The whole car ride we didn't talk much, except when Mateo told me the address so I could plug it into the GPS. When we were about 15 minutes from the house he asked me to pull over on the side of the road. Reluctantly I do and he starts talking.

"Listen you should know a few things. First, I will not go easy on you since you are a 'girl.' I do not believe in that shit and neither do our enemies. Secondly, you will be with me everywhere, every meeting, every training, all of it."

"You trust me that much?" I ask looking over at him.

"I am willing to take a chance," he says finally looking into my eyes.

"But why? I still don't understand," I say looking back at the road.

"You where the first girl to ever stand up to me," he replies grabbing my chin and turning it towards him.

"So? Any girl can do that. It doesn't make me any special."

"But it does. Most girls either are head over heels for me or are way too scared to even say a word to me."

"Whatever. Don't get too cocky. Anything else you want to tell me?"

"Yes, one more thing. I want to be able to trust you and I want you to trust me; so if you ever need anything come to me not Gio or Mark."

"No secrets?" I say but it comes out like a question.

"No secrets," he replies.

I pull back into the street and I connect my phone and play "Slide by H.E.R." I turn left into a neighborhood and I notice all the beautiful, tall mansions. Each one more gorgeous than the next, I mean what did I expect this man is loaded with cash. I look back at the GPS but it shows that we still have about ten more minutes to go. I start thinking and it makes sense they are in the Mafia so their house must be hidden from their enemies.

Mateo takes out another cigarette but offers me one this time, but I refuse to take it. My grandfather and dad smoked all their lives and I know just how life-threatening they are, but I didn't say anything. He rolls down the window like I did last time and starts smoking it.

We arrive in front of a pair of huge, matte black gate doors that are surrounded by tall trees. Three guards come towards us and motion for me to roll down the windows of my car. He looks at me then looks at Mateo and motions his hand to open that gate.

"Go zemer," Mateo says looking down at his phone.

"Where do I park?"

"Next to my car," he says pointing to his Corvette.

I look over at left and spot a parking garage. "Why not there?" I ask pointing.

"I want your car next to mine."

I pull up next to Mateo's car and turn the car off. We get out and Mateo helps me get my suitcases from the trunk. He grabs my two big suitcases so I only have my purse to carry.

We head towards the entrance of the house and I spot a group of people standing by the door. A man and two ladies standing next to him; one of the women look like his wife and the other like his mother.

We finally reach them and I go to shake the man's hand first as a sign of respect. The older lady yanks me from the man before I can shake his hand and she showers me with hugs and kisses.

"È più bella di come la descrivi,"she says in Italian. She finally lets go of me and I finally get the chance to shake the man's hand. His eyes dark like Mateo's, a light beard, a scar down his right eye and overall pretty fit.(She's more beautiful then you described her.)

"Sono Angela," I say.

"I am Alessandro Rossi, Mateo, and Mark's father," he says in a very thick rough, Italian accent.

I go to shake the other lady's hand but she pulls me into a hug and kisses both of my cheeks.

"Sweetheart, I'm these those idiots mom."

I love this woman already.

"If they ever do anything wrong, tell me. I'll beat their asses with my wooden spoon," as she says that I notice Mateo's muscles tense.

Oh shit. A wooden spoon makes the big, bad Mafia underboss tense. I'll keep that in mind.

____AUTHORS NOTE_______________

-see whenever I see a slipper on the ground I tense a bit. I get hit by shoes a lot. This one time I chucked one at my sister and nailed her in the middle of her forehead. oops sorry sis:/

-don't forget to vote=D

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