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  "Wake up Eden," I told myself. Just because you are a virgin doesn't mean you are not a woman. This is exactly the mentality that makes people do crazy things and I wasn't going to allow it! Monique was an evil awful person and I wasn't going to let her get into my mind. I hadn't found the right guy to lose my virginity too. This was something important to me! I wasn't just going to sleep with anyone just to lose it. Who was I kidding? I only wanted to lose it to one man. Seeing his manhood and how big and pointy it was how beautiful it was. I wanted him to look at me the way he looks at Monique. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them. He was the only one I wanted. I wanted him to see me as a woman. Not his...responsibility. Maybe Monique was right. I needed my own life my own identity. I wasn't doing anything with my life. He was the leader of something big. He was super rich for his age. Look at his house for crying out loud. His cars. His lifestyle. He had things on his own. His parents might have started this, but he kept it up. He made his own money. What did I have?

  I wasn't even able to help my family out more than I wanted too. I wasn't able to get us out of this situation. Monique's vile words did hurt. But they had some truth in them. I was nothing. I had nothing. Of course, he felt responsible for me. But I wasn't going to be this way forever. I will get that scholarship and move to Switzerland and become a world-known chef with restaurants all over the world. Everyone will know my name! First thing I had to do was start on that sample dish. But where? Monique and her crew of bullies we're in the house. I didn't want to be there with all of them there too. I had to be somewhere where I could create without interruptions. I didn't have friends I could turn too. Borrowing someone's kitchen was not the same as asking to use their bathroom. What can I do? Where can I go? I never felt more alone.

  Ross had taken everything away from me for someone who didn't care about me at all. He didn't allow me to make friends. He always wanted me by his side and look at me now. He is off doing things without me and I am here alone and with no resources. But let this be a life lesson. I was never going to allow Ross Lyner to control my life anymore! From now on I will do whatever I wanted to do, and he will have no say on anything I did!

  First thing was to find a kitchen.

  Chapter 7.

  Eden POV

  Professor Nice was kind enough to allow me to use the school kitchen. "A talent like yours can't go to waste Miss Alicante" he had said. It felt so nice to have someone believe in me. Someone who wasn't family. Because family often told you what you wanted to hear so it was hard to tell if they were saying the truth or simply just being polite.

  I brought my recipe book with me. Thank goodness that wasn't destroyed in the fire because I kept it with me at all times. I hadn't decided what I wanted to make. My secret lasagna? My different Paella? Or my all-new chicken a la Eden made with cheese and Garlic and a few little spices of different flavors. Or maybe just something new? I can come up with recipes in my head and they actually taste good. That was my secret gift. I can come up with something from scratch. It wasn't always easy, but I loved creating. I loved it and it gave me peace and calm. I sat down for a minute to think of what to make. Then I interview was the day after tomorrow, so I had only today and tomorrow to get this dish right. I needed some inspiration. Maybe I will go take a walk by the beach and just think. I was so relieved and surprised that Earl wasn't here watching me. Ross really had forgotten about me. Question is why did I care so much? Didn't I want my freedom from him? Why would I want someone around to control me and tell me what to do and worse yet someone who slept with my enemy? He did things to her that he should be doing with "you" that inside voice telling me why I was really mad.

  The fact that he was sleeping with her and not me. The fact that he never saw me like that and the fact that she was my enemy.

  I had to put all of those thoughts aside and focus on the price. This scholarship was my ticket out of here, out of this town and out of Ross's life and he out of mine. It was the only way out. I had to take it not because I wanted to but because I had to. My heart cannot take any more pain.

  Ross POV

  "Where the hell is, he at?" I asked three of his men. Pinning them down to the ground we had them. The fight was bloody and tough, but we beat them. My nose was bleeding my body was aching badly my head was pounding from all the beating it took but I was still standing, and they weren't.

  "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where the fuck is, he?"

  "Come on Ross man you are not a murderer one of your rules remember"

  One of his men was trying to plead with me. Rock and Rhino had the other two pinned down waiting on my order.

  "What do we do Ross we can't let these scums go. They'll run off and tell Stoner we let them go"

  "I'm not a murderer Rock"

  "Sometimes you have to make an exception boss" Rhino spat out laughing.

  "I'm not a killer, maybe my old man did things differently I don't know but I don't do things like that"

  "Your old man never killed anyone either Ross, you two are the most passive gang leaders I've ever met," Rock said.

  "Tell you what get them up." Rock and Rhino got them up.

  "You swear your allegiance to me to work for me, to not betray me and nothing happens to you or your family members deal?"

  The men said nothing.

  "Stoner doesn't provide you with nothing. He treats you all like dirt. I treat my men like family because that is what they are."

  "Please leave the sermons behind Ross we all know what you are really about, you pretend to be such a nice guy while you go bedding our women and taking all of our merchandise for yourself"

  One of the men said.

  "I don't give a fuck what you think of me I didn't ask you your opinion. I am only telling you to choose who's side you are on. Stoner has been in prison for so long. No supplier is going to get merchandise from him and all of you know that is true. We have the best stuff out there. My people work wonders, and everyone knows it. Stoner can't compete with me. So why stay in a losing team?"

  "Why are we even asking them to be in our family Ross, come on we don't need any more men" Rock was mad.

  The men looked at each other thinking.

  "I tell you what, ask Stoner to meet me when he is 100% good and in health when he hasn't injected the entire supply all to himself. And we'll fight. I will fight for you and prove that I am the only one to respect and fear around here!"

  "ROSS!" both Rock and Rhino said. Earl just stood behind listening in case we needed him, but we didn't. We took care of it.

  "They are not worth it man," Rhino said while Rock ran his hand through his long hair in frustration.

  "I can't kill them, I won't. If I let them go, we will fight again and again and again until I do end up killing someone. I don't want blood on my hands! What else am I supposed to do with them?" I said equally in frustration.

  "What about Stoner?" Rock asked. "What are you going to do with him?"

  "Stoner is just one person. If all his men come to my side, then he is alone. Good to do whatever I want with him. Right now, he is my only competition and that's because he also grows his own merchandise as we do. Except he is weaker. I want to keep it that way. I want him to be alone. These men respect him that's the only reason they are still with him" I said trying to convince my men to accept my decision without arguing. My men were really like my family. We look out for each other.

  "They do show some fierce loyalty after Stoner was in prison all those years, they stood by him," Rhino said sounding convinced.

  "Yep and still do," Rock said.

  "That's the type of company I like to be around. Loyalty" I said.

  "Well, if you are leaving the decision to them what if they don't accept?"

  "Then we will see what we do with them," I said, and I meant it. I wouldn't kill them of course but I couldn't let them go running telling Stoner all of my stuff. They had seen too much of hell land to let them go at least without a threat.
>
  Luckily, after 2 hours of waiting there in the moist humid burning sun, they decide to be part of the family. A couple of more beatings might have convinced them. And a few threats I was for sure going to make. They agreed.

  "You made a right choice" Surprisingly. a strong voice said, Earl finally opened his mouth.

  "Ross destroyed the woman he loves just to keep her by his side. If he did that to her who knows what he will do to anyone that upsets him" what the fuck was Earl saying!!

  The three men looked at each other confused. I walked up to Earl with my head down really thinking of what to say and do. But my fist spoke louder than anything else. I punched him so hard I knocked two of his teeth out. Earl was a huge man. 6 feet 5 I was still tall enough to swing my arms and knock him down. Not a man I would like to fight. Only because he was family because I feared no one. But how dare he tell these men anything personal I did.

  "What's wrong boss? Does truth hurt? You say you trust these men and want them to be a part of us then that means sharing your deepest darkest secrets"

  He was pushing it now.

  "Earl shut the hell up!" Rock said to him. Yanking him by his shirt to make him stop.

  "Don't push it Earl don't push him!" Rhino said.

  But Earl wouldn't stop.

  "All this talk about being tough and mighty and everyone has to fear him, but he can't even kill anyone and instead is sending these bums on our side to get a taste of our money! Now we have to share our stuff with strangers! then anyone can join in!" He spat

  "Free money for everyone!!" Earl started shouting as loud as he could.

  "Shut the fuck up or I will shut your mouth for good Earl!"

  "What boss!! What you did to Eden wasn't enough burning her parent's house to the ground just to keep her as your pet!"

  That's it I had it! He went too far this time. I knew I was going to regret what I was going to do but he left me no choice! Earl did it to himself and so my conscience will be clean.

  Eden POV

  I finally finished the dish I was going to present. Delicate and simple but amazing. I had created it from scratch. It was something simple, but it was mine and I added my own ingredients.

  I added pepper stuffed cheese little tomatoes. Inside the salmon, I put in my own lemon sauce recipe. So, when you taste the salmon is a different experience all on its own. With a unique lemon taste. While still tasting the salmon with the special seasoning I made as well. Spices. I was proud of this. I was ready to present it. I didn't go all out because I didn't want to fill the plate with all kinds of food. This way the person who was going to taste my food had only a few choices instead of a plate full of food and wouldn't know what to try first. I was happy.

  I got back to Ross's house at around 11 pm. I had to take the bus. My mom, dad, and a furious Ross were all waiting for me in the living room area. I knew something was wrong.

  "Where have you been Eden?" My dad was the first to ask.

  "Dad I was making my dish for the...the school" I looked at Ross while I talked but he took his eyes off me immediately and looked at the ground instead.

  "Eden, we have to talk" oh no! What was happening now? No more bad news, please.

  "Your mom and I got a hold of a good friend we met when we first moved to Australia. Mr. Deepsihu I don't think you remember him. Anyway, he has asked me to work for his firm in Sydney."

  "Dad that's great!" I said. "But you know nothing about law," I said.

  "I do, his wife is the lawyer and they own the practice I will be continuing my studies while I continue my paralegal work as well," mom said. She was a paralegal back in Spain but never finished her studies.

  "And I will be working at the hospital cleaning or doing some other hospital stuff the point is sweetie we have jobs lined up in Sydney and we haven't been able to find anything here our old job at the local farm isn't paying the bills with the house burning it made us realize we need to make more money"

  YES!!!! I was leaving Ross sooner than I had hoped.

  "I agree Lysa, Joseph and I can get jobs in Sydney never thought we would be able to live there with how expensive it is"

  They stayed quiet.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  They both looked at me with tears in their eyes. My dad finally spoke. Words that wounded.

  "Darling we can't afford a house at this moment. So, you will stay here with Ross".

  Chapter 8.

  Eden POV

  "What?!" I was in shock. "What about Lysa and Joseph?" I asked.

  "Joseph is coming with us and Lysa is staying with some friends she has in Melbourne"

  "What? so the whole family is being separated?" I asked with tears in my eyes. Real deep hurt tears.

  "There is nothing else we can do Eden; we don't have the money to fix our house and we can't stay here without jobs Ross has been very hospitable and very kind to allow us to stay here without paying for anything"

  "Did he ask you guys to leave?" I asked I just couldn't believe this right now. I almost dropped the plate I had made in school on the floor. I was so hurt.

  How come Joseph gets to go with them and Lysa and I had to go our own separate ways? Of course, he was always the favorite mamma's boy!

  "Ross did not ask us to leave Eden, this was a decision we made as a family. We have to go to where the jobs are, and they are not here in the middle of nowhere. Ross was the one who told us that he will look out for you and that you don't have to pay for anything here you two have been inseparable since you met we thought why not, you are eighteen going on nineteen in a few weeks you are an adult already." My dad was trying to make a point. But Joseph was an adult too he was the second oldest after Lysa. If anything, I was the baby the youngest. I should go with them and Joseph could stay here with Ross.

  Ross just stood there quiet. Staring into space like a fool. He did this. I had no doubt he had something to do with all of this. As if he read my mind, he walked up to me and tapped me on my shoulder.

  "This is a family matter babe I'll leave you to talk with your family" he walked out. I couldn't believe my ears. What kind of parents left their daughter with a man who wasn't her husband? Who was I kidding? I had practically lived at Ross's house since we met. But now when I wanted to escape and distance myself from him and go home this happened? We had no home!

  I stood there crying uncontrollably. I asked for my siblings, but they had already left. They didn't stick around to say goodbye.

  "Joseph left to get stuff ready for us and Lysa's best friend Lourdes came to pick her up. She will be staying with her in her house. Honey, we will be together soon I promise we just have to figure all this out" My mom said hugging me. All this was said in Spanish. So, Ross had no way of understanding even if he wanted too.

  THE NEXT DAY EVENING.

  After dinner, my parents left. They took all of their luggage with them. Ross gave them money to buy whatever they needed and wanted and enough money to make it to Sydney. He gave them an envelope full of money my dad promised to pay back and Ross said he wouldn't accept it. That was theirs to keep. Why was he doing this?

  I had no choice but to thank him, but I also had to have a few words with him about certain things.

  "Can we talk?" I asked wiping a tear away from my face.

  "Sure, babe give me a second. I have to make a quick phone call and I'll be there we can talk in my room" He gave me a kiss on the forehead and went outside to make that phone call to whoever.

  I went upstairs and entered his room. I was scared of what I might find in there. Monique, other twenty women but luckily it was empty. I sat on his bed that wasn't made. The sheets stumbled on to the floor. It smelled weird.

  As if Ross read my mind twenty minutes later, he stormed inside. "Oh Damn!" He was angry. "Why the fuck haven't Carol cleaned my bed and my room why the hell do I pay her for and have her here if she can't do her job right?!" He looked at me.

  "I'm sorry babe I'll take care of this I didn't know my room lo
oked this gross I apologize"

  "Is okay Ross I just want to talk to you about something"

  "Yeah, yeah hold on CAROL!" he called.

  "Let's just go out to the terrace," I said.

  "We will babe go on ahead I have to have a word with Carol"

  I couldn't leave him alone with Carol he will chew her head off. Poor Carol she had been so nice to me. I owe it to her to stick up for her should Ross become too verbally mean.

  "Yes, Mr. Lyner" Carol's face was filled with fear and tears. She knew he was angry.

  "Look at my bed, breathe Carol, do you smell that smell!? That's the smell of sex! In case you don't know Carol. Eden is here smelling this smell and it is disgusting! why isn't my bed done! why isn't there clean sheets on my bed! why is this smell still in my room!?"

  "Ross is really your fault not Carol's" He looked at me fury in his eyes.

  Carol gave a small smile.

  "Eden, it may be my fault the smell, but Carol is supposed to take care of that! she is supposed to have a clean fresh bed made for me when I'm done doing my stuff!" He turns back to Carol.

  "You know I like to sleep in clean sheets, you know I like my room smelling fresh and clean not musty and dirty!"

  "I know boss..." Carol tried to say more.

  "Then why the fuck isn't it done!" He shouted.

  "Ross calm down..." I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't. He shot me a look to tell me to stay where I was.

  "She told me not to do it, sir she told me that you wanted her smell on your bed and in your room," Carol said trembling.

  "who the fuck said that!?" he shouted.

  "Your blond girlfriend boss her and her friends said it. She said you are going to marry her soon and she will be the lady of the house"

  Monique, of course, she would say something like that! The bitch had no morals.

  "The fuck!" he shouted again.

  "I'm sorry boss she didn't allow me to come and clean. She told me I better not..."

  "Who do you take orders from Carol? me or a woman that only comes here to get fucked by me and then I send her home?"