"Do you understand?" I wanted to confirm just incase, I couldn't have this bastard running amuck and telling everyone I gave him the right to do so.

"Totally." he replied. I nodded standing up and turning to leave, "Hey Vincent!" he shouted after me, "Tell Amara to call me if you f-ck up. She gives me some good vibes, that girl is crazy."

"Vince, shut up." I said before slamming his door shut.

I thought back to what we talked about, I would allow Vince to rebuild his familia and recruit whoever and whatever - in turn he would leave my familia alone, lay off my wife and stay away from my family. Which now included Clarissa. I'd promised him as much.

We agreed to stay out of each other's business and that was that.

I wasn't going to stop, they better stop hoping I will. I'm not a p-ssy, they're p-ssies! The whole lot.

I grunted continuously slamming my foot into the door, try different ways so I could kick more effectively. I smiled as a hole started to form in the thick wooden door, I kept going.

Leo came around every once in a while telling me to stop but I wouldn't listen, I was tired of being held up in here and I wanted to go now. I kept kicking, the progress I made became larger as the spot I kept hitting became more shallow and much weaker. I would bust a hole in this door and thats all I'd need. I'll kill all these ignorant bastards and find Dominic.

Dominic is all that matters.

I keep kicking it and finally a hoe breaks through, I step towards the door and am taken back as the door swings towards me. "Hey watch it!" It hits me square in the face, I could feel a bruise starting to form.

A number of men grab me, I wrangle around kicking and flinging but it doesn't help. One of them punches me in the stomach to stop me from moving but I am not weak. Another punches my chest but not my breast - had it been my breast I would've sliced his entire hand off. He winded me though, which wasn't great. As soon as I faltered I was shoved to the concrete floor and held tight whilst a needle was inserted into my arm. They held me as long as it took the drug to take effect, I was all too familiar with the process.

This drug they were using would immobilise me but it had its side effects, side effects that the scientists actually favoured. The drug would make you hallucinate, think deeper than just your thoughts - if you will - and by doing that you open up a little more. Santo was making it easier for him to ask me questions, the bastard sure was something else.

Scum of the earth.

As soon as I lost all control of myself they let me go, standing and exiting. I took note of their faces.

He crouched in front of me, "I will pick at every inch of your brain."

"There is a method to my insanity." I tapped my skull.

"You're sick. There is no method for that."

I could feel my mind slipping, "I'm not sick. I'm twisted. Sick makes it sound like there's a cure."

"There is, and you had it."

"There is no cure!" I blew up but then calmed again, "There is only treatment." I whispered.

"Go to bed." he walked towards the door.

The room went dark. I remember in the institution I couldn't switch on my own lights, so I sat in the dark like this and sang songs for all the other people. I found myself singing again, but for myself.

I started mindlessly tracing words I couldn't see into the ground, I wondered about many things.

Was Dominic coming back for me?

I felt nothing - maybe I wasn't alive anymore, maybe I'd reacted badly to the drug and it had messed with my chemicals.

I just want him to come back.

I could hear it, but very far away. It was the sound of me crying - for the umpteenth time, I cried until I fell asleep.

It was early morning and I had to send Leo a quick text letting him know I was boarding the plane and would be there in just a few hours, I quickly received a reply and it was dreadfully unpleasant. Infuriating on my part.

My father had surely crossed the line on this one, I can't imagine how disappointed Amara must be. I've surely blown it this time.

My hand flew to my chest, I felt a little sting and now it was just heart palpitations. Although it certainly wasn't nothing, my health wasn't important right now - Amara needed my help.

--

I jumped onto the motorbike, I'd had Alessandro bring it over because it was the quickest way. I'd already wasted hours on that plane ride, this way I wouldn't waste any more. I wiggled on the helmet and started up.

I'm coming Amara.

God I was sore, pain was beauty after all - I must look extra beautiful today. Was that how it worked?

I was very much in the same spot, my eye couldn't stop twitching - must be a lack of sleep. I'd dreamt all kinds of things but looking back, it was just darkness. I hadn't dreamt of darkness in a long time, I must be having a bad week.

"I can talk to Em-" I started but stopped, I didn't have Emilie to talk to anymore. I'd forgotten where I was, what a shame.

"You already talking to yourself this early in the afternoon?"

I hissed. I hadn't heard him approach, I must be really under if I'm so off guard like that. "What do you want?"

"Like I said," he sat on the table, "I'd be back." he sat there acting as if we were having a normal conversation, soon-to-be father and daughter-in-law sitting together discussing what we had in common.

"I am so going to kill you." I laughed.

He remained unmoving, "Ms. Ackerman, threats are for those who feel unsafe."

I smiled, "Mr. Vitiello, don't confuse a threat for a promise."

"What can you do? I am your husband's father."

"If he cannot care for me," I laughed, "He will not care for you."

I jumped off the bike, not caring as I heard it fall onto the stone driveway. I began a jog to the front door. Before I reached the top step Claire opened the door with a weird look on her face, I pushed past her and everyone else without saying a word. I was saving my breath for something worthwhile.

I walked fast paced towards the oak doors, flinging them open and growling at the sight of him sitting there - continuing with his paperwork like I wasn't even there.

I slammed my hand on the paper he held, he looked up at me. "Tell me where she is." I said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he started calmly pulling the paper front under my weight.

"I will find out eventually."

He just continued to look at me, wiggling the paper as he did so. I moved closer, "As soon as this is over, I will dethrone your old ass. So don't get too attached to that leather seat." I crumpled the paper than walked out the door.

I could think of a million places where they would take her, Leo came down the hallway. "Third house, observation room 13." he said before nodding in the direction of the door. I breathed a quick 'thanks' and was on my way. I wasn't too excited to see what had happened whilst I was gone.

A guard stood at the entrance, "Sir, we're not allowed to let anyone in at this time. Orders from your father."

I stood looking him right in the eye, and without saying a word pulled out a gun - pointing it between his eyes. He stepped back and I walked in, the bastard thinks he can keep me out of my own house?

I went straight for the observation room, I couldn't think of anything else other than how stupid I'd been. I'd rather she had come with me, than this.

I went to room 13, opening the door to find a few monitor guys sleeping their asses off. My father had an awful taste in third party employees. I grabbed the key off the farthest wall and walked to the door. Before opening it taking a peek of the monitor, they'd switched off the lights and the night vision cameras were recording. Amara sat on the left wall with her head between her knees, she looked awake so I expected a confrontation.

I twisted the key in the door and pushed it open, leaving it open as I crept into the room. I had a good idea of where she was...

I didn't expect to have a small blade nearly breaking the skin of my neck and a woman wrapped around my torso from behind. She moved extremely fast I'd give her that.

I heard a sniff, "And who the f-ck are you?"

"Amara." I whispered pushing the knife away slowly, I found relief as she was letting me and slowly releasing herself from my back.

She dropped to the ground, "Dominic?" I heard the clang of a knife hitting the ground and decided it was safe to turn around, it sounded like I'd been identified.

"Amara, baby I'm so sorry." I said after hearing another sniff, she was clearly crying. A sting struck my chest again as I felt her arms slowly wrap around my stomach and her face press to my chest, her grip became tight and I could feel she was slightly shaking. I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around her as well.

"I'm so sorry."

I felt her shake her head. I ignored the courtesy and lifted her up like a three year old, carrying her out the door and out of the building. I don't think she'd ever want to visit that house, not again.

As soon as we stepped outside I looked down and my step faltered a little, she had bruises on her nose, stomach and cheek, a cut on her arm and redness all around her eyes. I clenched my jaw but kept walking, I'd deal with whoever did that later.

--

After making sure Amara was being taken care of, leaving her with my mother and the girls - including the family doctor, I decided to settle the score with my father.

I walked giving Leo instructions, "Print out a draft of it." he nodded at this.

"Copy that." he joked pulling out his phone.

I collected the bags from Alessandro and left them on the floor of our room, I sat with my face in my hands. I'd really f-cked up this time.

"Here." Leo held out the document, I grabbed a pen and skimmed over the words before bringing pen to paper.

"All it says is that you take on responsibilities of Capo dei Capi, you'll choose your right-hand man at a later date and that your father is no longer required to continue running the familia." he summarised casually but then added, "And that you already have a wife."

I rubbed my forehead, of course it does.

I shrugged signing it anyway. If I didn't pass this document now, my father could do anything he wanted with Amara - and I wouldn't allow that, this was already such a delicate situation. I put the bastard out of my mind.

Amara was my main priority.