Married To The Mafia...?

Slowly I stirred, my head still heavy upon the plump pillow, my limbs brushing the cool of the sheets gently layered over my body. But it wasn't the feel of the cotton that gripped my attention, rather it was the arm securely tightened around my waist and my back pressed to a warm hard chest.

It was not by far the first time I'd woken with Ethan's arm draped around my middle, it wasn't the first time I'd curled perfectly to the mold of his body. But this time was strangely significant. I'd fallen asleep gently nestled in his arms and although I'd woken in a much different position, he still had a generous hold over me.

I rolled slowly to my other side, my face immediately buried in the soft cotton folds of his plain blue t-shirt, Ethan's arm moving even tighter around me. I heard him breath in deeply and could feel the gentle drum of his heart as his lips pressed a perfectly sweet kiss upon my hair.

My heavy eyes lids fluttered open slowly, my blue eyes looking up into the oceans of green hidden within his dark lashes. His lips pulled upward in a gentle smile, his face groggy with sleep. I felt exhilarated as he kissed my lips gently, his thumb running softly over the apple of my cheeks which I could be sure were covered in a delicate blush.

I knew how I felt about Ethan, that much was clear as my heart beat raced simply at his touch. His kiss. His voice. I was helpless falling in love with the man I married as a simple convenience to my father. Though I wasn't completely sure on how he felt about me. I knew the hatred had died long ago, that the burning detest had dissolved between us and an underlying emotion had taken it's place. All in all I knew I loved Ethan but whether he returned the feeling I didn't feel at all strong enough to find out.

A persistent ringing brought me from my moment of clarity and directly to the confused, concerned stare of Ethan right before he turned slightly toward his night stand to lift the ringing phone from it's place.

"Hello?" his voice was raspy with sleep and the sheer sound made my stomach dance and he lay on his back, his arm bringing me once again closer to him. "When? You're sure it was them, you're not getting them mixed up with somebody else?"

I lifted my eyes to Ethan's stoney face, his hand absent-mindedly toying with the ends of my dark hair. He peer down at me, his eyes unreadable as he listened intently to the phone call.

"Alright," he rubbed tiredly at his face with his free hand, "Yes. I'll come down in a few minutes, have the footage ready. You better be right about this." Ethan pressed the phone lightly and tossed it back upon the night stand, his arms draping further around me.

"Is everything alright?" I half whispered too afraid that I could upset an already agitated Ethan. 

"Emanuel says he has some footage I'd be interested in seeing. Something regarding Mason..." he trailed off slightly and my breath caught in my throat.

"He was here... Again?"

"What?" Ethan pulled the covers from his body and stood over the carpet, his body disappearing inside the adjoining bathroom. "No. I've had people watching out for him since we first got word he was back in town." Ethan's voice echoed from the bathroom and I took advantage of the time to quickly change and throw my hair into a messy bun upon my head. "One of them apparently made some discover- what are you doing?" Ethan emerged from the bathroom in a simple pair of jeans that hugged tightly to his legs and a white v-beck, a toothbrush poised against his molers.

"I'm coming with you." I pushed my feet into a pair of red TOMS and stood staring at him from across the room.

"Amelia, I don't-"

"Ethan this concerns me just as much if not more than it does you. If they've found something I have the right to see it too." I stood accusingly with my hand upon my hip, I was more than ready and willing to argue this with him. It surprised me however when all he did was nod in defeat return his toothbrush to the bathroom and motion for me to follow him out of the penthouse.

As my shoes slowly shuffled down the long narrow hallway that led into the many offices of security I felt anxiety grow like a virus through my body. Instinctively I pressed my palm to Ethan's and knotted our fingers tightly.

"Ethan. Amelia." Emmanuel's voice was soft and his eyes held a small emotion inside them. "Now we're not sure quite exactly what we have but given the severity of the situation we figured it was best to put it in your hands and see what you thought."

I nodded shortly before stepping along side with Ethan to stare once again at the wide computer screen. Almost instantly a small picture fluttered to the screen and Mason's dark brooding eyes appeared. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the scene unfold, a tall woman dressed in heels smiled and kissed his cheek, her fingers brushing through her dark hair as she took in her surroundings, she lifted something from her purse and pressed it firmly into Masons arms. It was unmistakably a folder of some sort. She turned to leave but no without leaving a firm kiss upon his smiling lips. I watched closely astonished with what I was discovering, It wasn't the folder that had me worried, but rather the woman who had handed it over.

My nails dug into Ethan's palm as I gripped his hand for dear life, my lungs sucking in a deep breath before I let her name pass my lips, "Gabriella..."

"You know her?" Emmanuel's voice was calm and patient his brows raised and eyes darting between my husband and I.

"She works for a Raimond... Or at least did the last time I saw her," Ethan's eyes were dark, his facial expression almost scaring me.

"I-I saw her at the b-ball last night..." I swallowed the lump in my throat remembering the woman in black who had death stared me from across the hall.

Ethan looked down at me slightly surprised before he muttered something to Emmanuel, his hand clasping my own while be pulled me from the office. I followed obediently as we stepped inside the elevator, Ethan punching in the security code to reach the penthouse with a new frustration.

"You saw her?"

I was slightly startled by his tone but nodded weakly, "I-I didn't know she was working with him..."

"Working? Amelia she's dating your brother."

"He isn't my brother Ethan. And regardless I still had no idea that she was his anything."

Ethan ignored my comment as the steel doors parted and we made our way through the small foyer. He quickly whipped his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and held it to his ear as I made my way toward our bedroom.

"Amelia, you need to stay where I can see you." his voice held a seriousness I was unused to.

"Ethan you have to be joking..." I waited for his to smile, to wink, to laugh but his face remained still and seriously. "Ethan!"

He hung up the call when I assumed nobody answered and began dialing something new, "Amelia I'm not kidding, stay here."

I did as he told me coming slightly closer and sat against the back of the white sofa, my arms crossed over my chest unimpressed. "What is going on?"

"Gabriella has a room in the hotel, she asked me for a favour while Raimond fixed the security codes in the elevators..." I raised an eye brow at his point, sure the idea of her staying in the hotel startled me but Ethan was getting at something more, "I can't be sure of how close her and Raimon are working, for all we know be could be along side Mason. Which means Gabriella would know the security codes, shed be able to get up here, shed be able to get to you no matter where you went."