5

Andrea felt her mouth dry as she slowly came to, a little tired and weak, she suddenly remembered. Her eyes jerked open, she looked at the unfamiliar room and tried to get up but she was all tied up in a chair! Her mouth was sealed with something sticky.

She tried to get free but the ropes were perfectly tied well.

"Awake sleepy head?" She heard the familiar voice.

Brian Donatelli!

She saw him smiling by a balcony railing, in the background of the starry night. He smiled as the wind hit his face.

"You son of a bitch, you're gonna pay for this!" She tried to speak but the duct tape made her voice muffled.

"Oh, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you over the mumbling" He said.

Between the was a perfect dinner setting for a casual evening. He sat on the chair from across her.

"I thought you were never going to wake up, you sleep like a bear"

She mumbled something.

He placed a napkin over his lap and removed his fork from a folded napkin.

"Spaghetti bolognese and meatballs are my favorite." He served himself on a plate and a couple of meatballs.

She glared at him, looking for a way to set loose. This was crazy, She'll file a law suit over him.

He ate heartily and sipped his glass of red wine.

"Now, back to business Andrea." He carried a blue Manila folder on the table and opened it. "Very interesting, you robbed a local supermarket in broad day light at sixteen?" He feigned surprise.

Her eyes bulged. Her files, how did he find them?

"Yes, I have an exact replica of your police records right here" He waved it at her. "Don't be so surprised, I have connections everywhere."

His eyes went back to the folder. "You've been in jail three times as a teenager. You look nice, but I bet you have a dark soul."

She thought about Chad. Oh God, he's still at daycare, Oh God, let him be sage please. She closed her eyes and opened them. She glared at him.

"Where is my medallion?" He asked again and stood up "I will not repeat myself again". He walked behind her and snapped the duct tape from her mouth.

It hurt like a thousand bee stings.

"Where's my son?" She yelled. "You'll be sorry if my baby's in harm's way. This is kidnapping!"

"Feisty aren't you?" He amused.

"And what's this about your son?"

"It's none of your business. You'll be sorry for kidnapping me, when I get loose." she snapped.

"Who said anything about setting you free?" He said. "I have your son." He chuckled. "Right, we conceived a child that night, didn't we? Little tyrant's asleep with my mother".

She didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared at the same time. "Give him to me, he's not so used to strangers".

"Surely, he will get used to his grandmother with time. A normal woman would get rid of it, but you kept him as leverage to blackmail me."

"What! I would never..."

"Spare me the outright lies, you bore me with them." He feigned a yawn.

She took a deep breath.

"Which brings me back to my medallion, little thief. I'm going to use your son as leverage too, as you were going to use on me."

"You bastard". She muttered.

"The comfort of the boy for my medallion."

"I don't have it."

"Again with the lies? What kind of a mother are you?"

She bit her lip desperate to hold Chad in her arms.

"Well?"

She held back her tears in silence.

"Alright, I'll give it to you".

Brian touched her shoulder. " That's a good girl." He thought for a while. How could he trust her, she lies completely and may try to expose this to the public. He got another idea.

"Once you give me my medallion, you will stay here with the boy."

She looked at him instantly "What?"

"He is my son and won't suffer in filth with a low income earner."

"You son of a bitch! I'll never give my son to you, I'd rather die."

"Then do, because I won't set you loose if you don't agree to my terms. I am a businessman, I do not play around with and bit her. Chad wouldn't have to suffer to think about it, he'll have a good education, go to the best Ivy League college and I'll be right here beside him."

Andrea considered this offer.

"On one condition."

"I don't think you're in the position to offer conditions, sweet heart." Brian smirked.

"He has to be with me,you have to prove you can be a father to him while you pay child support, I don't think your pack of wolves or lawyers pardon me can stop me from testifying against you abandoning me considering how you sleep around with anything on a skirt." She said.

Brian frowned at that.

She smiled, She had him cornered like a rat.

"Well played," He stood up and untied her. Leaned over her "I can assure you I can be a loving father, until then, He will not be going home with you until I get that medallion."

She stood, rubbing her raw wrists and scowled at Brian.

"You'll have it, now where's my baby?"

★ ★ ★

Walking through the large hallway of doors, Andrea resisted the urge to punch Donnatelli in the face, but she couldn't risk it, he had bodyguards and lawyers. She hated to drag Chad in the middle of a scandal or have him grow up with the paparazzi trailing on him.

She was also aware of Brian's expensive perfume and something else, she sighed inwardly, he must have a lot of effect on a lot of women. He opened a door to a room, sitting on a rocking chair was an elderly woman cradling Chad in her arms as he slept, soft classical music played in the background, Italian probably.

  The room was huge with a silver chandelier, queen sized bed, rose wallpaper, expensive looking vases and paintings. Andrea swallowed, flashes of  the therapies she took, and a mild headache surged her completely. Focus!

"He woke up squirming for his mother, gave him warm milk and he passed out" She said without looking at them.

"Get away from him!" Andrea hissed.

"You'll be respectful to my mother you little piece of shit." Brian grabbed her arm. She flinched free and glared at him.

The elderly woman stood up with Chad,walked over to the bed and placed him on it, like she had been doing it all her life. She looked at Andrea and Brian "We shall discuss this in my study."

Two minutes later, Andrea sat in an office that smelled like roses and the ocean, a whole wall section filled with books, a large desk with an Apple computer on it and paper work on it.

Behind it was the devils mother glaring at Andrea.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" She offered.

"No, thank you," Andrea said.

"This is hardly the time for a tea party, Mom" Brian said in annoyance. He was holding a tiny figurine of a mermaid on a rock, while leaning close to the shelf of books.

"At first, I thought my son was crazy when he told me he had a son, but it was when I saw the little boy's eyes they're my Angelo's eyes God rest his soul, and he looks just like Brian when he was a child." Brian's mother said.

"Great family history talk. It doesn't change the fact that you kidnapped my kid and I against our will." Andrea snapped.

"Oh. He did? Well you must forgive him, all is fair in love and war hmm?" Brian's mom smiled.

"All this, isn't necessary, she has our family's heirloom Brian said impatiently.

"And who's fault is it? Let me finish" She looked at Andrea with disdain "I could have you thrown in jail for a lifetime, as it is unfortunate that my grandson has a what? A Kleptomaniac for a mother—"

"I am not a thief," Andrea protested.

"Then why did you take it?"

Andrea bit her lower lip in anguish, she was done for, she would go to jail and never see her little boy again.

"No answer? I assume it wasn't sold considering you live in a cheap apartment." Brian's mom eyed her clothes like she is was high and mighty.

"I didn't pawn it, well almost." Andrea smirked. "Your son ought to be more careful about where he keeps his toys"

"Shut the hell up." Brian said. "I should have you thrown in jail where you belong, it's a wonder how you got to work in a cheap jewelry store."

Brian's mom stood up, Andrea glanced at the pendant she wore it read LORENA, her name Andrea guessed.

"No more of this Brian, you're not getting any younger, this will bring a lot of scandals and I want nothing of it." Lorena said.

"What do you mean? " Brian asked impatiently.

"Both of you will get engaged to be married in six months."

Lorena glared at her son.

          ★ ★ ★

Brian roared with laughter, He couldn't imagine being married or being engaged to Andrea. How preposterous!

Lorena glared at him. "It may seem amusing to you but it's the only way." She said.

"Um, no one is getting married here. I just want my son," Andrea said nervously and stood up.

Brian placed the figurine on the Oak wood desk abruptly. "It's ridiculous"

"It's the only way, once these six months are over then you can call it off, the press will soon forget." Lorena said.

Andrea glared from mother to son. Did they think they could control her like some slave?

           ★ ★ ★

Andrea felt relieved holding Chad, he was sound asleep, oblivious of what was happening around him, Brian walked with them to the parking lot of the estate, a black sedan waited to take them home. "If I discovered you skipped town, I'll find you and make sure he never sees you again. " Brian threatened.

Andrea scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not afraid of you, and I'm no coward."

"Am I supposed to believe a word you say? "

"I don't expect you to, I will not get to marry you." Andrea said.

"The feeling is mutual, tomorrow you'll be given terms on this engagement, I expect them to be followed."  Brian said drily.