A/N: Guys I want to thank you all for reading my book till now. It's a pleasure for me. Only a few chapters have remained and I wish you love them as well. Don't forget to leave a comment or vote if you liked the story. Thank you soooo much. Now the rest of the story ....

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Alison walked into the abandoned factory based somewhere near her previous neighborhood. Dust has covered everything and debris could be seen here and there. She jumped startled when suddenly a group of birds flew out of a broken window. She put a hand on her hammering chest and took a few deep breathes to calm herself down.

"Fred?" she called loudly. Her sound reverberated in the building.

"Here." she heard Fred's voice from a little bit further. "Just come a little bit further."

Alison walked forward and soon saw him standing there beside a table with his hands in his pockets. His face looked calmer than yesterday. He smiled when he saw her. A soft smile that could remind her of the old days if his eyes were not that void of emotions. "Honestly, I didn't expect you to show up." he said.

"Honestly, I was thinking you will choose a better place for our meeting after a year." said Alison and looked around her with raised eyebrows. "A coffee shop would be lovely."

Fred laughed under his breath. "Sorry, love." he said. "But what I want to talk with you about needs a little bit of privacy. Have a seat please." he took out one of the chairs around the table and gestured for her to sit.

Alison thanked him under her breath and put her bag on the table. "Okay, I don't have too much time. I should return before my family suspects anything. It was hard enough to ask for a time to walk alone." she said.

"Yeah, the Volkov situation." said Fred and sat on the other chair. "Every gang knows about it. Mason King and Gray Wolves are using their power to make sure everyone looks for him." he tried to keep his voice unbothered, but Alison could feel venom and anger laced with his words.

"How can I help you, Fred?" said Alison emotionlessly. "I wish it's nothing to do with my boyfriend."

"Oh, no." said Fred and waved his hand nonchalantly but then smirked and winked for her. "I will have you again, babe. That's for sure. That douchebag can't challenge my charms. We had chemistry. I still like you so much, Alie."

"Go to the subject." said Alison and rolled her eyes.

Fred leaned toward her a bit. "I found my father, Al." he said and Alison looked at him and frowned. "That time when I suddenly vanished, he had suddenly shown up at my house. My mother didn't look so thrilled but she had no right to keep me away from my father that long." he spat the last words angrily and Alison's frown deepened.

Fred's mother was a great woman. Alison could easily understand why she wasn't thrilled to see the father of her son who was a gang leader with bad fame show up at her home suddenly.

"He said that I'm his only son and he wants me to go and live with him and be his heir." said Fred and puffed his chest proudly. "So I went with him and let me say It was great. You don't know how much it's good to have power and money, Al. You must have understood this fact by now. Living with Kings must be satisfying. My father taught me how to be a good leader, how to be powerful and mighty."

Alison was now looking at him with disbelief as he continued to spill his guts out in front of her. She felt disgusted inside. Now she could see how power could change someone in a matter of a few weeks. She could now understand how seducing power can be, how it could make people sacrifice their humanity and conscience to have more power. Fred was a living example of it sitting in front of her. She shivered a bit when she thought it could have happened for her as well. No one was immune to the seduction of power.

"But I fucked up." said Fred and for a moment he looked depressed as he ran a hand through his hair but he stood up quickly and began to pace in front of Alison. "I made a mistake that cost me to get arrested and spend a year in the fucking juvie. My father managed to bribe a few officers and bring me out after a year, but he is disappointed in me." He said and then suddenly pulled the chair closer to Alison's side and sat. He grabbed her hands and looked at her in the eyes. "I need your help, Alie." he said. "I should gain back his trust. I should show him he can count on me. I need you to talk to your stepbrother, Mason, about me and tell him to give our gang a good and high place in their mafia, just like Gray Wolves. You will do this for me, won't you?"

Alison stared at his eyes. Even now that he was asking for her favor, his face was stern and his tone was commanding, not pleading. This time, she couldn't help. The Fred she knew once was lost for sure. His poor excuse of a father has killed the angel inside of him and replaced it with a demon. She could understand his urge to show himself to his long-lost father. She could understand a teenage boy who suddenly found his powerful and wealthy father and wanted his father's admiration. But he could choose. He could stay away from his father after he found out who he truly was, not to engage himself eagerly. Just like what Ed did. Did Ed follow his father and become a drug dealer? He was a smart boy and could earn so much money, but instead, he chose to leave and work hard to become a lawyer. He had his choice too.

Alison released her hands from his grasp and stood up and threw her bag on her back. She stared down at Fred, keeping her hard face. "No, I won't." she answered sternly and saw a flash of anger in Fred's eyes as he stood too. She put a hand in her pocket. "I won't help you in this matter. Don't engage me in this shit."

Fred threw his head back and laughed humorlessly. "As if you are not engaged in this shit already." he said and then his laughter was gone replaced by an angry face that sent shivers of fear down Alison's spine and caused her to take a step back. Fred slowly stalked toward her like a predator. "Your new family are mafia leaders. Your fucking boyfriend is a son of the most powerful gang leader in the city and you still say you don't want to be engaged in this shit? You are in the middle of it, honey."

"You are right." said Alison. "We are both screwed. But in different and separate ways. I don't see myself obliged to help you in this matter."

"You will be." growled Fred and took a step forward, but Alison quickly pulled out the gun Xander had given her from the waistband of her jeans and aimed it at Fred. Fred stopped but smirked. "You won't dare to pull the trigger. You don't dare to kill a soul, let alone someone you loved."

"You are right, she won't." boomed a voice in the factory, and Fred's eyes grew wide as he stared at the five boys walking toward them behind Alison. "She won't, but I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your fucking head if you dare to take a step closer to her." Alex's deep voice rattled the windows as he stood behind Alison protectively alongside Damien, Xander, Hunter, and Simon.

Fred's eyes darted toward Alison's calm face who took a step back and stood right in front of her brothers and boyfriend. "I'm sorry, Fred." she said. "You have changed, so did I. I'm not the naive girl you thought I am. I'm not stupid to walk into danger blindly. I tried to help you, but you ruined your only chance."

Last night, King mansion...

"I don't fucking like this stupid plan." yelled Alex and jumped on his feet angrily. "I'm gonna kill that bastard."

"Calm down, West." said Mason sternly. They were sitting in his office at home. All of the men of the King family plus Ben were there. Alison had insisted Alex be there as well. She had shown them the message that Fred had sent for her.

"I don't believe you are even considering her request." snapped Alex and clenched and unclenched his fists. "He will try to hurt her. I'm fucking sure."

"He is right for once." said Hunter angrily. "We can't let her go."

Mason and Albert's eyes were fixed on Alison. "Please, let me do this." she pleaded softly. "What if he wants to come out? What if he wants to return to his old self? There is still the probability of it."

"Alison we all saw him." said Damien. "I know men better than you. He looked anything other than remorseful."

"Yet we can't be sure." said Alison frustrated. "Maybe he is just good at hiding his emotions like Mason. Maybe he is afraid to be hurt if he decides to leave and needs help."

"And he foolishly asks you to help him out of a gang?" scoffed Alex and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get why you defend him that much."

"Please, just let me talk with him." she pleaded again. "If I saw that he is there to hurt me, I let you come in and engage."

"Okay." said Mason and Alex's and the other teenagers' heads snapped to him.

"You are agreeing with her? Are you out of your mind?" asked Xander angrily with a raised voice.

Mason glared at him coldly and Xander looked away not being able to hold his cold stare for a second. "Don't use that tone ever again in front of your father and older brothers." said Mason sternly and then looked back at Alison and his eyes softened. "Go and talk with him as you wish. But you won't be going alone. We will come with you. I will give you a device to hold in your pocket and will attach a camera to your shirt so we can see everything. If you felt things are getting even a bit dangerous you will press the button of the device that I will give you and will inform us to engage. If we see things are getting out of control we will come in even if you don't ask for it. We can't risk your life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, thank you." said Alison gratefully.

"Shouldn't you be at a very important business event regarding the company tomorrow afternoon?" asked Damien.

"Yes, but we can postpone it." said Rich nonchalantly.

"No, let us deal with it ourselves." said Damien and stared at Mason. "He is only a boy. We can deal with him ourselves. We will protect Alie."

Mason looked at his brother. The twins had grown up and they wanted to help in business. He didn't want to hurt their egos but still, they were hot-headed teenagers who could ruin everything in a matter of a second. Mason opened his mouth to answer but his father beat him to it.

"Damien is right." he said and looked at his younger sons proudly. He turned to Mason. "I will go with them. Alison is my daughter. I will go to make sure of her safety." He then looked at Alison and smiled which she returned warmly.

Alex walked in front of Alison. She craned her neck to look him in the eyes which looked cold and angry. "Go and talk with him." he said stiffly and clenched his jaw. "But if he fucking screws everything you should let us deal with him in our way."

Alison nodded.

45 minutes before Alison's and Fred's meeting ...

"That's the last subway station before the destination that the fucking idiot has chosen." said Alex bitterly as he parked the car in front of the subway station and turned his head to Alison. "You have the device that Mason gave you in your pocket?"

"Yes." said Alison bringing out a device like a matchbox from her pocket and then put it back again. She looked at Alex who nodded his head. His eyes were cold and his body was rigid. He was pissed as hell. He had barely talked to her since yesterday.

"Alex." she called his name softly and put a hand on his arm. Alex groaned and looked away and rub his face in his hands. "I just want you to know, my feelings toward you have not changed even a bit with the return of Fred and will not change with this meeting as well. I love you, Alex."

Alex looked at her. Alison gently put her thumb on his forehead and eased the crease between his eyebrows. Alex sighed and closed his eyes and leaned his face more into her touch. He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her palm.

"Forgive me, Alex, for wanting to meet Fred." said Alison. "But believe me there is no feeling of love for him in my heart. It's just, .... it's just ...."

"I know." said Alex and kissed her forehead. "You have a past with him that was good. You want to help him. I understand. But please promise you won't put yourself in danger because of him. I'm here, Alison. And I need you more than you can imagine. I love you so much that even the thought of losing you hurts like hell."

"I won't. I promise." said Alison and then pulled his head forward and kissed him on his lips. Alex returned the kiss instantly, both savoring every second of the sacred moment.

"I should go." whispered Alison softly as she pulled away. "I will see you in a few minutes."

Present time ...

"Alison, go into the car." growled Alex without taking his eyes off of Fred. If a look could kill, Fred was six feet under already from the hateful glares from the boys in front of him.

"So you wanted to use my baby sister to help you, even by force, huh?" snarled Xander.

Fred opened his mouth to say something, but Hunter didn't let him speak. "I would have shut it if I were you, man." he said and clenched his fists. "Man up and deal with the consequence of your actions."

"Alison, Go." growled Alex again and pushed her toward the exit. "Don't forget what you promised yesterday."

Alison nodded and spared one look at Fred. He wasn't looking at her. His hateful gaze was fixed on his opponents. Sure he wasn't going down without a fight.

Alison turned and ran out of the building at full speed. Tears ran on her face uncontrollably for Fred. She cursed his father for what he had done to the poor boy. She saw Albert standing next to an SUV right in front of the factory. His eyes softened as relief washed over him at the sight of Alison. He opened his arms and she ran into his safe and warm embrace and sobbed silently.

Albert kissed her head and rubbed her back soothingly. "You did your best, sweetheart." he said. "I know his father. He is a monster. No wonder his son had turned to be just like him under his watch."

"I'm sorry to make trouble." sniffled Alison and looked up. "I just wanted to help him. He was a good boy."

Albert wiped her tears with a tissue and kissed her forehead. "I know." he said. "But you should know that not all people want to be helped. You are not responsible for his life or his choices. You have done what you could. Giving him love and loyalty as his girlfriend and now trying to help him out. It's his choice and he is a free human to choose. you should not blame yourself for what he has chosen for his life."

Alison nodded and hugged him again. Albert looked at his watch. "Okay." he said. "Let me go and fetch the boys. They should have given the boy his lesson by now. I should interfere before they kill him."

"I will come too." said Alison and took his big hand. Albert looked at her teary eyes and nodded. They walked into the factory and their ears were graced with disgusting shouts and yellings.

The boys came into their view just as Alex wrapped one of his hands around Fred's neck, lifted Fred a bit and hit his back hard on the concrete floor, and began to punch the living daylights out of Fred who already had a bloody face.

Alison has never seen Alex like that, his gang leader side. Anger was dripping from his eyes as he throw punch after punch at almost unconscious Fred. He sought blood for sure.

"Alex, stop it." Alison's frightful cry brought him out of his state and made him look at the scarred face of his girlfriend who released Albert's hand and ran to him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his feet. "Please, you are killing him." she said and knelt next to Fred. Her heart clenched at the sight of his bloodied face. "Fred?" she asked panicked thinking about his poor mum.

Fred groaned a bit in response and winced in pain. An arm circled around Alison's waist and brought her up to stand. "He will live." spat Alex.

Alison looked around her. The other boys were panting hard as well. Their shirts, hands and faces were dotted with blood, not theirs of course. Damien's nose was bleeding and Simon had a bruised Jaw, meaning that Fred had fought back and had thrown a few punches before being beaten to mush.

Fred's groan caught her attention and she saw him sitting back and spitting blood on the floor. He looked up and fear flashed in his eyes as he saw Albert standing there staring at him with a look that could kill. Fred coward back at the sight of the previous Mafia Don standing there.

"I think you learned your lesson well." said Albert with a calm yet cold and dangerous tone. "I'm gonna forget you were going to force my daughter to help you. But next time I won't be merciful. If I see you around my daughter again, I will burn you and everyone in your fucking gang alive."

Fred nodded and gulped fearfully. "Good." said Albert and then turned on his heels and walked toward the exit. "Come, we go home." he said as the boys sent one last hateful glare toward Fred and walked after Albert. Alison didn't look back at Fred. She was so sad for him. Tears ran on her face again.

Alex tightened his hold on Alison and pulled her along not once letting her go. No one protest as he sat in the car and pulled Alison in his lap and held her tight to his chest. No one protest as Alison fisted his bloodied shirt in her hands and cried silently on his chest. She need to let her sadness out and strangely Alex, the ruthless heir of a gang leader, with the blood of her previous boyfriend who she was currently crying for, doting his shirt, was the only one who could calm her down the best. That is what love can be, strange.

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A/N: It was a long chapter, but I wish you like it. Tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading

Ela :)