Chapter Nine
Alex
Frustration fuels my march to the den. I’m cut off from the accounts—and I have no idea how the hell that happened. My mother sits on a white fur blanket surrounded by gold trinkets and other goodies that she was gifted. I toss the tablet at her and point to the screen. “What the fuck did you do?”
Smiling smugly, she shrugs.
Amos cuts between us, sending me recoiling toward the fireplace with his large stature. I momentarily try to picture him as the shadow who left the business cards. But that’s impossible. He’s not that smart.
Right?
“I did that, sweetheart,” he states while crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve cut you off from your accounts like you did to your mother.”
“Why the hell would you do that?”
He grins. “Why would you do that to your own mother?”
“You can’t do this.”
“I think you’ll find that I can, Alexandra, and that I will do what I must to protect you. You’ve become unhinged.”
My nostrils flare angrily. “Look who’s talking.”
“You’re the one who lost your virginity.” He shakes his head while clicking his tongue. “You’re worthless to our family without it. And your slutty behavior is fodder for gossip.” He turns to my mother to say, “Did you know I caught her seducing that Pershing boy in the pool house?”
Mother scoffs. “Of course she was doing that.”
I frown while pointing at Amos. “Virgin or not, I’m the legal heir. I’ll go to Paulina and easily regain access to my father’s accounts. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
Amos takes a menacing step forward and towers over me, his mass increasing with his height. I cower beneath him and back down as much as it pains me to do so. I’m no match for Amos. I already lost a fight with him once—I don’t want to repeat that in front of my mother.
Would she even do anything to stop him? I wonder. Or is she totally lost to me now?
I can see now why Amos was my father’s right hand. He’s a scary man, a grower not a shower. He’ll fool just about anyone with his seemingly carefree attitude and posh approach to the finer things in life. But deep down, he’s a fucking thug. He’s just like the other bosses in Macedon.
And I shouldn’t be fucking with him like this.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warns. “I have eyes all over the place and fingers in every fucking pot from here to the coast.”
I gulp.
“So, if you’re thinking about doing anything smart,” he proceeds with a sharp tone, “you’ll be punished appropriately for your actions.”
“You should listen to Amos, Alexandra,” my mother calls out. Her tone sounds bored, killing any hope I have that she might actually care about my well-being. “Acting out won’t get you anywhere. You might as well behave while you’re still under our roof.”
Frightened and partially sure that I’ve lost my appetite for the day, I dart out of the den and race up the stairs. I have to go to Demetra’s, but it wouldn’t hurt to go see Lev after that. I think I’ll take him up on his offer to run.
After changing into my favorite green sweater dress and a black coat, I race down the stairs, hop into the service car, and hug a bag of gifts to my side. Within just a few minutes, I’m welcomed into the warm foyer of the Sideris family, the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pine filling the air.
Lydia kisses my cheek and gestures to the living room, where Demetra and her younger brother Miles are seated next to a lavish Christmas tree. Ilias rises to greet me with a firm handshake. It’s comical how much shorter than his wife is, but his smile is radiant and his confidence echoes through the room.
It’s such a stark contrast to what I have to face at home.
“Hot cocoa?” Lydia offers. “Miles is on his third cup already.”
Miles grins, showing off his missing front tooth. “Hi, Alex! I didn’t hog the marshmallows so you could have some.”
Demetra rolls her eyes. “It took some convincing, but I saved you a bag.”