Annie awoke from her light sleep, feeling anything but refreshed. Knowing Alexander was in the same house made her uneasy. This was not what she had imagined him to be. She had imagined many things over the years, but this was not one of them. She had imagined him travelling the world, living an exciting life as a pilot. She had imagined him being a CEO at some fancy company. She had imagined him as a doctor. She had imagined him as so many fantastical, wonderful things. The leader of a mafia was not one of them. In her head, he had always been someone that helped, and protecting people. Instead, he killed and took advantage of people. Annie couldn't hear the sounds Alexander made as he wandered around his house. It was too big, or maybe he was just a master at stealth. That only put Annie further on edge. She tried to close her eyes again, maybe a vague sleep could come back to her. She tossed and turned for another hour. An hour of thinking, fearing. She gave up. Annie explored h

Cindy left only a few hours after the pizza was finished. Alexander and Annie were left in awkward silence. The two sat on the other side of the room from each other. Alexander studied Annie, she had the same wonderful eyes he remembered from that night. Her lips looked so plump and soft, that he wondered what it would be like to kiss them. He wondered what Annie thought of him. She had only really been shown the cold business version of him, he wanted to show her more. He wanted to show her the tender side of himself he wasn't even sure really existed anymore. Even for Cindy, that tenderness came out as cold. Any good intention he had seemed harsh as if it came with a condition. Many things in his world had conditions. The world he lived in was dark, he wanted to keep her in the light. Only he didn't know how to. The light that shined around her spoke of hope, a hope he hadn't experienced since he found out the truth about his mother's death. It seemed his father was incapable of lov

It was well over two hours before the meal was finished. Annie had heard the front door opening and closing multiple times and more voices joining in with the original two in the living room. Annie's anxiety was playing with her. Pushing her and playing with her. Annie had never been a social butterfly, now she would be socializing with the group that had kidnapped her. They had ripped her from her ordinary life and had thrusted her into a new one. This new life with unfamiliar people that she knew nothing about. She didn't know what to expect and so she decided she would have to expect the unexpected. That would be the only way she could survive until she was set free. Now the meal was finished Annie had nothing to hide behind. "The food's ready." Annie attempted to sound confident. Yet still, her voice came out soft and afraid. Cindy's eyes lit up when she saw Annie, and Annie remembered that Cindy had been her best friend years ago. Cindy had always been a social butterfly. Annie

It had been days since Annie overheard Jason's bazaar conversation. While Alexander's words still rang through her head, Annie still wanted to tell him. Something wasn't right with Jason, the more she watched him. The more she learnt about the dynamics within the group, the more suspicious the half conversation Annie heard became. Annie didn't know how she would tell Alexander, she knew there was a possibility her mind was running away with her. It was highly likely, something that had happened before and she would often allow to happen. Eventually, Annie decided she would just wait, watch and perhaps gather information. The information she would give to Chris. Annie and Chris had been growing closer. Cindy has been away on some kind of mission, Bailey went with her, leaving Annie with a group of males or, something that would intimidate Annie even more, alone with Alexander. The image she had of the boy she met one night in her childhood, at a time when they both needed someone, was

Alexander was furious. There was too much going on. His father. The rat. The Black Heart Gang. Losing money from the casinos. It seems everyone thought he was nothing but a joke. On top of that he couldn't have a single interaction with Annie without it completely falling apart. Everything was frustrating him, pushing him to his limits. A knock came at Alexander's door. Alexander groaned, he assumed there would now be a new issue for him to deal with. There was always something else, even when he thought he was done for the day, something else would happen. Something would always need his attention. "Come in." Alexander called his voice hard and authoritative. He knew whatever had happened was not the fault of whoever was knocking on his door. Adam opened the door, his gaze anywhere but Alexander. There was an understanding that someone of lower rank could not look Alexander in the eyes, and some took that to mean they could not gaze at him at all. It frustrated Alexander as this sic