I wasn't seeking revenge. I just wanted to keep her               safe. But it was a lie. It was revenge.

             ~writingRo~

     Romano.

I returned home late in the afternoon to find Mia extremely excited about something because she was raiding the closet, throwing her clothes haphazardly on the floor. She was barefoot, in a white dress shirt with her hair in a ponytail and humming a song that sounded offkey.

She didn't hear me; all her attention was centered in looking for a perfect outfit.

"What are you up to, Bella Mia?" I asked, standing at the entry of the closet. She looked stunned to see me, her eyes large, eyeing me with a bit of guilt, which I didn't understand. We stood facing each other until she averted her eyes. "What is wrong, Bella?" She looked up again, nervously rubbing her neck. "I'm sorry." Her voice was so soft I barely heard her. "For what?" The confusion I felt must have registered on my face because she smiled shyly, gesturing at the mess. I didn't like her apologizing for something as trifling as messing the bedroom. "I don't care," I stated. "This bedroom is as much mine as it is yours." I glanced at her, making sure she understood it. She nodded, running into my arms. I held her close while she did the same with me. I felt her breathing in my suit jacket. "You always smell so nice." She muffled, hiding in my chest. "So do you," I whispered against her ear, carrying her over to the bed. "I need to ask you something." I felt her stiffen; her whole demeanor changed.

Looking at her, I saw a flicker of uncertainty and fear. She tried to hide it by brushing her hair, which was in a ponytail and needed no brushing.

She didn't trust me yet; I could see that. She had a lot of trust issues, probably stemming from her childhood. I would wait until she realized I would always have her back.

"Is something wrong?" I shook my head, going to sit on the couch so we could sit facing each other but from a distance.

She was fidgeting, like a high schooler getting reprimanded in the principle's office.

She cleared her throat, bringing her arms around her chest.

"You're real, aren't you?" She relaxed, throwing me a smile, flipping her ponytail in a flirty way. I chuckled, winking at her while I waited for her to answer. She knew I was waiting, but she made me wait.

"Yes, I am." Unable to keep my eyes from her, I stared lustily at her, my eyes worshipping her,  knowing deep down that I would never let her go.

I wondered if she knew how much I wanted to keep her.

"Can you remember anything about the night you were kidnapped?" She nodded, her eyes holding mine.

"Its Stefano, isn't it?" She crumpled again. I hated how small and defenseless she appeared every time she heard Stefano's name.

"I will never let anything happen to you," I told her confidently, watching as some colour returned to her face.

"Who kidnapped you?" There was an urgency in my voice, or maybe it was hope that she knew their name.

"Tony and Paulie." She said the names so quickly like she never went a day without remembering. Somehow I knew they had hurt her, she wasn't raped, I knew that, but they must have warranted the hatred and the grudge she seemed to hold against them.

"What else do you remember?"

"Dr. Manuel confirmed my virginity." She said in disgust, her face forming angry lines on the forehead. "an old sleazy man who smelled of tobacco and sweat. It was humiliating, Rom."

"I know," I said in a strangled voice, boiling with rage, seething as I got up to pace. I was going to blow up if I stayed in one place.

We didn't speak for a while; I could feel her eyes on me, confusion clouding her beautiful voice.

"Rom," I grunted, absent-minded. I was planning a murder, no, three murders for a start.

Suddenly, I knew where I was going to start. I wasn't going for Stefano or Renzi, not yet. I was going to start from the bottom. I had there months before the bastard dropped dead. All I had to do was come up with a plan—a well-orchestrated plan to get to both of those men. To let them know I was coming, to give them an illusion that they would see me coming until I appeared in front of them.

But they won't see me coming.

No one ever does.

"They were brothers, Paulie and Tony." Her eyes seemed lost in a terrifying moment. I closed the distance between us, hunching to her level, watching emotions run across her face. "I will deal with them; your only job is to stay safe." Her eyes shone, her lips splitting in a smile, rubbing her left eyebrow vigorously like it was itchy. "So," I began, taking her hands in mine. "Why are you messing up our bedroom?"

"Ah," She shrieked, getting up quickly as if she had forgotten it. "I got an invitation to a charity event."

The beauty that was this woman was indescribable. I liked everything about her. Her laughs, the way she curled up to me when watching TV, or the way she whispered gossip into my ear about people around us or the way she unconsciously placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Who invited you?"

She beamed, going back to the closet.

"Don."

"The boy in torn jeans?"

"I never told you his name," She stated in a resigned tone of voice, a look of uncertainty furrowing her brow. She knew how I knew.

"What kind of a dress are you looking for?"

"White. The dressing is themed." I nodded.

"When is it?"

"Next Saturday." She had gone quiet. Like she was still processing that I had her investigated. In my defense, I didn't have her investigated; it was the people around her.

"I didn't have you investigated, Bella." I defended. I desperately wanted her to understand. But mostly, I didn't want her to be mad at me.

"I wanted to make sure none of them had any association with Stefano."

"Was there?" I shook my head, going to stand behind her. "Don't be mad at me, and I'll tell you a piece of gossip," I whispered against her ear. She turned into my arms, hitting my chest with her forehead.

"I'm not mad at you." she cackled, her eyes flashing impatiently. "Chad doesn't pay taxes."

"That arrogant bastard." She roared, narrowing her eyes at me. Mia didn't cuss often, but it seemed she did when an occasion called for it. "I need to teach you the meaning of gossip." She went back to the business of choosing the best outfit. I felt dismissed. "You know I can have a shopper bring you white outfits If you would like."

"In here?" I watched as she turned to face me with the clothes on both hands forgotten.

"Yes. But every outsider is scanned and can only be received on the east side of the house. I'll give you a tour of it one of these days."

I saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes before she managed to hide it with a smile. "I would love that."