I feel like I’ve been here for hours. Arlo reminds me so much of Dan, of them all. He doesn’t seem phased when I pass out, he continues. After so many hours, he left me. I’ve been trying to escape the rope while he isn’t here. I can just reach it with my teeth.I’m not having luck, though. If anything, I’m just making my wrists worse as the rope burns through my skin. Not trying, though, feels wrong and almost weak. So, whenever Arlo leaves, I will try to find a way to escape.“Ahm.” Turning, I look towards the door. Roxy stands smiling at me. “Ironic, isn’t it.” She looks at me, I don’t respond, screw wasting energy on talking to her. “You should really answer. I just thought this whole situation was ironic. He freed you from this life just to drop you straight back into it again.”“He didn’t drop me into anything.” This wasn’t Marco, and I won’t believe her. Not now.“He left you alone. That meant he dropped you into this situation as if he left with you, then you wouldn’t have been

After Jasmine checks me over. She talks to me quietly, Felicity moves to the other side of the room. Far enough away not to hear, which is what I need."I need the morning-after pill." She stares at me."Lucia, I don't know." She looks towards the door."You can't refuse it. If you do I will walk out and find another fucking doctor.""I don't have it on me, I can get it, but I suggest you talk to Marco first.""It's my choice."She nods and glances towards the door. "I'm not saying it isn't, but doesn't he have a right to know?""He can, once I take it." I can't have Arlo's baby, I can't have the fucking risk."I will sort it, but talk to him." I can't, I watch as the door opens and Marco walks in. Jasmine and Felicity walk out as he takes a seat next to me."I'm sorry, I broke all my promises to you."Staring at him, I shake my head. "No, you didn't Marco.""I fucking did! I should have anticipated his moves, I should have found you sooner! I promised to protect you and I failed." I

I stay sitting, and ten minutes later, the door opens. Turning, I look and see Elmay.“I was sent to sneak you past and to your room.” She laughs, and I stand by her by the door. I watch as she steps out and looks down the hall.Her hand waves, and we move quickly up the steps and to the bedroom. Hugh follows behind. I watch Elmay turn to leave.“Wait, can we talk?” I haven’t seen her much.“Okay.”I walk into the room, and she follows. She waits in the bedroom while I shower and change.Walking out, she is still waiting. “How have you been?”“Fine, great, just the usual stuff. How are you feeling now? I know a lot has happened. Kidnapped three times in a year has to be a record, you know.”Laughing, I nod. “You’re probably right, I’m fine though.” I am far better than I thought I would be.“How are things with Marco? We all heard him shouting. I tried not to hear, but he was very loud.” She looks at me.“We’re fine. I said I wouldn’t take it. I don’t get it. To me, it is no different

I sit in the bar. Not one I would usually be in, Mac stays close by, and I can see people’s stares. Me here, how unusual. I had to run. Sitting there and hearing him talk brought up so much emotion. There was no way I was sitting there and letting that show.When I told him about Lucia, he mentioned he may visit, but then it changed to him having to visit to meet her. Now I know why. Caiu isn’t one to leave his family behind. He keeps his family close. They all live within a gated community.So, where does that leave me? If he insists on her going there with him, living there, I have to choose between my family and Lucia. How can I choose?Finishing the drink, I pour another. If Lucia doesn’t go, then what? She is Ciraulo. None of the family lives in this country, and I know he won’t keep this a secret. So Lucia becomes a bigger target. She outranks even fucking me in this country.Finishing the drink, I refill it. Maybe she will be safer in Sicily with Caiu and her family.“Mr Pesci.

Sitting in the office, I go through things. I know it will take Lucia ages to find a dress; hell, Roxy had searched for three months and still hadn’t found one. Maybe that’s a good thing, though. Had she found one, would we have been married now?Shaking the thoughts from my head, I looked around the room.“So when she has the dress?” Lorenzo looks at me.“There’s no point asking now, Lorenzo. Even you must know it will take weeks, if not months, for her to pick a damn dress.” We all laugh.“That’s what you think.” Matteo laughs.“That’s women; they take ages, and it has to be perfect.” Even I know picking a wedding dress isn’t as simple as ‘that looks nice.’ It is more like, ‘It doesn’t feel right,’ or ‘I don’t like the sleeves,’ or ‘It’s too much lace’. There’s always something wrong with them.“Let’s just say she finds a dress today or tomorrow, then what?” Dario looks at me.“Then it’s planned for this coming weekend.” I shrug, although I know it won’t happen that quickly.“So it’