Vincent walked into his parent's house and was greeted by his mother. "Hello, Son," she said kissing his cheek. She wiped the lipstick print that was left behind, "Your father is in his office. Tobin and Dom are already here," she informed him before walking off.

Turning to the stairs, he took them two at a time making his way to his office. As he opened the door, he heard his father, Tobin, and Domenico talking. Gio had sent him a text letting him know that he had something to do with Vanessa, his fiancé, so he would be late.

"Son, you're here," his father greeted him. Vincent nodded at the men in the room as he unbuttoned his jacket and took his usual set in front of his father's desk. "What is the plan for the meeting tomorrow?" His father asked him.

Vincent sighed. He was not looking forward to this meeting he knew that the outcome was most likely not going to be what they all hoped. Nothing ever seemed to be easy in his world. "Hopefully we can find something to appease him for now. If not," Vincent paused and looked at his father he hated having to say what he was going to, "we may have to declare war."

Vincent watched as his father took in what he said and nodded, "I do hope that doesn't happen. But I think we all know that it is a big possibility and I approve. But, only if it is the very last option," he told his son pointily. Vincent nodded. He understood what his father meant. They were to offer everything short of him giving him the Capo position before declaring war.

Vincent opened his mouth to say he understood when the office door flew open. The three men looked to the doorway. There stood a beaming Gio. "We're having a baby!" He practically shouted. Vincent eyebrows both shot up and he mumbled a congratulation. Vincent never knew how to react to these types of things. Babies and children weren't on his radar at all. He never planned on having them. He knew that he needed an heir but, he was sure that he had plenty of time to figure out a way around that.

"That is great, son. When is Vanessa due?" Their father asked Gio as he approached him and gave him a hug.

"Early March," his bother said with a huge smile. Vincent was shocked it could get any bigger than it was when he first came in.

"That's great," Vincent caught the look his father gave him before he turned and walked back to sit behind his desk.

"Can we get back to business?" Vincent grunted. He wanted to be happy for his brother. He liked when his family was happy but, he knew that look. It said, "Gio has an heir. What do you have?" The thought of not running the family was not a thought he liked having.

Gio frowned at his big brother but then a look of understanding flashed across his face. Slapping him on the back he walked to the couch and took up his normal spot, "your back up men with be landing first thing in the morning," he told his brother before kicking his feet up on the table and picking at his fingernails like he didn't really care about much else that was going on in the room.

Vincent nodded and turned from looking at his brother to his father. Getting a nod from the man, Vincent stood up and began to button his suit up ready to leave. "How is she?" He heard Tobin ask from behind him.

He turned to fully face the man that was concerned for his best friend. "Well. It's only been a couple of days but, she seems to be doing fine." Tobin nodded and bit his lip like he had something to say but wasn't sure he should say it.

Sighing he looked at Vincent, "just be gentle with her. She acts tough but, its really just for show." Vincent nodded in understanding. He understood what it was like to carry yourself to appear like you are the person everyone wants you to be. Tobin turned to leave the room.

"Tobin," Vincent called out to him. He turned with a raised brow. "Could you maybe bring Joni over to my place tomorrow for lunch?" Tobin nodded before continuing his way out the door.

The next morning, Vincent woke up and went straight for the kitchen to make breakfast. He planned to talk to Rebecca while they ate. When he had made it back to his place the night before, she was already at work. He was watching a movie when she came back and she walked straight to her room and shut the door without saying a word to him. He didn't understand what he did but, deep down he was sure it was something.

He still hadn't seen her by the time he was done cooking so he went and knocked on her door. He got no answer so he walked away figuring that she was still sleeping. He decided that he would get some work done while he waited for her to wake.

It was another four hours before he finally heard her bedroom door open. He finished the paperwork he was doing before leaving his office to find her. He walked into the kitchen and saw her looking through the fridge.

When Rebecca heard Vincent enter the room, she froze. She had been avoiding him in her room all morning but she had finally gotten hungry. She hadn't heard him after he had knocked earlier so she had figured he had left. She just wasn't that lucky. Not wanting to talk to him she quickly grabbed a bottle of water and shut the fridge. She turned to leave the kitchen without even looking at him.

"What is the matter, Rebecca?" He asked her before she was able to walk out. He couldn't take her pretending like he wasn't in the same room. He didn't get treated that way by people that had known him forever. He surely wasn't going to by someone who didn't know him and who's ass he was currently protecting.

"Nothing," she shrugged. Vincent felt his hands ball into fists and he had a deep want to punch something.

"Bullshit," he yelled slammed his fist on the counter in front of him. "You will not ignore me in my own house. Tell me what is wrong or so help me, I'll..."

"You'll what?" She interrupted him. "Kill me?" Vincent raised an eyebrow at her. He was shocked by not only what she said but the tone that she said it in. Never had anyone, outside his parents, talked to him like that before. "You want to know what's wrong? I'm scared and being here with you, isn't helping at all!" She started ranting and pacing. "I don't feel any safer and I just realize that you're just a criminal protecting me from another criminal."

Vincent wanted so badly to tell her what he thought of her calling him a criminal. How dare she? He was protecting her. Life isn't sunshine and fucking rainbows like she thinks. He opened his mouth to say all of that and more. Instead, he closed his mouth and stormed all the way to his office slamming the door.

Rebecca jumped when she heard the door slam. She knew that she shouldn't have said what she did. Even if it was how she was feeling, she should be grateful that he was protecting her at all. Sighing she started toward his office so she could apologize. Just before she reached the hallway, there was a knock on the door. She abandoned her apology tour to answer the door.

When she opened it, she saw her two best friends standing in front of her holding up to-go bags from her favorite restaurant. "What are you guys doing here?" She smiled at them. Joni gave her a look that told her she was waiting for Rebecca to move out of the way so they could come in so, she did that.

"Vince asked me to bring Joni for lunch today," Tobin answered her question. "Didn't he tell you?"

Rebecca shook her head. She was shocked that he did that. It also made her feel even more guilty than she was already feeling. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she was making him seem. She shook the thoughts out of her head and waved for them to follow her to the kitchen.

They all sat down as Tobin passed out their food. "It's weird he didn't tell you."

"I haven't exactly talked to him today," she confessed looking at her food. She began to pick at her food feeling guiltier as time went on.

Tobin and Joni looked at each other knowing something was wrong. They all had been friends long enough that they always knew when something was wrong with another and they also knew when they wanted to talk about it and when to not bring it up. Which is why Joni cleared her throat to gain both of their attention before diving in to talk about the wedding.

Twenty minutes later, the conversation turned to girl talk suddenly so, Tobin stood up and decided to go and talk with Vincent. "If you ladies will excuse me. I am going to go find Vince." Both girls smiled and nodded before resuming their conversation.

Tobin knocked on Vincent's office door heard a gruff "What?" not long after. Pushing the door open he peeked in to see Vincent sitting behind his desk looking down at a stack of papers. He cleared his throat to gain his attention. When Vincent looked up and saw Tobin, he waved him in.

"What's wrong?" Tobin asked him sitting down in the chair in front of Vincent on the opposite side of the desk.

Vincent sighed leaning back in his chair. All paperwork forgotten. "She hates me. She's afraid of me." He was frustrated. The entire time since he had come to his office had been spent trying to do paperwork, he needed to be done for the club but, he could focus on nothing but what Rebecca had said to him in the kitchen.

"She doesn't hate you. She's scared but, it's not of you. This situation is scary for her. I have known her for quite a while, she says things she doesn't mean sometimes like most people and when she's in a new situation, she can act weird. She knows you wouldn't hurt her," Tobin shrugged. He hoped that was what was going on. He hoped that she wasn't really staying with Vincent but fearing him.

Vincent leaned back more in his chair, one hand resting on the arm the other rubbing his chain as he took in what Tobin was telling him. "I can understand that this is all new. But, how do I make her see that all I want to do is protect her?"

"Just give her time. If you want, I can say something to her..."

"NO!" Vincent interrupted him. Tobin held his hands up and chuckled a little which received a glare from Vincent. Before Vincent could respond, there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" He assumed it was one of the girls so he didn't want to bark at them. Especially if it was Rebecca. Which is exactly who he saw when the door opened.

"T, Joni needs to go," She said looking at her friend. She didn't her best to avoid looking in Vincent's direction. Tobin nodded at her before turning to look at Vincent.

"Let me know if you need any more... help," Tobin smiled at his boss. He knew the comment was a little risky but he couldn't resist. Vincent sent him a quick glare that he covered before Rebecca saw it. He didn't want her thinking any lesser of him than she already did.

Rebecca gave him a hug and watched him walk out before turning to look at Vincent finally. "Can we talk?"

Vincent nodded, "Of course." He stood up and walked to the couch motioning for her to sit with him.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," she blurted.

"You don't need to be sorry. I understand that you are scared. I can't really blame you. This situation is new and different for someone like you. To me it normal this is what happens when you're close to someone like me," he looked down at her hands. She was picking at her nails. He felt ashamed for putting her in danger.

"It is different. I mean I went on one date with a guy and the next thing I know this all happens. I still shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. You are doing everything you can to protect me and I should be thanking you not yelling at you and calling you names." She sent him a smile that he returned. "Honestly. I would really like to be friends," she added holding out her hand for him to shake.

Vincent smiled wider and grabbed her hand but, instead of shaking it he pulled her closer to him. "Friends would be nice. But, you know... you might as well sleep with me while you're stuck at my place," he smirked after repeating Joni's words to her. He watched as Rebecca's eyes widened in realization.

She felt the blush as it covered her face. She was completely sure that she looked like a tomato. She hid her face with her hands. "So that's why you asked Tobin to bring Joni over for lunch when I hadn't even asked you yet." She spoke through her hands.

Vincent reached out and pulled her hands back so he could see her face. "What do you say?" he smiled that pantie dropping smile again. Biting her lip, she looked at his lips before smiling and throwing herself into his lap. She threw her hands into his hair as their lips connected. She heard a rewarding grunt from him and smiled into the kiss. "Maybe we should go to my room," Vincent said pulling away from her to catch his breath. Rebecca nodded and stood up grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door. She had felt how much he wanted her when she was on his lap so, there was no point in denying how much she wanted him.