Tess's POV

The next morning, I got up early and went to the apartment complex that Jack and I lived at. I didn't see his car in our assigned spots. I told him I was coming here today, and I was praying that he wasn't going to be here. I just wanted my clothes and a few other things.

When I walked into our apartment it finally hit me. I had been so angry about everything that I hadn't broken down and cried, until now. Seeing our engagement photos hanging on the walls and how in love I am with this man. Grabbing one of the photos off the wall to anyone looking at it, we looked like we were in love but when I studied Jack's face, I could see it. He might be looking at me and smiling but his eyes gave it away. He wasn't in love. I was an obligation he had to his parents. They expected him to get married and take over the company and I was easy to convince, and I was dumb enough that I didn't figure it out.

I threw the picture on the floor, shattering the glass and wiped my face and went to our bedroom. I grabbed my suitcase and started piling my clothes in it. It didn't take long to fill up. I wouldn't be taking everything with me because tomorrow I was out of this god forsaken state.

I had filled three suitcases with stuff and dragged them down to my car. I went back up once last time to make sure that I had everything I wanted and what was left Jack could deal with.

When I got back out to my car, the spot next to mine had a car parked in it. I groaned because it was one of three people and when the person stepped out, I groaned again not wanting to deal with her.

"Tessalynn, what are you doing?" She snapped at me.

"I'm leaving Mrs. Wellington."

"Jack is at my house just sick about this." She said and I just had to shake my head because I am sure he isn't. I'm sure he's somewhere nursing a hangover in some girl's bed or probably Sloans bed.

"I don't owe you anything. I sure as shit don't owe him anything. He wasted four years of my life, I'm just thankful that I found out what lying piece of shit he is before I actually married him."

"Watch it, that is my son, and you embarrassed my family enough yesterday."

"No Judy, your son did that," I yelled at her. I had never called her by her first name. I wouldn't be the proper southern belle if I did that. Well, I'm fucking done being the good girl they think that I am.

"If you refuse to make this right, this is for you."

She handed me an envelope, and she stood there with the perfect posture, and her perfect hair and makeup and it was only seven in the morning. I ripped the envelope open and pulled out a bill for fifty thousand dollars.

"What the hell is this?"

"You're half of the wedding."

"I'm not paying for shit." I said and shoved the bill into her chest, but she didn't take it from me, and it fell to the ground.

"If you don't pay, I will go after your mother for it."

"Leave her alone and you are the one that wanted that shit. You booked everything and your son ruined it. I'm not paying for it."

I got in my car and sped off. I watched her in my rearview mirror as her driver got out and opened the door for her. It honestly made me sick that I thought I wanted to be a part of that family.

When I pulled back up to my mother's house I went inside, and she was up sitting on the couch drinking coffee. I hadn't told her I was leaving yet but I guess now was better than ever because after my run in with his mom, I knew it was just going to keep happening.

I went and sat down on the couch and rested my head on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright sweetie. I know it feels like the world is ending, but it's going to be alright."

"I know and mom I don't know how to tell you this because you've been my everything. You are the best mom in the entire world but," I hesitated as my mouth went dry and it was hard to tell her this.

"I know honey, you are leaving and I have something for you."

She made it so much easier for me, and I didn't have to actually tell her. She knew, like she always did. I swear this woman was a mind reader or something.

She reached over to the table and handed me an old coffee can. I opened it up and it was full of cash. I instantly handed it back.

"Mom, I don't need this."

"Yes, you do. Take and get the hell out of this town."

"I really don't need this. We had been saving money for a down payment on a house. He didn't want to use his parent's money for things like that. Said we had to prove to the world we deserved to have everything, and I respected that and I still do, but we had savings account together and we had our separate accounts. I may have went last night and taken half of that savings account."

She started laughing and I had to join her. It wasn't really that funny, but I think the whole situation was just so much that all we could do is laugh.

"I'm leaving today," I finally said after our laughter calmed down.

"Ok, well let's get your stuff packed and get you ready." she said with a confidence that I wish I could feel. I was scared and I was leaving not knowing where I was going but I wanted someone far away from here and I wanted the beach, so I was thinking California.

Three days later I pulled up to the first beach in California that I found. I wasn't sure which town I was in honestly and I really didn't care. It was warm and had a beach and for the first time in three days I felt at peace. Things felt right and I felt like this is where I was supposed to be. I got out of my car and walked down to the shoreline and kicked off my shoes and pulled my pants up and put my feet in the water. The warm water lapped around my feet, and I relaxed just a little.

I snapped a picture of my feet in the water and sent it to my mom. Her reply was instant, with a smiley face emoji.

I spent several hours before I left and found a cheap hotel and got a shower and ordered some food. I grabbed my laptop while I waited for food. I had to find a place to live and a job.

I found several different places to apply for a job. I had my nursing licenses and so I started there at hospitals and then moved onto restaurants. I knew that they would be faster and I needed income coming in. Then I moved onto apartments, and they were spendy in this area. Everything was to be honest with you, but I would figure it out.

It only took me two days to find a job waiting tables at a high-end place. It was always packed, which was good because I made great tips and I had first round interviews set up at a hospital in town. They had several openings.

I walked into work, and my apron was thrown at me instantly. "Tess, can you handle the back room tonight?" my manager asked.

"I think so."

"Good because Sofie called out and I need you back there."

I just nodded at him and started getting everything I needed. "Go, they are important clients. I need you to turn on that southern charm."

I took a deep breath and headed to the back room. I could hear multiple deep voices back there when I got close but the one right before I entered made my legs a little weak. It was deep and so authoritative. He was commanding the whole room. Everyone was listening to him. I smoothed back my ponytail and made sure my shirt was tucked in and pulled the curtain back and walked inside the room like I owned it.

Ten men's heads all turned to me and God they were all hot. I wish I knew who these men were. They were all large and packed with muscles and tattoos. All of them had them in various locations.

My face blushed and a few men chuckled and I had to shake my head to clear the dirty thoughts out of my head, because right now I was thinking about being the main course and good god I never had thought about being with more than one man at a time. In fact, I had only been with two men my entire life but right now, if one of them suggested for me to lay on the table I would in a heartbeat.

"I'm Tess and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you started with anything to drink?"

One guy there had a small black eye, and he looked at one of the guys who looked identical to him. "Where you from, beautiful?"

"I just moved here from Georgia."

"That accent is pretty."

"Thank you."

"How about a round of you?" he asked and my face heated to that of an overripe tomato.

"Alex, knock your shit off," the man at the head of the table scolded him and God it was the man talking before I entered with the voice. He commanded the room, and he was the one in charge but looking at all the men several of them had to be related because they looked so much alike.

"Give us a bottle on your top shelf whiskey."

"Yes, sir," I said and the man shifted in his chair from my formality.

"You can leave now," he scolded and I quickly turned on my heel and ran out of the room and went and put their order in.

As soon as I pulled the curtain shut, they all started laughing but the man at the head of the table growled at them to shut up.

I moved away as fast as I could and went straight to the bar and ordered their whiskey and then went and got glasses and wasn't sure if they wanted ice or not. I went without since they wanted the whiskey. I grabbed enough glasses for them and headed back into the room.

The room went silent as soon as I walked in and I felt like an intruder. All eyes were on me, and I slowly walked around the room and placed a glass in front of all of them.

"Are you gentlemen ready to order, or would you like some more time?" I asked, looking at the man at the head of the table. His eyes were so dark and daring and there was something about him. I wanted to know his name. I wanted to know what it felt like to scream it while he was between my legs.

"We're ready," the man that was hot as sin said. God, I needed to know his name and a picture would be even better.

They all took their turns ordering and I wrote things down as quickly as possible and prayed that I didn't get this wrong.

"Will this be one check or separate checks?" I asked before I went to put their order in. It was easier if I could do it now.

"One," the man at the head of the table growled at me again and I wanted to see if I could get under his skin again.

"Yes, sir. I will get this put in right now."

It worked and he shifted in his seat and his face flushed just slightly. I gave him a small smile and winked at him letting him know I could see what that was doing. I had a feeling I was playing a dangerous game but God he was hot and totally worth it.

I walked out of the room and took a deep breath because right now I don’t know what has come over me. I’ve never had thoughts like I was right now, and I’ve never flirted like this before. I was more reserved and polite. Maybe this was the change I needed, maybe this could be the new me.

Tyson's POV

I was supposed to be talking to my top men about our next move but the second the waitress walked in all thoughts left my fucking brain and went straight to my dick. I think that all my men had the same reaction, but I was the one she made eye contact with and winked. Problem was, I had a date planned for the next night that I didn't want to go on. That was my mom's doing. I was down to six months until my twenty fifth birthday and they were applying the pressure, and I can tell you right now that our waitress isn't Italian and she is most definitely not part of the mafia. Both are a problem and so I have to get her out of my mind.

She dropped the check by me and walked out of the room, and I couldn't help but watch her ass as she left. So did everyone else that was here.

"I expect all of you to tip her well," I told everyone at the table. I paid for dinner, but they had to tip our server. I would leave her a tip as well, but these fuckers weren't getting away with running up a two-thousand-dollar bill and not pay something.

"I have a tip for her and then about eight inches," Alex announced and that started a round of the guys laughing and each of them telling how much they would give her.

"Knock that shit off. If you guys want to be perverts than go, get a damn hooker and leave her alone."

They all got up and left but Luca. He wasn't dumb. He knew me better than anyone else. He knew that I wanted to take her home and that if I couldn't have her, then no one could have her.

I signed our receipt and left her a hefty tip and pushed it to the middle of the table and drank down the last of my whiskey.

"Go see when she is off tonight."

"That obvious?"

"Ya and I think the feeling was mutual. She was hot and that body, and her accent could make the coldest of men melt."

"I can't I have a date tomorrow night. Mom is on a war path to find me someone and could you imagine bringing her home."

He started laughing. "Ya, dad would have a heart attack and then it wouldn't matter," he said between laughs, and I had to chuckle as well because it probably would kill him, but I can't do that to him. As much of an asshole he is, I understand with the position he is in.

My driver pulled up to the hotel. This girl my mom had flown in from another state. Their father was a Don in Floridia. They had a huge import and export market there. I got out of the car and headed inside. I knew my parents were paying for all of her expenses.

As I walked in the elevator dinged and off stepped my date. Alessandra or Alle as she said in the text messages that we had exchanged over the past few days. I really had been trying until last night when this sexy waitress stepped into our room. Now Alle didn't even compare. Was she beautiful? Yes, but she didn't have what that waitress had, and I couldn't seem to put my finger on it.

"Tyson," she purred as we got close to one another. She was dressed to the nines in a little dress and high heels, and her hair was down and big and her makeup was thick, and her perfume was overpowering but I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Shall we," I asked and held out my hand for her. She placed her hand in mine, and I moved it and wrapped it around my arm and escorted her out of the hotel and my driver Jay was waiting there for us and opened the door.

She slid into the car, and I was right behind her and watched as everything flash me when she bent over to get into the car. Either she had on the smallest G-string or nothing at all. Normally I would find this information out pretty quickly, but my mind went to a girl with strawberry blonde hair and wondered what she wore under her dresses.

Normally I would have taken her back to Mo's steak house, but I didn't want to risk seeing her with another girl on my arm. It sounded ridiculous because I didn't even know the girls name and I was worried about her seeing me with another woman and the other woman would probably eat her alive.

It was still a risk with the restaurant that I choose. It was just down the street, and she could still see us, but it was late enough in the evening that unless she was standing right in front of me, she wouldn't know who I was.

"Your hometown is beautiful. Your mom and I went out and did some shopping today and we had lunch."

"Thank you. I like it here." I replied keeping it short. I didn't want to give off any sort of impression to her.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, and I could feel her wanting to say something, but she picked up on the fact that I didn't want to talk.

When Jay pulled up to the restaurant, I opened the door and went around and opened Alle's door and held out my hand again and she quick to put hers in mine and I led her inside. It was an Italian place. Thought it was fitting for the date.

The hostess knew who I was and instantly took us back to our table and there was a bottle of wine waiting for us and warm bread. I pulled her chair out for her and went and sat down in my chair and the hostess poured us each a glass of wine and handed us the menus.

"What is good here?" she asked again trying to make conversation. I couldn't be completely rude to her. I might have to do business with her father one day or my father may be doing business with him now.

"Everything but I prefer the Grilled Fish with Artichoke Caponata."

"That sounds great, I will try that."

I motioned for the waitress to come back and take our order, and I ordered for both of us and got a different wine that would pair much better with the dish.

"What is it that you do for work?" I asked, although it was painful to ask because I was pretty sure I already knew the answer. She was just like every other mafia princess.

"A lot of charity work."

Which really was code for I spend daddies' money waiting for a husband, so I could spend his money. The rest of the date went just as you would expect. Boring and just like all the other ones that my mother had set up for me. I paid our bill and had all intentions of taking her back to the hotel and thanking her for a nice night and then texting my mom that it would never happen.

"It's beautiful out, we should walk for a while," she said as we stepped outside. It shocked me a little and to keep up the gentleman persona I had going, I turned us, so we were walking in the opposite direction of Mo's Steak House, so I didn't run into the beauty that had taken over my mind.

"The stars here look so much brighter here than at home, but it's a lot cooler here," she said as she ran her hands up and down her arms. I got the hint and took my leather jacket off and placed it over her shoulders.

"Oh," was I could muster up to say after I gave her my Jacket. I knew I was being rude but really the stars. I'm not a romantic and this date was over before it started, and she couldn't seem to figure it out.

We had gotten five blocks from the restaurant and getting close to being out of the main area of that street and I heard a woman's scream.

"Did you hear that?" I asked and I motioned for Jay to get out of the car. He was following us. He quickly pulled over and got out of the car as Alle stepped closer to me and pressed her body against mine.