It has been a week since the night at the club, and I was cautious around my father.

I didn't know how he was going to react if he knew I was at the Santiago's club.

How could I be so dumb?

I couldn't help but indulge in my thoughts as I stood in my kitchen, grabbing the fruit from the fridge and washing it before I put it in the bowl.

What was Kye talking about when he said he had something arranged with my father?

"Fuck!" I muttered to myself, placing the knife down and putting the cut finger to my mouth, trying to get rid of the blood quickly.

When I turned around from washing my finger, my father stood on the other side of the counter, his phone in hand and the other grabbing the pieces of fruit I just cut.

"Aliyah," he said, not looking up.

"Yes father," I said, watching as he ate my fruit.

"Why were you at the Santiago club a week ago?" He asked me.

Fuck

"Father, I promise, I had no-" I didn't finish when he put a hand out, stopping me from talking and further.

"There's no need to explain, it's good you and Kye are getting to know each other," he said, finally looking up at me from his phone.

"I'm not sure I understand, why would I need to get to know him?" I asked, snatching the fruit from his fingers.

"Well, us and the Italians are allies, and you and Kye- well you never got along."

I rolled my eyes, sitting down at the bar stool next to him.

"When you become a capo, you'll need to learn to get along with our alliances, even Kye."

"But father, he's terrible, and crude." I protested, "he's a horrible alliance."

"I'm sure you guys will get along one day," he started, "that is why your mother and I have invited the Santiago's for dinner tomorrow night."

I almost choked on my strawberry, my eyes widening as I turned to my father.

"What? Why-"

He didn't answer when his phone rang, and he removed himself from the stool to talk.

I let out a loud sigh, my jaw clenching as I harshly swallowed the last pieces of fruit.

"I can't believe you confessed to dad," I heard Claudia say from behind me, her high heels clicking against the marble floors.

"Yeah, well he's inviting them over for dinner tomorrow," I muttered, practically throwing my bowl into the sink.

She giddied around beside me, "does that mean the hot guy is gonna be there?" She asked frantically.

"Claudia stop, this is mafia business, not some hookup," I said harshly, prying her off my arm.

"Come on," she whined, "you can't still be hung up on this "war" you guys were going through since we were kids."

"It's not a war Claudia, you don't understand."

She rolled her eyes from beside me, grabbing her green smoothie from the fridge.

"You guys just need to fuck," she smiled.

"Fuck off," I groaned, "go back to your yoga."

"Ooo," I heard her say beside me, her phone in hand. "His brothers are just as hot."

She showed me her phone, a picture of three of them at a beach, one of them being Kye.

"Maybe I'll go for Alexander," she said leaning against the counter, "or Dominic, they're all hot," she groaned.

"Or just go for none of them," I shrugged, "father won't allow it."

"Dad doesn't have to know," she said, applying more lipgloss to her lips.

"Don't try anything, this is a business dinner, nothing more," I demanded.

She rolled her eyes, "calm down," she said, "it will be fine," she winked.

I didn't say anything else as she walked out, kissing our dad on the cheek as he walked through.

"The drug shipment fell through," he said.

"What? How?" I asked.

"The Russians were there, and you know how they don't like the Americans," he sighed.

"I'm gonna need you to go complete the mission," he ordered.

"Okay," I said happily, a smile forming on my face.

"You won't be going alone,"

"But- I can do this myself!" I protested.

"It's rather you go, or you don't," he said to me, his temper coming out quickly.

I groaned, "fine, who is it?"

"You'll be going with Kye," he told me, "you leave soon, go get ready."