"Episode 16 - Power and Control" 

"Okay... What is it?" Suddenly, I was nervous. My mind began to spin, the room became dimmer.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" My snapped back to his. I frowned.

"Coming back? Because now Jude knows where I am now?" My nerves settled a little.

"Yes. I've been worried sick about it." He took my arm, pulled me down to sit on the chaise.

"You're worrying me." I rested my hand on his thigh.

"We are going to war. Jude knows you're here now. He knows everything.-"

"Isn't it better that way?" I wondered.

"But we won't be able to go out just on the whim, we'd always need protection. We'd still be, in a way, be hiding. Wouldn't it be better if I just sneaked in and killed Jude? Wouldn't that-"

"By yourself? Just like that? You'd get caught if someone doesn't have your back." My heart pumped in my chest, afraid for his life.

"No, I can get Jake to help me. He can hack into their camera system, guide me through." Gabe shrugged.

"Why are you thinking this so suddenly?" My palm cupped his face.

"Because if he can get to Nathan like that, who says he can't get to Xavier the same way?" He leaned closer, my other hands swiped up his abdomen to his heart.

"Their rivalry, is a mafia rivalry. The Capone brothers are responsible for killing his family. Would you work for someone like that who killed your family?" His bright eyes darkened. "Not only that, ordered the hit on Laurence Capone and Mason was killed by your. You and Xavier are allies now, he knows that. No way he would reach out to Xaiver." I was one hundred percent sure.

"I-" He paused. I felt his heart beat speed up under my touch.

"What is it?" His stubble felt comforting against my palm.

"I'm scared of losing you again." His hands sneaked up to my hips. "Not seeing you, for nearly 12 hours knowing... well, not knowing what was happening to you. Wondering the worst happening to you. I nearly died." His voice was so vulnerable but eyes so determined. "I can't lose you. What would I do if I lose you?"

Tears prickled my eyes. He'd never been so open and insecure before. I couldn't help myself from jumping into his embrace. He picked me up, put me on his lap with my legs on both sides of him. Pressing my chest into him, I held on like my life depended on it. A raw emotion clawed from my stomach, bloomed across my chest.

His breathing became ragged. "I won't lose you." It was a promise he made to himself against my ear.

"You won't" I mumbled against his neck. My heart was hammering in my chest, his arms wrapped around my body so tight, my bones cracked into place. My hand stroked the back of his neck. My lips brushed up his neck and along his scruffy jaw line.

He captured my lips within seconds, tongue plunged into my mouth. Every stroke ignited a fire inside of me, causing myself to grind against his pelvis. My lips scraped against stubbles around his mouth. I missed that feeling. Smiling into the kiss, a tried to suppressed the giddy feeling emanated from my chest. He smiled too.

"What?" He didn't give me the time to reply. His lips captured mine again, teeth pulled my bottom lips before sucking it between his lips. I breathed heavily.

"I'm happy." I stroked myself on on, loving the way it felt, hating the clothes that separated our naked flesh.

"I know." He pecked my lips, once, twice. Before he pulled back. His hands were cupping my ass. "I can feel it." Looking down at his greyish hazel eyes, I melted inside. Taking the initiative, I leaned back, took off my top and the bra came off within seconds. His eyes popped out, smirk played on his lips.

"That was fast." He chuckled. Standing up in one swift motion, he dropped me on the bed, my boobs jiggled, his eyes went straight to them, including his hands. Giving them quick squeeze with open mouth, he nearly leaned down take them in his mouth when I put my hand up to block his shoulders.

"I need you to lose your clothes too." I nagged, like throwing a small tantrum. Shaking his head, he chuckled. His tick arms folded, went behind his head and in one pull, his shirt was off. I moaned out loud. "That's so fucking sexy." I raised my pelvis, wanting him inside immediately.

"Someone's impatient!" He went for my jeans, unbuttoned and unzipped. Within seconds, I was fully naked. He tried to lean down again but i didn't care about the foreplay.

"Pants."

Soon we were both completely naked, fucking quick and dirty. I had been deprived off him for too long and he had to hold be down my wrists from scratching his skin of his back. By the time we were done, he was hissing from pain, back looked raw. My whole body was bruised also.

We couldn't keep our hands off each other. We mauled each other's body like animals. There was something inside me that buzzed when he touched me. I didn't understand what it was but I'd never felt like that before. During sex or otherwise.

With Gabe, it always felt like something was always trying to claw out of my chest and connect with him in a much spiritual level than physical. After what felt like hours, his body was curled around mine, him still inside of me.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked after catching my breath.

"Mhm." My head was tucked under his chin.

"Why didn't you initiate anything after we got to our first hotel?"

"Because I wanted to give you time. You were hurt, had stitches. It's not even properly healed yet." He grumbled. "And I was so rough with you." He sounded disappointed in himself. The stitches had dissolved but the cute were still raised and raw. Silence settled around us, my doubts dissipated completely.

"Do you think we were too loud?" He chuckled, pulled me closer against his body even if that was possible.

"Nah, I had my hand over your mouth. Do you not remember?"

"Oh yeah!"

He laughed this time. His body shook, member slid in and out of me. Suppressing a moan, I closed my eyes, savouring the friction. My thigh clenched. How the hell did I forget his hand on my mouth? The fog that clouded my mind when we fucked started to lift and I realised, at one point, he bit my ass cheek.

We were finally together again, united with an army behind us. There was no way anyone was going to break that apart. We weren't prepared before but we are now. No one was going to take away Gabe from me again. If they did, I doubt I would let them walk out alive.

"We have to do something to let the people know that Xavier, Anna and Lucia are alive." Leo's folded arms weren't the sign of disinterest but of deep thoughts. A trait I noticed in Xavier too. Gabe was sitting next to me, his hand on my thigh. A symbol of ownership.

"We can't let the media get that story, that would be too big of a splash. We need to get a rumour going. Of you all being alive and well. Maybe show up in some places where you aren't supposed to be." Gabe input.

"No one will recognise me." I tilted my hand, palm up.

"No but they will recognise me at least. Leave Anna out of it." Xavier, leaned back, relaxing with a mug of coffee in his hands.

Anna wasn't in the little circle that was created. She was taking care her child as there weren't babysitters they could trust so quickly. Of course. Not only that, Xavier didn't want her involved in any of this. We all respected it.

"Before all of this happened, a group of Los Angeles reached out to one of my enforces. They wanted a distribution team. They supplied the drugs and we sell but you said you didn't want to do anything illegal, we declined the offer. Do you want to rethink that offer now?" Leo's chin was down, eyes lifted form under his lashes.

"I mean, we need strength don't we. We will need respect if we go after Capone. We won't be respected if we're just a business corporation." He sipped from his coffee, Gabe did the same. He had trouble leaning back because of me. I had to smear some cool ointment on his back in the morning before he put clothes one.

My butt cheek hurt from his bite, hips hurt from his hands. Putting on a bra hurt from all the Hickeys he left on my breast. Idiot.

"So we're going to L.A.?" I asked. "I think it's important for me to get in touch with my father previous allies."

"You're right. Should we go to L.A. meet with this person who's going to supply us." Xavier nodded his head in confirmation. Supply always meant drugs. Heroin, cannabis and chemically altered new products that are sold in clubs for euphoria. Ecstasy and others.

"You know what I'd like to do when everything settles down?" I leaned back, crossed my legs with a creepy smile on my face. All three of them looked at me curiously, with raised eyebrows. "To own my own escort service, become a high class madam." I couldn't help but laugh a little at their horrified expression before they all burst out laughing.

"A pimp." Gabe lent forward to put his cup down so he didn't spill.

"A lady pimp." I corrected, still laughing.

Deep down, I knew it wasn't a joke. I knew business. I heard it enough from men I slept with. Men who came to parties that the Capones threw. Leader of cartels, businessman and Mafia bosses. I used men in power to satisfy my sexual and mental needs. I was always in control. The initiator, the guider and the one on top.

It was a way for me to exert my power. To take back what was taken from me. Specially with men who were leaders, the ones who had all the controls. I needed to emasculate them to make myself feel powerful. A way of saying screw you to Jude. For taking away my innocence.

I now know it wasn't healthy. Far from it. But after all my failed attempts of suicide, I had to find a way to live. To gain back the control was the first step.

However, that was not why I wanted an escort service. Daniella, was an escort before Mason Capone married her for me to make it look like we were a family and people didn't question anything. No one would believe me any ways.

Daniella always told me that she chose this line. She was a college student who was buried under a huge amount of debts. A friend of her introduced her to Daniella's madam and at first she only did the girl friend package. She'd meet with men, be their companion to trips and dinners. That paid her enough to cover her first years of college fees. However, it didn't give her a good place to live until she agreed to become a full escort.

Within a year, she was able to pay off all the debts, quit her menial jobs and live in a luxurious apartment, courtesy of powerful men.

I wondered sometimes if her life fell apart because of me. She was a top class escort who met Capone and every time she came around, I was there. I never told her who I really was but she befriended me any ways. Told me stories, kept me company until I told her the truth.

Daniella was brave. She confronted Mason Capone and in return, he threatened to kill me if she told any one. Lydia proposed that she marry Mason so she can take care of me. That was back in the day when Lydia had strength and Jude had just left to save his own life from the FBI. Lydia was the one who bought me clothes, the servants kept me fed but I didn't have anyone to talk to.

I was just there, for Jude to use.

The conversation dimmed down, everyone started speaking of logistics while I silently died inside. Thinking about that life physically hurt me but truth of the matter was that I loved Daniella as a friend, mother and older sister. She was the one who taught me about power when I grew up. Explained to me how sexuality could be used to gain information and use it against someone.

She told me how her madam knew secrets about senators, judges, prosecutors and businessmen. She used those secrets as a protection for her girls and her own. I wanted that. Protection. To have high power men in the palm of my hand so no one could touch me.

Turning to Gabe, I realised we were cut from the same cloth. We both wanted power, not because we couldn't get enough of it but for protection. He was laughing at something that Xavier said, his Adam's apple protruded out when he tilted his head back.

I felt something slice through my chest. A fire that burned from my throat to my core.He was my everything. He made my dream come true. I was sitting here, with people who cared enough about me to risk their life for me and not in a bolted bedroom for Jude to use whenever he wished. He was saviour and I couldn't have been more grateful. Putting my hand on his hand that was on my knee, I tuned into the conversation they were having.

We all decided to head to L.A. next week. Relax in the fortress for a while before making a move. Let people know Xaiver is and including me, hoping the word would reach my father. Leaning back, I sighed, basking in the freedom.