"When were you going to tell me about this whole plan you had got?" Alana questions as soon as they were alone.

"Can we drop it?" he sighs as he takes his clothes off.

"No, we cannot. Your secrets, your work it's killing me" she confesses, and he turns to face her.

"What do you want to know?" he asks.

"Everything, but I also know you won't. You don't say anything at all, Richie and sometimes I wonder who this man is I married...

All these years and I do not even know who you truly are"

"You know me, you know me more than anyone"

"No, I don't. You always have something on your mind, you disappear for few days and now this. I know you have a job to do but you also have a family"

"Nothing will happen to anyone of you" he promises but doubt creeps in.

"Until when? For Arson to be here it clarifies things are tough and he is desperate enough to drag his wife and a sleeping child along with him" she points making him sigh and rub his face tiredly.

"Do you know this guy Spencer?" he asks, and she stiffens.

"I take it you do by your reaction. We both know he is not some good guy, well it happens that he is related to Price...

And had been creating troubles for the family, but they tried to handle it by letting him go. However, it's not as simple as it seems...

Salvatore, killed his father and now he wants Spencer to continue what his father left and that means working for Salvatore to destroy the Price...

Salvatore has approached Arson and Rolfe to work for him now that both the family has been ban from the Price territory and he thinks he can use them against the Price...

But we know he does not trust someone so easily. Flora has asked to help us, but this is not an easy job, we doubt when it comes to chose between right and wrong she will choose her father"

"So, what are you planning?" she questions.

"Nothing"

"Nothing?" she asks in disbelief.

"Yes, nothing. I will not go for Salvatore for now, my eyes are set on taking down Spencer, he knows too much" he groans as he lies on the bed on his back at staring at the ceiling.

"Is that why you asked Arson to get out if he wants"

"No, his wife is pregnant, they already have a kid. I don't want what we have become for anyone else"

"And what is that?" she frowns.

"I know you contacted Spencer and right now Lena is with them" he turns his head to face her.

"Is this about her?" she questions as a surge of anger rises within her.

"I did tell you to let me handle it" he grabs her hand as she tries to rise.

"Yeah by keeping her around us" she snaps, and he sits on the bed.

"No. But things could have been avoided. Your way of handling"

"Is the right one. I don't care what you think but if that woman had stayed one more moment after Richard's birth I would have left and if that is what you still desire I will gladly do so" she warns him.

"That is not what I want Alana and you know it but selling her off to be a slave that's taking it too far"

"You want to talk about taking too far it's..."

"Mom" Ricardo's voice makes both his parents stiffen as they slowly turn to see the boy at the door.

"Hey baby, what is it?" Alana asks as she schools her emotions.

"Please don't fight" he pleads making her sigh.

"We were not fighting" Richie smiles as he walks to where his son was before picking her up.

"I don't want you two to leave" he shudders clutching his father tightly.

"We are not going anywhere, it's okay" he rubs his son's back before pulling his wife in his arms.

"I love you both too much to leave" he sighs as he kisses his son's head before dropping a kiss on top of Alana's head.

*******

The silence in the table was proof enough that the fight that Ricardo witnessed the night before was still fresh on all their mind.

Alana steps closer to her son and kisses on his forehead to assure him that everything was good in the house and the boy smiles before he jumps off his seat and go grab his bag.

"Dad's going to drive us yeah?" he asks as he grabs Richard's bag as well.

"As if I have choice" Richie states as he walks to Alana and kisses on her cheek.

"Your doctor appointment" he reminds her, and she nods her head.

"I know, will you be there?" she asks him, and he sighs.

"I have a meeting out of town" he sighs, and she pats on his arm.

"It's okay" she smiles before kissing on his jaw as she follows the boys out of the house to wave them all goodbye.

"Love you mom" they all shout as they get in the car while Alana waves them goodbye.

*******

Alana smiles as she holds the picture of her son that the doctor let her have, she smiles happily knowing her son was safe and healthy within her. Rubbing her belly, she waits for the doctor to give her a green sign, so she can go back home and let sons and husband check the picture of the new family member.

"Congratulations" a male voice wipes the smile off her face and her head snaps towards the door.

"What are you doing here?" Alana asks the man who enters the room before slowly locking it.

"To see you of course"

"And I have no wish to see you, Salvatore"

"Of course, you do not. But my dear Alana, even if I tried to stay away I could not. It seems fate keeps pushing us together...

And now the same fate has made me come see you, where's Richie by the way?" he asks pretending to check inside of the room.

"Oh, he is not here with you?" he gasps as he tries to take the picture away from Alana's hand but aware of his antics, she moves her hand away from his grasp.

"Oh, don't be so silly Alana, let me see your baby boy" he grins, and she shakes her head no.

"I have nothing to do with you or your silly games so stay away from me and my children"

"Wish you could say the same to your husband, who seems to not know when to stop" he sighs as he drags a chair closer to her and sits down.

"I do not want to have any conversation with you, so leave" she asks him.

"I wish the same, but it seems we keep on crossing each other's path again and again. First your brother..."

"Do not mention him with your filthy mouth" she glares at the man who laughs.

"Still a sour subject, was not giving your son his name enough?" he asks before taking a deep breath.

"I know Richie is working for Price even if he tries to prove otherwise, I also know he knows about my relationship with Lucero's daughter"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, is she even legal?"

"Alana, Alana, my dear Alana, when has anything being legal in our business has mattered? Don't we all survive of the illegalness of the things...

I mean even your sons are not legally yours" he laughs and her whole-body freezes.

"Oh, did I spook you, amazing how you forgot that I own you. I own every breath you are taking along with everything that is helping you breath...

Just because I have let you live your life as you please, do not mean I have not kept an eye on you. Never forget who you belong to" he warns as he grabs her wrist and pulls the picture out of her hand.

"This very kid in your womb belongs to me and everyone playing happy family in your house" he growls as he tears the picture apart.

"No" she shakes her head.

"Yes. The very first rule of our world everything you own is mine, just as you and your brother were when you father decided to be in the business...

And just as you have always been and now your children are mine, their lives are in my hands...

So, tell me which one of your sons will work for me? Is it your first child that you named after your brother? Though I am not interested in that one, one Ricardo has been a pain in the ass I do not want another one...

Or this one growing inside of you? Fresh out of you, I can mold him just as I wish" he tries to touch her belly but before he could Alana holds his hand and stabs scalpel on his hand.

Salvatore howls in pain moving away from Alana as he grabs his bloodied hand and glares at the woman.

"Good for you that you are in a hospital, do not ever threaten my children"

"I have come to you as a friend, but you just made an enemy out of me Alana, those children of yours, I will make sure none of them..."

"You lay a single finger on them and I will cut you into pieces" she warns him getting up from the chair.

"I thought I will just take one but now I will take each of them away from you, you just wait and watch. Just remember all of them belongs to me, each of their lives and bind to me" he warns leaving the room while Alana drops the weapon she had and with a deep shuddering breath she sits down on the chair once again.

*******

Richie finds it unusual to see all three of his sons silently doing their homework, he frowns when doggo raises his head to acknowledge him before whining and turning away.

"Okay, what did you all do?" Richie asks his kids who turns at once hearing his voice.

"Mom's in bad mood" Ricardo grumbles.

"How bad?" he asks as he puts his coat at the couch.

"She has been sleeping in the room and I even heard her sniffing, but she won't open her door" Richard pouts as he hugs Richie who ruffles all of his son's hair.

"Okay, you all finish your work and we all can seat and watch a movie, how about that?" a chorus of yes follows him while he makes his way towards his room to check on his wife.

Richie slowly opens the door to their room to find Alana laying on the bed with her back towards the door, he smiles as he softly closes the door before pulling his shoes off and laying behind her. Just as he wraps his arms around her, she turns to bury her head on his chest.

Both stay quiet enjoying the silent between them before Alana takes a deep breath and pulls her head up to stare at Richie's face. Her red ones meet his narrowed eyes, touching her cheeks he asks what was bothering her.

"Can we not get out of this place, just far away, far away from all of this what if's just us and boys and no one else?" she pleads making him sighs as he kisses on her forehead.

"What are those what if's bothering you?" he asks running his hand on her hair.

"Salvatore wants one of our boys" she whispers, and he stiffens.

"When did he see you?" he asks, and she takes a deep breath.

"Today, at the hospital"

"What else did he say?"

"The same thing I have been telling you, to stay out of his way" she replies frustrated.

"And you think, I, staying out will do any good?" he asks equally frustrated.

"It will, if it means the boys are safe, why can you not for once think of this family instead of all the mess you are into"

"Should have married different man then" he mutters, and she pushes him away wanting to get up, but she cannot with her condition.

"I can marry a different man if I want for but after dealing with stubborn men like you, I have given up any hopes" she groans when she tries to find a position to get up and Richie seeing her struggle helps her up.

"I wonder what hold he has got on you, that every time his topic arrives you want me to stay away" he asks making her glare his way.

"If you still think I am siding him then I am not and if by any other way you think I have in any way been intimate with him then you should go check yourself in the mirror and be ashamed of the face you see" she snaps at him.

"You act scared"

"I am terrified, terrified of the fact that, it's so easy for him to destroy my children's future" she states tired of all the things on going.

"No one will ever be able to touch them" he tries to assure but she shakes her head no.

"I once thought same, I thought I was untouchable, unbreakable but I am so very easy to destroy"

"You have me now, you just need to trust me, trust me enough to know I won't let anyone hurt you or the boys" his words make her close her eyes and smile a bit.

"I would not have had Ricardo with you if I ever had doubt on you. But we both know; this cat and mouse game needs to end...

I got involved in this business with dad because that is all I knew, that is how I grew up, knowing well one day I will have to take over on what dad is doing because if it was not me it would have been my brother...

I did not want him to get involved, I wanted to give him chances, hopes, dreams and a place in this world far away from what we are living in...

But I failed to give him that and I do not want to fail my children, I can accept one more Richard as my son from you, but I cannot accept the path you will drag them in...

I was my father's replacement and now you are mine and one day one of our sons will be your replacement in this world which cycle will never end...

I left you once Richie, I left you for me but if this does not stop, I will leave you, leave you for kids" she warns him.

"Movie time" Ryman's shout startles both and Alana turns around to wipe her tears in hurry just as her kids burst inside of the room with big grins on their face.