Angela said nothing on the car ride to wherever she was being taken. She was shaking with nerves she could not begin to try and explain and as she feared for her life and what these men might do to her, Adriano was getting a call from a half conscious guard who was telling him what happened.

She looked up from her lap for a split second, meeting one of the strange men's eyes in the rear-view mirror and looked back down again, hoping he wouldn't say anything to her. After she had been dragged out the back door of Adriano's building and shoved into a car with the four men, they began their journey.

None of the men said very much and Angela didn't know whether to be glad for it or not. They would string out sentences in what she thought may be Italian but for the most of the journey, it was quiet. She was confused; she didn't know what to think or how to feel about everything. Her thoughts were not put to rest once the car jolted to a stop and the driver hopped out of the car. His door slammed shut and Angela jumped now, tears in her ways as she continued to look down at her lap. The door to her right was opened and she was soon shoved out of the car.

"Hurry up." One of the men who sat beside her grumbled, holding her upper arm in a vice grip. Angela winced in pain but tried her best to not show how much it hurt. He pushed her and she stumbled out of the car, falling on the ground and immediately forced herself to get back up again.

"Didn't you hear him little girl, hurry the fuck up." Another man shoved her and they all made their way to a metal door. Angela looked around for whatever seconds she had left to see outside this place, because she knew she might be in there for a long time. The sky was beginning to darken, making shadows appear around them. The sound of loud thumping music came from behind the door. They seemed to be in an alleyway, at the backdoor of some sort of club. One man knocked loudly on the door with three strong thuds and soon enough it opened, squeaking slightly. The music now filled Angela's ears and became louder since the barrier that had been the door was opened now.

"Ah cugino, I see you brought the girl." A tall and very built man stood at the door. He had the same structure as Adriano except he was a little bit shorter in height. His dark brows were wild and long, Angela couldn't help herself by looking at them. He had a mean looking face, his lips where thin and sour but he was clean shaven.

The man stood tall in front of Angela and gave her a wicked smile that made her want to shiver in disgust but she held back. His eyes wandered up and down her body. He licked his bottom lip and then diverted his eyes back to the men Angela had come here with.

"So this is Adriano's broad? No one told me she looked like this." He said menacingly, knowing it made Angela feel uncomfortable.

"Adamo told us to just bring her inside, let's not piss him off." The man that was holding Angela's arm stated firmly to which the man's face dropped. He stood back and allowed everyone through the door before slamming it shut again, making Angela flinch.

The room was dark, the only things giving light were the different colours flashing around the room. There were men with women sitting on their laps and dancing. Angela kept her head down as they dragged her through the crowd and only looked up once. She caught eyes with a man she knew looked very familiar, a man she wondered about why he was present here, in Adamo's club: Allesandro.

Alessandro didn't take his eyes off of her. He seemed a lot less surprised to see her as she was to see him. It didn't make sense that he was sitting comfortably in Adriano's enemy's club, relaxing and enjoying himself when he was one of Adriano's men. Although what he had said and done on Christmas scared her, she hoped he was acting, she hoped he was sent here by Adriano. There was a glimmer of hope in her that wished Alessandro would tell Adriano and he would come to find her but she knew better.

There was this feeling in the pit of her stomach, she knew she was in a dangerous place with dangerous men and she didn't know their intentions but Angela just knew everything wasn't going to be okay. This sinking feeling only deepened once she saw Alessandro flash his teeth in an evil grin at her and wink. Something bad was going to happen, she knew by the way he had looked at her that he just couldn't be on Adriano's side. Angela remembered Alessandro's words the last time they had spoken.

Tell anyone about this conversation and you'll be sorry you ever opened that pretty little mouth of yours.

He lazily took a drink and tore his eyes away slowly, going back to his conversation with a woman who was at the bar beside him. She looked back down at the ground as quickly as possible but couldn't help but let a tear fall from her face. She was afraid, terrified and when a pair of black brogues came into her view right in front of her own shoes, she got a fright and looked up immediately.

"Ah Angela, nice of you to drop by eh?" Adamo laughed a little but Angela said nothing.

*******

"Are you trying to tell me that Adamo is using Angela as some sort of distraction?" Adriano raised his voice at his father in disbelief. He really was losing his mind now.

"What else would he do it for? Your job is to take over after I leave Adriano and that means keeping a close eye on everything at all angles. You can't be distracted by some girl you've just met!" Lucio, Adriano's father slammed his fist down on his hardwood desk. Most people would be afraid of Lucio right now if they were in Adriano's position: his evil eyes glaring at his son, his heavy breathing, his raised shoulders, trying to calm himself a little because he was losing his composure. Who would blame anyone for being frightened by this powerful yet dangerous man? But Adriano was the least bit affected by his father's treacherous mood.

"So I'm supposed to just leave her with him while I try to figure out what the hell he's taken her for?" Adriano was shouting now, louder than his father had and their conversation could be heard by everyone outside of the room. Mike winced once their voices began to talk over each other, getting louder and louder each time.

He didn't like all of this fighting, he never did. It was a constant ever since Tommas passed away and he knew exactly why. He knew Adriano was unhappy with the life their father had chosen for him but now wasn't the time to be getting into heated arguments. They needed to go out and find Angela to make sure she was safe.

The two men inside Lucio's office continued to argue for another few minutes but eventually Adriano had grown tired of it. It ended with Adriano slammed the study door, causing it to almost fall off of the hinges. He let out a deep breath and glared at Mike.

"Let's just go and find her, Adamo's only tryna get you worked up. He wouldn't hurt her Adriano." Mike hoped what he was saying was true but could tell by the look on his brother's face that it hadn't eased his thoughts one bit, Mike could relate.

"What the fuck am I going to do Mike? I shouldn't have left her there alone, why am I so stupid?" The more he talked the angrier he got at himself.

"C'mon kid, it's not your fault. Let's just go to Adamo's club first, it's where he always is." Adriano's uncle, Giovanni, finally spoke, sensing his nephew's distress.

Adriano was unable to put how he felt in words. It was a mixture of everything bad: the guilt, the sorrow, the complete regret, the panic and unsureness. Through all of this, all he could think about was the last time they had spoken before she went to bed the night before. How they weren't on the best of terms, how she looked at him with disappointment.

All he wanted now was for her to just be here again, right in front of him. He missed her already and had a bad feeling about all of this. Adriano regretted acting like he had the night before, he regretted leaving her alone and not saying sorry. He was going to get her back, as soon as possible.

He remembered how his heart had sunk as soon as he got the call from a drowsy security guard who usually guarded his front door. It had been awful rushing from work to get to his apartment and seeing the door smashed in and the place trashed. The floor was covered in glass but thankfully no blood, and she was missing. He knew it was Adamo all along, Adriano knew he sent his men to get her because who else would want to involve an innocent girl who had nothing to do with their rivalry or situation they were in with their familias. He played dirty, always.

Adriano couldn't help but imagine how Adamo's men had found her, and how they managed to take her away somewhere. Did they use force? Were they rough with her? Was she scared? He hoped she knew he would come to get her soon. He hoped Adamo hadn't done anything to her or he would pay. His mind was racing as they all went on their way, rushing towards Adamo's club. His uncle, Giovanni was driving and there were others in the car too besides Mike and Adriano. There was also another lot of people in a car behind them.

In short time, they made it across town to the club and all piled out of the cars, ready for whatever was going to happen next. Adriano went first in quick strides past the bouncers who knew of his face and his name and the rest of his men that he had brought with him. He went through and kicked the club doors open wide, causing a lot of stares from the people inside the club who had all frozen from the look of complete frustration and anger written all over Adriano's face.

It wasn't often he showed emotion in front of people, he liked to keep his stone cold expression on most of the time but it was all a front. He didn't mind once people thought of him a certain way and knew what he was capable of. He was a dangerous man, a serious man, a man who demanded to be taken seriously.

And that he was. All of Adamo's men stopped what they were doing; some gave him careful and calculated looks while others nervously twitched their eyes back and forth between Adriano and everyone around the room.

"What are you doing here Adriano?" A man from the corner of the room spoke, he recognized his voice to be Adamo's brother, Mateo. The music had stopped by now, allowing everyone to hear his voice as it boomed around the room. It was calm but scary, for others but not Adriano. The room was dark and musky from the cigarettes and cigars men were smoking, Mateo's face barely lit from the dimmed lights nearby him. "And why do you need an army?" He gestured towards the men behind Adriano.

Adriano narrowed his eyes slightly at Mateo for a moment. He was grinning from cheek to cheek, sitting comfortably in the corner of the room, a woman on his lap that was definitely not his wife. He took another puff of his cigar as he waited for a reply from Adriano.

"You know why I'm here Mateo don't give me that crap." Adriano said vacantly. He was in character now, back to the stone cold icy man he had become. It had felt like so long since he was this person again. The more Angela was around, the more he became warm and rational but right now he was viciously angry at Adamo and whoever else had taken Angela in order to scare her or him. "Where is Adamo?" Adriano also spoke with this calmness, like he wasn't panicking on the inside.

"I was expecting you Adriano. Are you looking for something?" Adamo gave Adriano an evil smile, really enjoying the fact that his old friend was afraid, was angry, was wishing and hoping that Angela was alright. It was Adamo who had all of the control right now and he thoroughly loved it.

Angela was in a private room, just a few meters from where all of this as happening and heard everything. She had been in this room for a few hours now and thought it would be longer before she was found. Hearing Adriano's voice again lifted her up but it wasn't time to be thankful yet, he still didn't know where she was and the man, holding her down in here wasn't going to let him find out any time soon.

"Keep your mouth shut little girl, d'you hear?" The man grumbled quietly to Angela.

He was pressed up against her back, his huge hand covering her mouth, muffling her call for help. She struggled under his grip, just like a couple of hours ago when she was in this same position except she tried her very best this time. The thought of Adriano being just outside had given her strength and courage she didn't know she had.

"Where is she? I swear Adamo if you make me go and find her-"

By this time, Angela had bitten down hard on the man's hand to the point where she thought she may have drawn blood. She worried for a millisecond about his hand but once he loosened his grip the slightest bit, she wiggled out of his reach and ran straight to the door.

"Adriano!" she screamed from behind the door before trying to turn the knob, only to realise it was locked. The man was inches away from her now, she ran to the corner of the room, picking up a lamp and throwing it at him to make some time for her to find something to smash the panel of frosted glass on the door.

"Fuck." The man mumbled as the lamp crashed onto his chest. He seemed to be growling now as Angela decided the end table in which the lamp had been sitting on was her only way out. She picked it up and ran a meter or two away from the door, throwing it at the glass. She was too busy to flinch at the loud noise it had made, shards of glass crumbling to the floor. She reached around and undid the lock on the outside of the door, running faster than she ever thought she could out the door and into the room full of people who were unable to keep their eyes off of her and the commotion she had caused. Adriano could see her now and it felt like his heart at became lighter at the sight of her safe.

A hand grabbed her arm and jerked her back once she laid eyes on Adriano. Her heart skipped at beat in complete panic again when the man's hand came into contact with her right cheek. The slap at stung and great forced was used, so much so that she had fallen to the ground, her ear ringing and her cheek stinging.

"I thought I told you to be quiet!" the man shouted loudly at her, causing her to jump and crawl backwards an inch or two as she looked up in shock. She had taken much worse than a slap before, but he had never used as much force as the man had just used, probably because he wasn't as strong or built as this person towering over now.

She felt like crying as she held her cheek, her mouth slightly agape but that was all interrupted when she heard a loud bang. She didn't know it was the sound of a gun being fired until the man who stood in front of her jerked forward a bit and began clutching his shoulder and wincing in pain.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch her." Adriano's icy voice had turned red hot with anger as he neared the two. The man cursed and shouted out in pain, kneeling on the floor now.

The sound of guns being loaded all around the room made Angela's eyes widen.

"I suggest you put your guns down, all of you." Giovanni stated loudly as he pointed his gun around the room, with Mike and the rest of the gang behind him doing the same thing. Adamo was outnumbered in his own club and was seething with frustration now. "This girl has nothing to do with our business and is none of your concern."

The more Giovanni talked, the more he realized how cruel it was to take a young woman who was in the middle of all of this, to a club full of strange people she didn't know, a club full of mobsters and gang members who could do a lot worse than Angela could ever imagine possible to her. Even though it was for only a few hours, it made him feel sick that a woman was now involved in a dispute between Adriano and Adamo, Adamo liked to play dirty and that he had. As he was speaking, Adriano scooped a shaking Angela into his arms and walked her outside. Angela looked at Mike but he didn't look at her. Her eyes zeroed in on his gun he had pointed at two men sitting down a few steps from him and she felt confused. She really didn't know what to think of all of this. She had time to look around to the back door of the club and saw Alessandro's back slip out of the club slyly, without even being seen by Adriano before they met the cold, winter air outside.

By the time Angela was placed into the back of the car by Adriano, the men were beginning to come out of the club. The shock had just kicked in for Angela and she was left curled up in a ball on the seat of the car, Adriano by her side. She couldn't feel anything, not even the slap she had got that was now beginning to mark her cheek, or Adriano soothingly rubbing his hands up and down her upper arms, hushing her gently.

No one spoke on the car ride home. Giovanni occasionally glanced at Adriano and Angela in the back of the car through the rear-view mirror but said nothing until they were outside a stranger high-rise building that Angela had never been to before.

"I'll see you soon kid." Giovanni said quietly to Adriano as he helped Angela out of the car. He gave his uncle a quick nod before closing the car door and walking inside with Angela by his side, he held her hand tightly and stood a little too close.

There seemed to be guards everywhere: inside the door once they walked in outside the elevator when they got in and out, on the corridor leading to where they would be now staying. Angela looked around nervously, wondering where they were going when Adriano stopped and unlocked a door in front of them, leading her into a new apartment. It was smaller than the one they usually stayed at, the decor was different too but still pristine, top of the range and manly.

She heard the door shut and soon felt Adriano's arms wrap around her. She took in his scent and he took in the feel of her so close to him.

"I'm so glad you're alright Angela. You don't understand how worried I was. I'm really sorry. I'm so so sorry. Once your safe, that's all that matters."

******

So... What do you guys think? I just wanted to say how grateful I am for drove who has been reading, voting and commenting it means so much!:)

A. summers xo