"Do you know where you're going?" I frowned as a branch flung back and whipped me in the face, brushing it off and glaring at him.

"Sì." he said passively.

I ignored the slight burn in my legs and continued to follow him, we'd been ducking and pushing through the woodlands for thirty minutes now. Dominic had a special hideout that he'd organised way back, on his own and he hadn't let his family know about it. It was meant to be an extremely secret place, he said he wouldn't want to share it with them especially since many mafia have leaks from within.

We'd travelled from the city, into the suburban area and then further past the farm areas. The trek had been long but soon the trees started to thin out a little, I could see a stone chimney from the higher level we were on and it got me excited. We'd finally stop walking.

"We're here."

"I never doubted you for a second." I grinned which got him shaking his head.

Dominic had an automatic lock on the door so that it wouldn't require a key, it was good idea - this way no one else could obtain a way in. It reminded me of the lock systems in Korea, I'd gained an interest in South Korea the last year but I'd never been there myself.

We dropped both our bags and sat on the couches across from each other, I pretended to think whilst I was really just watching Dominic think. I started blowing raspberries which caught his attention, then I stopped but didn't change my face.

"I'm hungry." I stated.

He looked at me, "Okay then come up with a fake name, grab some cash and go buy something."

"A fake name?" I smirked.

"If you go around here giving out your real name, unfortunately the paparazzi may draw the entire city to this spot. Not much hiding you can do then."

I sighed, "Understood."

"What is your name gonna be?"

I pulled a face, "Wouldn't they tell just by my looks, we've been on the news ya know?"

"Yeah wear a hat, didn't think I'd need to tell you that." he adjusted his sitting position, he looked ready to sleep.

"Rude." I muttered.

He sat forward looking me in the eye, "I apologise."

Eventually I came up with a formidable name, then came up with Dominic's as well. Ashleigh Matthews and Asher Collins. I feel crazy now thinking about it but I'm already trekking in the direction Dominic sent me.

I'd definitely lose a lot of weight staying here, I wonder how long we were going to stay. If you ask me the hideout might as well become our home. There's really nowhere else we could go, we definitely can't leave this country.

I don't know if I'd lost the direction I was going in or if I was still good, I'd really just zoned out. Luckily It seemed the 'direction' I was going in was of an even bigger spectrum than I thought, the idea was just to find the road. Down the road there was a group of shops, they were built like a pitstop for people who are travelling for long periods of time. This was positive because it didn't raise as much suspicion if I didn't know where I was.

I carefully crossed the highway and entered a small super market. I bought a lot of things that seemed necessary and a couple guilty pleasures as well, the cashier was stunned when I said I was paying in cash but didn't ask questions. He also didn't ask questions when I slung all ten something bags onto my shoulders and arms and walked out like they were weightless. They weren't weightless necessarily but I wasn't unfit, obviously.

I had been wondering where it might've been that I went wrong, how I got into this mess without knowing even a little about it. How hadn't I realised my entire family had been plotting against me? Sure I may not be the best liar but I was the best at reading people, everything I knew. I knew everything always.

I'd been sitting here for the past hour, even before when Amara and I trekked our way up here I'd been thinking back and forth, digging through my memories - trying to find that one misstep I took. They couldn't have gotten away with this unless, they had gotten me to agree to it. I wouldn't agree to...

***FLASHBACK***

"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.

***END FLASHBACK***

I hadn't thought of one thing, the time I was most out of myself - most desperate. The time I signed the contract to become the boss, I hadn't been thinking and I hadn't been paying attention. My main objective was to get Amara and secure her for that time being but I had never thought I could be undermined in such a way. I'd signed it, it wasn't wise but I didn't regret it. Because I signed it, Amara was safe and she was taken care of. That's what matters.

Seems like I'll just have to clean this mess up.

Or make a bigger one.

I dropped the groceries on the counter, luckily the way back was basically all downhill and it had been kind of fun.

I looked at him, he was completely passed out on that couch and I for sure couldn't and wouldn't carry him. Not even make an attempt. Instead I walked over and curled into a ball on his lap, I knew there was probably somewhere to sleep around here but I didn't want to sleep away from him so this would do.

--

I felt him brushing my hair back then opened my eyes, it was extremely bright so I shut them straight away. I hadn't noticed the windows last night but the sun was blinding me now and it was a problem. I turned my head to bury it in Dominic's shirt.

"I've been thinking about this whole thing." his voice was super husky.

"Mhmm." I hummed.

"Unfortunately there haven't been any loopholes I can think of, if I was the temporary boss of the mafia then maybe there be a fault but I'm the permanent boss - its under contract. I could say I wasn't the one in charge if my father was still running the operation."

I looked up using his shadow to shield me, "What about all the rules your father made? You didn't make those."

"Yes well," he sighed, "Even when my father was in charge I had a lot of influence over his decisions and the happenings of the familia. He can easily point me out because I was his right-hand man and advisor basically. Even though in many of the things I had no say, he still considered my opinion in all of them."

"Lets not do anything then."

"You're right, it would be too predictable for us to take action straight away."

"How so?"

"My family have a lot of documentation on the both of us, our behavioural processes and thought processes, plus habits from within the last six months. I trusted them as much."

He gave me a weird look probably because of my facial expression so I sat up, "Let's have some fun with it then."

"We'll go rogue?" he raised his brows.

"We'll go rogue."

++++++++

Sorry for the short chapter