The sun felt warm on my face as I lay next to Vito on the beach. I hadn't let him out of my sight since the day we escaped Leo and the rest of the mob. I try not to think about that day, my wedding day, where I had to tuck and roll out of a speeding car with a 2oo pound man in my arms. Joe did cushion the blow though. It happened only a couple of days ago, and it's as clear as day.

2 Days earlier:

I turned around after watching Vito's car round the corner. The thugs driving the car were talking in Italian. They thought they could hide their conversation, but little did they know I was fluent in it.

"Leo ci vuole portarli al porto e sparare, e il dump dei corpi nel fiume."

Leo wants us to take them to the harbor and shoot them, and dump the bodies in the river. That bastard old fuck, he wanted to kill us this whole time, and Vito trusted him like a father.

"Va bene allora noi li rivediamo a nascondersi dal vecchio magazzino, dove quell'idiota, Vito, la prese."

Alright then we will meet them back at the hide out by the old warehouse, where that idiot Vito took her. I cupped my hand to my mouth and turned to the window. That warehouse still wasn't far enough from the city, the mob knew about that place too. Nothing was safe, nothing.

I was so furious I…I didn't know what to do. I felt this energy surge through me. I searched under the car seat for some kind of weapon. I found an umbrella, looking at it closely I knew what I could use to kill these fucks. I ripped out the metal point at the end of the umbrellas rods. I moved behind the driver and with one hard stab I nailed him in the neck "Buon viaggio bastardo" I opened the door and watched him roll miles behind the car. The car swerved as the passenger spun around and put a gun to my head.

"You bitch, you'll never know your place."

I closed my eyes grabbed Joe and ducked out of the car as it was doing eighty. It swerved and flew off the round. I heard the sound of crushed metal and broken glass. We hit the ground hard and rolled down an embankment. I screamed in pain. Stones were drilled into my arms tearing holes in my already ripped dress. We finally stopped and hit the water. We sunk like a rock thanks to Joe's dead weight. I swam underneath him trying to push him up. I was running out of air, my legs thrashed making me increasingly exhausted. I finally made it to the surface. I flopped out of the water like a fish, Joe right in front of me. I lay on the ground coughing up water and looking at the sky.

"Vito, I'm coming! Just hold on, please." My white dress was ripped and soaked; I couldn't believe this was my wedding day.

I heard coughing and looked over to Joe "Oh fuck what is going on…" He held his head as he picked himself up. "Rosa what happened?"

"Oh Joe thank god!" I jumped on him hugging him. "We need to get Vito he's at the old warehouse on the out skirts of the city!"

"You look like hell, you're bleedin pretty bad."

"It doesn't matter right now! We have to get Vito!"

"Vito, my boy, nice of you to wake up," Leo was standing in front of me. I was tied up and lying by the edge of the water.

I looked around groggy "Where…where's Rosa?" I shifted around trying to wiggle loose, but gave up.

"Oh Vito, I didn't want to have to do this but if you aren't going to forget about that girl than we have no choice." He snapped his figures as two large men picked me up and dunked my head in the river. I held my breath, but the seconds ticked. I opened my mouth and kicked. I felt my lungs shrivel up, until the two men finally picked me up out of the water. I took a breath in of the fresh air. I coughed and choked gasping for air. "Are you getting the picture yet, Vito?"

"Is she dead? Just tell me?" Leo looked disappointed as he gave another signal. The two men put me under again, as I thrashed and kicked again. When I came up the second time I felt dizzy and light headed.

"Vito, please, I don't like seeing this happen to you. You could be my protégée, I could teach you everything. I could retire early, and you could live in a big house like mine." He smiled at the thought of an early retirement.

"She is just as strong, just as smart, you could teach us both, we could lead together. And Joe he is loyal, he will always be there." I tried to reasons feeling weak. Again, the men dunked me and brought me to the surface at my breaking point. "Please stop!"

"What don't you get boy!? No one is going to listen to a woman. And no one can lead with the trouble a woman brings!"

"…but you…you had a wife. You told me you handled both."

"It was a mistake! Have you ever met my wife? No, because she was killed by a family I was feuding with many years ago. It hurt; I was out of it for months, years, I was never as strong of a leader after that. I'm saving you from that kind of pain. I will make you me, without all the mistakes I made."

"You think this is any better? You aren't saving me." Leo's face tensed as I was submerged in the water again. I popped out of the water my face hitting the ground "Okay, fine. Please stop, please!" I breathed heavy as I shut my eyes tight. "I'll do it, I'll learn from you. I'll be the new mob boss."

The two men picked me up to face Leo. I hung my head as my hair dripped in front of my face. "I knew you would come around my boy! You'll forget about her in no time at all when you become king." He laughed sinisterly. "Now, let's go boys we have lots of work to do."

"You're not going anywhere Leo." There stood Rosa with Joe next to her. They held two tommy guns. Rosa's dress was torn to her thigh as her bare leg and feet were exposed.

"What is going on?" Leo was shocked as the guards took out their weapons.

"Rosa… Joe!" Vito's face was in shock as he starred at the two.

"You are ruining everything you dirty dame! Get them!" Leo ordered as the few guards went to capture them. Rosa shot at Leo in the moment he ran for cover forgetting about me. The guards let me go to hard and I tumbled into the water.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as I fell into the water. My arms and feet were still tied. I tried to wiggle loose but couldn't. I heard the muffled gun shots from above the surface, and then heard a scream from Rosa. I opened my eyes and screamed. Bubbles surrounded my face as I was losing air. My eyelids became heavy as I stopped struggling to swim. I was sinking to the bottom Rosa…Rosa my thoughts drifted in and out. I thought of her smile, and laugh, giving up the struggle. I saw a light as my mother's voice was echoing in an out "Mama…?"

"Vito, my little bambino, what are you doing? I told you not to get involved, I told you to get a real job!"

"Mama, I know… I know." I started to cry.

"Well don't cry bambino, there is always a chance to change. I believe in you."

"But… Mama you don't understand-"

"I believe in you." She started to fade away.

"Mama…Mama!" I tried to call to her, but she was gone. Suddenly I felt a tugging as I was brought up to the surface.

"He isn't breathing!" she pushed Joe aside "Watch out" she bent down and breathed into his mouth and pumped into my lungs "Come on, come on!" she did it again, and again, until I finally came conscious.

I coughed and spit up water as I tried to compose myself. I opened my eyes "Rosa…"

She smiled as tears spilled from her eyes. Then she kissed me. It was deep and passionate as she hugged me.

"Come on love birds we got to go!" Joe interrupted

"Leo..." I coughed "where is he?"

"He ran off when Joe and I killed his few guards. Joe is right we need to get out of here before he comes back!"

Vito and I boarded the next train out of there, Joe tagging along too. It was our honeymoon so we told Joe to go to the town over from ours because we didn't want to be bothered. I rolled over and stared at Vito smiling to myself, knowing he was officially all mine. I ran my fingers through his hair as he opened his eyes to look at me. We had our own private section of the beach and our own Villa. It was a bright blue with white framed windows and a white roof to match. A small walk way led to the door that was hidden amongst the palm trees. We hadn't been on the resort for more than 2 hours, so the only thing we had a chance to do was sun bathe, but that would soon end as the sun started to set.

I moved in closer to him "I love you Vito."

He smiled back at me "I love you Rosa."

I rubbed his chest and neck with my hand as I seductively continued to speak "I would like to show you how much I love you soon!"

I swung my leg over his body straddling him. I lay on top of him as we kissed. We stopped and he sat staring at me. "I thought I would never see you again after that day." He brushed my hair behind my ear. It started to get darker as the moon approached over the horizon.

"You mean our wedding day? I thought the same thing, but I knew our love was stronger than what life was putting us through." I kissed him again and then jumped up "come on lets go swimming!"

I pulled him with me as we headed toward the water. We stayed in the shallow end as we splashed each other. I watched him smiling that beautiful smile, with his body shining with water droplets as his jet black hair slicked back from the weight of the water that soaked into it. My heart thudded as. I started to cry.

Vito turned to me "Rosa you okay what's wrong?" He wrapped himself around me rubbing my arm.

"I'm just so happy!" In that moment the world stopped, we looked into each other's eyes. Then we kissed. We fell in the water moving closer to the beach. The waves soothingly hit the sand as we kissed passionately.

I moaned "Vito"-I talked through gasp of breath- "I'm ready…"

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs as he cradled my bottom to hold me onto him. We kissed as we slowly walked up the beach back to the Villa. We made it to the door he set me down and boxed me against the door. Our tongues played with each other as Vito fumbled with the key. We flew through the door working off our swim suits.

I took off Vito's trunks running my hands down every curve that was new to me. He took mine off too and we jumped on the bed. I felt Vito's rouged hands caress my body. This was it; I was trembling in his arms.

She was beautiful; her body was smooth and even as the moon light fell on her from the window. I kissed her stomach following up her body to her neck. She gave me the okay and I started. We kissed passionately and I rubbed her hair to sooth her, she was tense and nervous.

"Oh, Vito…" she winced as her eyes were closed tight.

I gasping heavy I asked "Are you okay, how does it feel?"

She groaned and pressed her lips together "It hurts" she moaned "It hurts in such a good way."

It was awkward in the beginning, but we kept going showing how much we loved each other. We moved with each other, rhythmically. Beads of sweat formed on my head. Rosa was gripping the bed post above her.

"Oh yes…Vit- oh!" She groaned.

It felt wonderful. I felt goose bumps forming on my arms. It came in waves pulsating over my body. Vito sweated over me as I praised him. I gripped his neck running my hands through his hair and the nape of his neck. When I thought it couldn't get better I felt the top. My pleasure sky rocketed. I screamed as my toes curled and released. My body was tingling, my heart pounded in my chest. I felt amazing. I looked at Vito who had turned over next to me breathing heavy; his body was glistening with sweat. Once our breathing subsided, I just watched him as he started to drift to sleep. His life was so hard. Mine too. It just seemed like we never had time to be happy and right now in the sweet silence and essences of our love, we were. I took his hand in mine and examined it. His skin was an olive with raised veins and course flesh. It was a lot bigger than mine and heavier. The thing I liked the most about it was the gold strand of metal that hugged his finger, it showed that he was mine.

I turned my head to the side were the doors to our villa were open. The shear curtains blew in from the warm wind outside. They swayed in the moonlight that was high in the dark blue sky which carried many little shimmering dots. Images of "home" flashed in my head like a horror movie. I didn't want to leave this place, ever. I didn't want Vito back in that horrible organization. I shifted closer to him and rested my head on his chest. Our naked bodies touched as the heat from our flesh warmed me. I brushed my fingertips over his chest, up to his soft lips that were always so welcoming, then to his strong nose and then finally back to his chest. He smiled at my touch and then opened his eyes slowly to look at me. As always his eyes were a beautiful deep blue, and his pupils were large and relaxed.

"Can I help you?" he chuckled

"There isn't much more you can help me with, you've done so much already." He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer.

"Really, well I think I can manage to do a little more for you."

I giggled as he got on top of me and kissed me in between grins and laughter. We shared our affections for one another many more times.

I woke to the phone ringing beside me. I checked my watch that was resting on the night stand. It was close to five in the morning. I got out of bed and picked up the whole phone and brought it to the porch outside. I shut the door behind me to keep from waking Rosa.

"Hello…?" My voice was raspy and tired.

"Vito…? It's Joe. I hate to interrupt you love birds but I think we have a problem."

I closed my eyes and rubbed them with my hand. Why, why do have to have a problem? I sighed "Okay what is it Joe? Did you tell a girl you love her? Did you accidentally shot someone again?"

"Vito this isn't funny. I've been seeing these guys all over the place. They both have suits on and no matter what side of the town I go on they are always right there with me. And every time we make eye contact they get in this black car and drive off somewhere. I don't know how but I think Leo and Vinci's guys found us."

My body became stiff as the phone hit the concrete porch floor. I quickly turned to the bed where Rosa was sleeping. All the memories came flooding back to me. I clutched the sides of my head in anger and when to pick up the phone. "Joe, you need to get over here right now. I mean it. Hang up the phone and get in a car or on a bus and make it to our resort."

"Okay I just gotta get a drink with this girl and-"

"NO I said leave as soon as you hang up the fucking phone, Joe. Like you said this isn't a damn joke." I screamed quietly as the veins in my arm pounded.

"Okay, take it easy. I'll be there."