My mother married a Capo

Chapter 26

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."