19 ALICIA

Elijah leaves small kisses along my neck, praising me as if I were a god. The comfort of being in his arms is simply unique, and no one has ever cared for me the way he is doing.

"Let's go to the room, please," Elijah keeps caressing my body, and I'm delighted by it, but I need to stop him.

"Wait..." I push him away slightly. "You said we were going to see your father."

"My father can wait," he moves closer again, but I stop him. "Let's go see your father, you can show me around this place, and then we can have what you desire most."

"Do you promise?" Elijah, one of the toughest and most intimidating men I've ever met, pouts like a little child.

"Of course, I promise," I gently pinch his cheeks, but I have to think about what I'll tell him when the time comes.

"Then let's get out of this once and for all; I need to feel you."

Elijah pulls my arm, in a hurry, and I burst into laughter as I follow him. We enter an area of the house through a long hallway, and everything is covered in wood, giving it a woody touch and a woody scent.

As we walk down the hallway, I notice several paintings, or rather, portraits of people posing as if they were royalty, and I'm taken aback when I see a man, who looks quite similar to Elijah, dressed in a notably expensive suit and looking completely serious. Next to him, there's a woman with brown hair, green eyes, and a beautiful smile, her hand resting on her bulging belly.

"That's my mother," Elijah says.

"She's very beautiful," I admire the woman's angelic features. "What's her name?"

"Her name was Luzybeth," Elijah replies with a smile. "My grandmother gave her that name because she was a miracle and filled her family with light. She always gave her best and, despite going through great pain, she always faced us with a smile."

"What happened to her?" I immediately regret asking when I see his slightly troubled expression. "You don't have to answer that."

"I like talking about my mother," he puts his arm around my shoulder to pull me closer and kisses my forehead. "She died of a broken heart; my father's family made her suffer a lot, and he did nothing about it, and now the bastard is paying the consequences."

"Don't say that, please," I find his words a bit unsettling.

"You don't know him, my love; that man deserves everything that's happening to him," he shrugs and then takes my hand, continuing to walk down the long hallway.

"You're scaring me a little," I confess, worried.

"You don't have to be; we won't live inside here. This place has around 1500 hectares, and mine is far from his."

"I don't mean any physical danger; it's just that... I don't know what I'll find in the place we're going."

"Well, you'll see."

We stop in front of an oak door; Elijah tightens his grip on my hand, trying to control his nerves.

Elijah opens the door, and a distinctive squeak adds a dramatic touch to the situation. We both enter the room, and right in the middle, there's a bed with a man of at least 65 years lying on it, wearing an oxygen mask. He's bald, and it's evident that he's in a deplorable state. He looks at us with no expression.

"Father," Elijah speaks as we approach the bed. "I want you to meet Alicia Star; she's my fiancée."

The man's gaze roams over my entire body, and I feel the urge to cover myself from head to toe.

"She's lovely," the man replies with a raspy voice. "Are you willing to have children?" He directs the question to me. I glance at Elijah and nod my head. He smiles in complicity.

"Yes, sir," I reply.

"That's good because I want to meet my grandson before I die."

"Dad, I won't pressure my wife to have children right now," Elijah intervenes before I can respond. "We want to enjoy our engagement and marriage."

"I don't have much time left, Elijah. I want to meet my grandson."

"And what makes you think you can hold on for another year?" Elijah speaks cruelly.

"Elijah!" I reprimand him, drawing the old man's attention.

"And you, sir, can't demand anything concerning my body."

Neither of them says anything about it, and the silence in the room becomes a bit uncomfortable, but I don't mind. I don't know Elijah and his father's dynamics, but that sounded very cruel. Laughter fills the room, breaking the sharp silence. Elijah's father is laughing heartily, so much that he starts coughing and choking.

"I like you, girl," the old man says, wiping tears from his cheeks. "You have a strong and dominant character. My son needs someone like you."

I look at Elijah, and he's as surprised as I am.

"Are you going crazy?" Elijah asks his father.

"They have my blessing."

"With or without your blessing, we were going to get married," Elijah states.

"Without my blessing, you can't inherit my empire, but she has the character to become the new queen of the mafia."

I suddenly feel like a bucket of cold water has been poured over me, and the realization washes over me because that explains many things that a regular person with a club couldn't. I look at Elijah, and he doesn't even have the audacity to meet my eyes. I take a few steps back and leave the room, with the echo of my name behind me.

"Alicia, wait!" Elijah blocks my path, holding me by the shoulders.

"No, let go of me!" I try to break free from his grip.

"No, I won't let go until you listen to me."

"I don't want to hear you, Elijah. You lied to me, you didn't tell me the truth, and you intend to drag me into a shady world I don't want to be a part of."

"Love," he takes my cheeks, "I promise nothing will happen to you if you're with me."

"Elijah, you should have told me the truth."

"And would you have accepted it? Would you have accepted my lifestyle?"

"No."

"ou see, that's why I preferred to lie before being honest with you, I live in this world since the first moment I was born, it's the only world I know and I know the risks of having a wife and a family, because my mother lived it in the flesh, but I can't reject the messages my heart sends when I see you. - She whispers those last words. - Alicia, you are the one who keeps my feet on the ground, no woman has ever achieved what you have done and that drives me fucking crazy, if you decide you don't want to be with me..."

" What will happen?" I dare to ask knowing perfectly well what her answer will be.

" I will follow you everywhere, I won't let you go so easily, because you are mine, you are my woman and nobody else will be able to touch you, I am the only one who has the right over you".

" Do you think so?" I look at him with determination.

" Don't challenge me Alicia, because I can murder anyone who gets in your way".

Elijah sticks me dangerously against the wall, our breaths intermingled giving a touch of danger and sensuality to the occasion.

" I dare you to do it." I whisper close to his lips. " But if you decide to keep me here, I will be your worst nightmare".

" You are my worst nightmare, from the moment I saw your red hair and this beautiful ass of yours". Elijah's hands went to my ass giving me a hard spanking. " I'm going to make you mine over and over again right now".

Panic floods me again.

" This is not the right place to do it".

" You are right, right now we are going to our house, there I will make you mine and lock you up so you don't escape from me".

Elijah took me by the hand and we walked with giant steps until we left the big house and that's when I could witness the imposing place, it could easily be a metropolis, but our way is hindered by Harold.

" Sir we are in trouble".

" I don't have time for trouble Harold, I must get Alicia home".

"This can't wait sir, it's about the dock products".

Elijah stops dead in his tracks and looks at me.

"Love, I think our honeymoon must wait, I have a job to do".

"What is it?" I snoop.

" Job-related issues". He responds without further ado. " Weider!" Elijah shouts, and one of the many men standing near us runs in our direction.

" Sir".

" I want you to take Alicia home, take 10 men with you, don't let her out of your sight".

" Yes, sir".

" Wait, you can't give me a babysitter" I speak indignantly. "No offense". I look at Weider, he just shrugs his shoulders.

" You will be the queen of the mafia Alicia, there will be many who want to checkmate you using you as a pawn."