Chapter 19 - Nineteen

She could feel the blood dripping down her legs, the pain of the bruises made her legs go numb. The smell of alcohol made her cringe. She couldn't feel them, she prayed for sleep but sleep didn't come to her. Tears were flowing down her cheeks their own, sobs left her mouth. She felt helpless, once again. What was the life built by a woman when she was always going to suffer at a man's hand? Sleep had its own mind; it came to her in the end, consuming her in it and taking her away from the pain.

********

"Mistress.." Someone shook her

"Mistress...Madam?"

Groggily, she opened her eyes and looked at Agatha. She had a gentle smile on her lips.

"I know what happened last night and I called a female doctor who bandaged you. Master poured alcohol on you to avoid infection. He cares too much." She spoke with a sigh but it almost felt sarcastic. Of course, working for the man, she couldn't be open. 

'If he is the one to care I wonder what Mother Theresa did.'

When she looked down, her legs were bandaged when she looked at them and she couldn't feel the pain anymore so that was a plus. She carefully turned around, dragged her body up and sat sideways. This was the most she could do without cringing on the slight pain she felt. Agatha had pulled a chair near the bed and a folding table was placed on the bed by her.

"Come on madam," she gently said, taking a hold of her hand. "Starving ourselves from such delicacies for men would be a torture." She gently pulled Alexis out. The moment she stepped down, Alexis cried out in pain yet Agatha did not stop, she knew that if Alexis sat down right now she won't get up again to walk. She gently yet firmly dragged her and made her sit in the chair.

"Here," she served the breakfast on the folding table. "Enjoy madam, if there's anything else just ring the bell." With that said, she walked out.

Alexis ate as much as she could slowly, she was tired and the exhaustion demanded energy and the food was tasty. Later on, Agatha came in again with two other maids who cleared out the table. She helped Alexis take a bath and dressed her up. She also chose a simple sap green dress that stopped below her knees. Agatha had been taught how to please the mistresses and masters of the house along with hundreds of girls and she was luckily chosen, Agatha would die trying to make the house perfect for the power couple.

Agatha felt a vibration, she knew what it meant; the master had paged her. Excusing herself she went to a corner and checked it.

'Bring her to the study.' Sighing, she walked to Alexis and sat down by her knees.

"What's wrong?" She questioned when she noticed the gloomy look on Agatha's face.

"The master has called for you," she looked up.

"Why?" she asked, her resistance visible on her face. She was scared. 

"I don't know but you shouldn't refuse, the men don't like it. They hate refusal from their own. So try to listen to them as much as you can." She said.

Alexis was surprised, how could a maid know any of this? She spoke from experience and Alexis knew that. Maybe by patience and learning, she could bargain something out of it, yes she sure could try. She nodded receiving a small smile in return. Agatha held out her hands and gently pulled her to her feet, Alexis bit her lip to stop her cries of pain.

"There will be no need from that." Both of the ladies looked up and saw Angelo looking at her with empty eyes. He came in and stood in front of her. "Leave her," and Agatha immediately left her hands. He bent down and swiftly gathered her in his arms and walked ahead. "She belongs to me. I'll take care of her." She heard a whisper in the air, shivering slightly. His taking care was the most dangerous thing in the world. 

Setting her down in a lush sofa seat, he sat in front of her with a coffee table in between them. He looked at his bride knowing she felt fear from his stare and why won't she? He had seen grown men piss their pants at the sight of him. She looked at him again, the muscular body that could be seen through the outline of his clothes. The chest muscles visible to her through the two opened buttons. She knew that he was a man that could turn heads his way with the looks gifted to him but she only felt fear. 

"Answer me honestly, Alexis." She heard him say. "Why didn't you stop?" He questioned tilting his head as if struck at the question.

Alexis looked at him, knowing there was no use of lying. "I don't know. I thought that I could run out of here." Shee shrugged at the end of it. 

He huffed out a laugh, "Let's talk about that now." His stare, if possible, grew more intense. "I have the area surrounded, if not by men then by dogs and cameras, you simply cannot outrun me and even if you did, where would you go? If you go to your apartment, I will know, out of the country I will know about that too. I run a fucking mafia organisation and I do it successfully, a woman or a man is nothing compared to it." He hissed out the words at the end, making Alexis understand that he was not joking.

"Anyway, this was not the reason I called you for."

'Really? You could've fooled me.' She voice to out but continued to stare at him. 

He got up from his set and strode over to the door, opening it, he inviting someone in and nodded in greeting. A man came and sat on a sofa chair. Alexis looked at his greying hair and wrinkles; he had a scar on his left cheek.

"Alexis," Angelo called for her attention.. "meet my father, Gabriele De'alassandro."