I wished so damn much to be left alone, to run away from that reality that shattered my entire self and lick my wounds like a hurt beast because that was exactly how I felt when I saw Raffa, right there, in front of me, staring and fearing my reaction, frozen as if he never wished to be seen. I was grateful to Michelle though for being there as my one ticket out.

I had to leave there, I couldn't breathe the same air with Raffa without running into his arms and mold to his body while sniffing the scent of his skin and blessing the skies for giving him back to me.

And I was angry with him, angry for not coming to me sooner, angry for being so far or maybe so well hidden that nobody could find him, but most of all, I was angry with myself for not waiting and not trusting Papa when he used to tell me to wait, not to rush the things with the marriage.

When Michelle pulled the gun out earlier threatening to kill Raffa I was determined to save Raffa taking a second bullet for me, planning to do whatever it took to stop Michelle, even if that meant giving up my life or Raffa, which shouldn't be very hard for him. He gave up on me a year ago.

My heart bleeds.

That moment when I saw him standing there, gauging his eyes at me, breathing hard and begging even though fear was all over his face, that very moment has been my rebirth and my death all together. His beautiful black eyes looking at me and admiring God knows what, sucked me in a void where only us existed, us and the sun shining so bright on the olive skin of his face.

"Emillia, I... I am sorry for pulling the gun out in your presence," I hear Michelle saying, sitting to my left on the back seat of his car.

I choose to ignore him and keep glaring out on the window, dreaming still about the man I love and who, by God knows what sorcery, he came back.

"Emillia..." he continues grabbing my hand gently making me turn my head toward him and look at him with no emotion on my face but disgust which I truly hope he doesn't notice if I don't want things to go south.

"You're right. You shouldn't have threaten Raffa," I reply and fight back the tears that I've just managed to stop. "You know who Don Raffa is. You have endangered all of us. You think Papa will stay idle and watch if anything should happen to me... or you?" I correct myself trying to show a little bit of care so I won't become suspicious.

Michelle's jealousy is the last thing I need right now.

"But... you don't have to be worried..." he speaks confused, expecting probably the exact opposite from me side.

"I do worry, Michelle. I worry for you and what might come next. Raffa will not give up so easily and  he'll come for me."

"He will not find us where we go now. Nobody knows about this place, don't worry," he replies with restored confidence and I stare at him for a moment, grateful that I won't have to see Papa and Raffa just now but deep down wondering if this is really the way to keep them at arms length.

They are both stubborn, Papa and Raffa are like two far relatives that share same genes, both enraged like beasts when angry and ready to turn the world upside down when they want something.

And this time they will want me back home, the perfect reason to bring hell on earth.

I have no idea if I've managed to fool Michelle or not. At times he seems truly worried about the situation, as his eyes darken and eyebrows frown shadowing a steel cold look in his eyes while looking in front at the road ahead, as if he's transforming in a villain that I can't recognize.

There's a cold feeling wrapping my heart, spreading chills on my back having him so close to me and especially now, after seeing him pulling his gun out so easily, but then again, there has always been a specific coldness between the two of us disregarding the circumstances or the place.

We never spent a night together in the same house less to talk about the same bed and weird enough, he never insisted. It was as if he never really wanted me, thank God for that, but one would expect that a man in love longs for the woman he want to marry to.

Michelle never went further than a kiss on the cheek or on the back of my hand, a livid hold of my fingers or some forced smiles, which I never cared to observe before but now they seem at least suspicious.

And still, he seems quite decided to change nothing in our future plans but I'll put a pin in that for a later time. What I wished for right now is to be in a place where I can't be found by anybody, where I can hide and cry and quietly celebrate the joy of finding out that Raffa is alive, quietly, just for myself since he didn't look very happy to be seen.

My phone which I hold in my right hand buzzes with a call from Papa but before I have the chance to pick up or decline, Michelle takes the phone and puts it in the inside picket of his suit jacket under my questionable eyes.

"We don't want anybody to find us, remember?" he maliciously smiles at me and this is the moment I realize that things are not like they actually have looked to me a minute before.

I'm being taken, that's for sure. What I don't know is I'm being taken from whom, Papa or Raffa. Does Michele know about Raffa and I? Is this a jealousy act or revenge? Is it just rivalry between him and Papa?

Either way, I have to play my cards smart. Thousands times Papa trained me for a kidnap case or a hit, or a gun fight or whatever fucking dangerous things I might me dragged in.

I know very well this one of those dangerous situations when I have to remember each and every word Papa taught me.

"First off, don't fight it back", he used to say. "If things get tough, if they become violent or... they're trying to abuse you" he would continue and I could see rage building up in his eyes just by thinking of it"... try to buy time as much as you can. Pretend you are in their side. Be smart. Buy time. I'll find you, wherever you are."

Papa always knows what to do and he'll get me out of any danger. I know he will.

When I turn my eyes back to the window I see a sumptuous house with wide glass windows and beautiful trees around. The estate is guarded by a huge cement wall with tall iron gates and while driving through these gates my heart squeezes at the thought that Papa might not be able to get in.

"Don't worry, I have good security here. Nothing comes in and... nothing gets out," Michelle tell me and if before I was not sure of his intentions, the irony in his voice speaks loud and clear.

I'm a captive.

The driver parks at the front door and gets out of the car, rushing around it and opening my door gallantly.

I hesitate, trying to find a way to avoid staying here as I'm sure that once I step inside, Michelle will have full control over me. Seems he already has.

His hand grabs mine sensing my hesitation and pulls me out strongly and walking to my back circling his arms around me and breathing close to my temple.

"This is going to be our home once we're married, your golden cage, as you are my own now," he says and his words sends cold shivers to my back.

I force a smile, remembering Papa's words. I can do that. I can pretend, but how will let Papa know where I am? How can he find me faster? How can I get back my phone and send location or something? Anything.

Michelle grabs my hand and we both enter the mansion while he walks up the entrance stairs two by two and I run, having no option but keep up with him.

In other circumstances I would have admired the beautiful Hawaiian architecture and how the house is welcoming in the warmth of the sun and the chilly breeze of the beach coming through some huge doors and sheer white curtains.

By the view, the mansion must be on the rocks in the top of a hill. What I didn't expect was the depth all the way to the beach that I can see from the windows. It look like a French prison on the island of Elba.

"Of course, we do have a private beach, don't worry birdie. I'll take you there," Michelle speaks bringing me back to the reality I'm trying to find a way out from.

"I'm not really..." I mumble.

"You can surf," he continues, almost a bribe judging by his smirk.

"Some other time," I reply and he shrugs his shoulders in his usual distant self.

I stare at him as he walks through the living room and disappears in another room and my heart blooms when I see him dropping his suit jacket carelessly on one of the armchairs on his way out.

Once he is out I jump from my place and try to reach the jacket where I know he has my phone but before I grab it he show up back in and grabs the jacket pulling it away just a few inches away from my fingers.

"Cazzo!" I mumble in frustration but before I have the chance to walk away he grabs the back of my neck and pulls close to his face, touching the tip of my nose with his staring into my eyes with the madness of a lunatic. (Fuck).

"Don't fuck with me, birdie," he speaks between clenched jaws while his fingers are deeply buried in the flesh on my neck, squeezing so hard that it almost cut my air off.

"Don't speak, don't breath, don't even blink around this phone before I say so, got it?!" he continues in the same menacing voice but with a smirk on his lips.

"You're hurting me," I mumble trying to sound less hateful than I actually am right now.

"Oh, I'm sorry, principessa," he ironically replies and presses his lips on mine in a painful kiss filled with nothing less than hate and anger. (Princess).

I don't struggle, neither try to reject him but instead I allow him to kiss me while one of his arms circles my waist reluctantly as if expecting me to change my mind any moment and run away from his hold.

I didn't and that brought me the freedom I was expecting.

He pulls his head further and look down at me with a million questions in his mind.

"I'm sorry," I whisper holding high our intense stare and smiling at him as if nothing just happened.

He frowns and walks away scratching the back of his head and shoving one hand in his pants pocket after throwing his jacket away again.

"Listen, I'm not trying to hold you here by force..." he tries to explain.

Bullshit! That's exactly what he is doing and him trying to deny it makes me understand he's playing the same game I am.

Well, let's see who plays it better.

"I know," I cut him off making him snap his head at me and glare at me with his steel blue eyes shadows by some thick, black eyebrows, frowned to the extend of a straight line.

"I'm only asking you to allow me to stay here for a while. I... don't want to see anybody right now..." I continue and slowly walk closer to him, grabbing his large hands with my fingers and lifting innocently my eyes at him.

I hardly reach his shoulder with the tip of my head and still raising on my toe and plant a kiss in his left cheek while he welcomes it by deeply lowering his head.

"I know that sudden show up of Raffa has been... quite a surprise for both of us, but I want you to know that..."

"He doesn't deserve you," he roughly replies and my heart stings at the thought that he is right.

Raffa never deserved my heart, my love and all of the tears I had shed after he disappeared. And still my heart desperately wants only him or nobody else.

"I know," I admit and lower my gaze to hide the tears stinging my eyes.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you're honest, but you're not," he says and with a finger he lifts my head, looking deeply into my eyes and the damn betraying tears that already flow from my eyes.

He smirks with his otherwise handsome face but in this moment it looks hideous with hate.

"You have Raffaello fucking Capozzi engraved here," he pushed his finger on my forehead as if digging holes "here..." he presses the same on my chest where my heart is reaching, "and fucking here," he completes shaving his hand between my thighs and I snap, pushing his hand away and trying to run, hoping to catch the front door and get out calling for help.

He grabs me by my hair and pulls me back while painfully and effortlessly throws me in his shoulder in spite of my struggle.

He walks away from the door toward the stairs up but my fight continues hitting his back with my fists and shouting my lungs out.

"Put me down! Put me down, sleazy bustard!"

I feel his chest vibrating with a loud burst of laughter putting some more force on the hold of his arm.

"Damn, you're feisty!" he laughs and walking into one of the room upstairs he throws me on the bed, hovering over me with arms pined to the mattress to my left and right. "Let's see now how precious you are to your father. And how much Don Raffa loves you," he speaks in my face while freeze on my back, breathing hard and feeling my heart racing out of my chest.

"You're dead already," I warn him, deep down shaking with fear that actually the one dead is me.

"If I die, I take you with me, principessa," is his reply and boy, I truly believe him. (Princess).

~~~~~
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