An Arranged Marriage To The Mafia...?

Soft plush pillows rested underneath my head, harsh cotton cheets smothered my body, white, bright lights blinded my vision, though I was more than aware of where I was. Ethan sat silently by the bed side, his attention glaring down at the blackberry phone held tightly in one hand, his other gently holding my own pale and trembling finger tips.

"Amelia... Samuels?" A dull gruff voice beckoned from the foot of the bed as a doctor slowly entered, grasping the file at the foot of the bed and scanning over the details a nurse had previously jotted down. I nodded slowly and felt Ethan's hand tighten around my own, his attention now directly focused upon me. "Bit of an accident was there?"

I stared in confusion up at him, not entirely sure what he was referring to. I knew where I was, who I was but not matter how hard I tried I couldn't recall why or what had happend for me to end up here.

"She was driving home this afternoon and lost control of her car along a dirt road, crashed into a pole. She hit her head pretty badly..."

The doctor reviewed the papers in his hand and nodded slowly, mulling over the new information. "And what relation are you, Mr..?"

"Ethan Radev, I'm her finacee."

The doctor paused for a second and looked over the pair of us, his face holding a vision of disbelief that I was more than used to, most people refused to believe we were getting married, they said things like 'far too young' or told us we didn't understand what 'love truely was'. Fortunately for both of us we didn't need to understand anything but the convenience our marriage would bring to our families.

"Now you say she lost control along a dirt road?" The doctor moved closer along the side of the bed and Ethan helped me to sit up straight. "Hit her head as a result of the collsion..." Once he reached my side, he pulled a small light from his breast pocket and flashed the dull bright into my eyes, he did numerous tests on my vision and ability to function with confidence. "Do you feel pain any where, discomfort?" I shook my head and watched as he paid close attention to my forehead. "You'll need stitches for the gash and a nurse to clear up the cuts and abbrasions. i suggest pleanty of bed rest and a good nights sleep as well as driving a little more safely Miss Samuels."

Ethan thanked the doctor and walked him from the room before closing the door and returning to the seat beside the bed. I watched him with growing interest and confusion, he had told the doctor I had lost control of the car along the dirt road which led to Guieseppi's house but a nagging feeling in the back of my brain told me something different. We sat in pure silence for a moment while my brain fizzed over what could have possibly happend, the nagging feeling reminding me there was much more to the story Ethan had instructed the doctor to believe.

I opened my mouth to confront Ethan, to put my mind entirely at ease, to question what had actually occured but the second I managed to gain the courage to say a single thing a small petite nurse with large brown eyes made her way inside, a small bowl held tightly in her hands. She said almost nothing but for my to sit completely upright while she applied stitches to an apparent gash to my forehead.

Silence enveloped the hospital room while the nurse paid her full attention to my small injuries, apllying disinfectant to my face and forehead. My brain clicked into place and suddenly I could recall the two dark cars which followed me along dirt roads and collected my car into the power pole. I breathed in a tight lung full of oxygen and felt Ethan's hand tighten aorund my own.

Slowly the nurse left the room with the promise she would return any moment with discharge papers. I turned slowly to stare directly at Ethan, his face calm and a comforting smile lifted along his lips while his thumb softly caressed the top of my hand.

"I didn't lose control..." My voice was barely audible and watched as something flashed through Ethan's face, "It wasn't my fault, there were two cars-"

Ethan stood up from his seat and moved to stand before me, his face calm and palm resting agaisnt my cheek as the nurse returned. "Amelia it's fine, it was an accident all that matters is you're safe..."

I tried to argue but the nurse had pushed paper work at Ethan and instructed him to sign, his attention no longer on me but the fine print. The nurse smiled softly making it clear I was free to go.

"Ethan, I'm serious somebody ran me off the road."

A small mild laugh rolled from his lungs as his hand grabbed hold of my own, his eyes making contact with those of the nurse before he once more gave me his full attention. "Amelia, there were no other tyre marks, no other cars. It's alright really. You had an accident, it happends. You just need some rest." he kissed the top of my forehead and pulled me from the doorway and down along corridors and elevators until the cool night air rallied around us. Ethan shrugged his coat from his shoulders and placed it around my own, his arm securing me to his side.

"Ethan..?" I was determined to make him believe me.

I felt his head turn to look behind us as we walked slowly out to the car park before he placed a kiss against my temple. "Shh love, we'll talk about it when we get home."

Frustration bubbled to the point of explosion and I pushed Ethan away from my side. "You're not listening to me. Somebody drove me off the road!" My head felt dizzy and I swayed slightly where I stood, yet I refused help from Ethan. "It wasn't an accident, I didn't lose control. Two cars followed me!."

"Alright. Amleia just get in the car, we can talk about it when we get home." His eyes didn't stay on mine, instead his head moved from side to side as if he were looking for somebody. He moved closer to me, his hand extended to take my own, his eyes begging. "Amelia, please..."

"Ethan what's going on?" My brain screamed in sheer pain, the fuzzy dizzines almost too much to handle.

Ethan's face looked at me in complete defeat, he ran a hand through his mess of dark hair and watched the cement underneath his foot. "It's your father, he's found us."

Breath caught in my throat and fear invaded every cell. I felt my head grow lighter if it were at all possible and my eyes filled with nervous tears. Ethan wasted no time in moving quickly closer and wrapping his arms around my shoulders, my face burried in the lapel of his thin shirt. My father had managed to discover exactly where we had been hiding and it meant many different things. It meant he was most likey responsible for running me off the road, it meant he would do anything to find me, it meant he would do anything in his power to stop the wedding.