I went on a date with Beth.  I was happier with her than I had been in years until my pa found out. He was furious. He disapproved of her immediately, I could tell with how his fists came out and the words he hurled at her.

    "What makes you think you can stick it out with my son?" He spoke up. "You are not broken in like the others in our family, you are too clean, too pure for the likes of us."  "Sir, I don't understand what I did wrong," Beth had spoken up.

    "Sir, I am Mr. James to you, Missy," The man sneered at her. He was disgusted with her mannerisms as much as her looks.  "Now back away from my son, Jepit, now if you know what is good for you," He scoffed.

  I let out a sigh. Beth looked pretty in that green dress, the way the moonlight reflected off her face and highlighted all the curves in all the right places. Why did Pa have to go and ruin things just when I finally had something good going for me?   "Pa, go home. You are not thinking right. Beth here is the woman for me. I love her. That is all that matters," Jepit stated.

      "Love her? You don't even know the meaning of the word, boy," His father sneered. "Yes, I do know it, I happen to know it well, thank you," Jepit snapped back. "Then, tell me, son, does she know what the family does for a living?"  His father asked. Jepit shook his head. "Father, I did not think that was necessary to tell her just yet," He whined.

    "Son, if you truly love her then you shall tell her now. Otherwise, the boys and I can ruffle her up as we tell her," His father spat out.

    Beth looked fearful at that moment. She felt a single tear fall down her cheek. Where had these men come from?  What did they want with her? Why did they seem to know her Jepit?

     "Jepit, what is going on?" Beth asked. "Tell her Jepit," The men mocked the couple.

         I  smiled at Beth. I  held her hand in mine as I started to tell her the whole story. Beth listened and nodded her head a few times.  She did not interrupt she only stood there listening to me talk. She was shocked but glad that I finally told her the truth about my background. Is this why her father and brother were worried for her safety?  Did they suspect the whole time her boyfriend and his family were part of the mafia?  

         "You are the mafia, but how? Jepit, that can't be true. You are kind, you help others, you are a proper gentleman and my boyfriend. You are no mafia member. Tell me it is not so," Beth pleaded with him.  "I-I can't, Beth. I am part of that group, but listen you can still have me," I said.  "I can't believe this," Beth said pulling her hand out of his grasp. She was heartbroken.

     She started to run away. She had to get away from them all. She was too afraid to stay. Now that she knew what would they do to her? She did not have long to find out.

          "Beth, wait!" I called out. I held her close in his arms.  I wished I could help her understand. I  knew I loved her. I did.  I kissed her. Beth gasped in surprise but kissed him. "I love you," I said. "I love you too, but I can't be with you," Beth said.  I kissed her again and this time she did not respond. "Beth, please we can work this out," I pleaded. 

            "Let her go, she is not worth it son," His father scoffed. The others nodded their heads in agreement with what his father said. 

          "Jepit, I can't," Beth began to say. The others laughed and pulled out guns. They started to shoot at her. I watched in horror at what his family had become. He did not want them to harm her, so he kept her a secret from them in the first place. "No, you mustn't, I will not let you," I said.  I jumped on one of the men and took his gun from him. I  fired it at him causing the man to fall over from the pain. The man died soon after this.

           The next gunman aimed first at Beth but missed then at me. "Beth, I swear I never meant you, any harm, I love you. Please, come back to me, Beth!   Beth!" I  screamed. I felt my arm being shoved out of its socket.  I  fell over and I lost consciousness.

             Beth did not look back when Jepit called her name. She felt betrayed by him. He was part of the toughest group of thugs ever and he never told her. How could he do that to her?  She was shocked and ran. She kept running until she got to the nearest train track. She did not see the train coming because she was so freaked out about everything, especially her Jepit.

           I remained passed out for days. I did not know what had become of Beth, but I feared the worst.  When I woke up, I was furious. I had to know did Beth make it? If so, where was she?  

          Why did my father and his men hunt us down? Why couldn't they have left us alone? I was happy with her, but now that's all been taken away because of my family. I despised them for what they had done to us. I sobbed as I thought of the hurt look Beth had given me the last time I had seen her, it was a look of distrust, betrayal, and disappointment. 

  Let me know your thoughts in the comments, but be polite as usual.

 The story continues in Chapter 4,

but until then,

   bye-bye,

little owlets!

Summer out!