Hello! I hope everyone is doing fine!

Here is a new chapter!

Enjoy!

*******************

"Are you ready for the last exam?" Hunter asked Anna who was sitting beside him in the jet.

"Are you kidding? I was ready the first day we came here." Anna said with a fake grin on her face.

Hunter saw past her mask of confidence, and knew right away she was nervous. He can't blame her. They were in a private jet wearing jumping suits and readying themselves to jump in the open air.

For him, it was a normal exercise that he did countless times, and he can bet his fortune that everyone did it before but Anna. She was an ordinary girl and jumping from a plane isn't everyday activity.

"Don't worry, you will be okay. All you have to do is jump then when you near the ground, just activate your parachute, and you will land safely."Hunter held her hand trying to reassure her.

He just hoped that won't be any surprises and this exam will run smoothly. Everyone was silent waiting for the order to come through their earpieces. Ten minutes later, Jasper's voice boomed.

"It's time to jump, but keep in mind there is a radar, if you are caught then, it will be an immediate failure. Your suits are equipped with electronic pieces. When activated, they will show you the areas covered by the radar so be careful. Good luck. "

One by one they did as instructed, some of them with screams of joy and excitements. Anna and Hunter were the only two staying behind.

"Go before me," Hunter ordered.

"I can't, I am afraid," Anna said and backed away from the wide-open door.

"You will survive Anna. It will be a nice and unforgettable experience." Hunter tried to convince her gently.

Anna shook her head negatively and moved to take her seat.

"Come on Anna, you will fail."

"At the moment, I don't care if I fail. If succeeding in this means jumping from this damned jet then, screw it." Anna said heatedly.

"I will push you," Hunter spoke with resolve.

Anna's eyes widen comically, and she stared at him with disbelieve.

"You won't dare."

"Try me." Hunter challenged.

Knowing him, Anna was sure her crazy boyfriend would really do it and push her without a second thought. So with shaky legs, she took baby steps towards the door.

"Come on Anna. One, two, three, go!" Hunter encouraged her.

Anna closed her eyes and flung herself. The second she was in the sky, the air wiped her hair and threw it in different directions. The feeling was so unreal to her. She never felt so free and weightless. Flying in the air without a care in the world was surely an amazing feeling.

**********

Smoothly my ass! Hunter groaned internally as they now were in the air, and the Don had informed them way too happy that one of the suits wasn't equipped with a parachute.

"Okay don't panic. I have a plan, let's form a circle."

Nicholas without any hesitation held his cousin's hand followed by Matt, Aiden, Carl, and Eric. Hunter saw Anna struggle to come to them and was about to help her, but Diana beat him to it and took Anna's hand. The two started moving towards them and in no time, they were a part of the circle. Brad and Cain were the last to join.

Cain looked expectantly at Camille and motion for her to come and join them, but to his dismay, his little sister chose Tatiana, and the two of them activated their parachutes. Everyone watched as they landed safely to the ground.

Hunter just shook his head and turned his attention to the group.

"Here is the plan, as we near the ground, we will activate our parachutes by order. The circle will help us keep the balance, so try as hard as you can not to break it. In the end, there will still two members in the air. One with a parachute, and the other not. By this point, we will be at a ground level. So the one with a normal suit will help the other, this is the plan. Any questions?"

Anna almost laughed out loud. They were in the air and falling rapidly to the ground, but her strategist boyfriend was making plans and asking questions as if they were in a coffee shop.

"Nicholas you go first. I made sure the circle isn't in the radar range so you are safe." Hunter ordered his cousin when no one voiced any objections.

*******************

"Nice plan nephew." Jasper praised Hunter's thinking from his seat in the monitoring room.

Said room was a large Victorian-style meeting room with a twelve seat table dominating most of the space. A large screen took the whole wall was displaying the current events.

"That boy is a natural leader." The Don agreed with his son.

Suddenly the room's door opened and Jackson came through.

"Did you start without me?" Jackson mock-pouted.

"I think I make it clear that your presence isn't necessary today. It would have been better if you stayed with your father and Lillian." The Don remarked.

"and miss today's events, impossible. It's like seeing your children graduate high school." Jackson said dramatically as he flopped down on his chair beside Ayla.

"Drama queen," Edward said with his usual indifferent attitude.

"Look, it's just Hunter and Anna who remained in the air," Ayla exclaimed catching everyone's attention, and making them look at the screen.

***********

"Anna we will click the parachute's button on the count of three okay?"

"Okay," Anna answered nervously.

"One...Two...Three." Hunter clicked the button, and he was yanked upwards with his parachute.

Anna did the same but nothing happened. She tried multiple times, but she got the same result. Anna felt her body start falling and screamed bloody murderer. She was sure these were her last moments on earth. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to fall, but nothing happened as two strong hands caught her and brought her against a hard chest.

She looked up to be met with a pair of bright blue eyes. Hunter gave her a reassuring smile.

"Did you really think I would let you fall? I didn't form the circle for playing Anna. It has a purpose. Now hold tight to me and don't let go until we land."

Anna sighed in relief when her feet touched the solid ground. She sat on the grass for a moment to catch her rigid breathing.

"Are you alright?" Hunter asked while standing beside her.

"Yes, surprisingly, I am alive," Anna answered him and stood up. "Where are the others?" Anna asked looking around for her mates.

"We got the orders to meet in the front yard of the mansion. The Don will do his speech, then we are done."

"What do you mean with done? We will go home today."

"Yes, we will go home," Hunter confirmed her thoughts

, and Anna gave him a big smile.

"Finally, I missed Karen so much and I can't wait to see her again."

"Well, savour your moments with her because they will be short," Hunter said mysteriously.

"What do you mean by that? Is there something you are hiding from me, Hunter?"

"It's a surprise, ma belle, but don't worry it's nothing bad," Hunter assured her, and he took the lead towards the back yard.

****************

"Two months ago, you were standing in the same position ready to start a training camp putting your trust in capable instructors. For the past two months, you endured hard drills, impossible tasks, and foreign knowledge. Today, I am delighted to tell you that you made big progress in your training to be leaders. Like I always say, being a leader is easy, but succeeding in directing people and making them loyal and honest to you is hard. You can't call yourself a leader until all your men are ready to die for you willingly, and not out of fear, but out of respect and loyalty. Then and only then you are a successful leader." The DON paused to gauge his audience's reactions then, resumed his talking. "I know you are waiting for your summer vacation before school starts. So I won't take off your time more than I already did. All I want to say is that you were all exceptional and did a great job. So congratulations kids, you passed the mafia camp. You will find your scores and ratings on the board, happy vacation."

With these words, the Don took his leave followed by Damien, Edward, and Jackson. Jasper and Ayla remained behind and as expected, Jasper took the Don's previous spot.

"As the Don said earlier, congratulations. Now for the kids who live in the state, you will find the cars that will drive you to your homes. For the ones who live in other countries, special jets are going to take them to their respective residencies."

"Finally, we are free," Matt exclaimed.

Aiden rolled his eyes and approached Anna who was standing next to Hunter.

"The SUV is waiting for us. Dad called and gave his orders. We need to go directly home."

Hunter scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

"You can go, I will drop Anna later. I need to take her someplace special."

Aiden shook his head and said firmly.

"I can't, Anna is under our protection, and therefore, she will come with us."

Hunter took a threatening step towards him and growled.

"Are you challenging me, Black?"

Aiden's stare hardened and he stood his ground.

"What do you think, Salviatti?"

Before the situation could escalate anymore, Anna stood between the two.

"It is okay Hunter. I missed Karen so much. I am so excited to see her. We can go later to anyplace you want." Anna said gently as she put her hands on Hunter's chest preventing him from moving farther.

Hunter sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I won't forget it, Black. We will solve this later." Hunter said promisingly.

"and I won't back out, Salviatti."

Aiden would never step away from a challenge. He was aware that Hunter is stronger than him and would probably beat him, but that doesn't mean he will surrender without fighting. Anna was his sister and his responsibility so even if Hunter was her boyfriend, it doesn't mean he has exclusive possession of her.

"Let's go, Carlos is waiting," Matt said wanting to get away from the tension.

Hunter pulled Anna into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"As I said before, enjoy your time with your family tonight, because soon you will be mine only," Hunter whispered in her ear.

He pulled away from her and smiled at the pout on her face.

"It is a surprise, ma belle." Hunter winked and shooed her playfully.

He watched as Anna climbed the waiting car along with Aiden and Matt. Even if Aiden's episode earlier pissed him, but he was happy to see the Black boys willing to take Anna's side and defend her. That doesn't mean he won't beat him later.

"Until when will you continue this charade, Hunter?" Ethan's question brought Hunter from his thoughts.

"What?" Hunter feigned confusion.

"Don't play dumb, brother. You know what I am talking about. The mission is a huge wall between you two. You played her boyfriend to protect her in the camp. Now the camp is over, what are you going to do?"

"I am not going to do anything. She is my girl and that's all."

"Will she stay your girl when the truth comes to light? Now or later, she will know you are a part of the mission. She will feel betrayed." Ethan spoke logically.

"We will cross this bridge when the time arrives. I love her, Ethan. She is very special to me."

"Then tell her the truth, why are you lying to her?" Ethan argued.

"I know she will get angry, and it will take her a lot of time to trust me again. The mission is our main concern. I can't screw it. Besides, before all these chaoses, I want to spend some valuable time with her alone. Just me and her, I want to make memories with her. Then I will tell her everything. I promise."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"We are going on vacation. It is just a month before the new school year so we will make the best of it."

"Good luck Hunter, but be careful, the more time you take to tell her the truth, the more she will resent you," Ethan warned one more time, then he made his way to the head of the security team to arrange the cars for their return to the mansion.

***************

"Finally my baby is home," Karen exclaimed as she made her way down the stairs and to the cars pilling in her backyard.

Anna stood to the side of the car waiting for Karen to arrive at them. She wanted the woman to have some time with her children, but what she didn't expect was the hug she received from her. For a petite woman, Karen for sure has a strong grip.

"Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?" Karen asked as she looked Anna over and over.

"Hey, calm down Karen. I am really fine." Anna assured her with a happy smile.

"What about us mom, don't you plan to check on your other children?" Matt said teasingly.

Karen merely looked in his direction and grabbed Anna's arm to lead her to the house.

"Dinner will be ready in one hour, so you better be ready," was Karen's last comment over her shoulder before her disappearance behind the doors.

"There is your answer bro," Aiden said playfully as he ruffled his brother's hair and headed to the house.

Matt shook his head and followed his brother to do as their mother ordered.

ONE HOUR LATER:

"Do you need any help?" a showered Anna asked Karen who was busy stirring a pot on the oven.

"No dear, the maid set the table already. I sent her home earlier, so I could serve food for my family myself and without any help. I really missed all of you, even my egoistic sons. They don't like it when I hug them and show affection. Don't let Matt's hurt look fool you. At least I have you now." Karen said while she added some spices to the boiling food.

"What did you make?"

"It's a chili sauce. The boys and Jacob are in love with it."

"Aw! I don't think I will be able to eat it. It will be too hot for my taste." Anna made a sour face.

"Don't worry, darling. You don't have to eat it. I made a lot of different dishes. You can eat whatever you like."

"How did you spend your time when we were away?" Anna asked as she took a seat on the counter.

"I went with Jacob to the Caribbean and spent a month there. Then we came back because Jacob had an emergency."

"So you had a lot of fun, didn't you?" Anna said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Naughty girl! Naughty." Karen fake admonished her while waving her spoon threateningly in Anna's face.

Karen served the last dish and told Anna to help her carry the plates to the dining room.

Upon their arrival, Anna noticed Jacob sitting at the head of the table. Aiden on his right and beside him sat Mat. They were engaged in some heated conversation but stopped immediately when they saw the ladies. Karen took the seat to Jacob's left, which left Anna to sit next to her.

Anna felt awkward sitting among them. She wasn't feeling comfortable in Jacob's presence. His stern features were present as always.

The dinner went in silence apart from the clinking of the silverware. By the time her plate was empty, Anna felt full and happy. Delicious food always puts a smile on her face. Maybe it was due to her past that she always appreciates a good meal.

"Welcome back, Anna," Jacob said curtly and made his way out of the dining room.

"Thank you, sir," Anna mumbled quietly, not sure if he even heard her.

"Don't mind him, sweetie. He is always like this." Karen soothed the down casted girl.

"Yes Anna, don't mind him. He is my dad, and believe me, I saw him smiling like two times my entire life. The first one was when I was born, which means I don't remember, and the second was when Jasmine called him daddy." Matt laughed at his words to ease Anna more but stopped abruptly when he realized the effect his words have.

"Let's go to my room, we are having an X-BOX competition," Aiden announced happily and ushered Anna away.

"I am so sorry mom, it just slipped. I am sorry if my words upset you."

Anna heard Matt apologize before she left the room completely. Aiden led her to the main staircase, then to a long hallway. He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened a white door.

"Welcome to my room, Anna," Aiden said while bowing like a gentleman in the medieval ages would do.

Anna was expecting his room to be decorated with black furniture and a dark theme. But like always, she was surprised, the general theme in his room was white walls with yellow splashes here and there, with blue furniture. It was a breathtaking decor.

"Wow! Your room is beautiful."

"Thank you so much, Anna. What games would you like to play?" Aiden said as he grabbed three controllers and took his seat on one of the scattered bean bags.

"Well, I am not a gamer, but since I am playing against two boys, how about we play FIFA," Anna suggested as she followed his actions and sat on another bean bag.

"Are you sure? It's a soccer game, and I don't think you will enjoy it." Aiden tried to warn her.

"Try me," Anna smirked and started the game.

Twenty minutes later, Aiden looked at Anna with his mouth wide open. He was gaping at her like a fish out of water struggling to breathe.

"You little deceiver, you are a champion at this game, and I was the one who was afraid you will feel left out."

Anna laughed softly and shook her head.

"I have a friend who was crazy about this game. She would play it day and night. She even forced me and my other friend to play it sometimes." Anna spoke with chagrin in her voice as she remembered Jaycee and Kayla.

"Do you miss them?" Aiden asked as he set the game for another round.

"Yes, of course, I think about them every night."

"Did you call them since your arrival here? You can invite them and let me get to know them. Maybe I will charm one of them."

I wish I can talk to them. If only it was that simple. I wish I can talk to them and see them. I wish I can tell you everything Aiden, my reason for being here. It's getting heavier and heavier and I am afraid of the future.

Those were the words Anna wished to speak, but instead, she smiled and said jokingly, and playfully punched Aiden's arm, "stay away from my friends, they are off-limits, Mr. Charmer."

"Aw!! You are getting strong, little girl. I think the camp was beneficial for you." Aiden protested as he rubbed his arm.