Chapter 5 - When feelings get under your skin

The house was quiet today and I could put all my energy into my work. Never before have had I encountered so much restraint in my work than in the last four days, but since the night Mia erupted like a volcano unable to stop the liquid from boiling up she mostly tried to avoid me, which was a hard task, reason being that we were cooped up in the same house. So I decided to make it a little easier on her and mostly lock myself into my office when I was home. The other option was moving into a bigger house, but that would just be absurd.

The Casa Hotel and Casino was opening in a month as the paperwork went through, but there was still some furniture waiting to be delivered and the lobby needed some work. Antonio straightened the mess and it went down as a robbery gone wrong. He also deployed some of the men under his order for extra security.

"Madrè." I lay my eyes on my mother as I enter my office. "What are you doing here?" I question her as I bend down kissing both of her cheeks.

"You work too hard." She states as her eyes locked onto mine. "Look at you, Bellissimo. Are you eating enough? Sleeping…"

"I am fine Madrè." I force a smile onto my face. Don't get me wrong seeing my mother was never a disappointment, but she wasn't supposed to be here, not now anyway. I sometimes just wish that she could tell me that she was planning to come over or if the fucking men, who I appointed to look out for her have warned me that she was here, she wouldn't bombshell me every time. In my line of work, my family needed protection all the time so without my mother's knowledge, I had two men always tailing her.

"What is this?" She takes the hem of my dress shirt in-between her thumb and fore finger. For fuck sakes. I quickly tug the shirt back and into my slacks hiding the few tiny drops of blood spatter from earlier this morning. Like I said sometimes I had work that needed to be done outside the house.

"Don't worry about it." I brush her off walking around the desk towards my chair on the opposite side. "Why didn't you call? I would have come over."

"I didn't know that I had to call first if I wanted to see my son." She snares. "Achille told me you were busy so I didn't want to bother you, but I was nearby so I decided to come over and make sure you ate. A mother always worries about her children, no matter how old they get." She lifts two brown shopping bags from the chair beside her and places them on my desk, disregarding the papers that stood there.

"Madre this is really not a good time." I try to protest but she quickly quietened me down. There were so many things going on right now and I couldn't take the chance of her wandering around my house right now, but if I was being realistic I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get rid of her that easily. She was staying if I wanted her to or not. The only thing I could do to defuse this situation was to warn Achille not to bring Mia and Madelaine back here and to rearrange all my plans. It was the least that I can do for my mother; she did give me the gift of life, right?

"I brought everything I needed for Bistecca alla Fiorentina. All I need from you is to use your kitchen." She gives me a wry smile. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that? I finally cave.

"Go ahead Madrè. I just need to make a quick call. I will be with you in a few seconds." I grab my phone from the desk as my mother stands up removing the bags from the dark oak wood and strolls out the door towards the kitchen.

I quickly dialled Achille's number and place the phone to my ear holding it in position with my shoulder as I open the laptop and send Angela a quick email letting her know that our plans changed from four this afternoon to eight tonight. My mother would be home by eight and this was important. I needed those papers before tomorrow morning. I dial Achille again, but still no answer. I shove the phone onto the table and head to the kitchen where my mother stood washing her hands and had a dish filled with water next to her.

"Give me your shirt." She orders the moment her eyes meet mine.

"Madre it is nothing." I wave my hand in the air to make it off as nothing, but she kept her hand extended, palm facing the roof, waiting for me to hand it over and like a good little boy would, I complied. Taking my shirt off and handing it over. I watched my mother's fragile hands scrubbing away at four small bloodstains.

"Stop ogling me and go get dressed." Her voice was rasp, but suddenly her whole demeanour changes as her eyes move from mine and darts behind me. Her eyes grows compassionate, a smile crosses her face stretching almost completely from her one ear to the other, showing off her pearly whites. Her voice was indulgent, clouded with curiosity. "And who is this?" She questions and I knew exactly what she was looking at or should I say at who she was looking at.

I turn around meeting two pairs of wildly confused eyes and one pair of brown eyes filled with humour. Of course, Achille would find this hilarious. Mia and Madelaine's eyes didn't move as they were glued to the woman that gave birth to me. They stood there like idiots not knowing what to expect or what to say and honestly neither did I. A few different ways this could go down played in my head; 'Madrè, meet the girls I kidnapped, Madrè meet the two illegal immigrants, but the reality was so much worse.

"Madrè." Achille started. "This is Mia, Ben's girl friend." He introduces her. Funny, I narrow my eyes at him. If looks could kill he would be laying across my kitchen floor drowning in his own blood. "And this is her little sister Madelaine." I watched as they followed Achille's lead greeting my mother by planting kisses on both her cheeks.

"It is so lovely to meet you." Her eyes sparkle with delight. This was exactly what she wanted for the past two years. All those dinners with all the different woman with only one goal in mind, to find me a woman and now here we stood as my brother spews her nonsense and she believes him, hanging onto every word like it is law. I guess was it might be better than telling her the truth. I uncomfortably vigour a smile at my mother who is giving Mia a one's over from head to toes, but it was once she entwined her finger in one of Mia's dark locks that hung from the side of her face that I noticed it; There was something different about her, except her black curls that bounced around her head as she spoke, caused by the movements of her head and the fact that she was wearing a button-up black blouse tucked into a pair of jean shorts showing off her incredibly long legs. There was something else; something fiercer, a whole new life-force radiated from her appearance.

After two agonising days of watching the two of them stalk around the house in scraps of material and mostly some of Achille's clothing, I decided that it was time to get them a few new items, but after only 10 minutes online, trying to shop for women's clothing I gave up, besides going out might be the best for them as they were only keeping themselves locked-up in their rooms for most parts of the day. It appears that I was right a little bit of vitamin D was all they needed and also clothing…

Earlier this morning I told Achille to take them shopping. Their reactions at my words dazed me somewhat; they seemed surprised that I was letting them go out. I only said that they weren't allowed to leave the premises without permission or alone, I never said that they weren't allowed to go out, altogether. They were free to reign as they please with a few rules to endure. This was as new to me as it was to them. I have never before been in such a situation where I had to personally encage a woman in my home. I was struggling and to be honest it was tiring to look over my shoulder all the time and ignore certain things that happened in my house that I was not used to.

I actually caught Mia last night sneaking a bottle of wine from the cellar to her room and I didn't say anything. She wasn't even aware I was watching her. Normally I would be vivid if I caught someone stealing from me, but I couldn't care less and that was saying a lot. She had a taste for the expensive ones.

"Bellissimo!" My mother's voice rips me from my thoughts. "Go put on some clothes." She scolds. "You can't walk around half-naked in front of these lovely ladies and don't you dare return looking like you are going to a funeral. Wear something comfortable for a change." She was eloquent in what she wanted and she wanted me not to fuck this up by being to intimidating, but how else was I supposed to be? I have let my guard down two times twice already and each time made me feel too vulnerable and it was infuriating.

"The fuck, I can't." My voice drags deeply, I had about enough of this. First I get treated like a goddam child, then my mother falls in love with Achille's counterfeit trafficked girlfriend and now I was being told how to dress in my own fucking home.

"Sposino." Mia interjects with the worst case of pronunciation I ever heard, calling me a little groom. I contract my eyes at her as she nears me and tightly pull my lips together. What the fuck was she up to? My eyes follow her carefully as she nears me like a cat hunting his prey. "Your mother is right. Why don't you slip into something more comfortable?" She pushes her arm past mine and gently wraps it around my waist when she reaches me. The touch of her warm skin against mine was alarming and my whole body reacted, misunderstanding my feelings of anger for something else. Something that I had to keep locked away from everyone. The need to fuck Mia and get her out of my system.

"You better come with me." I grind through teeth trying to relax the muscles in my clenched jaw. I remove her arm from around my body like it was contagious and take her small wrist in mine before dragging her out of the kitchen, around the door, through the hallway and into my bedroom, which was situated behind the first door to our right.

The moment we enter the room I let go of her hand, but before I could realize what I was doing anger pulsated through me like the speed of light and insentiently I push her against the wall, keeping her arms steady against the white background. My knuckles turn white as I cover her wrist with my fingers, but I don't loosen the grip I have on her. She drives me crazy with her chatty little mouth. She was getting cocky and I needed her to go, soon. I had to clear my head and think this whole situation through. "What the fuck was that?" I breathe trying to control my rampant irritation.

"I was just trying to help. I heard a woman call her boyfriend Sposino in the mall today and when Achille's introduced me as your girlfriend, I thought that I was supposed to act like your girlfriend now." She rolls her eyes at me, flaring up the combustion inside me. I wanted her to feel the tension I was barely able to withhold and for me to not completely losse my shit I needed her to keep her fuck-able lips closed, so I take a step closer, trying my utmost best to intimidate her by keeping my mouth inches away from hers. I could taste flavour of the watermelon gum from her tongue, but her gorgeous green eyes showed nothing.

I couldn't tell what she was feeling and it was torture to me. Her body was still, she was exceptionally good at keeping herself calm all of a sudden, but I needed something; a pant, a tremble or a racing heartbeat, anything that could indicate what she was feeling. Why wasn't she expressing any emotions? Fuck!

"That was not her boyfriend." I correct her as if it mattered what she thought the word meant. I will my body to stagnant in front of her while our figures edge so close that I could almost feel the balminess searing from her skin. "Don't touch me again." I blow into her mouth, fighting the compulsion to give into the torment and just capitulate to my animalistic impulses.

"But you are the one touching me." Mia answered with her voice soft that left a sting inside of me. The thought of making her suffer the way I was suffering made me swiftly let go of her wrists pushing my body away from hers.

"I wasn't touching you. I was hurting you…" I correct her keeping my tone dark and deep, but hard enough for her to hear unmistakably with my back to her treading towards the closet. "… and you are also not my girlfriend." I mention painstakingly as I open the second drawer of the cupboard removing a black t-shirt from inside and pull it over my head. I remove each of my shoes, one at a time and place them neatly next to each other on top of the chair that fills the space next to the cupboard. I could feel her eyes examining my body as I remove my slacks and replace them with a pair of ripped jeans, which Achille bought me for my birthday last year. According to him, it was the one thing I didn't already own.

"I am tonight." She reminds me and her words felt like thousands of small spikes darting into my skin.

"Do you even know what it means to be a girlfriend to a man like me?" I question her as I regard my 10000 dollar Armani suit pants onto the floor with vigour. "You want to be the girlfriend of the boss of the Italian Mafia?" I cock my head to the side, calling myself the word I hated the most, I creep up towards her keeping my eyes locked on hers and my voice dangerously low. "First of all, you will always come second in my life because the business will always come first." I lie. Family comes first no matter what, but she didn't know this and she needed to be scared. That was the only way to keep her at a safe distance from my impatient and inadequate ambiance.

"You will be scrubbing some bastard's blood and gore from my clothes more than you would like to admit." I keep closing in on her until she falls back onto the bed. The thought of having a woman spread out for the first time on these sheets quickly crosses my mind, but I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't use her like a plaything and throw her to the side afterwards. The only thing that I needed to do was forge out some way to get rid of her without hurting her or giving her the opportunity to go to the police, but for now I need her body to tell me what she was feeling even if she didn't want to. I had to know that she was petrified of me.

"And do you know what happens when I had a stressful day?" I question her as I grab both of her hands in one of mine and harshly push her back onto the bed so her back meets the soft Egyptian cotton spread out beneath her. Mia's chest starts to move rapidly as her breathing starts to increase. Oh… Yes, that was what I wanted to feel, tesoro. Once I had her tightly beneath me, straddling her body with both my legs on each side her heart started beating frantically. I was so adjacent; I could feel the ambiances of her racing pulse. She was getting scared, her physique betrays her, but her eyes show nothing, not a hint of distress, so I lean in closer causing her body to set into its natural fight or flight setting and by the way she started to panic my money would be on flight, but she wasn't going anywhere. My grip on her was too tight, almost biting. "I come home and fuck my girlfriend." My words cut like switchblades as I watch her eyes fog up. She needed to know how serious I was. "Even If she wanted to fuck me or not." I promise before releasing her and removing myself from her. I close my eyes for an instant when I hear her gasp for air as I walk towards my en-suite bathroom, but I keep my focus fighting the craving to look back. I was afraid of the image my eyes would fall upon and scorch into my mind, forever.

God, I needed that cold shower even yet I hated that I needed it. I wasn't sure what bothered me the most: the fact that I just threatened to rape Mia or that my body reacted to her while I was threatening her. What the fuck was I turning into? I towel dry my hair, which was getting way too long for my taste, before leaving the bathroom.

Relief fill my body when the sight of only crumpled up sheets decorated my bed when a piece of something gleaming caught my eye. I stroll closer to scrutinize and find a tiny piece of jewellery decorated with small gems dangling from it. It must have fallen from Mia's arm when I grabbed her wrists, I didn't even notice her wearing any trinkets.

The first thing I noticed about the unique piece of jewellery was the small diamond. What is it they say; diamonds are a girl's best friend, I mentally roll my eyes. Furthermore, I saw a pearl, a stone that looked much like an aquamarine, an almost see-through green tourmaline stone and an orange garnet. Without giving the bracelet any more thought I place the chain softly into the top drawer for safekeeping, the stones might not be authentic, but the bracelet in its entire might mean something to Mia. I head to join everyone in the kitchen.

"Take a seat." My mother points to the kitchen nook where Achille is already sitting, his head resting on his propped up arms like he was bored or concentrating on every word flying around the kitchen, while Madelaine stood at the side of the kitchen island peeling potatoes talking about some college dream of hers, how does she still have a college dream after everything she has been through and even if she does put that problem aside, how does she expect to go to college if she didn't even finish school? My mother and Mia prepared the large steaks, listening to her like it was something worth listening to, something realistic. This wasn't something I was used to. Sitting on the side-line and watching other people go on about their daily duties.

"I better get us some wine." I propose actually craving something stronger, but once again Mia with her smart mouth arbitrates.

"I know the perfect wine." She prompts, quickly coming down from her high as she catches my glare. "If I may?" She adds with lower tenor, awarding me with a distraught look from my mother. These women were going to be the death of me.

"Go ahead, Topino." I wink at her taking a seat next to Achille. This brought back memories from around 18 years ago. When we use to fight as children my mother would make us sit next to each other at the small kitchen table for hours until we solved our differences. Sometimes it went by quickly, but there were a few times that we spent most of our afternoons next to each other at the table.

"Little mouse, huh?" Achille mocks me with the words I just flung at Mia.

"Shut up." I snare, tapering my eyes at him.

"If I knew you had ladies coming over I would have brought ingredients for a Lasagne." My mother mentions as she places the large pieces of meat onto the grill, I knew she was dissing me for not telling her about Mia, but she also wasn't going to blatantly blurt that out. However her eyes were not that subtle.

"Madelaine." I ignore my mother turning my attention towards the blonde child roasting the potatoes. "Please go tell Mia to look for a bottle of red…"

"Brunello di Montalcino." Mia's ability to speak finishes my sentence when she cuts in appearing in the doorway with a bottle of wine. Her one hand was holding the bottle at the bottom while her other hand kept it in place by the neck, presenting us with the label.

"Perfect." She amazes me. Nothing goes better with these steaks than a red Brunello, which made me wonder if she actually had a smart brain backing that mouth of hers or if she was just lucky every time.

I was about to get up to serve us some wine when she ordered me to sit back down and relax as her hands were capable of throwing some liquid into a glass. "Oh, I know" I replied referring to our night in the cellar when suddenly her face turns almost as red as the wine she was holding, but she doesn't say anything or even make eye contact. I touched a nerve and I am definitely planning on doing it again. Pushing her buttons seem to be the only way to get her to open up a bit. Mia doesn't think before she speaks and getting her drunk or annoyed appears to be the only way that she would share some of her life's experiences with me. I wanted to know everything about her.

This was the longest time I have ever sat watching other people go about their own things. There was even a chuckle that escaped my mouth more than once, but I quickly covered it with a sip of wine so nobody would notice. I couldn't help, but feel a little nostalgic and longing for the days when I was still a young boy and my brother, mother, father and I would gather around the dining table. The warmth of it felt so familiar and I couldn't even pinpoint the beginning of the end of those days. All I was sure of was this was the first time something like this happened in my house. The closest we came to this was when Achille and I was forced to go have dinner at my mother's which as you know usually ended up being a blind date for me and entertainment for Achille.

My mother never said as much, but I knew that in her heart she always wanted a daughter of her own, I could see it growing up and I could definitely see it in her eyes right now as she teaches Mia how to perfectly grill the best part of a Tuscan cattle.

I also learned that Mia worked to put herself through university studying towards a degree in finance. There might be intellect in that beautiful head of hers after all. She has an American father who works in construction that barely made enough to pay the excess medical expenses her mother needed. Apparently her mother struggles with some heart condition and Mia help to support her father financially, even though it should be the other way around. I would probably never have known any of this if my mother didn't come by today.

"What are you doing brother?" Achille's voice invades my ears. He sounded serious; he was referring to Mia and Madelaine who have seemed to have struck their claws into everyone around me. We were sharing the same view and I could tell by the pitch of his voice that we were also sharing some nostalgic feelings.

"I was working on that until you introduced her as my girlfriend." I recover and rather put up the façade of pretending not to care about any of this.

"You can keep her as your girlfriend. I saw the way you look at her. Ben, you ordered me to stand down even if she had taken your life."

"I knew she wasn't going to kill me." I lie, well partly. I wasn't sure what she was going to do that night, but a part of me wanted to believe that she wouldn't pull that fucking trigger, but then she did and I didn't care if I died at that moment as long as she didn't get hurt. Mia was difficult to read. She was strong and wise, but sometimes there was a glimpse of terror, but only if you focused hard enough otherwise you would miss it. She was unpredictable and that was what made it so fucking difficult. "Besides, I can't just make her be my girlfriend against her will."

"You can do what you want. You owe her and you are the boss." He reminds me. A week ago I was contemplating the idea of a fake girlfriend with a written agreement, today I cannot seem to phantom the idea of doing that to Mia when Achille was right; I could do with her as I pleased. The only thing standing in the way was me; I didn't want to be in a relationship where neither party is involved due to their own decisions.

"Madrè?" I query my mother as the dining table settles down and everyone starts digging into their food. "Earlier today you said that you were nearby?"

"I visited Aunt Gabriella." She explains. Aunt Gabriella was my mother's eldest sister. She lived a few streets down from the estate taking care of her grandchildren while their mother worked during the day and her lazy son took down a bottle on a daily basis. He is a terrible fucking man. I know he might be my cousin by blood, but if it wasn't against any of my rules I would have made him eat lead a long time ago for the lone reason; he existed. "You know that son of her is still struggling to find work." I should have known where this was going. Madrè's heart was in the right place, but she sometimes appears to mistake me for a fucking labour broker.

"No." It was the only words I uttered before taking a bite of the delicious roasted potatoes and washing it down with another sip of wine, enjoying the dry sangiovese grapes.

"Bellissimo… He's got a wife and children."

"He is a lethargic man. That wife of his should have kicked his ass to the curb a long time ago." I say idly as my knife slices through the juicy steak.

"Actually his wife is the headmaster at the college not far from here." Achille has to but in, but I perceived the look in his eyes; he was up to something. "I heard that the college wasn't doing well financially and might have to close down if they don't get sponsors soon. Then she is also going to be searching for work" He wasn't telling us this in favour of what Madrè was asking. He was hinting on giving Madelaine a chance to attend.

"I think Mario's daughter is about the same age as Madelaine." Madrè pipes in and not a second too soon.

"Madelaine was just telling us that she wouldn't mind to go have a look at some colleges around here." Of course Miss Mouthy had something to say. I watch them all closely as I stuff my mouth with food not giving them an answer. Madelaine seemed quiet; she wasn't making eye contact with anyone. Instead she sat quietly; her eyes focussed on the piece of baked potato that she so carefully push around on her plate. She looked anxious… Not at all the bubbly force of life she appeared to be in the kitchen before.

"That would be wonderful." My mother clasps her hands together with excitement grasping Madelaine's attention, only making her more nervous.

"I could never…" Madelaine's eyes suddenly turned foggy, but she fought the tears aggressively and for the first time since I have met her she looked like the broken child she was. "I mean whatever you decide is fine." Her voice died down under my stare. She had to keep her mouth shut before she blew the whole lie up into scattered ashes and for a brief second I didn't care. I felt something else, unsure of exactly what… Guilt? I shouldn't feel guilty, I didn't do this to her, nonetheless I could try and help make it right, but for that to happen I needed to be me and she needed to hold on for only a few more days until I could find her someone that would take her in and knew how to be a parent to her. She needed one now more than ever.

"What is wrong mia cara?" Concern clouded my mother's expression resulting in her putting down her utensils reaching over the dining table and placing her hand over Madelaine's. Someone caring enough like my mother would have been perfect; except for her being my mother, for obvious reasons.

"I think everything is just a tad overwhelming for her." Mia clarifies the tears of the girl she only knew for a few days herself. "The move to Italy was sudden and I think leaving her friends behind at this age where she was only starting to find herself is a very difficult thing to do. Now the overwhelming feeling of a new College in a foreign country might be a little scary." I watch as she drapes her arm around Madelaine's shoulders giving it the illusion that this was all true. Mia doesn't seem to stop making me out to be the scoundrel. She wasn't even in college and what fucking friends; the abusing Gambino's? She should rather consider keeping her mouth shut when it comes to things that she knew nothing about.

"You will make new friends Caro." My mother tries to soothe her, eating up every word Mia spew and I couldn't blame her. Mia was talented and Madrè didn't have any reason to doubt her.

"I am so sorry. I didn't realize you had company." A woman's voice recoils from the walls interrupting the soapy conversational dishonesties being flung around. She stops abruptly in her expensive Christian Louboutin heels and bring her left arm forward to glance at her watch, which made me mirror her movement. Eight o'clock, exactly on time. "I can come by tomorrow." She offers and her eyes bounce across all the wondering pairs of eyes staring at her before it darts towards me and I wasn't sure who was surprised the most. Everyone seated at my dining table or the fashionable and most importantly intelligent lawyer who seems to have been caught with her tongue in her cheek. She wasn't use to my house being occupied with people, the house was mostly empty when we met except for the few times that Achille was around, but she has never before met any women, not even my mother. I was always dressed properly and timely, but tonight for the first time ever, time evaded me. My mind was so busy engaging by listening and trying to think of solutions to the difficulties of the force of women that now occupied my life that I never thought to check on the time.

"I can get another plate." My mother offers when she rise to her feet, but I intervene almost instantaneously.

"Let's take this in my office." I gesture with my hand for Angela to follow me; my voice return to its usual capacity and my demeanour bounces back to normal. There definitely was not anymore space in my personal life to invite another woman to my table. What was this; the playboy house?

"I am so sorry." Angela apologizes for the umpteenth time when I close my office door behind her, this was out of pure respect with no hint of fear, although she had nothing to apologize for; she was on time. This was completely an error on my side.

"Sit down," I order trying to contempt the ranging devil inside me returning. Doing business bare feet, dressed in jeans and a cotton t-shirt was not how I saw my day going, but here we are; in an unexpected situation that was out of my control, this kind of thing seems to happen more often since Mia and Madelaine is around. I have always been good at hiding my weaknesses, not that there were many, but still; I was able to keep them behind the scenes. That all changed since I have been New York and got involved with sluggish people; who like to use their shitty half-bred Italian bloodline to demand respect. I have always concerned myself with not letting my guard down, ever. "Stop being sorry and give me the envelope." There was no going back now, meaning there was no use to waste time on the subject anymore.

"The approvals you asked for." She hands me the manila casing. "All five signed by different adjudicators by your request." I take the documents from her raised hand knowing exactly what she was giving me and it was about fucking time. These were all adoption approvals.

"Thank you." I withdraw the paperwork from the envelope and start going through them. "How is the 9month old boy?" I question encouraging the long slender woman to talk as I gaze at his papers. This poor guy had a unfortunate start in life. Born to a drug addict mother who bestowed on him the unfortunate hand to survive at born on only 28 weeks old and he spent his first five months in the NICU doing just that. After he was discharged and there was no one to claim him he was taken to a children's home. There was no indication of who his parents were and to be honest no one really cared to investigate or search for them. I believe paperwork was considered 'hard work' these days and no one wanted to take responsibility to do it, concluding in no justice for the little one.

He was approximately a week out of the hospital when he had to be sent back with pneumonia and this was when I was informed about him. He is an example of a perfect child to take; He has no one that would be search for him, most of the people probably forgot about him already while the others will write it off as a relocated case if they don't see him again. The only problem that made the situation a little more challenging was that he needed much more care than the other children that Gian and his team trafficked. They were worried about his health especially after being taken by the Gambino's, but Alessandra seem to be as good as Gian describes her to be.

"He is good." She frowns. "You didn't see him?" She questions inquiringly and I shake my head; no. I was aware that he was on the same plane that brought us back to Italy, but I had more pressing matters than a sleeping baby that weighed down on me on that day. "The family that is taking him is perfect." She gestures with her head; nodding it in up-and-down movements and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a 'perfect couple' willing to take in a teenager.

"I am traveling there tomorrow to do an additional home-check for the girl." This was news to me. There was rarely ever the need to do a last minute corroboration check on a family when the agreement was already approved and the summation was already remunerated. That was the reason she was paid so well and could spend 1600 Euro's on designer shoes. "There were some hiccups that I would prefer to check on myself, but I promise you it is nothing serious. They have the perfect place for the blonde." She assures me tapping her long turquoise painted nail on the white sheet holding all the information about the 28-month-old familiar little girl on the photo attached with a paperclip to the layer of new documents. The little blonde Isabelle is going to the UK.

"As long as she gets transferred soon. There is no place for her here." I refer to the little girl who is a little older than the other's. She might remember some things when she is older or recognise someone if she is kept in Italy for much longer, the chances were slight, but they were still there. "Now all we need is the birth certificates." I slam the envelope and papers onto my desk out of frustration, but Angela doesn't react and I didn't think that she would. She is a fierce woman that most other women find intimidating; I had to admit that she had more balls than some of the men I knew. She wasn't scared of anything; she spoke her mind and busted your balls quite easily; like it was second nature to her and that was why I hired her five minutes after I met her, when she was still in her final year of university. "What is the news on Amado?" I enquire before getting completely preoccupied by my thoughts.

"He got out on bail this morning…" She crosses her one leg over the other waiting for me to take in my seat before she continues: "…but you shouldn't lose sleep over him. He vowed to have them ready by tomorrow; he is working on the case as we speak." She smiles entwining her fingers together in her lap. "I am in the middle of a discussion with the district Avvocato to close the deal; this is his first time getting charged with a crime and I don't think he will spend any more time in a cell than necessary. If the district avvocato don't want to settle I will wipe his ass in court. Adamo is charged together with a flock of felonious youngsters for arson according to the written report; that is what you get when you appoint the Senior Superintendent's freshly out of college grandson to run a case." She waggles her head in disapproval, but it was good news to my ears. Arson charges I could work with, narcotic charges was a whole other ball game. "That is bullshit of course; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time." That seems to happen a lot these days too. "There won't be any ripples towards you." She sounds assured of her statement.

"I take it that he didn't run his mouth then?"

"Thus far I don't believe so, no. He got transferred with the bunch of fire setting youngsters to another station because of some paperwork issues which was also the reason Elena couldn't track him down. His case file went missing and they wasted their time tracking it down so they weren't able to interrogate, but he got rattled. Luckily I got to him in time."

This is why I worked with Angela. She barely ever came baring bad news and I didn't need to check up on her or lean over her shoulder to get results. She was the best at what she did and great at taking charge and making wise decisions. 'Maybe I should consult her on my dilemma with the fairer sex.' It really is a blessing that I found her before the state learned of her existence. She surely would have made a change in the lawlessness and corruption the country bared, but then again she would undoubtedly have been on my hit list; not saying that I had one, but if I did she would be high up on there. "Let me know if anything changes." I cut our meeting short hoping to return to my previous activities; spending time with the face that unconsciously follows me wherever I went, Mia's.

"I will do that." She nods, but doesn't get up or attempt to leave. "Was there anything else?" She treads carefully, but with interest. Not knowing what my plans were with Madelaine and Mia or even about their existence before tonight must be driving that exceedingly nifty mind of her insane. 'This was new to me too and I wasn't sure if I liked it either; it was definitely the most annoying, challenging and confusing thing than I have done up to now.'

"Yes." The word fell from my mouth before I could attempt to stop it when another very imprudent idea snaps in my head. "I am aware that you don't really special in property or corporative law, but could you look into the college up the street? I need all the information for a takeover." That is it! I am committed now; I have essentially signed on the dotted line of the agreement with myself to give Madelaine the injection to start her new life. What she does after this will be out of my control, but I will take the responsibility to push her there.

"Are you referring to the College of Meds?" Angela sounded as surprised as I am. I should have listened better to their conversations, I mentally blame myself. Did Madelaine want to study medicine? That is going to be a very hard path, especially for a near sixteen year old that barely has any education in her history, but I would give her the benefit of the doubt, just this once. She was after all the perfect hostage I ever had.

"Yes." I wasn't sure when I heard the name, but decided to except that my intuition was spot on. "I heard they were having financial trouble and we can always do with more doctors." I didn't even recognize myself anymore as I make excuses and explain myself to her. 'I am the Boss, the capo dei capi.' I mentally remind myself. 'I don't answer to anyone.'