in line to take over at any given time, whether because I want to retire or because I'm dead. It is his duty as the eldest son just as it was my duty and my father's duty. Most of the money that we have was garnered illegally and because of our position, we have many enemies and it prompts us to do things that are necessary."
He was referring to what Alyssa had just saw.
"Elijah has had some trouble with the police department. The head of the organized crime division here in New York is always on the lookout, watching him, us and you to see when we'll slip up.
If there is enough proof against us, the NYPD will have everything they need to take my family down. But one thing I can assure you Alyssa is that we are not bad people, everything we do, it's to protect the people we love. If there's a known threat."
I watched her every move carefully, she looked truly disturbed by the truth my father spoke and I just know by looking in her eyes that she doesn't want anything to do with me again.
"Any questions?" Vincent asks leaning back in his chair so nonchalant as if I'm not going to lose the only girl that I care about.
She sits back just staring, and thinking.
"Alright, you can always find out anything else about the mafia on google if need be," he said then he took the lighter out of his desk drawer and lit the parchment with the combination of our bloods.
She huffed out a bitter laugh after processing everything that was said.
"So, you guys put up this facade like you're this perfect rich family? And then the whole thing with going to church, how ironic. I am so sick to my stomach right now and I don't want anything to do with this family," she whispered her voice cracking a bit.
"I'll keep your secret but I can't associate myself with you anymore Elijah, it's not right. I just... I can't stomach the fact that you hurt people. The funniest thing is that I'm all apart of this joke of making you seem normal. I'm sorry but I can't do this, I can do better than a mobster."
"Don't say that," I finally have the courage to say.
"Alyssa darling listen to me. When I found out about Vincent I accepted it and I stayed because I loved him. Please try to understand that it's not his fault he was born into this, he didn't have a choice," my mother says.
"Isabella, I am not as strong as you are. I do not have the strength to endure all of this. My conscience would not let me know peace. I'm sorry but I can't do this."
She got up from the chair and I did also, it was like I was in sync with her movements.
She rushed out the office door and blazed down the stairs but I'm right on her tail. I grabbed her wrist before she can whisk through the front door.
"Alyssa, don't leave," I begged, my tone so dark it sounded threatening.
I don't care if I sounded like a pussy, if she leaves me I'm going to fall apart.
She's the best thing about my day before it even starts.
"Alyssa, I know this is a lot but think about how much you care about each other," Santino said.
"I'm sorry but I can't stay with him. I just need some time away. I can't do this, I need to process what I just saw."
She tugged her hand away from me, "Don't touch me Elijah please," she begged shaking in fear of me. "Let...me...go."
"And to think I could possibly love someone like you," she blurted out and then she froze when she realized what she said.
I felt defeated for a second, "What, you love me?" I asked as she goes to run away again but I tug her back.
"Let her go Elijah you promised me," Vincent's voice blared and I let her go.
She gave me one last look before she went through the door.
Next Day
Alyssa
I put on my bag before I head to Literature class. My eyes are heavy with bags from not being able to sleep.
My dreams are filled with the nightmares of witnessing Elijah covered in the blood of another man. I trudged to the lit lecture on campus and sat in my usual seat.
Jada was already there greeting me as usual with a genuine smile.
"I had so much fun on Saturday and even more fun with Dante," she said suggestively.
"You slept with him?"
"Yeah," she answered and I shook my head.
"Hey what's wrong?"
I couldn't even say I was happy for her because she and I like many other girls had slept with the brothers who were murderers.
"Nothing. I'm fine. Just be careful," I whispered.
She looked at me weirdly, "I will, thanks."
The lecturer came in and my mind came back from space and focused on the one thing no one could take from me, education.
~~~
I returned to my dorm room after class to stumble upon the only person in this world that I didn't want to see.
"There she is, you and her can talk now," Amanda said before she waved and left the room.
"What are you doing here? I didn't tell anyone your secret please don't hurt me."
"Why would you think that I would ever hurt you?"
"Because everything you've been saying to me was a lie and if everything was a lie then I don't really know you then do I?"
"Not everything was a lie Alyssa, my feelings for you these past six months isn't a lie."
"Please just leave me alone Elijah. I knew I wasn't supposed to get involved with you."
"I'm done. Don't talk to me, don't call my phone, please just stay away from me and just act like I don't exist please just..." I proclaimed.
Then all of a sudden I just broke and started crying. I thought things in my life were finally going right but it turns out I was wrong.
"We're over."
He grabs me hugging me as tightly as possible and I sniffle in his chest. The same man that comforts me is so feared by many, how are they the same person?
He kisses my forehead and wipes my tears then he hugs me again.
"I never meant to hurt you. I never ever wanted to hurt you," he spoke in a hushed tone.
If I'm so repulsed by his actions then why is it that I want to stay entrapped in his warmth forever when he kisses my hair, why is it that I'm not pushing him away from me and why is it that I still want him to give me those loving and tender kisses?
As if he read my mind, he gives me one final peck on my lips, before I, starting to think clearly now, pushed the handsome devil away from me.
"I just need some time Elijah, to think," I admitted and he nods understandingly retreating from me.
"Whenever you want to talk just say the word." I nodded just to get him to leave.
"I'll see you around Alyssa," he says before he walked through the door and out of my life.
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