"Adriano we need to talk again." Lucio demanded. Mike and Franco gave each other a knowing look but said nothing as Adriano sighed in annoyance and walked into his father's office where they would have some privacy.

"What?" Adriano asked in a steely tone. The last thing he wanted right now was to have another conversation with his father about Angela and how she needed to be gotten rid of.

"I think you know already figlio."

"If this is going to be another talk about Angela again I'm going. It's none of your god damn business –"

"Please Romeo, I have no time to talk about that woman right now. She can be dealt with another day. My concern is what's going on here, within the familia."

"What?" Adriano asked, not understanding his father's words.

"You obviously haven't noticed because you've got your head in the clouds half the time but I thought you might have the intelligence to maybe realise what's happening."

"I don't understand."

"Someone is squealing on us, that's fucking what." His father slammed both his hands on his desk and leaned forward a little, looking up at Adriano now with a frustrated expression on his face. Adriano had been too busy to realise this and his father was growing angrier by the minute at how much daydreaming his son had done instead of using his head. Adriano gulped loudly, not knowing what to say but understanding there was going to be trouble and a hell of a lot of trouble if his father had his way.

*******

"I'll be right down there okay?" Adriano reassured Angela, putting a hand on her shoulder as she sat down at a table for two in the small and quiet coffee shop. Despite his words, Angela still felt a little uneasy. She knew the chances of seeing Derek again were slim and with Adriano here she had nothing to worry about or at least that was what he told her.

"I know you will, it's just that well-"

"Angela you're safe with me, I won't let anything happen to you." Adriano looked straight into those grey eyes he loved when he spoke. It was the first time she had left the house since she told him about Derek. He knew she needed time to overcome her anxiety. Adriano understood now why she had flipped out at him that night outside the diner but she couldn't lock herself away in his apartment any longer, she needed to go out.

After he found out about her friend Trisha and linked her up to what Mike had told him, he knew she should get back into contact with her. Considering Angela already had her number, it was easy enough to get it from Mike. Going out to meet up with Trish was one thing that Angela had seemed less hesitant about, something she wanted to do herself, but was still a little cautious about the whole thing.

That was what had led them to be there in that quaint coffee shop Trisha had suggested, saying it was her current favourite. Angela had agreed to go but only if Adriano and his guards would come along and sit somewhere else in case anything happened. Through all of this Adriano continued to be so sweet, kind and understanding of the whole thing, it made Angela's heart melt. She wished she could be like him and loved this side of him when it came out.

"You need to do this. Having a friend in New York, especially one like Trisha, will be good for you. I know you'll be alright, you're such a strong girl. So enjoy you coffee and catch up, I know it's hard but please try to relax, I'm just down there." He pointed to the end of the coffee shop and then kissed her on the cheek before heading off in the direction of his seat.

Just then, Angela heard the noise of the bell dinging over the door and turned her head to find Trisha smiling brightly at her. She was dressed in a yellow blouse and denim jeans, a lot less dressy compared to what Angela had saw her in a couple of week ago but it still looked amazing on her. She was also wearing a coat, something definitely needed. Although the weather was warming up in New York now in early March, it was still cold.

"Angela!" She said excitedly, making her way over to her old friend. Angela stood up now and hugged Trisha. "I'm so glad you called." Trisha said before pulling away and placing her bag down on the floor next to the chair across from Angela. "Let me just order, I'll be right back."

"So..." She finally said after coming back and sitting down in front of Angela. "It took you long enough to call me." Trisha chirped and then thanks the man who brought her the coffee she had ordered. Angela traced a circle over the ring of the mug she was holding, looking right in at the liquid that splashed around gently.

"I've been... going through a lot."

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine now."

"Don't pretend we are barely even strangers Angela, you can tell me what's the matter." Trisha spoke gently to her, causing her to look up. She was smiling, a smile Angela couldn't help but return, it was warm and friendly but it soon faded as she thought about Derek.

"I saw him." Angela replied, she watched as her friend's facial expression dropped in an instant. "I was out with Adriano getting dinner and I saw him. He was sitting there with someone else, I saw him but he didn't see me."

"Oh thank god." Trish let out a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?"

"I was a little shook up to be honest Trisha but I'll get over it, it just scared me. He scares me." Angela said, a tear falling to her cheek as she spoke. She wiped it away and felt Trisha grabbed her hand that was resting on the table and squeezed it.

"I know honey." Trisha said grimly.

"Everything's going to be okay. I just now it will be this time." Angela reassured the other woman who was looking a lot more concerned at what she had just found out.

"Who's Adriano?" Trisha asked with the quirk of an eyebrow, trying to change the subject. She knew it was a difficult one for Angela to talk about.

"Um..."

"Go on?" Trisha laughed at how hesitant Angela had sounded.

"A friend." That was what she would call him.

"Dinner with a friend?"

"Mhm." Angela nodded, a small smile tugged onto her lips at the thought of him. "He's really helped me these past couple of months since I moved back to New York. He's so thoughtful and kind, I don't know what I did to deserve him in my life."

"Well I'm glad you've found a good friend out here." She emphasized the word 'friend' as she spoke. "You deserve people that are good to you Angela and god for you. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She added.

"Do you remember the guy I was with when we met on the street the last time?"

"Yes?" Trish remembered him alright. He seemed to have occupied her thoughts afterward a lot more than she had expected.

"Adriano is his brother."

"Oh, I see." Trisha grinned widely at her friend. "So when do I get to meet him?" she knew there was more to this story than Angela was letting on to.

"Well," Angela said before leaning in a little closer across the table. "If you look right down there you can see him." Angela tilted her head subtly to the left, towards where Adriano had seated himself. Trish turned her head, about to look when Angela spoke again.

"Wait, don't look yet." Angela said quickly.

"Why the hell not?" Trisha laughed.

"Because you'll make it obvious." Angela rolled her eyes, causing Trisha to chuckle a little more before she quickly glanced down to the back of the coffee shop and spotted who she thought Angela must be talking about.

She was surprised to find a man reading the newspaper casually, dressed in a dark suit, his over coat hanging over his chair. He was drinking a coffee and had been mid-sip when she looked down at him. The reason for her surprise: he looked nothing like the other man she saw Angela with before. Weren't they supposed to be brothers? She thought.

Although there was little resemblance to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed handsome man she seen before, he was equally bless in the looks department, although he wasn't her type. Trisha noticed his dark hair, clean-shaven face and dark, olive skin. His thick brows looked like they were frowning, concentrating on what he was reading in the paper. There was this darkness about him. Not just his features but something else, something Trisha could sense in just the couple of seconds she laid eyes on him.

"Why is he here?" Trisha asked, her friendliness drained right out of her voice. "Does he not like you going out on your own? Angela if he's being overprotective tell me because you don't need another-"

"No, he's not like that. He really isn't" Angela reassured Trisha, knowing that she may be a little protective of her but for all the right reasons. "I asked him to come here with me because I-I was kind of afraid to go on my own."

"Oh." Trisha said, feeling foolish now but she had to make sure her friend was alright. "I'm sorry." She laughed a little.

"It's fine." Angela smiled at her and they continued to catch up over their coffees. Angela learned about how great things were for Trisha lately. She had her own apartment and enough money to get by now. She was cast as the lead in a big show in just two weeks and everything seemed to be getting better for her.

"You know, you should come and see it, I can get you front row tickets?" Trisha wiggled her eyebrow's at Angela, causing her to chuckle.

"I'd love that Trish." Angela smiled. Seeing her friend's dreams coming true inspired Angela and her so happy. It lifted her mood, to find Trisha's life had changed for the better since she left New York.

"You should bring your friend Adriano and maybe his cute brother too." Trisha winked at Angela. She always had such an uplifting spirit, she managed to shine brightly through all of the negativity she had faced in her life.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." She replied just as Trisha's phone beeped with a message. She retrieved it from her bag and unlocked her phone to read the message coming up on her screen.

"I'm sorry Angela, I have to go. They've changed something in the show so I've been called in for extra rehearsals."

"Don't worry about it Trish." Angela smiled warmly at her.

"How about I text you the details, and you can pick up the tickets at the box office. I'll have someone keep them up for you."

"Sure."

"Are you using the same number you contacted me with? I just want to save it into my phone as you." Trisha took out her phone now and looked at the screen. Angela took out her new cell phone now.

"Yeah." Trish called out the number and Angela nodded, still looking down at her phone. Adriano had insisted she use it once he came home with it yesterday. Although Angela didn't want to take anything else from him, he had given her enough; she had been persuaded to use it to contact her friend.

"Okay, cool. I'll see you soon then?" Trisha stood up and gave Angela a quick hug before grabbing her things and leaving.

Once Trisha was gone, Adriano appeared beside Angela, a small smile on his face.

"Everything alright Angie?" He asked.

"Yes."

"See, I knew you'd be fine." He pulled her close to him in a side hug and kissed her forehead.

*******

They were lying in bed together, Angela's naked body tangled in his in the early hours of the morning. Angela traced shapes on his arm around his tattoos. She could tell he was tired, his eyes were open but every time he blinked they stayed closed for another second longer. They were both exhausted but Angela had just remembered Trisha's words from earlier.

"Do you want to go to a show with me?" she asked quietly, causing one of Adriano's eyes to open while the other stayed shut.

"Show?" he asked curiously.

"Trisha is an actress and performer, she has an amazing voice you know. She's got a lead role in a musical coming up. She said she could get us tickets if you'd like to go with me."

"Oh course I'd like to go with you." He leaned in closer and kissed her passionately on the lips. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she let him take control. Adriano ran his hands around her stomach to her hips, his touch feeling like fire. He contact made Angela shiver in delight and moan quietly. "I'm so glad you're okay Angela." He said into the kiss. They stopped now and looked into each other's eyes, their foreheads touching. "You had me scared there for a while, I'm glad everything's going back to normal." He whispered.

Her mood brightened just a little bit more at his words. That was what she was now to him: his normal. He found himself forgetting as each day went by, the life he had a couple of months ago before he met her. All that mattered to him was the present and the future, the past had no value to him now.

Adriano knew what he wanted and that was her, his Angie, his tesora. But it was difficult to want something you couldn't fully have. It was difficult to keep a distance between something you wanted so badly simply because you knew you would ruin it. Adriano knew that was what he would do: taint her. She was perfect just the way she was, too good to be true.

He was a lucky man but he couldn't have her, he couldn't bring her into his life because it wasn't where she belonged. He didn't belong here either, but keeping away from the Mafia and all of the things came along with it wasn't an option for Adriano. He needed to separate her from the dangers he faced every day.

He knew this couldn't be the future. Although he would like her to be his future, he couldn't be hers. Someday, his normal would have to change and he hated that thought. The reality was too much for him to think about, not right now while he was lying here with her and the mood was perfect.

"You okay?" she asked, noticing how his expression had dropped and he seemed to be frowning a little in thought.

"I'm good." He smiled at her, pushing his thoughts away.

"Trisha said she has extra tickets if Mike wanted to come along too." Angela spoke again.

"I'm sure he'd like to go too. Maybe even bring Alessandro along with him because he can't get a date." Adriano sniggered. He had yet to notice Angela's mood change.

Her thoughts had turned into screaming and shouting, each one about Alessandro. She had forgotten about him and wished it had stayed that way. She was thinking about Christmas when he threatened her and the evil smile on his face as he sat at the bar that night Adamo took her. Something wasn't right with him but she was afraid, she didn't know whether to tell Adriano the things he had said to her or not.

She wanted to see as little of him as possible and certainly didn't want him coming along to Trisha's show, it would ruin her night because she would be worrying the whole night about if he got her on his own. What would he say to her this time?

Angela knew the rational thing to do was to come clean to Adriano, she knew he would sort everything out but she didn't want any trouble. To be afraid of Alessandro was a silly thing to do, but Angela couldn't help it. What would Adriano say if she told him? Would he be mad that she never told him?

"Angie? What's wrong?" he asked, his bewilderment coming through in his voice. Adriano noticed how she had instantly stiffened in his arms at his last words about Mike and Alessandro. He couldn't help but wonder if there was anything wrong.

"Nothing's wrong." Angela lied and judging by the look on his face, it wasn't a very convincing lie either. Adriano could tell she was keeping something from him. He didn't want secrets. He wanted them to share things with each other. He trusted her with the stories of his past now, as did she and he liked that. He knew it would be better to not keep things that needed to be said and by the look on her face and her uncomfortableness, he knew something definitely needed to be said.

"I know you're lying. Tell me Angela."

The tone of Adriano's voice had stated telling him about Alessandro was not an option anymore, whether she liked it or not.