"You're sure that was him?" Angelo asked while driving away from the restaurant.

I kept my gaze heavy on the right side mirror, looking at the people in the background for as long as possible, "Yep, and my step mom was there too," I said in reference to Violet. She wasn't actually married to my dad, but she's been in my life for most of it so I just considered her my step mom. "God, how'd they know we were gonna be there?"

"Someone probably left a receipt or something in the mafia house and they found it during the investigation."

"Well, what about Smith and Eleanor? What if they get asked questions? They know your name, what if they tell the cops and then they come find you? You'll go to prison for a really long time."

He rolled his eyes, "You think I'm stupid. People can't track me, criceto. Finding me would be like finding a needle in a haystack...in the dark. Have you ever tried to find a needle in the dark? It's damn near impossible." I almost laughed at his metaphor, but him stopping the car on the scary part of town is what kept me from doing so, "We need go," he said before rolling out of the car.

I got out and almost had to jog to keep up with his long strides, "Please don't tell me we're leaving the country again."

"We're not. After a little thought, I realized that I can be tied to something, so I need to get rid of it," he said while walking into a tiny little shop. There was no one in here except for the guy behind the counter. He looked young and had platinum blonde hair. I couldn't see him being in the mafia, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was.

"Angelo?" He asked, sounding slightly confused, "Why are you here?"

"I need you to get rid of something for me, Sam," he painfully held the keys to his car out to Sam.

He snatched them happily, the biggest grin on his face, "Oh man, I finally get to do something for the mafia. What do you want me to do to it? Hide it? Take it to the junk yard?"

"Destroy it. I don't want any of it found by anyone."

"Can I ask why?" Sam asked while glancing out the shop window and at the oh so very nice car, "It's a pretty nice vehicle."

Angelo just looked at him, disapprovingly.

"Sorry. I forgot. I don't get to ask questions," he said as if repeating the same sentence he's heard a million times. "Yeah, I'll get right on this," he walked passed us and out of the store.

"So what now?" I asked, police sirens blaring down the street.

Angelo shook his head, "I don't know."

Three different cop cars stopped right in front of the store.

Angelo sighed and a ran a hand through his dark hair, frustratedly, "You have to go with them, amore mia. Not like you care anyways, you're getting what you've always wanted," he grabbed my hand and pulled me behind one of the shelves to be out of sight from the approaching police officers, "Do you still have that phone I gave you earlier?"

I nodded, and held up the black sequin hand bag it was tucked safely in, "Yeah."

"Good. Do you remember what omertà means? You're not going to be gone long, but it'll be long enough where everyone will be asking you questions. You're not even allowed to mention anything close to the name's of anyone you've met. Do you understand?"

I nodded again, "What do you mean I'm not going to be gone l-" I stopped talking due to the sound of the intrusive cops.

"I have to go now."

He was in the process of turning around to escape out the back exit when I suddenly felt really ballsy and grabbed his arm. My hands cupped his cheeks and I pressed my lips to his, immediately getting a response back.

The kiss was shorter than I had hoped as he pulled away in a second, his lips sliding up into a true smile before he turned and left.

"Chloe Cruise?" One of the policemen asked. I slowly turned around to face him, trying to wipe the excited grin off my face, it just wasn't happening though. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, "No. I'm...ok." I watched as my dad and Violet came walking in. My dad looked angry but Violet just looked happy to see me again. I didn't know whether now would be a good time to hug them or just keep my distance.

I decided on keeping my distance.

"Who were you with?" The cop asked me.

I looked at him, my eyes narrowed into little slits. Had this been just a couple of weeks ago, I would have spilled every single name I've learned in my time here. Luca Ortiz, Dom di Vitis, Francisco Rossi, Tony Garcia, Nico and Guido Something, and finally Angelo D'Amico. It wasn't a couple of weeks ago though and now I wanted to do everything I could to protect them. For the most part all they did was show me kindness, so the least I could do was help them out at least once. "No one. I was here with no one."

My dad and Violet both looked beyond furious now, obviously not believing me even a little bit, "Chloe, we're not stupid. You wouldn't just run away from home to live all the way across the country by yourself," Violet snapped.

"You don't know me, Violet and you definitely don't know what I'm capable of handling. Maybe I have an apartment here, maybe I've been begging people to give me money so I could stay in a hotel. And you'll never know, 'cause I'm not telling!" I screamed.

+

+

+

"Sup Clo," my little brother Bradley said while sitting in the lounge chair next to mine. They were both set up right in front of our ginormous pool, "Life's been kinda boring without you here, surprisingly. Hey, have you met Sienna's new boy toy yet? Lorenzo?"

My eyes shot open wide, not like he would have been able to see that though because I was wearing big sunglasses. "Lorenzo is here?" I asked in disbelief. Why the hell would Sienna bring that thing here, to our peaceful home.

What if he vandalizes it?

"Yeah. So you've met him? God, dad hates him so much it's hilarious."

"I knew he would. Dad likes the classier side of people. Lorenzo has no class whatsoever." After replaying what I had said again to myself, I realized that the classier Lorenzo would be Angelo.

"You talk about him like you've been around longer than the one day you have," Brad gave me a weird look, "Where were you Chloe?"

"I didn't want to come back," I lied. "I knew Sienna wanted to come home for awhile and after being in the Hamptons with her for a couple days, I realized I didn't want to be where she was. I don't even want to be here now," I lied again, I guess there was some truth to it though.

"Chloe, you can tell me anything. I'm not gonna rat you out like Naya would." Naya was our little sister and Bradley's twin.

As much as I wanted to tell him everything, I couldn't. What if someone from the mafia was listening to me and then killed Brad because he knew too much? "I already told you why I stayed in New York," I said, "So leave me alone already. Jeez."

"Dad said a cop saw you in Walmart with two weird guys in New York," he said. I thought back to the time where Dom, Luca and I went to Walmart to get my sleeping pills, I called my dad to say hi and then the cops came out of nowhere. The same day I ruined the mafia house for everyone. "Got a lie to explain them too?"

"I'm not lying to you Brad. They were just guys I met at dad's charity event. Nothing more, nothing less. Now do me a favor and go bug Lorenzo to death please. Leave me alone."

"Fine. Only 'cause I hate him so much though. Hey, when are you gonna see Lucas?"

Shit.

+

+

+

I threw my knit swimsuit cover on over my blue triangle bikini. Violet called me in a couple of minutes ago to tell me that Lucas was actually here. I had a feeling this was about to get super awkward, considering he knew a lot more about my whereabouts than anybody else did. Did he tell my dad? Or the cops?

I walked into the dining room where Lucas was sitting. He hadn't changed a bit, then again, it's only been a month. What would have changed? His hair was blonde and slightly curly, his eyes were a baby blue...well he was the stereotypical California teen surfer boy.

"Yeah, I think we need to talk," I said while taking the seat next to him at the table.

"That's exactly what I was gonna say," he took a small pause just to do a once over of me, "How are you? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Well except for the gun shot to the leg. You couldn't even see the wound anymore though, so I guess I was pretty good. "I need to know what you know."

"What? About the mafia scum who had you?" He sounded angry, "Chloe, you can't seriously be protecting them, can you? If you just tell the police their names, they'll find them and you'll never have to worry again."

"I'm not worried though, Lucas. Well, I'm worried about them getting caught-"

"What?!" He yelled, "Are you crazy? Do you know what the mafia is, Chloe? They kill people. They kill a lot of people. Why are you defending them?"

"I know it's going to sound really crazy Lucas, but they're not bad people. I mean yes, they all had their moments but for the most part, they were pretty cool."

"Who are you?" He looked shocked, appalled and beyond disgusted all at once. "You're definitely not the same Chloe you were a month ago and if you won't turn their names into the police I will."

"Do you even know any of their names?" I asked but then suddenly remembered Angelo saying he had spoken with Lucas. He must have known at least his first name.

"I know Angelo D'Amico. You know his dad finally got caught a couple years back. Maybe they'll get the same cell."

My heart sunk and I shook my head frantically, "No Lucas. He's not the one behind any of this." And another lie. Man, I'm on a roll

"Oh yeah? Then who is?"

I hated that I felt the need to have to explain myself to him. This would be the last time though. I sucked in a deep breath, knowing that this may be the dumbest thing I've ever done. Now I'm going to have a completely new mafia family after me, "Italia Rosa de Rossi."