"I've come to a decision." My father eyed the both us from behind his desk, it was almost as if he never left this room, "You will lead a group and acquire Vince and his comrades. This is a matter of reputation and moral values."

"Understood." We replied in unison. He nodded his head towards the door so we took the invitation and left. Leo had been suffering greatly recently, he's developed another one of those marks on his back.

"I'm gonna go lie down."

"Don't come back till you've had enough rest," I ordered, "then we can leave."

"Ok." He replied before retreating to his room.

I wonder what he's doing that's getting him so sick. There's too much going on. My phone began vibrating in my pocket, I took it out and brought it to my ear.

"You brought this upon yourself Vitiello." His grumbled, "The French have joined with us. Its your loss really, so get ready old man."

I kept listening, only stopping to watch Amara walking into the kitchen.

"We will destroy you, in three years even the memory of the Italian Mafia will be forgotten and you will be the Capo dei Capi that lost it all."

"Is that so?" I said.

"Prepare yourself. Nothing you can do can stop this." He continued, "You have my wife. I will take her back."

The line went dead. I growled slamming the phone into the wall, little squeals came from the kitchen. My mother, sister and Amara came running out to find my fist disappearing into the wall and remnants of my phone on the ground. I pull my hand out dropping what managed its way into my grasp and walking away.

Now was not the time to play pretend.

---------

"He contacted you about this?"

"Sì." I droned.

"The French are traitors," he continued, "always have been."

"The plan?" I watched out the window as the landscapers continued to clean the mess from yesterday.

"Forget the Russians," my father was typing quickly, "The French will arrive tonight in the city, leave now and eliminate them. After that we can deal with the Russians."

"Understood." I stood to leave.

"Dominic," he started, "Leo's mother has requested he be kept in, you will go with six other men."

"Combat or assassination?"

"Combat." He answered.

"Understood." I confirmed, leaving the room.

-----------

I hadn't seen Dominic all day, when I woke up he wasn't there and then he didn't show up for breakfast – only to make a scene later but then disappeared again. I should quit worrying, if he doesn't want to tell me what's wrong then I can't force him. He might not even be sure about what it is.

"Are you worried?" Claire came to sit next to me, I was watching the garden get remade, "You shouldn't spend all your time thinking about something that doesn't involve you."

"And how do I know it doesn't involve me?"

"You're right." She turned to watch, "You don't know."

"If I said," I paused, "I was going to find out. What would you do about it?"

"Nothing." She snorted, "Not like I can stop you."

"Would you cover for me?" I asked watching as a bunch of men exited the house wearing heavy gear, Dominic in toll.

"Of course."

"Grazie."

She chuckled, "Working on your Italian?"

"You never know when you'll get stuck in a place where they don't speak english."

"You're right. Nothing is certain."

---------

My wonder was, why in the hell were they doing coming straight to Italy? I understand Vince is here as well – having come here for the party – but it seemed risky. I should have asked my father when I had the chance.

"When should we dispatch?" one of the men asked, I believed his name to be Romero.

"Give it a couple of minutes," I watched the tracker, "They haven't arrived yet."

"Understood." He nodded. I remember the guy having a young wife and two daughters, a little part of me hopes he makes it home today.

The tracker moved closer, I ordered everyone out and we positioned ourselves around the hotel which they were arriving. Minutes passed then the car turned into the road, our first sniper shot the wheels. The car stopped as the wheels lost air, men started jumping out. Our first lot moved in taking on their first lot as well. All hell broke out, for six men they sure could hold their own. I moved in with the last lot and we targeted the ring leader.

"Vitiello." He laughed. I had cornered him between the doors of his car.

"You're a disgrace Enzo Moreau." I shook my head.

"Why don't you let my men go and just take the Russians?"

"What?" I didn't think I'd heard him correctly. The Russians were not meant to be here.

Vince's men began emerging from the building, each of them holding expensive machinery. I growled pinning the bastard to his shiny black car. "You're a dead man." I ripped his jacket and used the fabric to tie his arms to the door.

"Watch your men die," I growled, "And their friends too."

"You can't scare me out of this."

"I'm not scaring you," I smiled, "I'm teaching you a lesson."

I pulled out a small knife and sliced the surface of his face, he started bleeding down his pure white shirt. "Remember this; fear cuts deeper than swords. You are afraid of me Moreau. I see it in your eyes."

"How romantic." Vince spoke from behind me.

"Bastard." I growled. He smiled.

"Isn't this beautiful." He gestured behind him. The French and the Russian were overpowering my men, they were still fighting even if there was only six of them.

"Forty to six is hardly a fair fight Vince," I commented, "Yet my men are still killing yours." I smiled, "It is a beautiful sight."

His smile faded and his eyes narrowed, "What game are you playing at?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where is your blond friend?"

"Who Leo?" I looked around, "Probably at home. I'm not his babysitter so I couldn't really tell you."

I was trying to scare them, having them thinking that Leo was somewhere waiting to strike would work in my favour. The more frightened they were, the better.

I saw a man of mine collapse out the corner of my eye, I winded Vince then intervened. No one was meant to die here today. They started turning their attention to me, I pulled out my gun and began shooting them off. Cowardly move going for one person.

"Retreat." I ordered, "Go back to the vehicle."

"But Sir," Romero began. I shot him a glare.

"Go now!"

They began regrouping, helping Romero up and heading back in the direction of the cars. I could take them on by myself, Romero insulted me by thinking otherwise.

Enzo had disappeared. Vince sat on the hood of the black car, watching with a serene look on his face. I was killing them but there were many. A whisp-like sound went off and one man fell to the ground, he now had two holes on both sides of his skull and bled onto the pavement. An assassin. I didn't bring an assassin.

I slowed my fighting as man after man fell limp to the floor, braindead and probably regretting joining forces with a psychopath like Vince Bogart.

"What the f-" Vince jumped off the car, a bullet shot near his foot silencing him and stopping him in his tracks. We both looked up spotting her at the same time. Vince smiled, I glared.

He may not admit it, but he's glad I'm here. I lowered the rifle and stood, "Fancy seeing you here." I smiled. He didn't smile back.

"Wow!" Vince shouted, "You did this?"

I folded the parts of the rifle together, ignoring his attempt at conversation and putting it back into its case. I strapped the cover onto my back and looked over the edge, the fall wasn't too far.

I watched her gracefully step over the edge and land on the car below, she was truly amazing. The coat fluttered behind her and her hair moved back into position as she stood to smile at us, she was so positive and fun. Why would she involve herself with vermin like Vitiello?

"Pleasure to have you join us." I addressed her.

She snorted, "Even when I shot down half your men?"

"Of course." I smiled.

"Whatever." she glanced once more in my direction before focusing on Dominic. I gradually became annoyed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and began whispering in his ear. He didn't seem as pissed off as before but held a careful stance, wise choice as I was standing right here.

"Care to share the gossip?"

"I was wondering," she turned to me, thankfully releasing Dominic from her delicate grasp, "Where Clarissa got to?"

"She returned home." I answered without showing emotion. My sister was terribly upset, she hadn't said anything other than 'fix this' when I'd seen her. I heard she was in turmoil back at the house, the press were so used to her going out a lot whenever she spent time home and were coming up with their own theories about her sudden hibernation.

"Oh," Amara shuffled, "I wanted to apologise. She didn't give me a chance -"

"No need," I smiled bitterly, "It is not you who should be apologising." I briefly looked to Dominic who snorted in response.

"Unfortunately Dominic is not one for apologies," she started again, "So I thought I should -"

"It should not concern you."

"Yes I'm sure but as D-"

"You don't have to!"

Her eyes went wide and she stepped back a little.

"I'm sorry," I paused, "I didn't mean to shout."

"Let's go Amara," Dominic sighed, "I'm tired."

"Oh," she glanced to me a little, "Okay."

She grabbed Dominic's arm and held it to her side as they walked away, my frustration only grew. Why was she so intent on apologising on his behalf? It was Dominic's problem.

She is not his wife so it should not concern her.

I had a inkling of a feeling Vince would lose his patience with her, Amara had a moral code of some sort. She always had to fix things when it was necessary, she felt responsible to apologise on my behalf because she knew I'd go to hell and back before I apologised to the psychopath. My lack of apologies is the reason this fight is happening, I'm sure she simply wants it to end.

"Why was he so upset?"

"He's insane."

"That's not a good reason."

"He's angry."

"Just like you are?"

"He isn't happy about the fact that I'm marrying you," I started, "He wanted to marry you himself and so it upsets him when you attempt to do things a wife would do for her husband, for me."

"Oh." she was blushing again. My jaw twitched.

We got to the car where the men sat in the trailer, I tapped on the window and it rolled open. "Just go ahead without us, we'll organise for transport."

"Yes Sir," he hesitated, "One thing sir."

"Go on." I prompted.

"We found another one of the Russian men further away from the scene, he's beat up but alive and he should be awake in a few hours. What should we do with him?"

"Take him back to the estate and put him on lockdown. We can interrogate him tomorrow. Get your rest." I eyed the unconscious guy in the back of the car.

"Understood." the man at the seat nodded, then nodded to Amara.

We stepped back from the car as it pulled out of the parking spot, I sighed grabbing my phone to make the call. "You look great in that coat by the way." I commented before answering to Mike who picked up the phone. I could see her blushing even more in the corner of my eye, at least its not just Vince who can make her blush.

I ended the phone call then began to sit on the sidewalk, Amara being pulled by my weight to sit as well. I cracked my neck before hanging my head to release muscle tension.

"Dominic I don't understand." she cocked her head to look at me.

"What?"

"Why are you angry at me?"

"Its hardly a justifiable reason," I replied, "So I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"I don't give a damn what you'd prefer."

I chuckled, "They weren't kidding when they said I'd found my match." I turned to look at her, she was still waiting for an answer. "I'm just being stupid Amara, I'll quit being angry in a little while. You just have to wait it out."

"Seriously?" she narrowed her eyes, "Thats what you're going to say? Problems aren't solved by 'waiting it out' Dominic!" she held up quotations.

I smiled, "I don't think you can solve this problem."

"Try me," she stood putting both hands on her hips, "I can solve all problems."

"Wonder Woman are we?"

"Most certainly." she nodded taking a superhero stance which looked comically accurate with the coat flapping behind her. I smiled.

The car beeped signalling its arrival, Leo was behind the wheel.

"I thought you were resting." I addressed him as we climbed in.

"I woke up." he chuckled, "Aren't you glad I woke up? I could be dead you know."