Don't You See

“I’ll make you so happy, Fawn. I swear it. You’ll be my partner in every way,” he says, his lips still lingering over my hand.

“No secrets, Zio. Promise me. No secrets and no other lovers.”

“No secrets, baby. There is no one for me but you. Forever, baby.”

“That’s a long time. What if you get sick of me?”

“Ain’t gonna happen.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I’ve seen the future, it’s written already. It’s you and me until the end of time.”

Everything in me melts. I never would have thought this man could be so savage and so sweet at the same time.

“Will you write to me?” I ask, like the lovestruck schoolgirl I am and I hate myself for it. I wish I were older. I wish we didn’t have to wait. I wish I could be his right now.

“Of course. I expect responses too,” he says. Long distance calls are very expensive. I haven’t even heard my parent’s voices since they dropped me off at JFK and I flew back from Christmas break at home.

“Of course,” I reply. I lean up and kiss his cheek before flitting into the school.

“Be a good girl, Fawn,” he reminds me and I stop and turn back to him.

“I will, Fabrizio. I will,” I sing-song before going to my dorm room.

I think that it’s going to be even worse now that I’ve gotten to know him a little better.

Is it crazy that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him?

Sure, he’s kind of a monster from what I’ve heard, but I didn’t see that at all.

I put my pajamas on and get into bed. I lay and think about what the future might actually be like for us.

I hope it’s one of love and lots of children because there’s just no way I don’t fall head over heels in love with this man. Just as I am about to fall asleep, I feel a hand come down over my mouth. For a split second, I think Fabrizio has broken into my room to claim me, but that hope is quickly shattered as the cologne and heavy bracelet of the man hits my nose.

“Don’t scream. I am going to move my hand so you can answer my question. Nod if you understand me,” a man whispers into the darkness. I don’t recognize his voice but I know he’s from New York and I’m pissed. I nod and he removes his hand from my mouth.

“Who are you to him?”

“Who?”

“Fabrizio Vitali?” he whispers, exasperated.

“I’m nothing to him,” I lie.

“Bullshit. Why would he come all the way to France to see you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t lie to me. It won’t end well.”

“I’m his fiancée,” I reply, not wanting to die.

“Excellent. Let’s go,” he says, ripping me from my bed. “Be quiet or I’ll kill anyone we come in contact with.”

“Okay,” I say as he hands me out the window to someone below. I hear my kidnapper searching around my room and then he drops down beside me. I always knew this would happen to me. I always thought it would be because of my daddy, but fiancé does the trick too.

“Got her passport and her purse. Let’s get the hell out of here before that cunt headmistress comes back,” kidnapper number one says to kidnapper number two.

What the fuck is this all about and will I ever see Fabrizio again?

Chapter Three

Fabrizio

Four Weeks Later

The man I left in France hasn’t reported in two weeks and I am freaking the fuck out. I should have stayed but I had pressing business to attend to here. I have written her a letter every day since I’ve been home, without a response and I don’t like that. My mind isn’t on the task at hand and that can cause me to make errors. I try to get my head back in the game, in this case, it’s cleaning up a kill Alberto did, but all I can think about is Fawn. I finish cleaning the scene and as soon as I get back to the compound, my father calls me into his office. I try not to think about the twenty-one letters I’ve already written to her without a single response.

“The Manero’s have gotten a ransom request for Fawn,” he says as soon as I sit down.

“What?” I shout, standing back up.

“Apparently, she’s been missing for damn near three weeks and the school sent a letter instead of calling.”

“What?” I shout again.

“It’s outrageous. The school should have paid for the damn call. I mean, what the fuck? The Manero’s are pissed, but they think the Santucci’s brought her home.”

“You have got to be kidding me. I am going to kill every last one of them,” I say. If they have touched one fucking hair on her head, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. I am seeing red as I head into the gun room, with Dad following behind me, and pull extra ammo boxes for my AMT Hardballers. My favorite semi-automatic pistols are aptly named Vengeance and Victory.