Chapter 16:

Please remember to review....xx

Angelo inhaled sharply as the pain from his wound got stronger and stronger. He had to find Clara; Alessandro could get her if she was alone. He staggered out the front door and heard a whimper coming from the side of the house. There he found Clara pinned against the fence by Alessandro. He was a tall, well-built man with dark, messy hair and tanned skin.

"C'mon baby, I need you to come back home with me, we belong together" he heard the man's thick Italian accent.

"No! I've told you over and over Alessandro, I don't want to be with you anymore" she protested, her voice filled with anger.

"That's not true!" Alessandro yelled in Clara's face making her wince and cower "you love me".

Seeing his little sisters fear, Angelo came out of the shadows "let her go" he stated, surprised at how much venom was in his voice.

The expression on Alessandro's face went from anger to a cruel smile as he saw Angelo.

"Ah, Angelo, I see you are still in one piece, I've been meaning to ask how you are".

Angelo tried not to cringe as another intense wave of pain hit him square in the abdomen.

"I'd be better if you left my sister alone. She doesn't want to be with you" Angelo stated staring at Alessandro.

"No!" he exclaimed turning back to Clara, who was frozen with fear. "She doesn't know what she wants right now, she is confused when she is around all of you" he added nodding towards the house. "When she isn't around you, she will see that she needs to be with me". Alessandro caressed Clara's cheek with his hands, who closed her eyes and cringed, trying to turn away from his touch.

"Alessandro, listen to me, can't you see she is afraid of you. We are her family, we aren't trying to make her hate you, you are doing that all by yourself" Angelo reasoned.

For a second, Angelo thought that he had gotten through to a desperate Alessandro but suddenly he turned back to Clara and grabbed her by the throat.

Clara's eyes widened as she gasped for a breath and was trying to claw at Alessandro's hands.

"Why don't you just listen and come back with me to Italy, you stupid girl" Alessandro said angrily, tightening his grip.

Angelo tried to pry Alessandro's arm off Clara. All of a sudden Charlie appeared out of nowhere.

"I've called the police, they should be here any minute, better get lost" she yelled.

Alessandro quickly released Clara, who fell to the ground in a heap and started running. Suddenly the noise of police sirens pierced the street and Alessandro froze in the middle of the street. Constable Watson held her gun in position in front of her aimed at Alessandro while Charlie walked up behind him and put his hands behind his back. Watson handed Charlie handcuffs and they led him away into the back of the car.

Charlie then ran back to Angelo who was kneeling next to a shocked Clara. She was struggling to catch her breath and Angelo saw how red her neck was. He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort his sister.

"Call an ambulance" Angelo simply instructed Charlie, without taking his eyes of Clara. She nodded and pulled out her mobile, dialling 000.

Isabella and Vince suddenly rushed out the front door wondering what had happened. When Isabella saw her daughter on the ground in a heap, she let out a shriek and ran over to her.

"Clara, what's happened my darling?" she asked.

"Mum, her ex from Italy came back and demanded she go back with him. He got angry and choked her". Angelo explained.

Isabella looked from her son to her daughter, confused at what was happening. Angelo realised that his mother didn't know the story with Alessandro and simply said "I'll explain later mum, right now we need to get her to a hospital".

"It's on its way" added Charlie hanging up her mobile.