Adele opened her eyes breathing heavily waking up from her deep sleep. Her horrific nightmares had shaken her up quite badly. Adele didn’t want to go back to sleep for more bad dreams. But she didn’t want to think about her life either. The memories of the dinner with Francesco’s uncle and what Francesco had said to her was replaying in her mind. He had looked so menacing when he had made her made that promise. So she slowly stood up and started walking around the room hoping to distract herself and kill some time wishing for all her bad memories to go away.

Adele was trying to avoid looking at the direction where Francesco was sleeping but she couldn’t help glancing. Adele gasped as she caught Francesco’s figure who was laying on the couch next to the window sleeping peacefully with no shirt on and wearing a pairs of pyjama pants. It was the first time she was seeing Francesco shirtless. He had a strong body. His muscles could only have been formed as a result of hours of vigorous daily exercise. He had told her before that he did weightlifting, kickboxing and push ups as routine every day to keep fit. But one thing was for sure Adele mostly fancied Francesco’s angelic face. He looked so adorable and handsome sleeping peacefully.

The only sound in the room was now Francesco’s breathing. His chest was raising and falling in a rhythm and Adele was feeling bolder by walking towards him slowly. She couldn’t stop herself from taking a closer look at an untouchable boy who most of the time was the scariest person she had ever met beside his uncle. She couldn’t believe he looked so innocent when he was sleeping.

Suddenly she screamed as Francesco’s strong arms grabbed her. He had her pinned completely beneath his body on the couch and looked murderous. Then realisation hit him instantly. Francesco’s expression turned softer and spoke with disbelief “Adele. I thought you were an intruder. Why did you come so close to me? I was so close to hitting you. You are so lucky I felt too sleepy and just pinned you down. Don’t startle me again like this.”

Adele was trembling underneath Francesco. She was shocked ” Francesco. Why did you attack me for? Isn’t this mansion safe enough that you expect intruders? Seriously, do you attack anyone who just comes near you when you sleep?”

Francesco stated ” Of course. No one comes near me unless they want to die. But still I am cautious.”

Adele spoke “Let me go now.”

Francesco gave her an evil smirk “And why should I do that. I feel quite comfortable this way. Why not both of us sleep like this for the rest of the morning. Its only five in the morning. Look at the clock up there if you don’t believe me.”

Adele glanced around to the direction Francesco was looking but then some other object caught her attention “Is that your family portrait? Wow. Your mother is very beautiful but your father looks a bit scary. You look like both of them just like Costanzo.”

Francesco sighed and to Adele’s relief, he got up from his position on top of her and sat down next to the couch on the floor. He looked at Adele sadly “Actually. I am lucky to have this portrait in this room. It’s my uncle’s actually. This is a copy of a bigger portrait we had in our home back in New York that my father sent to our uncle for one Christmas. After my parents got a divorce, my father destroyed any trace of our mother in the house. He burnt everything that she hadn’t taken with her. Even the clothes she had knitted for us was burnt alongside her pictures. So yeah when I came here, I became excited, my uncle had kept all my family’s pictures my father had sent to him in an album. My uncle actually was asked by my father to burn any pictures of her that was sent to him but obviously my uncle defied him.”

Adele sighed “I didn’t know your uncle was capable of doing anything good for anyone. I am surprised how he hasn’t destroyed your mothers pictures.”

Francesco stood up and walked to the window and looked outside as he spoke “Well. My uncle does not believe in divorce. To him, my mother is still his brothers wife no matter what a divorce paper says. He advised my father against splitting with my mother. He openly told him in front of Costanzo and I that if your relationship is not bad enough to kill your wife, then you must put up with living with her. But my father didn’t like that at all. I really wish my father had listened to him. I .... miss ..... her. I miss my mother.”

Adele felt sorry for Francesco. She knew how hard it must have been for him to admit to how he felt about his parents’ divorce. His voice sounded so sad. She got up slowly from the couch and stood next to Francesco. She slowly took his hand into hers and that got Francesco’s attention. He turned to Adele and spoke “I really don’t want this to happen to me too Adele. I don’t want to marry a woman and have kids only to divorce her years later. I want to do it right. I would hate for my children to think of me the way I think of my father right now. I despise him for stopping fighting for the woman he used to love. He just let her walk out the door without fighting to save his marriage and tried to ignore what damage it all did to his own sons.”

Adele whispered “I am so sorry Francesco. But don’t worry about future. I am sure you won’t make the same mistakes your father did.”

Francesco chuckled “Of course I won’t. I have fallen in love with you and I won’t ever let you go. Once we marry, only death would part us. Wedding woes are there for a reason.”

Adele bit her lip. She cleared her throat “I think I am going back to bed now. I am sorry I woke you up.” She tried to take her hand out of Francesco’s but he didn’t let her. Adele sighed “Its five in the morning as you said. I am going to sleep. let go of my hand.”

Francesco spoke with venom “Why are you shaking Adele? Am I making your nervous? Does it bother you when I declare my love for you. I have noticed you have tried to avoid me in the past a couple of times whenever I mention the idea of you being my wife one day. Why do you react this way? I am starting to think.... what if you are not telling me something. Is there something I need to know? Do you ..... love another?”

Adele was horrified at Francesco’s sudden change in his behaviour. One minute Francesco was loving and caring. Then another minute he acted like a monster. She spoke carefully “You are going too far Francesco. For crying out loud I am only fourteen. You are fifteen. Why do you speak like someone much older. We are teenagers. I don’t even know what marriage is and I think neither do you.”

Francesco spoke “Actually I do know what marriage is. I know when two people are married, there would be no excuse for a five year old to be beaten up for mentioning his mother’s name. And there is also no reason for his six year old brother to become a shield for him. There would be no excuse for a five year old to have to stuff some part of a pillow in his mouth at night as he cries so his father won’t hear him from his room and find out his younger son misses his mother and beat him some more. There would be no need for a six year old to stay awake at night and watch his little brother drowning himself in tears and choking as he sobs. Thats what a marriage could stop.”

Adele spoke “I had no idea ..... I am sorry Francesco. I didn’t know you went through so much when you were only ... Six. Your father sounds horrible to me.”

Francesco spoke in a hard tone ” It doesn’t matter now. Not anymore. Now that I have found you, I feel much happier. I would work hard to make you happy. I would become a powerful mob boss like my uncle and father one day. I aim to make empires even bigger than theirs. I would become so powerful to make sure I protect you and our children.”

Adele spoke urgently ” How can you aim to become a criminal like your uncle and father. They are heartless monsters. Do you want to be like them?”

Francesco spoke ” Of course I want to be like them. I prefer their extreme ways. When you come across as some one as powerful as them, no one can touch you. No one can hurt your family.”

Adele spoke ” I can’t believe you Francesco. You must be good. You must try. Don’t follow what your father and uncle do. Break free from their dark organisations. You can come live with my family even. I am sure my parents would allow it.”

Francesco laughed ” Actually why don’t you consider living with me? I am sure my uncle would allow it. Now go choose some warm clothes from your wardrobe and get changed. We are going for a walk in my uncles ranch. Don’t look at me like that. I got some guards to pick up some clothes for you from town a few days ago and I knew your size already since I hold your jacket for you some times.”

Adele spoke suspiciously “What do you mean you asked men to pick up clothes a few days go? Did you know then that my family would be brought here?”

Francesco sighed ” What does it matter?”

Adele spoke ” I need to know if you knew my family would end up in your uncle’s cellar and you didn’t tell me.”

Francesco spoke sounding irritated ” Of course I knew. My uncle’s men reported to him that we were speaking to you and Angelo. You see my uncle owns the hospital and the police so has files on everyone living in this town. My uncle summoned Costanzo and I to his office that night and told us what will happen and your family is under surveillance. So yeah. I have known about this for a month now. But Adele, your family are to stay alive. Trust me. You don’t want to know what my uncle is doing to the other doctors and their families who attended that FBI meeting. So be grateful my uncle allowed Costanzo and I to be involved.”

Adele spoke ” Why didn’t you tell me? If you knew? Don’t you trust me?”

Francesco spoke ” of course I trust you but what were you going to do? Let me guess. Most likely you were going to tell your family what I told you and they would have packed up their stuff trying to leave town over night. Then they would have been caught by my uncles guards having him under surveillance or those who monitor the roads entering and leaving town. So your family would have looked guilty trying to escape and my backside would have been kicked by my uncle for betraying him. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Now lets go get changed so we can go for a walk.”

Francesco then walked to his wardrobe and grabbed his clothes but then saw Adele’s unmoving form “Why aren’t you doing what I told you?”

Adele said ” I am not getting changed in front of you.”

Francesco laughed ” I didn’t ask you to do that. There is the bathroom door over in that corner. Go get changed in there. Come on.”

Once they were ready, Francesco lead Adele outside the mansion holding her hand.

As they were walking hand in hand, Adele asked ” Don’t your guards ever sleep? How come there are so many of them watching us wherever we are at the ranch.”

Francesco spoke ” They take turns. My uncle has so many guards. Since they live in cabins on the ranch’s grounds, they don’t have to travel home and back. They live on the ranch and the chef caters for them too. Only they eat separately together.”

Adele asked ” Do they have families? Like wife and kids?”

Francesco spoke ” Some do and they live with them in their cabins.”

Adele asked ” Don’t you ever go play with their kids? Do any of them go to the same school as us?”

Francesco spoke ” They are too afraid to. Yes they do attend the same school but they keep a low profile. But why would they want to be friends to Costanzo and I? They know the consequences of offending us. If they make one mistake while being friends with Costanzo and I, they know how they would suffer. So they keep their distance.”

Adele was shocked “Francesco. This sounds so wrong. Why do you terrorise people like this. These are kids we are talking about. They are not part of your uncle’s mob or anything.”

Francesco sighed “I don’t think I like your tone Adele. This is who I am. This is how I live. Accept it or you would be going though a tough time for sure. Now lets enjoy the scenery. I guess the lake in this ranch is too cold at this time of year otherwise we would have gone swimming now.”

Adele spoke “You can’t swim before you go to school though. You may catch a cold.”

Francesco spoke “I would have been fine. But speaking of which, I want you to behave while Costanzo and I are away in school. I am going to lock the door to your room but if my uncle showed up and said come downstairs or anything like that happened, please don’t be difficult. Just try to remain silent mostly. I tried to convince my uncle to let me stay at home while you and Angelo are here but he refused. Don’t worry, my uncle would sort out all those traitors in his cellar and would let your family go within the next two weeks. Don’t worry about school either. I will ask Costanzo to bring you homework from his lessons every day so you won’t miss school. Its good he is in the same year as you and Angelo.”

Adele whispered “I am not worried about school. I am worried about my family. Francesco .....Can I ....... go to the cellar to see my family?”

Francesco spoke sounding annoyed “I told you not to ask about them. They are not in the cellar any more. They are in one of these cabins outside guarded by my uncle’s men of course. But no. Its part of their punishment not to see you and worry about what’s been happening to you. Well thats mental torture.”

Adele stopped walking “Why are you doing this? This is just cruel.”

Francesco spoke “Its not me doing this. Its my uncle. I can’t do anything about this. He is the leader of this mob. If it was upto me you would have been allowed to leave the minute my uncle got those names from your father. But my uncle is giving your family special treatment already by letting them live.”

Adele spoke sadly “At the price of Angelo becoming a criminal.”

Francesco spoke ” And what’s wrong with that? He would most likely end up working for me one day.”