The Mafia Princess

Episode 3

The party was well on the way and I had been made to greet almost everyone in attendance. My ankles were really sore but I was afraid I wasn't done yet. From the corner I had hidden myself I saw mom coming towards me. I looked around for an escape but I Ezra had come to stand beside me.

“Don’t run. She’s just going to come at you more fiercely”. He said using a glass to cover his mouth.

“Well, I’m curious on who she wants to introduce me to this time around”. She had introduced me to a lot of men hoping I’d have interests in them, but I had to interest in single minded men who want nothing more than to get in my pants. They all believed that I would be nothing more than another zero to their bank account and a prized ally. Talking to them alone was boring.

“Maybe it’s someone you’d actually like”. He said and this time took a sip of his drink. I rolled my eyes and finally mom reached us.

“Thank you, darling, for finding her for me”. Mom said to Ezra while holding my hand. She started to pull me away from the wall back into the throng of people. I looked back at Ezra and he was hiding a smirk, that lying scoundrel. I made a mental promise to make him pay.

“It’s just one person left for you to meet”. She said and I fought a grimace. That’s what she said the last two times. I kept up my smile as I passed by people. I was already tired. This party had lasted long enough and Xavier, my adoptive dad, had already given a toast and had also concluded the business which he intended to close today, that’s why Ezra was joining the party. I was a bit sad that I wasn’t part of the meeting but I would get the details from Nate later on tonight.

Mom finally stopped walking and I did the same, stopping right beside her.

“Alex, I’ve found her”. She said. I man with blonde hair turned around suddenly and smiled and me and mom. He didn’t look half bad but he had the same aura as everyone else. I killed my smile and looked at him dead in the eye but to his credit he didn’t flinch. I kept my face still and mom started talking again.

“Alma dear, this is Alex, one of the biggest investors in the company. He came all the way from America”. Mom beamed like that was a praise worthy accomplishment. I gave him a smile out of courtesy but nothing more.

“I heard from your mother that you studied in America, if only we met then this meeting wouldn’t be so estranged”. He said smiling sickly. I almost let out a full body shudder.

“I doubt even then I’d like to relate with you”. I said simply but my mom smacked my arm. I hid my frown behind a fake smile and I made sure he knew it was a farce but no matter what I did he did he looked unfazed.

“We’d never know”. That was out right creepy. Mom just pushed me forward before backing up. I looked at her departing figure till she disappeared in the crowd. I looked back at him and he still had that sickening smile on his face.

“Well, it was nice meeting you”. I said and was about to go but he held my hand and pulled me back. I nearly stumbled into him because of how sudden it was. I looked up at him and then back at the hands he was still holding on to. He must have read the threat in my stare because he dropped my hands like they were on fire.

“You can’t just leave, we’ve only just met”. The audacity of this human, I looked away from him and took in deep breaths to calm myself.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Well, because I like you. And I know you do too”. He said with so much confidence I thought he was a robot playing a recording. The balls on this individual were alarming. I signed deeply and looked around. There was no one around that could save me from this man and I wasn’t so certain I could spend another minute here without killing this man.

“Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep better at night”. I said and stepped back but he followed me. I was getting really annoyed.

“You don’t have to pretend, I know you do”. He said again and I looked him dead in the eye before replying.

“I don’t know what game you are playing at here but you know nothing about me and don’t even pretend you understand me”. I whispered but I knew he heard me.

“But I do know you. Adopted when on the verge of death, bad family history, the whole thing but that’s not what we are going to discuss that here are we”. He replied in an equally low voice. My eyes widened. Just who the f**k was this and how did he know that. My fingers instinctively reached for the slit in my dress where a knife was stuck in my garter. I would stab him right here and let it be.

I had already wrapped my hand around the hilt when I felt two solid hands on my shoulders. The owner of the hands leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“Are you being troubled?” It was Nate. I instinctively relaxed into his arms and let go of my grip on the knife.

I turned my head slightly so I could see Nate and he gave me a reassuring smile. I looked back at Alex and smiled.

“I have to go”. I said and turned around with no further explanation but I gave him one final glare daring him to mention what he told me. Nate led me away to a corner of the hall. He grabbed two glasses from a waiter passing by and handed me one. I took two quick gulps in succession draining the liquid in the glass. Nate still held his but I had a feeling he wasn’t going to drink it. Once we were safely tucked in the corner and the curtain was blocking the view of others from us, Nate turned to look at me.

“What was that back there?” He didn’t say it like I’d caused a problem but I knew if he hadn’t come when he did we wouldn’t even be here to have this conversation.

“I was triggered. He said something about how he knew my past and I was about to blow on him”. I looked down not wanting to meet his eyes. Instead of judging me he held my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. He held me so tight I couldn’t even raise my hands to reciprocate. He rubbed slow circles along my back. He always did this when something about my past and how I came to live here was brought up.

“I’m glad you didn’t go all stabby stabby on the guy before I got there”. He said.

“I didn’t want to cause a scene”. I muttered because my jaw was resting on his chest and I couldn’t move it to much.

“Then I’m glad I got there when I did”. He said and I heard the smile in his voice. I couldn’t help the smile on mine as well. This wasn’t what I should be smiling about but I couldn’t help myself. We stayed like that for a while till Nate’s phone started ringing. We moved away and Nate reached into his pocket and brought out his phone he looked at the screen before muttering Ezra’s name. I took the hint and shut up. He picked up the call and listened to what Ezra was saying. His face immediately turned grave I became alert once I noticed it.

Once he ended the call he looked up at me and he’s eyes told me everything I needed to know, something was terribly wrong.

“We need to go”. That was all he said and we started walking. We left the corner and started walking, we left the hall and eventually I saw then. Every major person in the mafia was standing there looking like this house was a deck of card about to collapse. Guess the peace is about to be disrupted.