Alicia’s POV My heart was pounding as the chaos began to unfold in the casino. All eyes were on us and suddenly the flashing lights and all the glitz and glamour of the casino shattered to reveal my anxiousness. The dream was gone.“What the hell are you doing?” The man that had been by my side at the table stumbled to his feet and was promptly forced to a kneeling position by Mikael’s men. “Who the fuck are you?”“I should be the one to ask you that, minga.”My back felt the reverberation of Mikael’s chest, and I cringed inwardly. This was my fault, i just knew it.“Mikael-“ i tried to speak but all thoughts of that ended when I felt a sharp pinch at my waist. He was angry, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.“Look, I don’t know who you are but you are way outta line!” The man’s voice increased and it was hoarse as he glared in my - and Mikael’s- direction. “I’m a paying customer! Ask around, you bastard!”Mikael laughed, loudly. His chuckles were dark and i barely restrained a shiver

Alicia’s POV:“Goddamn it,” I cursed loudly, not caring whomever would hear me. I already knew no one would - it was way too early for anyone sane to be up. The black exercise set that I was wearing was already soaked with sweat as I panted, feeling stitches in my sides.I was damn unfit.I made a mental note to do more about improving my exercise routine. I never had the time for these sorts of things when I was working but now… i had all the time I wanted and nothing to do with it.The thought of college entered my mind again and I sighed in frustration. It wasn’t the first time that going back to school entered my mind. Back then, when k had just left the orphanage, I was only able to take a couple of classes at a community college and earn myself a diploma. But now…The idea of asking Acker and Mikael for permission to go to school wasn’t what I wanted. They likely wouldn’t care and I didn’t want to force their hands.I leaned against the tree I had jogged all the way from my apar

Alicia’s POV “Ugh,” I groaned as I closed the book I had been reading for the second time.I had been trying to not give into the abject boredom that I felt but it was becoming harder and harder to do so.“Come on, what else can I do?” I wondered aloud, staring at the closing as I laid on the couch in the living room.Was this how life would become now?Because I had no work to revolve my life around, the days slowed into a dismal crawl.Maybe I could get my job back?Or actually entertain the idea of asking Acker and Mikael to go to college? They would support me right? They were not good men but… they couldn’t be that terrible.I felt I was beginning to lose it.Blinking slowly at the ceiling I decided I needed a change of environment.Sharply i got up and stretched my hands above my head with a wince. I should REALLY become more fit. Magda had commented once on how unfit I was but now I could feel it. Just a couple days of jogging and my body already ached fully from the workout.

Mikael’s POV:I huffed, raising my hand to cup my chin while still staring at the Madden Don.“What kind of a question is that, Madden?” I asked him. “Do you not trust my judgement?”His hands were clasped together and he gazed at me in silence before I sighed heavily and I crossed my legs, standing to walk towards the bar. Now that Castro had gone, I felt more relaxed, which meant a little drink.“Castro used to be one of my father’s most important men,” I began to explain, pouring some bourbon into the crystal cup I had picked out. “He handled more than anyone knew. Though he didn’t have many men to begin with in his faction, he was one of the few who knew my father closely. And that…”“That is what you’re afraid of,” Acker’s words reminded me of the memories of the last. Castro had firmly been against my father pushing Cross away, just like I had been at one point. I used to care for my half-brother as if we had no reason to compete. We were the same age, and even though my father

Alicia’s POV“Alicia.”I inhaled sharply as I returned to reality, and whipped my head around to gaze at Acker. He was staring at me with a raised brow and I wondered why.“We’re here.”What?My brows furrowed in confusion, and I blinked slowly with the air of someone who had been dreaming deeply and had just been jerked awake.I had been so deep in my thoughts; i had sought to think of anything, something to keep me away from addressing the tense silence that I surely felt on my end with him.Then I realized, slower than I would have wanted to admit, that the car had stopped.“Oh,” I blurted out, and heat rushed to my face as I nodded rapidly.Making to get up, i opened the car door on the other side and I put one feet out to stand, only to have my breath caught as I stumbled, tripping over thin air.Am arm steadied me and I breathed shallowly for a few seconds before raising my gaze to see Acker’s eyes on me.How had he gotten out so fast?Dazedly I noticed that I was leaning on him