Valentina woke up in a very good mood, even before the 5 a.m. alarm went off. She ran to the window filled with all the excitement of a child waiting for Christmas to arrive. And apparently it had, because her father’s limousine was gone which meant that he had already left for the airport. The skeleton crew of security would soon be busy doing their day to day.

No more sneaking around, no more watching the clock, and no more worrying about getting Pauli into hot water with her dad.

Best of all, sitting under the carport was Big Blue. That beautiful Cadillac was just waiting for her to take down the convertible top and ease on down the road.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Valentina Abruzzi. Make the most of it!

With fresh optimism, she completed her morning ritual of undressing and stepping into the dry shower. Today, she even raised her face to the shower head. It always made her feel a little crazy to stand naked in a turned off shower, but it was part of her therapy. Early after her rescue, the very idea of putting herself under anything that could produce dripping water was unthinkable.

Despite the embarrassing setback she had had, Valentina knew she was getting better. She was.

Humming a happy tune, Valentina soaped up the washcloth and scrubbed her face clean. Then in keeping with the positive mood of the day, she rifled through her closet until she found her—never been worn and spent way too much money on it—short, lavender sundress. There were plenty of aprons at the bakery, and she was tired of wearing the same old shorts and tanks. New beginnings Valentina practically sung out the words. Then she brushed her hair until it shone and decided to let the ponytail go until she was at the bakery. The prospect of letting her hair blow free in the wind while she spun on down the road in Big Blue made her almost giddy with delight. Valentina swiped her long lashes with black mascara and applied thin eyeliner. She chose a pair of twirling silver earrings and slipped her feet into ballet flats. Then she threw her sunglasses, her phone, and her wallet into a leather tote and just about skipped down the long, elegant staircase that would lead her out.

As she approached the Cadillac, Valentina frowned when she realized that her father hadn’t told her where the keys would be. But as they seldom locked their vehicles in the garage area, she figured they would be over the visor—or in the glove compartment—or under the mat—or ... Damn, where in the hell were they? Valentina twisted and turned and stretched her body half way across the bench seat as she searched everywhere for those keys.

“Looking for these?” A deep voice rasped out from somewhere near her backside.

Valentina was so startled that she shot up like she had been catapulted by a cannon. But that was nothing compared to the shock she had when she saw who was dangling the keys in front of her.

The heart-stopping surprise and utter embarrassment of finding herself face to face with Hallelujah Thomas rendered her speechless. She shook her head, trying to ward off the memories of their last humiliating encounter. But now, that embarrassing memory was surpassed by the realization that he had been standing there for god only knows how long while she grunted and groaned. Hal had seen Valentina’s every stretch and strain as she searched high and low for those keys with her thighs open, her ass up in the air, and her hoo-ha on clear display. She thanked god that she at least had on a new pair of panties. Small consolation, but she’d take it.

Valentina had no idea what Hal was doing on the property at all, let alone what possible business he could have with her father’s crew this early in the morning. It was definitely one of those surreal moments when a person really had no idea how to react. Valentina opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again, then shut it. She went on ridiculously like a fish gasping for water until with a grin, Hal took a step forward and cupped her jaw. Then he gently lifted Valentina’s chin until her bottom lip met the top one and came together in a pink pout.

“You might want to tighten up those pretty lips of yours darlin’, or a guy like me could start getting ideas.” He winked boldly at her.

Valentina blushed furiously at his knowing smirk. This day was not going at all as she had planned. And just in case it wasn’t enough that the first day of the rest of her life seemed to have taken on a nasty Murphy’s Law type twist, Valentina somehow managed to lose her balance and twist her foot. When Hal reached out to steady her, he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her hard against his chest in a Me Tarzan, You Jane kind of way.

Valentina knitted her brow and shook her head slightly trying to get a grip of what was happening here. She pushed against him to release her.

“You know who I am.” Hal’s eyes met hers.

Understatement of the year.

Valentina not only knew who Hal was, but until very recently, thoughts of him occupied her every waking moment. However, Valentina’s recent display of unbridled PTSD insanity squelched even the smallest dash of hope that anything would come out of her school-girl crush. Valentina died a thousand deaths in embarrassed humiliation every time she thought of that night. And even if that incident had never happened, now that Valentina had been to a Saints’ party, and she had seen the kind of women that those men wanted, she was pretty sure she didn’t fit the bill. If the mean, overly made-up, sex-crazed girl who had shoved Valentina against the wall was an indication of Hal’s preference in life partners then Valentina didn’t stand a chance—nor would she want to. The Winston sisters and Pinky and Dolly seemed to be the exception to the rule when it came to Hells Saints’ women, and Valentina was pretty sure she wouldn’t make that cut either. 

Maybe it was all for the best anyway, because now that she was faced with her very first, up close and personal, private conversation with Hal, she realized that she was at a distinct disadvantage. Every bit of his gorgeous, strong body exuded a sense of self-assurance and swagger that made Valentina’s knees weak. Hallelujah Thomas radiated the kind of confidence reserved for the few god-like, beautiful creatures who roamed this earth. This guy was so far out of her league that he and Valentina weren’t even playing on the same field. Maybe he wasn’t even there—maybe he was a figment of her imagination. Perhaps she was still dreaming, or the early morning mist had been playing tricks on her? Valentina fluttered her eyelids several times in an effort to blink Hal away.

Nope, still there.

Say something, for god sake. Valentina ordered her dumbstruck vocal chords to sound out and a coherent thought to return. He had asked her a question and was waiting for the answer.

“Of course, I remember you.” She managed.

“Then why the deer in headlights look?” He seemed genuinely confused.

“Because it’s the break of dawn, and no one gets up this early unless they have to.” She reasoned.

“I’m a restless sleeper.”  He shrugged

An unbidden and lust-filled picture of Hal tossing and turning nakedly on rumpled sheets shot through Valentina’s mind. Immediately, she pushed the image away.

“I’m going to be late if I don’t leave now,” she told him brusquely. “Can you please, just tell me why you’re here, and why you’re holding the keys to Big Blue?”

“Big Blue?” Hal lifted his chin toward the vintage Cadillac. “Rad name. I like it.”

Then he turned to Valentina and cocked his head to one side, taking another long sweep of her body, but this time settling right on the confusion in her eyes.

“So, you really have no idea why I’m here?”

“I really don’t.” Valentina looked steadily at him.

Then under his breath he muttered, “sonofabitch.”

To Valentina’s consternation, instead of tossing her the car keys, he stuck them in his front pocket. Then with his back towards her, he dragged out a cell and stabbed in some numbers. Hal walked too far away for her to hear the conversation, but his tone held anger and frustration. After the conversation was finished, Hal walked back to Valentina and grabbed the tote bag out of her hands. She watched in stunned silence as he took the liberty of rummaging through her purse until he found her cell. Hall handed the phone to Valentina just as it began to ring. “Answer it. It’s Gianni.” Hal ordered. Then he lit a cigarette and walked away from her.

“Papa?” Valentina asked warily. “What’s going on? Why is Hal Thomas here, and why won’t he give me the keys to the car?

“Hal è la guardia del corpo,” was her father’s unbelievable response.

Valentina stumbled back as if she had been shot.

Bodyguard? He is my  bodyguard?

“Papa, no,” she told her father in absolutely no uncertain terms.

“It’s done.”

“Then undo it, Papa. If this is because of what happened after the wedding, I told you that I know it was stupid and that I am very, very sorry.” Valentina paused here while she waited for her father’s response. The line on his end remained stubbornly silent. When Valentina’s contrition did not sway her father, she decided to make a play on his emotional side. “ Haven’t I gone through enough humiliation over one incident?”

Still nothing. Next, she tried outrage.

“I’m a grown woman, Papa, and I won’t stand for this ...” Valentina’s rant went on and on as her father remained silent. Valentina’s eyes filled with tears of frustration.

“Fillia, please, there are things you don’t know,” Gianni finally said in a low burst.

“Then, tell me!”

Silence again.

“Papa!” Valentina stopped just short of stamping her foot in frustration.

“There have been concerns about retaliation from our West Coast family.” Gianni sighed.

“That scumbag Abiatti family has threatened us?  They are nothing. Nothing!”

“I’m simply being cautious, daughter.”

“Then find another way, Papa, because this … this …” she pleaded and stumbled over the words as she felt her freedom slipping through her fingers, “this arrangement is not acceptable.”

“To whom is it not acceptable, Valentina?” Gianni’s tone was edged with irritation.

“To me!”

“Do you hear yourself, daughter?You sound more like a willful child than a grown woman. This stubborn and ridiculously selfish display of yours should embarrass you more than any arrangement that I made ever could.” Then Gianni’s voice dropped to an exhausted and conciliatory tone.  “But since this arrangement is so intolerable for you, I will give you one other option.”

“I’ll take it,” Valentina said with absolutely no hesitation.

“Agreed and settled then. There will be a ticket waiting for you at the airport. The next flight to Catanzaro is …”

“What?” Valentina’s heart sank, because as much as she hated the idea of having a watchdog assigned to her, the prospect of getting on a plane’s confined space made her break out into a cold sweat. Besides, once she got to Italy, she could imagine the restrictions that would be put on her there.

“I’m not getting on a plane. I’m not leaving my home. And I’m not being watched over like a five-year-old.” 

Her father’s tone signaled the end of his patience. “I didn’t come to a decision lightly, and this vigilance will not last forever. But for now, you will respect my wishes.”

“Papa. Please don’t humiliate me like this.” Valentina was not above begging.

“Ti’more, Valentina.” 

“Then don’t do this to me, Papa. If you love me, please tell him to go away.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone while Valentina held her breath.

“È perché ti amo che rimane— It is because I love you that he stays,” her father told her. Then

without another word, the phone line went dead.