Unrestrained

Summary: For Duke Orsino and Viola Hastings, soccer is their one freedom in the cage that surrounds their wealthy lifestyles. And when they meet, the connection between them is too deep and raw to ignore. But in a world of lies, treachery, and hidden agendas, they will have to fight to keep what they want…without losing themselves in the process.

Rating: For now, T, but I may have to up it based on later chapters (still in my head) or what you as my readers say.

Chapter One

The Gilded Cage

The alarm had just begun to blare for the third time in the last fifteen minutes when a manicured hand slammed down on the button, causing the alarm clock to fall on the floor.

Lifting her head up, Viola glared at the clock on the floor, which was still going off. Muttering and grumbling, she reached down to turn it off, and stopped short as she read the time.

It was 7:30 am. On a Saturday. During summer vacation.

The flood of violent thoughts in Viola's head only made her wake up more, and she was not happy.

Deciding to get up, since more sleep was futile at this point, Viola stumbled out of bed and headed to her bathroom. She checked her reflection in the mirror, stripped out of her tank top and short-shorts, and had just turned the showerhead on when there was a knock on her bathroom door.

Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body, Viola opened the door and sighed heavily.

Daphne Hastings (AN: That IS her actual name in the movie, I checked), dressed in one of her two-piece skirt suits that she so loved, smiled at her daughter. "Good, I see that the alarm worked," she said, not noticing Viola's glare. "I'm going to a picnic with some of the Junior League girls, and I would love it if you'd come. Justin's going to be there as well, so you won't be bored. But I expect you to behave like a lady."

Her mother's serious expression kept Viola from rolling her eyes. She hated the whole debutante business, and while she really liked her boyfriend, lately he'd been acting a little too arrogant when he was around his friends. Being treated like she was less than them was not her idea of a good day.

"Mom, I really don't—"

"Viola, you're going. Now I don't want to, but I'll bring Sophie along if you won't cooperate."

The threat got Viola to shut up, nod agreement, and then close the door. She dropped the towel and stepped into the shower, wishing her mother would go back to how she'd been before her parents had separated at the beginning of January. It was six months later, and it seemed like a part of her mom had gone missing. She still had hopes for Viola to become a debutante, but she'd hired a bodyguard for her, forced her to attend functions and outings with other boring rich people, and was practically throwing her at Justin. She wasn't the happy, slightly air-headed mother she used to be. Her mother had become a statue, and the desperation Viola felt behind all of her mother's pushing and manipulating was completely unlike her.

'But whenever I try and bring it up, she suddenly decides to let me do something I want, like going to a private gym to practice soccer and work out, or go out partying without Sophie right by me,' Viola thought.

Shaking her head under the hot spry of the showerhead, Viola decided that tonight, she and her mother were going to have a talk. She would find out what was really going on, and this time there would be no wiggling out of the discussion.

STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM

In a house similar in size but vastly different in taste, Duke Orsino was also getting ready to head out for the picnic the Junior League was hosting. He had on a pair of tan slacks and a white dress shirt, and was just buttoning the cuffs when his father entered his room.

Christopher Orsino nodded approval at his son's attire as Duke turned to face him.

"You look nice, son. Your mother's putting the finishing touches on her hair, so I thought I'd take the chance to talk to you about last night," he said, face serious.

Duke stayed perfectly still, waiting for his father to continue. Last night had been bad. His father had mentioned taking over the family business, and he had expressed, quite loudly, his objections. They'd spent the next hour yelling at each other, and finally Duke had left the house, not coming home until 2 a.m.

"I was thinking about what you said, and I have a proposition for you. Since you seem set on a career in soccer, I'll give you a chance. If you can keep all your grades above a B and still maintain an acceptable performance level in soccer, I'll help you every way I can to reach your goal."

Duke opened his mouth to accept, but his father held up his hand.

"There are a few conditions. First, you will be taking the highest level courses available in your core subjects. Second, you will be completely on your own security-wise. Malachi won't be allowed to help you unless your life is in severe danger. As for 'acceptable performance in soccer', that means you can't lose a game. Not even a pre-season game. If all of these conditions aren't met, you'll be pulled out of Illyria and spend the rest of the school year learning how to run our business."

All of the gratitude in Duke's eyes left. Stiffly, he nodded to his father, and then excused himself from the room.

Standing there alone, Christopher allowed his mask to fall, sorrow making the lines on his face crease deeply.

"I'm sorry, Son. But the only way to prove we can become legitimate is to show we can overcome the toughest situations in legal ways, and that we can excel in that environment without doing anything illegal," he whispered, the words floating out into the room, lost to all but him.

Then he turned and left the room, hoping that now he could leave his past deeds behind him, as well.

STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM

The blue sky, bright sun, and cheery atmosphere at Botanical Gardens & Park made the afternoon picnic seem like the perfect thing to be doing that day. People laughed, talked, ate, and relaxed, enjoying the company of others. There were blankets spread out so people could sit, and tables and chairs in case someone wanted to be a bit more formal.

Viola was currently sitting at a table wither her mother, brother, and her boyfriend. Justin's father was talking with a few business associates over by the bar, and Viola was happy for that small comfort. Carlos Drayton made her uneasy, though her mother scoffed at that sentiment.

She was pretending to pay attention to her mother discussing plans to have Justin escort her during her coming out party along with the other girls when the flash of a soccer ball made her head turn.

A tall, cute guy who looked to about her age was spinning the ball on his finger, and after a few seconds began bouncing it on his knees. His white shirt tightened around him, showing the muscular body hidden underneath. It also showed off his tan to perfection.

He bounced the ball one last time and caught it with his hands. As if sensing her stare, he glanced over at her.

Viola felt her entire body flush as he stared back at her. He smiled hesitantly, and she returned it.

'He has the most—'

Her thought was cut off by a hand on her shoulder. Jumping slightly and turning, Viola looked into her boyfriend's frowning face.

"Oh, sorry Justin. I saw the ball and I just—What were you saying?" Viola asked, slightly flustered.

"I wondered if you wanted to go for a walk with me," he said, sounding a tiny bit annoyed.

Viola nodded and got up, Justin taking her hand and kissing her quickly. She didn't miss the glance he sent over her head, knowing he'd given the other guy a warning. The urge to look behind her to see his reaction was strong, but she suppressed it. Justin was possessive on a good day, so she really didn't want to deal with caveman Justin.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, and they headed towards the shrub maze thirty feet from the picnic site.

Viola didn't see the looks Justin's friends gave him or his grin in return. But she could feel, with startling certainty, that the other guy's gaze stayed fixed on her until Justin and she disappeared around one of the maze's corners.

STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM

Duke watched the girl go, not knowing what to do. He'd felt the heat between them when their eyes had met, and Drayton's look had clearly said back off. But he'd kept watching, and he'd seen the looks that had passed between Justin and his friends.

His thought as they'd turned the corner was that she did her dress justice. It fit her to perfection, and the silver color offset her tan and hair wonderfully.

For a few seconds, he silently debated going after them. Glancing at the smug looks on Drayton's friends' faces, his instincts decided for him.

He went back to the blanket his parents shared with another couple. Putting his ball down, he quickly explained to his father where he was headed, then casually walked back into the maze.

Once he turned the corner, he began to jog around, trying to find where Justin and his girlfriend were. A raised female voice caused him to go faster, and as he came up to the corner, he slowed to assess the situation.

"—what are you doing, Justin!" a female voice yelled. "Get off of me! Stop!"

Duke heard Justin grunt as his girlfriend pushed him away and he hit the opposite shrub wall. Deciding it was time to step in, he rounded the corner at a calm walk.

Justin was looking shocked, staring at his girlfriend with his mouth open. He turned towards Duke and tensed, anger making his shock fade. His girlfriend looked angry and flustered, her dress hem pushed up slightly and a hickey forming on her neck. She turned towards his as well, smiling in relief.

"Sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Duke asked, not sounding sorry at all.

"Yeah, me and my girlfriend were trying to have some alone time, Orsino," Justin snapped, body tensing in preparation for a fight.

"Really? Seems to me that she doesn't want you anywhere near her," Duke replied calmly.

Taking a step towards him, Justin said, "This is none of your business. So how about you leave before I hurt you."

At that, his girlfriend snapped, "Justin, leave him alone. I told you to stop, and you didn't. Be greatfull I won't press charges on you. Now I'm leaving, and if you're smart you won't follow me."

Justin stared at her as she began to walk back the way they'd come, managing a "Viola…what?" She just kept walking, and Duke followed her, leaving him gaping at thin air.

Duke quickly caught up with Viola. Looking over at her, he asked, "You okay?"

She nodded and kept walking. Looking over at him quickly, she said, "Thanks for coming after me. God, I feel so stupid! I should have known."

"Hey, I only knew because I saw the looks between him and his friends. I mean, I knew Drayton was stupid, but this tops everything," Duke said, disbelief and amazement evident in his voice.

"Yeah, well, I knew he could be arrogant around his friends, but I never thought he'd actually listen to them," Viola said in disgust. Then, as if just hearing what he'd said, she looked at him in surprise and said, "Wait a minute. You know Justin!"

"Not well. I made him cry at a game," Duke said, chuckling slightly. Then he sent her a slightly apologetic look, realizing who he was talking to.

Viola shook her head, silently saying it was okay. She looked ahead, noticing the entrance to the maze in front of them. She stopped and turned towards Duke.

"Thanks for back there…" she trailed off, for the first time realizing she didn't know his name.

"Duke, I'm Duke Orsino. And you are?" he asked politely.

"Viola, Viola Hastings." She smiled up at him and offered her hand.

He took it and shook her hand, keeping his shock to himself. Not just because of the spark he felt, but because of her last name. She was the daughter of Daphne Hastings, who had once required his dad's services, and who had yet to pay everything back. His dad had told him that she had been talking with Carlos Drayton lately, a man with as much to hide as Duke's family.

Duke wanted to kick himself. He'd just made himself an enemy of Carlos Drayton's son, and Viola would certainly tell Justin they were through. And Justin would blame him.

'I may have just thrown my family to the wolves for a girl I barely even know,' Duke thought.

But none of this showed on his face as he smiled at Viola in return and then walked over towards his father and mother.

As he sat down, he knew with certainty that his father wouldn't help him. He'd gotten himself into this mess, he'd have to get himself out of it.

The only question was how.

STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM

Later that evening, Viola had just finished eating when she decided to confront her mom about what was going on with her. At that moment she was taking the food into the kitchen, so Viola just stayed put until she came back.

But when her mom came back in, her face was serious enough that Viola kept her mouth shut. As Daphne sat down beside her, Viola had the feeling that her mom had retreated inside herself and she was about to find out why.

"Viola, what happened between you and Justin, darling?" she asked seriously.

"He got too friendly with me in the maze, and a guy kept him from going farther. So I broke up with him," Viola said flatly.

"Well, you're getting back together with him. All you need to do is set bound—"

"Get back together with him!" Viola interrupted, outraged at her mother's lack of support. "No! Not now, not ever! I can't believe you, Mom! You won't even support your own daughter! What kind of—"

"Viola!" her mother interjected sharply, "Justin is a good man. You just need to let him know what you're feeling and work through it." She raised a hand as Viola opened her mouth to speak and said, "Viola, if you don't do this I won't let you play soccer anymore, and Sebastian will have to leave until next summer."

Viola froze in her seat, face becoming pale and her eyes widening as she blinked back tears. Slowly, she stood and headed for the stairs. Right before she reached them, she turned and whispered to her mother, "I love Mom, but you, Daphne…I don't even know who you are."

She fled up the stairs and went into her room, not giving her mom time to reply. As she shut the door, she let her tears fall as she slid down onto the floor, her back against the door. The next second, she felt her brother wrap her in a hug, rocking her back and forth while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She clung to him and sobbed, for once letting her walls fall down.

Neither one knew how long they stayed like that, but when Viola's last sobs had subsided, Sebastian's shirt was damp. Gently, he picked Viola up and carried her to her bed. He pulled back the covers, and she managed to get under them and rest her head on her pillows.

In silent agreement, she moved over so Sebastian could climb in beside her. When they were both settled, Sebastian said softly, "I heard everything. I promise, Vi, that I'll try to help get you out of this. But I can't stay here much longer, especially with the Scary Stalkers. I'm leaving to stay at a friend's house, and I've bribed Julian and Sophie to keep their mouths shut. I want you to come with me, Sis."

She waited a few minutes before answering, then said, "You know Mom would look for me, and she's got the money to have people find me. I have to stay, you know I do. I can't just leave like you do. I have soccer here."

"But you can play at my friend's."

Viola shook her head, saying, "I'm willing to stay so you can pursue your dream. Let me at least try to keep mine."

Sebastian sighed, but finally nodded. Then, they went to sleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

Daphne, who'd been listening from the other side of the door, quietly went into her room ad locked the door. Then she pushed her head into a pillow and screamed and cried until she fell asleep.

STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM STM

So, what do you think? I've had this story in my head for a while, and from what I've seen of yalls (yes, I'm Southern!) stories, no one else has gone this way with a plot line…or at least, not as far in the direction I plan on taking it.

Be nice and feed the review monster, the button is down below!

System Freeze