Ali tapped her foot under the desk, glancing toward the clock once more – time seemed to be dragging by this entire day. Her stepfather had informed her that she had some sort of meeting after school but wouldn’t tell her anything about it. All he would say is that it was very important and that they couldn’t be late, not only could they not be late, but he expected her to be on her best behavior and dress to impress. The entire conversation had the young woman on edge, she and her stepfather had never seen eye to eye since her mother's passing, to him she was merely a reminder of his late wife. Henry had never wanted children, but he was so taken with her mother that he pushed that aside long enough to marry. Henry kept the nice guy act up to his stepdaughter while her mother was alive, but soon after everything settled down when she passed – his true feelings became clear.

The pair couldn’t stand each other, he would do the bare minimum for her and made it clear if they were ever alone that he couldn’t wait until she turned eighteen and she ‘wasn’t his problem anymore’. After all, he had gained custody of her after her mother's passing away – a part of the will he had clearly overread. Since Ali was under the age of eighteen when her mother passed, Henry was given the house and all her mother's possessions besides a few pieces of jewelry. She hid the jewelry in her room, under her bed when she wasn’t wearing it so her stepfather would never be able to find it. However, Ali always wore the small diamond ring that had been passed down through generations of women in her family – it allowed her to feel so close to her mother, almost like she was still a part of her day-to-day life. She almost felt like she wore the ring, she had her mother with her every day.

Ali was jolted from the memories of her mother as the bell rang, echoing around the cement walls of the classroom as it suddenly roared with chatting about everyone's plans for the spring break. Spring break, something she’d always spent with her mother, last year had been her last spring break with her mother that had ended at her mother's funeral. A soft sigh escaped from her lips as she slowly packed her books into her bag, nerves building in the pit of her stomach as she moved out of the room and down the hall to her locker where she dropped her books off – they wouldn’t be needed on spring break. Her brunette curls bounced around her tanned shoulders as she moved down the tiled hallway toward the door, toward the sunlight with every other kid in the high school.

The halls echoed with everyone's plans for spring break – parties, trips with family, trips with friends, and trips with their boyfriends or girlfriends. In her freshman year that seemed so long ago, she dreamed of her senior year spring break – the trips she would go on to celebrate graduation that was only two months away. Her mother had been so thrilled about the trips she planned to send her daughter on for her senior spring break, yet that had been three years ago. The cancer moved fast, and treatments weren’t fast enough to keep up with the aggressive disease. Ali bit her lip, pushing the thoughts away as she exited the hall and was welcomed by the warmth of the sun on her skin – a soft smile pulling at the corner of her lips as her ice blue eyes took in the life of the parking lot. However, she wasn’t able to partake in the fun – her stepfather had made sure to make this meeting as close to school letting out as possible.

He was still at work; he’d be taking a long lunch to pick her up and accompany her to this meeting – all he told her was that it was life changing for them both. The walk home was rather short, she only lived two and a half blocks away from the school. She walked herself to and from school daily since Henry had managed to chase off her friends and any man who had any interest in her. According to Henry, especially recently – dating was completely off the table, but he would never give her an explanation as to why. As the young woman put the key into the lock, turning the handle after the lock clicked into an unlocked position – she slipped through the door. She swung it shut behind her, flipping the lock back into its locked position before she headed up the stairs toward her room and bathroom. She took a forty-fine minute shower, keeping her hair dry so she could make sure she made it to the meeting on time.

The young woman stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself and she moved into her room and toward her closet – reaching for a black form fitting dress still covered in plastic. It had never been worn before – though it had been purchased two years ago. Ali just had no reason to wear it, not until today at least. It was the nicest thing she currently owned. She studied the dress on the hanger after removing the plastic from around it, plucking the tags off the side before slowly unzipping the side – removing it from the hanger before she slowly stepped into it. She slowly shimmied it up her body, holding it in place with one hand as she used the other to slowly pull the zipper up – feeling the fabric slowly begin to hug her body until the zipper stopped at the top.

She let her brunette hair loose from the clip, running her finger through it as it fell to her shoulders, and she slowly stepped into a pair of four-inch heels – slowly sitting on the edge of her bed to secure the buckles. She bit her lip a moment as she stood, slowly moving toward the makeup table against the outside wall of her room. It took another ten minutes for her to complete her make up, checking a moment to make sure the black polish she’d done on her nails the night before was still presentable before she stood from the chair. She knew her stepfather would be arriving home in moments, so she quickly spritzed herself with a few pumps of perfume that smelled like jasmine and sandalwood. As soon as she set the bottle down on the desk, she heard the faint sound of a car engine pulling into the driveway.

She was almost at the bottom of the stairs when her stepfather began blowing the horn on the car – clearly, he was impatient. Ali was quick to lock the door before stepping off the porch and moving to the passenger side of the car – she got in in silence. The entire ride was silent, she didn’t even ask where they were going – it wasn’t like her stepfather would tell her anyway. The only information she’d gotten from him this morning was that this meeting was important, lifechanging for them both, and that she needed to be on her best behavior as well as to dress in her nicest clothing. Her eyes were focused out the window, watching the landscapes as they sped by though she noticed they were heading toward the richer side of town. It only added to her confusion as they turned into a large private driveway, following the twists and turns until they arrived in front of a large what she would call mansion.

As soon as she car stopped, the young woman was slowly opening her door and stepping out onto the pavement – taking in the well-manicured home and property in awe. It was stunning, it was much more than she ever dreamed of living in one day. “Best behavior Alison Marie, no exceptions.” Henry grumbled as he moved to stand beside her, “This is your future and my future, understand me? You cannot mess this up.” He added in a harsh tone, causing her to flinch slightly. Their fights were not always vocal, she would be the first to admit that her skills with makeup was self-taught to hide whatever marks her stepfather left during an argument – after all, her mother was no longer around to protect her. That may very well be the reason he was so against her dating as well; it limited the number of people he had to worry about defending her from his abuse.

“I get it – best behavior, best dress, best this, best that – but you still haven’t told me what this meeting is even about.” She muttered in a soft whisper as the door in front of them slowly opened, whether her stepfather told her or not it looked like she was about to find out. The pair was silent as they were led into the home, the halls seemed to be lined with expensive art that Ali only dreamed of seeing in a museum. She loved to draw and paint, she loved art – but her stepfather wasn’t one to support her dreams. He was a man who believed that women were expected to be seen and not heard, he believed they belonged to their fathers or stepfathers until they were married off where they then became their husband's property. A soft sigh escaped from Ali’s lips once more, wandering from her stepfather’s side as they were guided into a large room Ali would guess was the den, complete with a lit fire and walls filled with books.

She was focused on the books and the art that hung on the walls, ignoring her stepfather as he mumbled about her needing to act like a proper lady. She rolled her eyes, continuing to look over the art – doing her best to ignore her stepfather. She was doing whatever she could not to speak to him and to preoccupy herself to stop the nerves of the unknown.

The bright eyed man kept rolling that scenario in his head over and over again. This massive, old, hairy dude fucking his girlfriend of five years. His high school sweetheart, and in his bed! He was furious, angry, betrayed, and he drowned in alchohol to make the pain and anger he felt more faint. Grumblimg a few curses into the air, not really directed to anyone, Joseph picked up his drunk, tired body from where he sat by the bar and carried himself back to his Dodge jeep, not really minding he'd drive as a drunk. Even if he would be arrested, his father would handle this, he was certain.

Joseph's family, The Bianchi family, were one of the biggest mafia lineages there were in their city. They controlled everything, finances, social events, the city hall, and even the police. So Joseph couldn't care less about breaking the rules. After all, he was the 'heir'. The oldest of seven children, and the only man. While his father ruled with an iron fist, his daughters, Joseph's sisters were what he cared about the most, and he always told his son that it was their job to keep them safe and protect them. What left Joseph as an independent, lonely young man.

Yes, you could be lonely even with such a big family. He had never recieved any attention from his mother. She'd always be occupied with his sisters, and he, being the only boy, and the oldest one at that, was left out to his father's care. His father taught him everything he knew. Starting from playing soccer, to handling weapons, guns, knives, and ending with how to handle drugs, which drugs were safe to mix, which werent, and so on.

Joseph truly did like to enjoy a bottle of whiskey or Vodka from time to time, and now, now that his girlfriend Marrie cheated on him, he was drowning in it.
He was driving to some "very important" meeting, as his father said, without too much information given to him, except that he'd have to be in his best behaviour, and represent them the best he could.

Though, he didn't really take that request into serious consideration, he showed up back to his father's home, smelling of alchohol, with deep dark circles under his eyes. His usually clean shaved face was already growing a stubble and his blonde-ish curls were a complete mess. He was tired, heartbroken, and truly wasn't in the mood for seeing anyone, but his father didn't seem to care much.

Mary was his high school sweetheart. She was his first everything. His first kiss, his firdt love, his friend sex, and his first betrayal.

"For crying out loud, Joseph! I asked you to come at your best appearance and here you showed up looking like roadkill?! What the actual fuck?!" His father barked at him at the messy sight of his son. "Ugh, useless as always. Honestly. Can't you do one thing right? No wonder Mary cheated on you! Look at yourself, stop being such a sad little brat. Get over it!" His father urged him and growled lightly. He didn't believe in love, and he never understood what Joseph even saw in this Mary girl, but he knew that he was going to wed her, so he didnt mind.

His son was already at an age where he needed to start a family, and not wallow in sadness and alchohol.

Though, before Joseph could say anything or defend himself, the doors opened and a pair of people entered. An older man and a young woman, two that Joseph didnt even bother looking at.

"Ah! Welcome, I am happy the two of you finally got here. Hehe." Joseph's father, Antonio said and spread his arms, as if they were long lost friends with the people that just entered. "Leila darling, please bring our friends something to drink. We have a long meeting coming up." The older man said to one of the servants who rushed to do as she was requested.

"So, lets get straight to our business, shall we Henry? You must be Alison. You are, indeed as gorgeous as your father here said." Antonio grinned and then glanced at the young, beautiful woman." Hah, had I been a tad younger, I'd take you all to myself, God, you sure are one lucky man, son." The older man told his son who gave him a confused look. What did he mean by lucky?

"So, I don't know if your father already said anything to you, Alison, but we are here today, to close a very big debt your father has. He owes us a lot of money, and I, woth the kindness of my heart, decided to clear the debt if we marry you to my handsome son here, Joseph!" His father said with pure excitment and thrill, as if he was closing the best deal in his life.

"What? You're bullshitting." Joseph suddenly barked and shot a piercing glare towards his father." What do you mean marrying us? What do I have to do to his fucking debt?! Just kill him like you do to all of the people that can't pay you!" He growled a little and folded his arms against his chest. Though he did have tk admit that the woman before him was an absolute eye candy as his father said, but he was in no place to marry anyone at the moment.

"Ah, no, thats where your wrong, my precious son, you have no choice here. But trust me, its for the best, that will make you firget about that bitch Mary within days, I assure you." He said with a cheeky grin before turning to look at Henry and Alison." So, the wedding would take place on friday, thats the day after tomorrow. I gave you a couple of days to adjust to the idea, and Alison, you will move in to live woth Joseph in his apartment, right after the wedding! Isnt it exciting?"

Ali jumped at the sudden booming voice, turning to glance at a well-dressed man that if she guessed was around her stepfathers age – if not a few years older. But he talked to him as if they were old friends, but the smile that crossed Henry’s lips gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She always had a sick feeling when he had that look, he was never up to any good. “Henry is actually my stepfather; my father was killed in a car accident when I was ten.” Ali corrected politely, ignoring the look that Henry shot in her direction. The two looked nothing alike, they didn’t even have similar personalities which was probably why they butted heads so often.

Ali felt a small smile pull at the corner of her lips as the older gentleman complimented her, though the comment about if he was a few years younger taking her for himself threw her off. She was confused about what this meeting was about, but it soon became obvious as the conversation went on. “I don’t see it being a problem and I do appreciate you being so flexible to do this, my wife’s medical bills and funeral expenses were much more than I had expected – we weren’t aware her life insurance policy wouldn’t cover the entire service unfortunately.” Henry explained as if her mother's death was merely a transaction to him, “Not to mention continuing to keep Ali here in the school she is currently in.” He added.

Her schooling had nothing to do with the financial situation they were in, Henry couldn’t manage money to save his life – not to mention he had a gambling and drinking problem. “How can I get married? I’m not even eight-” Ali stopped as Henry glared at her, that threatening look her got in his eyes that stopped her in her tacks for fear of what would be coming next in her direction once they got home or anywhere more private than they currently were. However, she doubted that the mafia would be completely opposed to Henry’s abuse of her – she was sure in one of his drunken rages the other night he had cracked her ribs over her not having dinner ready when he got home because she’d been studying for exams.

“Your mother left you in my custody, therefore I can sign off on you to get married at seventeen – after all, you're only weeks shy of turning eighteen and then you're what? Two months away from graduation? I’m sure Antonio and Joseph will be very supportive in you finishing your schooling – after all, with two months left...surely, they wouldn’t mind the absences due to your honeymoon. You’d get to go on that spring break trip you and your mother always talked about.” Henry muttered, a soft sigh escaping from Ali’s lips. She knew he was right; she didn’t have a single say – Henry was her legal guardian. He could sign off on her marrying Joseph and her moving in with him, Henry would love to have the house to himself.

Antonio, however, had a point, though his son looked in rather rough shape now – she was sure he was handsome when he was cleaned up. She studied Joseph a moment, before turning her attention back to his father and her stepfather. “How much exactly do you owe, Henry? I know for a fact my mother's insurance covered a large majority of her bills – it wasn’t her fault nor was it mine that you leave work and go to the track to bet on horses or dogs or the casino.” Ali commented, watching Henry grinding his teeth as he balled his hand up – she was preparing herself for the back of his hand to come across her face. But he seemed to get his thoughts collected enough to unclench his hand, still gritting his teeth.

“You’ll have to excuse my stepdaughter's mouth; she sometimes forgets that women need to be seen and not heard.” He muttered coldly more in her direction than Antonios, causing Ali to flinch slightly. She was well aware of what was coming her way as soon as they left, leaving thoughts running through her head of how quickly she would be able to get into the house and up the stairs – into the safety of her locked bedroom with what she was wearing. “Actually, since Alison is on spring break – couldn't hurt for them to move in together now, seems the perfect opportunity for them to get to know each other without the distraction of her schooling.” Henry suggested, clearly eager to get her out of the house.

That was ridiculous. He didn't want to marry. Especially not some random woman he just saw a few minutes ago. Sure, he did plan on marrying his ex. He had the ring and everything, and he planned his proposal through and through, but yey he didn't get to execute his plan. Joseph was about to protest yet again, but then he saw the way the young woman's step father was treating her. Everything about that low life suggested thay young woman needed to get out of that house and quick. Though Joseph wasn't certain that marrying into the mafia was a good idea for her, but perhaps it was the best she could get right now.

"Oh! Splendid! I wanted to be kind and give the two of you a few more days to arrange everything, but I am certain that Joseph would be more than glad to not go to sleep alone tonight. Right, Joe?" Antonio asked and shoved his elbow onto his son's ribs, waiting for him to answer.

"Fine, whatever! Not like I'm going to be home after this." Joseph huffed and shot a glare to his father." You play with people's life as if we're all just pawns in your little game. Asshole." Joseph blurted oit without one thought of the consequences his words would lead to. He was far too deunk and tired for this.

"Joseph..." The older man sighed." You know, you'd think that...When they grow up and are over the age of twenty, they'd be more respectful towards their parents, aren't Im roght, Henry? Your little bitch also seems to be a little mouthy. But don't worry..." Antonio grinned as he stood up, and grabbed his son by his curls, and then brought him down to his own height." You apologise this instant, or I will make sure every dime you see from me is gone for good." He growled quietly, though his threat was enough to make his son apologise.

"Very well then. Leila! Would you show Lady Alison and my son to their car? The driver already awaits for them." He said shortly, acting as if nothing happened.

Joseph huffed and fixed his hair as much as he could. This kind of gesture was not odd for him, after all, his father was a gang leader. He needed to show his power. They would beat each other up quite frequently. Joseph wasn't just taking hits, usually.
The young man sighed lightly. Perhaps he'd be doing this woman a favour by taking her away for that shitty excuse of a father this man was." Fine. Lets go, Alison, was it?" He asked with absolutely no emotion in his tone.

He got up and started heading out, waiting for the woman to follow.

The young woman was slightly taken aback as Antonio went from being rather kind toward her to referring to her as a little bitch, but she shouldn’t have been surprised – he was in the mafia, a leader of a mafia. He hadn’t gotten to where he was by being kind to everyone, she knew that much by the word that traveled around school of anyone who hung around anything this family was involved in – you didn’t want to cross them if you had anything to do with it. Ali bit her lip slightly, watching the older man force his son to apologize with the threat of taking away any inheritance for good. Ali couldn’t imagine what a threat like that meant, she was sure they had more money than she would know what to do with if that ever happened.

Ali studied they young man as he fixed his hair the best, he seemed to be able to as he straightened his clothes, seeming to come to terms with the situation they were finding themselves in. A soft sigh escaped from her lips, taking a step to follow Joseph before she felt her stepfathers hand wrap tightly around her upper arm – jerking her told him. “Now you listen carefully, got it?” He growled lowly, “You do anything he asks of you, understand? If he says jump, you best ask how high. Maybe him smacking you around a bit will do you some good because clearly my doing so hasn’t done you any good.” He added, his voice growling cold as he tightened his grip on her arm – sending a wave of pain through her arm as she tried to pull away from him before giving up as his grip continued to tighten.

“Now Alison, you should know by now that struggling has never done you any good. Now, be a good girl and make sure you pleasure your soon to be husband whenever he likes, understand?” He commented, a sickening smirk crossing his lips – it was like he was enjoying the fact that he would be getting her out of the house. But it seemed that he also was enjoying torturing her one last time. She could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes as her stepfather's nails started digging into her skin, biting her lip to prevent herself from crying. She swore that she’d never let herself cry in front of Henry because he seemed to enjoy making her cry, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She couldn’t muster a word, merely nodding as she dropped her eyes as the sickening smile seemed to grow across Henry’s face. “Now, that’s a good girl – I'm sure Antonio can help me organize a way to get your things from the house to Joseph’s apartment over the next few hours – at least the necessities. Though let’s be honest dear, surely, you’ll want something tonight to empress him, so he doesn’t stray.” He added with a dark chuckle, his grip loosening enough for Ali to rip her arm away from him. She made sure to get a few steps away from him, keeping her eyes rather low as she rubbed her right arm where Henry had held such a tight grip on her. She had no idea what her mother has seen in the man, but maybe he was a pro at pulling the wool over women's eyes?

She silently followed Joseph, thankful to be leaving her stepfather behind – though she was hurt to be leaving the house she had grown up in to live with a stranger she had only heard of. She’d heard of Joseph and his family, yet she’d never actually seen him – only photos. Some of the girls at school drooled over him, she’d admit he was handsome. But what kind of husband could a mobster really be? Ali slowly ran her hand through her hair, pausing a moment as she stepped out into the sunlight – feeling the glow slowly warming her skin as she slowly looked up toward the car as they continued to move toward it. She couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of her life was going to be like, what would she return to school to deal with when she showed up with a wedding ring?

What was she even going to tell everyone? Was she going to lie and hope Joseph would go along with it? Or would it just be easier for her to admit her stepfather had a drinking and gambling problem and married her off to the Don’s son in exchange for that debt? Surely that would make her more of a sob story than she already was since she lost both her biological parents, she hated the feeling that everyone felt sorry for her. Everyone tried not to talk about their dreams of weddings, they tried not to talk about dress shopping since she wouldn’t be able to share dress shopping with her mother – no prom dresses, no homecoming dresses, and no wedding dresses. She had some close girlfriends, but they weren’t experienced enough to help her in her current situation. Yet something Henry had said was echoing in her head, that she would want something nice to wear to impress Joseph.

Did he really expect her to go and sleep with him? Though she was sure that if he had an apartment that they’d probably be in the same bed, but that didn’t mean they needed or had to have sex. After all, he was a few years older than she was from what she remembered hearing about him. The young woman paused a moment, knowing there was no turning back – divorce wasn’t much of an option in this day. Once you were married, there was no way out unless one of you passed away. She was stepping into a dangerous life, her future was unknown, but this was also getting her away from her stepfather. She’d at least have a roof over her head and hopefully that roof was with someone who didn’t hit her. She pushed the thoughts away, slowly slipping into the car - stealing a quick glance out the window at the large mansion once more - sure this wouldn't be the last time she would be here.

Joseph's eyes narrowed as the man continued showing his power over his daughter. That was a massive mistake done by him. His father may have also been an abusive piece of shit, but only towards him. The women in his life were saints, not to be touched. 'Delicate, fragile flowers.' As he'd call Joseph's sisters. Though Joseph was a man so he didn't mind giving him a hard time. He approached Henry and gave him a look that was intimidating enough to make him understand he needed to let go of her, and let him take her.

"Legs go." The man said quietly and motioned the beautiful young woman to follow him. True, he did not want to marry now, especially not a woman he didnt know, but he coukdnt stand the sight of a man abusing his child, let alone his daughter. Joseph began walking outside of the great hall, when a million thoughts began to run through his mind. What did she expect of him? Did they even have a choice? What if they will just escape to some other country, and then, both of them won't be obligated to marry? That was a stupid thought.

The moment the doors behind them closed, a gunshot echoed through the hall. Despite being heavily drunk, Joseph reacted quickly, and grabbed onto Alison's hand in case she'd want to turn back and see what happened to her father." Don't go there. I dont know if he killed him or not. But for your own sake and well being, do. Not. Go. There." Joseph urged her. He realised he was probably doing whatever her father was doing, trying to control her, but this time, it was for her sake.

Joseph figured that her father was shot dead on spot, and there were two reasons for that. The first reason being that if he was just wounded, they'd hear him screaming after the shot, and the second reason was that his father never missed. Not once.

He led Alison into the car and opened the door for her. Once she was finally seated, he closed the door and walked around to sit next to her in the backseat, and soon enough his driver started the ride to his apartment.

Joseph leaned back in the car and let out a soft sigh. It was just like his father, to close a deal and then kill off the other side after recieving his end. He truly hoped, however, that he was mistaken and the man wasn't killed.

When they arrived at his apartment, they entered a quite modern high story building, and of course, Joseph lived on the top floor. When they entered his place, Alison would see that it had plenty of expensive designer furniture, art, and technology, and then, there were also small signs of anwoman's presence spread around the apartment. A lipstick, a hair brush, even a bra was hanging from the couch arm rest.

Joseph huffed and walked up to the part of the livingroom where he had a beautiful, tallcabinet that had various alchohol bottles in it. He took out two glasses and an open bottle of whiskey, and poured some for both of then, before offering her the second glass." I'm not a big fan of what's happening either, but I dont think we have much of a choice...Lets try to enjoy it?"

Ali watched as Joseph glared at her father, his eyes seemed cold – almost daring her stepfather not to let her go. But as soon as she was free, she followed him – keeping herself closer than she normally would have in case her stepfather made a quick grab for her again. As soon as the door clicked closed behind them, Ali jumped at the sound of a gunshot behind them – feeling Joseph grab her hand and tell her not to go back there. She hadn’t planned on it, but the sudden loud bang had her looking over her shoulder at the door. This was her new life, her stepfather had signed a contract, and she wasn’t able to get out of it – now as a matter of fact, she had no one to go to even if she could get out of it.

There was no second gun shot, there was no screaming out in pain – it was either a faking his own death that he had planned out or he was shot dead with one shot. Ali doubted a mob boss would play along with someone who owed them money faking their own death and she doubted that her marrying Joseph would pay off the death her stepfather owed. She paused a moment as Joseph opened the door for her, slowly slipping past him and into the car as he gently shut the door once she was safely inside. A soft sigh escaped from her lips as Joseph walked to the other side of the car and slipped into the seat next to her, but the ride was silent – she didn’t think it’d be any different.

Ali was lost in her own thoughts on the drive to a tall apartment building, it looked high class – richer than she ever dreamed of living. She quietly followed Joseph up to his apartment, all the way to the top floor – slowly entering his apartment. She carefully looked around, noticed the art on the walls and the fancy furniture – but when her eyes landed on a bra, she bit her lip. That's the last thing she wanted to do, was take someone else's man from them – she didn’t want to be the cause of a relationship ending. She tore her eyes from the bra, figuring it was best not to rock the boat with a man she would be marrying in forty-eight hours. She knew nothing about him, she didn’t know if he had a temper like his father and her stepfather.

Ali paused a moment, studying Joseph as he poured whiskey into two glasses before offering one to her – explaining that he wasn’t a fan of what was happening either, but they could at least enjoy it. A small smile crossed her lips, she’d snuck out to quite a few parties when her mother was alive. She had even snuck out a few times after her mother passed, she of course was in that rebellious stage that most kids went through at the loss of a parent. Her stepfather of course lost his mind, and she felt the brunt of his anger. She still thought the parties were worth it to blow off steam, so she slowly took the glass from him. “Thanks, I guess that makes two of us that aren’t thrilled with this idea.” She said softly, using her free hand to brush her hair away from her eyes.

“Seems like there is no choice, so I guess enjoying it and making the best of it is the best thing we have to do.” Ali added softly, meeting his eyes a moment before she took a small sip of whiskey. She could probably use it more than she realized, finally noticing her hand shaking. She bit her lip; her nerves were worse than she thought they were. She would be marrying a stranger in forty-eight hours, her stepfather was more than likely dead, and the family she was marrying into was a well-known mafia family. "I guess we could take this time to get to know each other a little better, I mean - seems like a good idea since we...I guess are gonna be getting married in, what? 48 hours give or take?" Ali asked softly.

Getting to know each other. They'd have their entire to get to know each other, why did they have to do it now? "That is one hell of an awkward first date." Joseph said, his lips curling upwards just the slightest. He downed his glass of whiskey within moments, and soon poured himself another one." I don't know if you're up to speed with whats...Going to happen next. I...Will explain it the best I can, so listen." Joseph said as he took yet another sip from his drink.

His speech was slightly impared because of all the alchohol he drank, and he was doing his best to speak coherently, but that was a damn hard task. "Mafia...Wives, you...Well, you gotta keep a certain image you...See...Now, you look godamn stunning. Honestly. If I were to take you to a meeting of sorts, I bet all men would be jealous of me to no end. You are a beautiful young woman so...It shouldn't be a problem." Joseph explained thoroughly.

"Your step father looked like a massive douchebag." He added and then took yet another sip from his glass. Though it was visble that this time it truly hit him hard." Shit." He grumbled quietly and leaned his head back, his hand was placed atop of his eyes. Everything was spinning and he began to feel everything he ate coming up. Joseph remained silent for a few moments in a popr attempt to recollect himself.

"Anyway...What I...Wa-" A hiccup. "Saying...Is that I...Will probably treat you better. I dont...Hit women, I dont...Treat them like trash. If anything they are treating me like trash." He snorted, a small recall of his ex." I ...think, I should go to bed." He said as he rose his arm up, and his pointing finger up as well. The man was wasted. He knew he was going to suffer in the morning." Sorry. Feel free to help yourself with whatever you find... -Another hiccup-" Here." Joseph said before he started his wobbly awkward journey to his bed.

"Oh! One more thing!" The drunken man called out and turned to look at her." Please do come sleep kn bed with me. I promise I wont try anything funny. I just...Im not used to sleeping alone." He added and then retreated to his bedroom.

His bedroom, like the rest of his apartment, was massive, a giant queen bed stood in the middle of it. Joseph dropped on the bed, without so much as to even bother to remove his shoes.

Ali paused a moment, glass halfway to her lips as Joseph began to explain about what was going to happen next – she knew nothing about the mafia lifestyle. She knew the rumors that went around school, but she didn’t know if there was any truth behind any of them. “To be honest...this is about the only nice dress I have...and my mom and I got it for my junior prom – I just ended up not going because she was so sick...it literally had the tags pulled off today.” She admitted softly with a slight shrug as she took another sip from the glass, once her stuff arrived – if it arrived, he’d see that she didn’t have any super nice clothing. After all, the ring on her right hand, the necklace that lay against her tanned skin both belonged to her mother than her father had bought for an anniversary gift.

She studied the young man in front of her as he explained that he wouldn’t treat her poorly and that he’d never hit her, but she wasn’t completely sure if she believed him – what would really stop him? After all, now that Henry was gone, she had no one to run to – Henry wouldn’t have helped her even if she managed to run away from this, he’d just take her right back. She watched him as he tried to speak through hiccups, it was kind of cute – though she wasn’t sure if he was always this drunk or if something had happened. She didn’t feel as though it was her place to push. She didn’t know him well enough to try pushing his limits to get information he may not be ready to give her, Henry never handled her questioning well and with him being the son of a mafia leader – the stakes may be higher.

Ali watched him as he stumbled past her and in the direction that he’d pointed which she was going to guess was the direction of his room, she had nothing to sleep in – in fact she was realizing she hadn’t eaten anything since school. Drinking on an empty stomach probably wasn’t the best idea, she could feel her head getting fuzzy. She paused a moment as Joseph turned to ask her to come to his room at some point in the night, promising he wouldn’t try anything but that he wasn’t used to sleeping alone. That raised some questions, but it was questions she didn’t feel like asking now. As Joseph disappeared, Ali silently wandered around the living room – continuing to drink from her glass until it was gone.

She carefully set the glass down, the foggy feeling becoming heavier – it had been a few months since she’d drank anything, let alone an empty stomach. Henry had tightened restrictions, making it a point to stop anywhere the high school kids were known to party to make sure Ali wasn’t there. Some nights he would even sit around the corner from the house to catch her trying to sneak out, it ended her partying rather quickly because she hated the consequences that Henry dished out. She sighed softly, slowly following the way Joseph had gone before – finding him in his bedroom asleep, lights still on like he’d fallen asleep as soon as he’d laid down. He’d smelled like alcohol; she was sure he’d been drinking for hours.

Ali bit her lip a moment, flicking the lights off after studying the nice furniture in the bedroom – it was huge just like the rest of the apartment. The bedroom was the size of the large living room in the house she’d grown up in, but this was his bedroom – the entire apartment was larger than her house. She slowly moved toward the bed, watching his back rise and fall with each breath. She was slightly concerned with his reaction if she laid down, but where else was she going to sleep? She slowly slipped off her heels, gently sitting on the edge of the bed as she ran her hand through her hair. She remembered the nights she and her mother would sit in her room, her mother telling her a story as she braided her hair for the night – she missed those days. Now they were mere memories that she clung to.

The young woman pushed the thoughts away, she needed sleep – she was sure the next few days were going to be stressful and fast paced, she would surely be busy – after all, she was getting married and didn’t have a dress or anything for a wedding. They didn’t even have rings, but they’d just been told about this today. Yet surely, this had been in the plan for weeks if not months for there to be a wedding in two days – unless that was just something that happened when you were marrying into the mafia. Ali pushed the thoughts away; she was just causing herself more stress than she needed. She glanced toward Joseph once more, watching the rhythm of the rise and fall of his back before she slowly laid down – a soft sigh escaping from her lips as she stared at the wall, millions of thoughts suddenly entering her mind.

Joseph slept so deeply that he didn't even hear the young woman enter his bedroom.
Sometime during the night, the drunken man awoke and removed his clothes, staying in his black boxers. He dropped back on the massive bed and smiled lightly when he saw the beautiful woman in his bed. From the daze of darkness, and his drunken state, he was certain it was Mary. The young man returned to bed and brushed his fingers against her waist, and pulled her into a warm, loving embrace, just as they did a few days ago.

The morning sun light was quite cruel. Joseph felt a pounding sensation within his head. It was as if there were construction workers using building tools within his head. The hangover hit him hear, and he let out a loud, whiny groan when his body began waking up. "Mary, baby, how much did we drink yester--" His voice was groggy, low and tired. He stopped mid sentence because the memories began returning to him. The woman in his bed wasn't his Mary. Mary cheated on him. Mary was long gone and he needed to realise that.

"Sorry." He said in the same groggy voice, realising he must have caused some inconvenience to Ali. He sat up on the edge of the bed, his body feeling so damn heavy. He rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up, but the hangover was stronger than him." Uuuuugh. Fine, whatever, fuck. Shit." He growled and then finally raised his body.

Now that he was up, and only in his black boxers, Joseph revealed a well toned body, fit in just the right way. There were few small scars on his back, scars that looked like bullet wounds, and one large scar under his ribs. He streched his arms up and let out a loud yawn." Alison, you...Said you didnt have nice clothes, didnt you...I suppose we can go shopping today. I'll take my sister with us." He suggested and then turned to look at her." I'm not really good with dresses and uhhh...Woman stuff, but Lisa is
I think shed like you."

Ali slowly steered at the sudden deep voice not far from her ear, feeling the warmth of someone’s body against her and the weight of someone’s arm resting on her hip – their hand on the small of her back, holding her against them. But they hadn’t called her by her name, what had they called her – Mary? Who was Mary? He didn’t finish his sentence, seeming to come to the realization he’d called her by the wrong name or maybe he realized he had been holding her against him. Ali hadn’t been sure since her stepfather was killed if anything from her house would be delivered to Joseph’s apartment, the house would more than likely sit empty. But now she realized she would have to come up with why Henry disappeared on top of why she’d be returning to school married.

A soft sign escaped from the young woman’s lips, eyes slowly fluttering open as Joseph moved to the edge of the bed – growling a few curses under his breath. As she felt his weight shift completely off the bed, she sat up – swinging her legs over the edge as she ran her hand through her hair. She paused a moment as Joseph spoke, glancing over at him to notice he was only in his boxers – studying him a moment to take in the scars on his body. It was hard not to notice his toned muscles, knowing the rumors that would flood the school the next few weeks leading up to graduation that she would be dealing with. And her small group of friends would surely have questions of their own because she told them everything and she hadn’t told them she was engaged.

“Huh? Oh...Um, yea – nothing fancy or dressy...mostly just stuff that I wore to school and maybe one back at the house that my mom got me for graduation before she passed away. But it’s really something that is nice enough for exactly that – graduation and maybe some more casual things.” She said softly, figuring he was only offering because as his fiancé and soon-to-be-wife she would have to have things to wear that would be common for the son of a mafia boss’ wife to wear. The dress she had on was the nicest she owned besides the one she had for graduation, and it surely wasn’t up to their standards for how they wanted to present themselves. They were also talking about them getting married tomorrow, she had nothing for a wedding – no one did.

Not to mention that as far as she knew, there was no way if they were to go try and find a dress would they probably find one that could fit her and it be ready for the next day – given she was sure Joseph’s family had much deeper pockets than hers could ever dream of. Her mind was elsewhere than on shopping for clothing that she would need for her new life, she would have a week and a half to adjust to these changes as well as think up a story to tell her classmates and especially her friends who would be hurt, she didn’t tell them nor invite them to the wedding. That was even if there was going to be an actual wedding. She brushed her long bangs away from her face, biting her lip a moment. This entire situation, right before graduation.

Why couldn’t they have just set the date for after graduation? “I’ve kind of been in that boat since my mom passed, Henry wasn’t exactly a great father figure – I mean, I was his stepdaughter...he didn’t give a fuck about what I had or needed. My friends' parents stepped up a few times and helped when they could, kind of became step-in moms.” She said softly.

The man turned to look at her as he grabbed to his pants, and pulled them on, though he didnt bother to put on a shirt. He ruffled through his hair and then turned to look at her. She was, indeed, very beautiful, but she couldn't just stay in one dress all of the time. "Right. Well, it's not like normal people always dress all fancy. I get it, we will handle it. You won't have to worry about money anymore, you know." He told her simply and let out a small sigh. How could he also be one of those arranged marriages? He always thought he was going to marry because of love, not because of some whim of his father, but apparently, he had no control of his life anyway.

When Ali spoke of her stepfather, Joseph looked at her and sighed." Well, he is probably gone now. I don't even know if it upsets you or not, but he won't be badgering you again" He reassured her. "I'll make us some breakfast, come." He said before walking oit to his kitchen. His head was pounding. Why did he even drink that much? It didnt really make things better.

Joseph grabbed a couple of eggs and placed broke them against the counter. He was quite good in the kitchen. Sure, an egg omelette wasn't a chef's meal, but ue was actually pretty good in cooking. It was one of his passions. Another thing he did that his father hated. Only women belonged in the kitchen, thats what he always said. Ridiculous, didnt men eat too? He shook that thought away and grabbed a couple of vegetables, and began chopping up a salad for them.

When Ali entered the room, he was just seasoning the salad." So, I know it sucks okay? It...Sucks for me too. Not that you're not beautiful or something, but its not the way I thought I was going to wed. Not at all." He said with a small huff and then placed the salad into a large bowl. "Anyway, aren't you still in highschool? God you are in such a shitshow. You poor thing." He said and rubbed at the bridge of his nose in frustration. Was his father an idiot? She was still in highschool, and underage. Great.

"Look, I'll see if I can ask him to move the wedding to when you graduate. It should be soon, right?" He asked her before plscing the omlettes in two large, white plates.
He then walled to the fridge and took out a bottle of milk." You drink coffee? "

Ali watched Joseph for a moment, opening her mouth to say something before he commented that she wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore – that would be something she would have to adjust to, she had grown up living on a budget. “Do you know what's going to happen to that house? Everything I have to remember my mom and my dad by is still there, all I have is this ring and this necklace she gave me for my sixteenth birthday right before she passed away.” Ali commented softly, she had so many good and bad memories in that house. But it had been her childhood home, and she didn’t know she wouldn’t be returning to pack her things up after the meeting. She bit her lip slightly as he commented that her stepfather was most likely killed, adding that he wasn’t sure if she was upset or not.

“With everything he put me through while my mom was sick and after she passed, he was never nice – I'm not upset that he’s gone if that's what happened to him. He was a controlling man – one who lied to cover his own skin no matter who he hurt in the process. He wanted to get rid of me as soon as he could, he made that perfectly clear.” She explained softly with a slight shrug, she didn’t have to fear speaking out against him anymore. Ali stood, following Joseph to the kitchen – pausing a moment as he turned and stated he wasn’t pleased with the situation they were placed in either. “It’s not exactly how I saw myself getting married either, given there wasn’t any chance of marrying any other way because Henry made sure not to let me date.” She commented softly.

“Yea, I turn eighteen in two weeks and then I graduate in two months – so not much longer. Though the thoughts of going back to school after spring break and suddenly being married has had everything that could happen going through my head, I mean – it'd throw a ton of people off if I showed up suddenly married without any word of an engagement and no ring.” She said softly, biting her lip a moment. “And then add in that Henry suddenly disappeared, though that could be easier to explain that he just took off because he was tired of playing stepfather – that he found someone else and ran off with them.” She added softly with another slight shrug, though as her muscles moved over her ribs, she couldn’t stop herself from wincing.

The last fight she got into with Henry had gotten violent, he had landed more hits than normal on her – most had been the same area of her ribs. He landed a few across her face, left a few bruises on her arms from grabbing her every time she tried to run away from him. He’d come home drunk from a night out gambling, he’d woken her up demanding she cook him something to eat. Since it had been a school night and she refused, it threw him into a rage not only because he’d lost hundreds at the casino but because she wouldn't listen to his orders. He had wasted no time ripping her out of bed and dragging her down the hall and into the kitchen, calling her every name he could think of. She had done her best to get away from him, she ended up not going to school that morning because of how sore she was from the fight – she’d been awake crying until he went to work, and she felt safe enough to sleep.

“Believe me, like I said – this isn’t ideal for me either. Henry had wanted to get me gone ever since my mother passed away, but it took time for everything to settle down and lawyers to go through her will and try to track down other family members before he got custody of me. But this had been in the works for a while, at least on his end. I honestly wouldn’t have put it past him to do something darker than this.” She admitted softly.

Joseph listened to the young woman as she spoke. He let her talk and despite his booming headache, he simply sat and listened. She had a hard life, and it was hardly fair for her. Sure, this was not the most optimistic situation, but it still seemed to be better than the one she was in prior to meeting him. Despite the fact she didnt answer his question, he made her a glass of coffee and sat down by the table. He had prepared both of them breakfast, and set the fancy looking utensils for him and for her too.

He grew up in a house filled with women, and while his father tried his best to explain him that he was the man in the house and he needed to act like it, his mother did make sure she'd raise him a fine gentleman. He motioned his hand forward, as if inviting her to sit in front of him." Look, regarding your house...I can't promise that my father won't try and claim it as his own. But regarding the things you have there...I suppose we can go there and you pack what you need. What is important to you. Just don't take things that are not essential, because, as I said, we can buy anything you set your mind to." He added.

Joseph continued eating as Ali spoke. He watched her speak of what a shitty father Henry was, and suddenly, he didnt feel all bad for his death, and he could also understand why she didnt feel that bad." Look, I will speak to my father. I don't think it is necessary to draw too much attention to us, so we will wait with the wedding until your graduation. So you can tell your friends we met somewhere casual and instantly fell in love and all that. So it doesnt have to be wierd for you. "Joseph added. His father would probably oblige, after all, they didn't need unrelated people in their business anyway.

"But I do have one request from you." He began as he drank his coffee. Oh he needed that glass so nuch he nearly let out a soft moan from how good it did to his headache." Cut any ties to any friends you have, after our wedding." He said coldly." This life...Its different than anything you had. We do business with strong, dangerous people, and if you cross those dangerous people, they won't bat an eye when they hurt your loved ones. So...I know its a lot to take in in one day, but for the time being, you will have to suffice with me being your friend. Its for their own saftey."

Ali listened as Joseph explained they could probably go to her old house and get her things that were essential, studying him a moment as she moved toward the chair and slowly sat down as he set a glass full of coffee in front of her on the table next to the plate with an omelet. “I only would like to get what I’d need for school – mostly essays we have due after spring break I’d prefer not to restart – some things of my mom and dads. I know clothing can be replaced, but my late parents' things can’t be. I mean...I know roughly where Henry hid them...” Her voice trailed off; Henry hid everything in the house that had to do with her father in the basement – her mother's things were soon to follow shortly after she passed so he could bring new women home.

The young woman paused as Joseph brought up that he had one request for her, glancing up to meet his eyes as she took a sip of coffee. She bit her lip as he told her to cut ties with her friends after they were married – those were the people she knew as a little kid when her father was killed, they were there to comfort her when her mother passed away. They had been her rock, her shoulder to cry on – they had been her escape from Henry if she was able to sneak out and he was too drunk to notice she was gone. They had been her safety net for years; it was going to hurt them and herself to not have them in her life – they had gone to school together since kindergarten, but she didn’t want to cause them any harm if she could help it. Now she just had to figure out how to tell them, surely, they’d understand if they knew who she was marrying.

She gently set her glass of coffee on the table, a soft sigh escaping from her lips – she only was able to see them at school and the very few times she was able to get out of the house at night. She simply nodded, keeping her eyes low for a moment as she took a small bite of the omelet. She would be losing those who kept her grounded when her mom passed, her support system, the people who always were in her corner whenever she needed them. She was going to cut ties with people she’d known for years for someone she wasn’t only being forced to marry, but someone she’d only known for a few months before marrying him. “I understand.” She said softly, biting her lip a moment more. This was doing more than turning her life upside down, this was taking everything she knew and held dear away from her.

Joseph gave her a small nod to indicate he understood her request. "I know they say yoi can't speak bad about the dead, but he sounds like a major jerk. And thats coming from someone who's in the mafia." Joseph said in a somrwhat light mood in an attempt to make her a little more convinient around him. He felt responsible for her, even though he never wanted to be. But the woman had nothing left. He somehow became the only thing she could address to, and that was probably very difficult for her.
He watched as her entire body language showed that she was very upset with his request to cut ties from her friends.

"I'm sorry. But I promise you its for their best. It would be more painful if their well being would be used as a negotiation card against you and I." He explained and sighed a little. "I...Well, I suppose I should tell you a little about myself...If that interests you at all." He wondered out loud. What if she didn't truly care? She probably didn't. How could she care about someone she just met the day before? But he had to help them break the ice somehow, and what was better than getting to know each other?

"Even if we won't fall madly in love with each other...We can at least be friends, I...Suppose." He suggested." I am twenty three. I... graduated highschool, unlike most of my family. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to go to college because...Well, the family business didnt allow it. But if I would go, I'd probably go and major in..Culinary maybe." He said while tapping on his chin as he thought about more things to share about him." Oh, I have six sisters. I'm the oldest one, they are all younger than me. Lisa is the oldest of my sisters. Then there is Erica, Samantha, Lily, Meg, and the youngest, she's 10, is Annalise." He explained.

"I am mostly in charge of the easr side of town. The terretories there are under my reaponsibility. I will not tell you about my business there just yet. But maybe in time." He said and offered her the smallest of smiles." Oh and...Well, I know I called you...Mary at night. Mary is my ex-girlfriend." He said, feeling a tightness in his gut. He was still not used to saying she was his 'ex'.

"Thats...About it, I suppose."

Ali knew where he was coming from, she’d heard rumors about the mafia around school – since they were in the same town, gossip happened. “No, I know – it's just that they’ve been the only constant thing in my life. They’ve been a rock, a shoulder to cry on. I know it’s for their best interest, it's just hard...I mean, they were there for my father's passing, my mother's passing, Henry’s abuse...they've just been there for a lot – they've kept me grounded through everything.” She explained softly, giving him a small smile. “They’ve become like my family; they’ve always had my back even if I didn’t know I needed it.” She added softly.

“Sure, I’d like to get to know who I’m getting married to,” She said softly, listening as he told her about his siblings. She had always wanted siblings; she wanted an older brother and she’d always wanted sisters – that's what her friends had slowly become to her – like sisters. “I always wanted siblings, but I get the entire ex thing – Henry kind of ruined my relationship – though he was apparently cheating because Henry was so controlling over me that he didn’t see it going anywhere. But he didn’t want to end it while I was grieving the loss of my mother, just happened to find him and the other girl at the last party I was at.” She admitted softly with a slight shrug.

A soft sigh escaped from her lips, “I guess you don’t get a lot of free time, do you?” She asked softly, meeting Joseph’s eyes.

"Well, your life is going to change from here on now." Joseph said as a reaction to her words about her friends. There was no use in risking people who had their lives ahead of them. He knew that he was living day by day, without knowing if he'd live tomorrow. Sometimes his job would get very dangerous, and he was quite surprised that he got out with only numerous gunshots up until now.

"Yeah well, I think six is a little too many." Joseph added and let out a snort." Annalise is far too spoiled, because she is the youngest. She gets away with anything." He groaned a little and then tilted his head to the side when she talked to him about her ex." Well,I'm sorry to hear that." He said with a small wince. "I...My story is a tad different, but I suppose not that much since she ended up cheating too." He said with a still pained look on his face. It was far too fresh for him to speak about it as casually as she did.

"Not really, no." Joseph answered her and gave her a small shrug." I suppose that now won't be much different." He said and brushed his fingers through his hair." This is so fucked." He mumbled, regarding their entire situation. It was honestly fucked and just unfair. Why did they have to go through this? Just when he was about to open the subject, the door to his apartment opened woth a massive thump as the door was opened so sharply, it hit the wall.

"Joe!!! Did I hear correctly?? Are you getting married????" A beautiful, rather tall woman with a slim body figure, beautiful blonde curls and bright green eyes entered. She had much vigor and excitment within her eyes." Oh, is that her??? She is beautiful. Looks much better than that bitch, honestly." She said with a small tease.

Joseph slammed his head down, his forehead hitting the table." For fuck's sake Lisa! Must you enter with so much noise?! Some people are still hung over after yesterday you know! And don't talk about Mary woukd you-- Ugh, yes, Alison, this is Lisa, the oldest among my sisters. She's an annoying little thing in the mornings. Who the fuck is over six years old and a morning person?!" He groaned at his sister.

"I aaaaaam! Oh, were you drinking again Joey? Thats a bummer. You should really be careful with that. You know daddy is also a heavy drinker." It almost sounded as if she sang her sentences." So, Ali, pleeaaaasure to meet you. Ah! We're going to be sisters in law! How exciting. Anyway, anywayyyy, Daddy said we need to go shopping today? Right?"