The entire day Grace ignored me. I didn't mind, because watching her play with her son is actually peaceful. His laugh and hers put together made me smile way more than I have in years.

"You like my sister?" I look up to see Grace's sister standing above me in a bathing suit.

"Why ask?" I answered her question with one of my own. She sat next to me in the sand and smirked.

"You've been staring at her with dreamy eyes," She laughed.

"I just think she's a nice girl," I shrugged. Her sister made a noise.

"Do you know where I can work at a club in New York?" Renee asked and I shrugged, even though I own one.

"What would your sister say?" I looked over to her fixing her bikini top. I took her body in and I still don't see how these girls are blessed like the way they are.

"I'm grown," she simply said and I nodded.

"I know a place, when you come to New York I'll hook you up," I said and she grinned. Renee stood up and sand pasted her bubbly ass. She used her hands to shake the sand off but her ass jiggled the whole time, also.

My attention went from Renee's ass to Rico and Grace running over to us. "It's getting dark, I want to go to dinner with Rico. I promise I'll make it for the flight," Grace said to me and this was the first time she spoke to me since she saw that house.

"Okay," I said and stood up. "Back to the hotel,"

*

*

*

"Mommy's going back home," I told my son as we sat down eating. He bit into his jerk chicken and drank some of his juice.

"Like back where we are from?" He's pretty eloquent for a three year old.

"Yes," I nodded and ate my jerk chicken also. "I'm going to miss you so much," I rubbed his head.

"Is my daddy gonna call me?" He asked and I sighed.

I looked into his eyes as his big blue innocent eyes looked back at me. "Rico, daddy isn't going to call,"

"Why?" He asked with food in his mouth.

"He hurt himself and he couldn't fix it," I said. Telling a child about death isn't easy at all.

"The doctors eaither?" He asked and I cracked a smile.

"No they couldn't," I shook my head.

"He's dead?" Rico asked and my eyes grew. What does he know about death?

"What do you know about death?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"Is he having a funeral like Mr. Jenkins from church?" His pronunciation of words aren't perfect but he knows what he's saying.

"Yes," I lied.

"Okay,". We ate in silence after our little talk and as I tucked him in that night he began frowning.

"I'm going to call everyday," I kissed his head. "I love you," his eyes fluttered and my heart simply broke. I don't want to leave him but I need to put myself in order. Find a new place and then he can come back.

"Bye mom," I kissed her cheek and then hugged my brother and sister. "Love you guys,"

I got into the taxi and the driver sped off. I met Dro at the airport, he stood at the planes stairs talking on the phone. As soon as I approached him he hung up.

"How was dinner?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I'm going to miss my baby," was all I said and headed up the private plane. "You could've sat down,"

"A gentleman waits on a woman," he said and smiled but I wasn't in the smiling mood. Some people won't understand why I'm leaving my son down here and that's fine because I'm doing what I know is best. As soon as the school year is over with I should have my own place and he'll be right back with me.

The pilot began speaking and soon the plane took off. Dro looked over at me a few times but didn't say anything. I know he wants to know about that house but I'm not telling him anything because it's simply none of his business. He knows a lot about me and I have yet to know anything about him.

"Are you going to keep staring?" I asked as he wrote something down on a piece of paper. He didn't say anything but he looked at me again. "Ok,". Something slapped my thigh and I looked at Dro with wide eyes.

"Sorry, that wasn't my fault. You're just thick as fuck," His accent made me want to cross my legs but I remained calm. He gestured to what hit my thigh. "Look,". I picked up the book and gasped. He sketched me staring out the window of the plane.

"This is beautiful! I didn't know you could draw," I blushed as I looked further into the detail of the sketch. I had a huge smile on my face and a halo over my head.

"I wanted to draw you how I love seeing you," he said lowly and the huskiness of his voice mixed in with that beautiful accent, forced me to cross my legs. "I wanted to be a picssso,". In a swift, smooth movement he sat in the empty seat next to me.

"But now you're living life like you're in The Godfather," I said and he chuckled. His expensive cologne started taking over my body and I leaned into him just a little bit. I looked down at his beautiful hands and then my, now, manicured ones and smiled on the inside.

"Mhm," Was all he said. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to be able to understand him and for some reason I wanted to be apart of him but I know it'll never happen. "Just so you aren't alarmed when we get back to New York, you have to go somewhere with me," I nodded and didn't ask questions. Why am I doing all of these things?

I started to fall asleep on the window but the damn thing hurts my head so much but there's no way I'll sleep on the Mr. Alessandro Columbo.

"I didn't sleep with that girl either," He said and brought me out of the sleep I was drifting into. I assume he's talking about the girl from the hotel room. "I was drawing her,"

"Naked?" I asked. The sleep very evident in my voice. He looked at me and nodded. "Mm," My eyes soon closed and that cologne aided my sleep.

*

*

I woke up with my head on Alessandro's shoulder. I quickly jumped up and looked over at him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you,"

"Grace, it's fine," He said, rubbing his eyes. "I fell asleep on you too, you just take too long to wake up,"

"Sorry," I said again and we listened to the pilot say whatever it is he needed to say and then Dro took both of our luggage off the plane. I followed right behind him out of the plane and the cooler air compared to Jamaica made me roll my eyes.

"Gracey!" Reno teased as he saw me. "Skin glowing," he wiggles his eyebrows. I laughed it off and gave him a hug. Dro is already in the SUV and Reno is putting the bags in the trunk but I feel like I'm being watched. I look over my shoulders to see nothing but I can't shake the feeling.

"Sir," I tried to get Dro's attention as I sat in the SUV. He acted as if he didn't hear me but I know he did. "I feel like I'm being watched,"

"Me too," Was all he said before Reno came in the car. The drive back to the big house was a quick one and I'm glad it was. "Follow me," Dro said as he took both of our bags and began walking towards the side of the house.

He opened a garage with a code then told me to pick a car. "Huh?" I asked as I studied the cars.

"Pick one," he urged and I went to one of my dream cars. A Dodge Challenger.

"Hellcat," I smiled and he laughed.

"You know about cars?" He asked as he went to a wall then threw me the keys. I opened the car up and he put our luggage in the trunk.

"A little," I shrugged. The interior was beautiful and sexy. "Here," I tried to hand him the keys after I got my satisfaction.

"Drive, I have business to take care of," He got in the passenger side and buckled in. I'm in shock right now. He's letting me drive? One of his cars? And this isn't a cheap car plus I can tell it's been modified, customized.

I got in and adjusted the seat to how I want it. I buckled in and pushed the start button on it. I reversed out of the garage and it automatically closed.

"When you come out, make a left," Dro said as he tapped away on his phone. I looked at the purse I had by my side that held my wallet and phone.

I followed Dro's instructions before I pulled into a very gated community and got through the gate. Left, left, right, left, right. We're the directions I was given. It seemed as every house has about two to three acres of separation from each other.

"You drive an hour home everyday?" I asked as I parked the car and turned off the engine.

He nodded and got out and I followed him as he grabbed my luggage and his. The pathway to his house was absolutely beautifully and the front doors are so extravagant, I felt like a peasant.

"Your house is beautiful," my voice echoed as we stepped in. He shrugged then took the luggage upstairs and told me to follow him.

"You can stay here," he opened a room and my eyes popped.

"Shower and he ready within the next three hours," he gestured to the bed where a shoe box and a black clothing bag are. "Don't open it until you're fully ready," and with that he left the room. I fumbled through my luggage to find an extra razor, my makeup bag, and my flat iron.

I took a nice shower and shaved everywhere then I decided to lay in the bath. I do have three more hours to waste. "Who lives like this?" I thought aloud. After an hour passed I got out of the tub and cleaned it.

"Simple? Dramatic?" I asked myself as I stared at my makeup. "Simple," I decided. I oiled my skin in coconut oil and then put on a black thong with a matching bra. I started on my makeup first and then my hair. After I was satisfied with how I looked I walked into the room.

"Are you getting dressed yet?" A knock came at the door and I opened it. Dro stood in front of me in a velvet dark green suit jacket and black pants with shiny black dress shoes. Gold watch, pinky ring and cuff links. He looks good but where are we going if he's dressed like that? "Sorry," he eyed my body multiple times then met my eyes.

"It's fine, you've seen me in this state before," I shrugged it off.

"You don't need the bra," Dro said and I looked down at my bra then at him. "Open the bag," He gestured to the bed, again. I opened the bag then gasped. A beautiful green, sparkling dressed gleamed at me. It has a deep cut in the front and Dro is right, I can't wear a bra with this dress.

I took off the bra with my back facing him and shimmied into the dressed. "Could you zip it up for me?" I asked. Soon I felt cold hands against my warm skin and then the sound of a zipper being zipped. I then opened the shoe box and gasped at the name of the shoe. "I thought we promised that you won't buy me anything else,"

"Tonight's important," he simply said. "Sit," I followed his command and sat on the chair next to the bed. He slipped the gold Gucci heels onto my feet and adjusted them. While he was on his knees he handed me a ring.

"Woah," Was all I said. What the hell is this? Is this just apart of the outfit?

"Calm down, I'm doing this for your protection. From now on you're my fiancé," He said and slipped the huge ring on my finger.

My mouth dropped and I looked at him. "For my protection?" I asked. I know he's a very dangerous man but what does that have to do with me?

"Can you just trust me? The car is here and I'd like to go," He stood up then held me stand. "Here," he handed me a clutch. He opened it and it had all the things from my wallet in it except for my green card and it has money that I didn't have. "$500 for emergency, if some shit happens tonight use it and go to another state, buy clothes and book a cheap hotel. In your phone is a number saved under Sara. Call it and you'll get instructions. Follow them," Dro talked as we walked to an elevator. Do all of them have one in their houses?

"Okay," I'm actually very scared at his instructions but I won't let him know.

"That's for all cases. Not just tonight, but now that your with me you're more safe than ever, and you're also a huge threat. Watch your surroundings more than ever and don't trust anyone unless you think that I would," The more he spoke the more I wondered why I helped his grandfather that day. The more I wonder how the hell did I dig myself into this.

"You trust no one," I pointed out.

"Exactly," He said and held my hand as we walked out the front door. I heard it lock and then I saw a luxury car pull up. He opened the door for me and helped me in then he got in.

The drive wasn't long but Alessandro's words kept repeating over and over again in my head. I could tell we reached our destination by how everyone was dressed and the luxury cars that they stepped out of.

"Everyone is wearing a ball gown," I marveled. "Why am I not?"

"Because you're young and ball gowns aren't needed," Dro said as the doors unlocked and the chauffeur opened the door. As I stepped out the wind blew my hair away from my face like some cliché movie.

"At least the wind is in your favor," Dro chuckled and I rolled my eyes, playfully. "Ready?" He held out his arm and I hooked it. As we walked people stared at me and at first I thought it was because my dress is so short but then I realized. I'm the only black woman here. There were black men with plain white women adoring them but no black women.

"What is this place?" I whispered.

"A charity event," He simply said. We walked into the building and on the inside I was going crazy over how beautiful the place is but on the outside I was calm. As if I'd been to thousands of these places.

"Is that Reno?" I asked Alessandro as we headed for a table. I realized that this table is for his people. Everyone's face I recognized from the club.

"Grace," Reno kissed my cheek and tsked at me. "You clean up nice,"

"Thank you," I smiled at him and then greeted the other guys. Dro pulled a seat for me to sit in and then sat next to me. The feeling of being watched took over me again. I slowly looked around and a shadow in the corner caught my eye. It was staring at me and when I saw it, he came into the light. His dark eyes met mine and a shiver went through my body.

"A man is watching me," I said to Dro as the man left my sight.

"A lot of men are watching you," He rolled his eyes and sipped his wine. Was that genuine jealousy? Or was that just the role we're playing.

"No, he wasn't lusting at me," I teased then I got serious. "He looked as if he hated me,"

"I have a lot of scary enemies here," He shrugged which made me sigh. Maybe he's just playing off my suspicion because he doesn't want to make it obvious.

"Well hello," I heard in my ear and look up to see Shay hovering above me with a huge smile and a dazzling white dress.

"Hey!" I smiled at her and the blinding ring that sat on her finger. Is this for her protection too? Do they all do this?

She sat next to me in an empty seat that I just noticed. Watch your surroundings more. Reno sat a seat down from me and I didn't even see the empty chair.

"You're engaged?" I asked her and she nodded.

"He proposed a week ago," She rubbed his knee and they kissed. I smiled at Shay and her happiness only wishing that some day I can have that, maybe in another life.

Eyes pierced my cheek as I stared adoringly at the couple next to me. My gaze then moved on to the couples seated around this table and my heart dropped. Back when I was 18 and new to America I worked at a corner store while I stayed with "family friends". One day Andre walked in and everything about him made me fall in love. He wasn't anything like he was recently, instead he was the polar opposite. He made me love love until he went to jail.

"You okay?" I heard in my ear. I faked a smile and turned my head to him.

"Yeah," The fake smile remained on my face. He pulled me closer and his nose brushed against my neck. My breath hitched and his cool fingers slithered on my thigh like a snake.

His minty breath cooled my neck as the scent reached my nose. "Don't lie," He said and I shuddered. I glanced around the table to make sure no one was watching us and I'm glad no one was because I can only bet the look on my face- "Bella, you want me to look at you like they look at their wives? You want me to hold you as if you were mine?" I didn't answer him because I wasn't sure if he was teasing me or-

"Answer me," His thick accent interrupted my thoughts for the second time.

"Yes," I breathed out as his snack fingers reached my inner thigh.