PROLOUGUE

It was a brisk autumn Indiana day as she walked up to her miniature apartment. She pulled out her key and opened the door, she checked her mailbox and with not a single letter, made her way upstairs and into the kitchen of her three room living quarters. It was small yet nice and clean. It suited her well for the way her life had turned out.

Yup it was very fitting she though. It had been two weeks since she had heard from rob. Jess knew she shouldn't be upset; it wasn't like they were dating each other. She reflected on that, it had been both their choices, she has wanted it just as much as rob had. He was working at the garage he had bought from his uncle and she well she didn't know what she was doing. Jess had started out going to college all expenses paid by the FBI but she had soon realized it wasn't what she wanted.

Jess got up and went to the cabinets over the counter. She pulled out a box of frosted flakes, a bowl and spoon. She then went to the fridge, opened it and pulled out the milk staring at it distastedly she put it back in and closed the door deciding to have dry cereal.

If jess let herself be honest and true she was frustrated. She knew that she and rob were just friends but she wanted more. She knew she was doing a good service for the country but she wanted to do more. Pretty much she just wanted to do something more, what she had no idea and it was driving her crazy.

She looked at the bowl grabbed it and went to sit on the little sofa and turned on the television. The news came on and with it the information of another string of murders. Jess turned off the TV set her bowl down and screamed into a nearby pillow. After letting out a string of inedible syllables she got up dumped her bowl and was about ready to go take a nap when the doorbell rang. Sighing she went and opened it gasping in surprise.

"Hi jess. I know this is odd timing but I need your help." when jess just stared at him, "it's my dad jess, I need help my dad is in some serious trouble" rob said.

Chapter One

I stared at Rob shocked. I couldn't even get words out of my mouth until suddenly they started in a rush.

"What are you doing here? W-What do you mean your dad? I haven't heard from you in two weeks and suddenly you just show up on my door step?"

Rob just stared at me miserably letting me rant until I finally stopped to catch my breath.

"Jess I know your upset but can I come in? I need to talk to you, it's really important, please," he pleaded flashing his pretty eyes at me making me want to throw myself at him.

I nodded and stood aside to let him in. a girl had to have some respect I thought. He sat on the couch while I went and got a chair from the kitchen. I wasn't going to snuggle up close to him just yet. I then got him some food remembering painfully how he use to love to eat. He made small chat while I did this but I ignored him. He hadn't even acknowledged my presence in the past two weeks I wasn't going to let him off to easily. We may have said we were going to be friends but he and I both knew we were more then that.

Once I was seated rob began his story.

"Jess please believe me, I didn't mean to ignore you I just, I didn't want to get you in trouble," inside my heart crumbled but on the outside I just nodded curtly. He continued, "My dad got out of jail two months ago. If you remember that was when you started hearing less of me." I nodded again remembering all to well. "When my dad coming back he brought problems. Big problems. I tried to help at first but then it started getting too big so I stopped contact with you. And now, now my dad is missing jess. You were the only one I could think of to help me." Rob said in angst.

It almost broke my heart to see him like this, but only almost. Obviously it was serious and rob was concerned or he wouldn't be here that was evident I knew. No matter how many times I tried to reassure him that I would be fine he still worried about my safety. Rob wouldn't put me in any danger unless it was serious.

"Look I know what you must be thinking. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you were in any danger either," he said as if reading my thoughts.

I gaped at him. "What do you mean you wouldn't be here if you didn't think I were in any danger? Rob what are you not telling me?"

"The people after my dad jess, they're dangerous people. I don't mean run of the mill type criminals I mean gangster mob kind. My dad got in deep with them and he tried to pull out but he couldn't. Jess my dad isn't a bad guy he only went to prison because he thought it would protect my mom and I. Then when he got out he came to me to warn me. By then I figured I shouldn't contact you at all but then my dad told me it was to late. The next day he disappeared."

I got up from the chair and sat next to him on the coach. My heart almost stopped as I took in the smell of him. The smell I remember as being Rob.

"I'll help you Rob. You can count on me." I said with confidence that I didn't feel.

For the next couple of hours we went over everything Rob knew about his dad and the mafia guys. We went over places where his dad could be or use to frequent. After two hours I got up to stretch.

"You can stay here tonight. Tomorrow I'll ask some people if they know anything about these guys."

"Mastriani, Jess," rob said with that old familiarity. Gently he took my hand and pulled me towards him. I couldn't breathe. He kissed my mouth, my cheeks, my neck, my hair.

"You have no idea how much I have missed you,"

"I think I have an idea," I retorted trying to sound sassy but failing miserably when he kissed me. As he took it deeper I felt like my whole body was on fire. Any moment I was sure I would just melt away in a stream of giddiness and lust. He gently picked me up as if I was like porcelain and carried me into my bedroom. What had started out as a boring horrible day was turning into a wonderful night.

I woke up to sunlight streaming on my face and turned sitting up. There beside me was Rob looking as beautiful as any roman statue. He was still asleep breathing ever so gently. I laid back down into the bed and sighed reflecting on last night. I fell back into a gentle sleep.

I woke suddenly when I heard Rob shake me. "Jess you have to get up now," he said urgently. I sat up and that was when I heard the pounding. For the first time since I had heard Rob's story I was scared. I started to put on my clothes when Rob told me to just pick them up. He opened the window in my bedroom and motioned me out.

"Are you insane?" I shrieked at him. We were five stories up. He motioned for me to be quiet and whispered to me to get out. I shook my head until I heard the door break. Clutching Rob in one hand and my clothes in the other while still half dressed we walked on the narrow ledge. As we just about made it to the apartment next door I turned to see three men in black suits look out the window.

I gasped in shocked and scared. Rob turned around shouting at me but I couldn't hear him. Because in that instant splintered wood broke close to me making me almost loose my balance. Rob caught me but I still stared at the three men

All of them were holding guns and they all had looks to kill.