Epilogue - Next book

**Alice**

- Jamie, I know everything about my father. The games, the debts.

He smiled between his glass, and then inquired.

- I'm glad he told you, now we can finally play fair.

- Play fair? Jamie, I have never lied to you. And when I wake up suddenly, I find out that you are threatening my father, that I have never been anything but a business to you.

- Honey, I don't know what world you live in, but in mine, money rules. And your father owes us a lot of money. I don't want anything more than the money he owes us.

- He doesn't have that kind of money, you know. We are broke, thanks to you!

- No baby, he who came to us, he who drowned them in debt.

- You! You... shouldn't have let him play, shouldn't have let the debt get so high. How could you? You always knew how this worked? You slept with me and then threatened my father. You are nothing but a sick worm!

- What do you think I am, Alice? A fucking babysitter? No! This is grown-up stuff, you made the debt, you pay it! You don't pay, or you pass us over, you die! Your father always knew the rules. He chose so, unfortunately now you are treading on thin ice.

- You... are going to kill me? Kill my parents? You wouldn't be able to. - My voice trembled. Jamie came closer to me.

- Sweet Alice, make no mistake, I am of the Gambino family. There's no room for pity there. I am not and never will be a good man, however, I would never hurt you. But, that doesn't mean that we have forgotten the debt, so unless you have brought the money your father owes us, the best course of action you can take is to go to the funeral home and order a coffin.

A sob came out of my mouth. What will I do?

- And can't your father, like the rat that he is, come and talk himself? - A visceral sound of indignation came out of his mouth.

- My father is in the ICU, Jamie. He had a serious health problem! That's why I came. We have no way to pay the debt. But I am willing to give you anything to leave my family alone.

Jamie came closer, his lips almost pressed against mine, and pulled something from his drinks cabinet, a Glock. He rested it next to my head. My body froze, I couldn't move.

The barrel was cold on my temple, salty tears bathing my face. Then he kissed me, it was terrible and sickening, I couldn't return the kiss. Jamie kept looking into my eyes and watching my reaction. I watched out of the corner of my eye as his fingers threatened to pull the trigger. Just then I heard a dry sound, he had pulled the trigger. I felt pressure on my head, but there were no bullets.

My whole body shook and I started to sob loudly as he stared at me with cold eyes.

I had never felt so humiliated in my entire life, so angry, so disgusted. But I wouldn't give up. I couldn't.

- I-I-I... I don't have it... we-we can't pay the debt. That's why I came here. - My sobs came out ugly.

Jamie let out a sound of indignation. Now, looking into his eyes, he didn't look happy at all.

- Hey baby, you should know what you're getting into. Once you have a wedding ring on your finger, there is no escape. Gambino women only come out of a marriage dead.

- B-but why me? Why marry me? I am certainly not the most beautiful, n- nor the only one you enjoy. It is also obvious that my family is broke. Why me? What can I offer you?

- Besides your father's unhappiness, knowing that you are mine? Nothing, sweet Alice.

I almost threw up. He was crazy.

- So, if I marry you, do you promise to leave my family alone?

- Not only leave them alone, but settle their debts and keep them as long as necessary so that no one will suspect that they are really just a couple of screw-ups. But darling, you must know that marriage to someone from the Cosa Nostra means more than this, it means loyalty, duty, commitment with blood.

So will you forget about the debts? Will you leave us alone?

- You must be mine, serve and be loyal to me, adultery is not well regarded in the eyes of the family, my own mother was flogged in front of everyone and burned with branding irons, simply because the pope thought she had insinuated herself to a soldier. He, the poor man, had his body burned in front of her. So before I do anything, I need to know that you are sure, there will be no turning back, I need your name, and you need your family.

What choice did I have? My house for sale, thousands of dollars in debt, my father sick. The truth was that there were only two ways out of this, either we would all die or I would marry James and save everyone. What could I do? Right was that I didn't know that Jamie, but I ended up going out in the rain, now I should weather the storm.

- I accept

What I didn't know was that this "Yes" would forever change our lives.