280 Hunter and the Russo family 1

Friday

5:24 PM

About 20 miles East from Portland…

Mia and Hunter drove over the paved road which is snaking through a dense forest. For this part of the trip, Mia is driving. It's for safety reasons.

"Here we go…" Mia said when they saw three men standing in the middle of the road.

"No sudden movements. These are new guys." Mia reminded Hunter while lowering the glass on her side of the car.

"What is your business here?" One man asked stiffly.

Mia showed him the black card and he pointed a gadget toward it. Purple light splashed on the black card, revealing a set of golden symbols.

The man's eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back.

"I apologize for blocking your way. You may proceed." He bowed slightly and gave a signal with his hand to the two men to move away.

Hunter looked at the black card with curiosity. The golden symbols are gone. Hunter remembers that Mia took this card from the box she tucked in the back of the closet. He was not sure what it was, but now he knows that it's some form of identification.

About two minutes later, after one turn, they emerged on a clearing with a circular driveway in the middle, and a massive mansion on the opposite side. To call it a mansion is an understatement. It looks more like a castle from the renaissance period, there are even gargoyles on the façade!

By the time Mia stopped the car in front of the main entrance, twelve women in identical black maid uniforms and white aprons were lined up on the stairs, six on each side, ready to greet them. An older man, obviously the butler, stood in the middle and silently observed with a slight frown Hunter who got out of the car and walked to the other side, to open the door for Mia. When the older man saw Mia, his face lit up.

"Young Miss, welcome home!" The butler called enthusiastically while bowing.

"It's good to see you again, Leo." Mia greeted him back. "I trust that you have been well."

"Yes, young Miss. This lowly servant was well. We didn't expect you, but your room is ready." He glanced at Hunter. "And this man is…?"

Mia hooked her arm with Hunter's. "Hunter. He is with me, as my partner."

Leo nodded in reserved greeting politely before saying: "I will get the maids to prepare a room for him."

"No need. He will stay with me."

"Young Miss, pardon my insolence." The butler said. "Uhm… your father didn't take well the information that you are coming with a man. You know his temper. If you tell him that you are sharing the room on the same day he meets him, things might not go well…"

Mia pursed her lips while thinking about Leo's words. "OK. He will wait in my room. Let us know when his is ready. Leo, make sure that his room is close to mine, for security reasons." Mia ended while giving the old man a knowing look.

…

A few minutes later, in Mia's room…

"Everything is exactly how I left it…" Mia said while observing the massive room.

The walls are a mixture of cement and bricks, and a huge fireplace with intricate details reminded Hunter of an ancient castle, but with electricity and other modern amenities. He wondered if there are secret rooms and passages, that is highly probable.

"We are staying separately?" Hunter asked with displeasure obvious in his voice when the maids left after bringing their suitcases inside.

"As I mentioned it, my father will test you. I don't want to give him a reason to increase difficulty." Mia looked at Hunter helplessly. "Let's see how dinner goes."

Mia wanted to tell him that they will definitely stay together, even if she needs to sneak into his room through the window, she will do it. But she kept that part for herself. Knowing her father, there are probably listening devices in her room. Mia is not afraid of her old man, but she does not want to make Hunter's life more difficult. Who knows what challenges are lying ahead?

Hunter snorted in disapproval. Since they got together, they never slept apart. What is this different rooms nonsense? He told himself to calm down. It's only for a weekend. He will get the approval of her family, and that will make Mia happy. And then they can get married. 

Mia said numerous times that she does not need the approval of her family, and Hunter believes her, but he is aware that things will be better if her family members are present (and not trying to kill him). Every bride wants to be escorted down the aisle by her father, and Hunter wants to give Mia the best wedding ever.

Hunter walked toward one of the three windows and observed the garden which stretches forever. The flowers and the pathways are creating symmetrical patterns and there is a three-tier fountain. Without moving his gaze, he saw four groups of guards patrolling the area. The security is tight. Are they expecting an attack?

Hunter stifled a laugh while wondering, what would his parents say if they could see all this? Just a few weeks ago they thought of Mia as a gold digger and based on this property alone, Mia's family can probably buy everything Andersons own and have a lot of money to spare.

The fact that Mia is not relying on her family's background and fortune, but she decided to live her life on her own, made Hunter appreciate her more. Mia is a fighter and not a pampered Miss.

Mia and Hunter freshened up in their respective rooms and headed to the living room where Mia's father was waiting for them.

"Father, I'm home." Mia called when they entered the room, making two men turn toward them.

Fabricio Russo is an imposing man whose expression shows that he saw many ugly things in life. He looked at Mia sternly. "You are disobedient, as usually. I don't remember telling you that you can come."

Mia lifted her chin defiantly and narrowed her eyes at her father. "Since when I need permission to come to my own home?"

Fabricio's icy-blue eyes warmed up and his face crinkled into a smile. At that moment, he turned from an intimidating Boss of an organization of assassins to a doting father.

"Mia… You are home…" He walked toward Mia before pulling her into a hug.

Hunter exhaled the breath he was holding. What looked like start of a fight, turned into a warm greeting.

Hunter's eyes moved to the younger man in the room. Based on the descriptions Mia gave him previously, Hunter concluded that the man glaring at him is Keith, Fabricio's right-hand man, and a man who hopes to marry Mia. Hunter smirked. Yup, that guy will stay at hoping and dreaming about Mia because there is no way that Hunter will give up on her.

Mia melted in her father's embrace and her expression softened as well.

"Daddy, this is Hunter." She said as she inched away from her father's hug.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Russo…" Hunter said politely while shaking hands with Mia's father. "Mia speaks about you often."

"Really?" Fabricio was not sure if Hunter is telling the truth, but he wished it to be the truth.

Hunter nodded in confirmation and extended a rectangle-shaped box toward Fabricio. "She told me that you are a wise man, a brilliant strategist, and a master chess player. I hope that you will accept my present."

Fabricio took the box and gave side-glance at Mia. "You found a sweet talker."

"He is much more than that, daddy." Mia said with a big smile while wrapping her hands around Hunter's arm.

Fabricio frowned slightly at the sight of Mia being clingy. He never saw Mia like that. "I look forward to finding out what else he is."

"You have until the end of the weekend."

Fabricio's frown deepened. "You are leaving on Monday?"

Mia bobbed her head. "Sunday evening. Hunter needs to go to work on Monday. But don't worry, we will return."

Keith watched this warm reunion and gritted his teeth. Why are they ignoring him? Every time Mia comes home, Fabricio is focused on her, but this time Keith noticed that Hunter joined in the conversation while he is left out. He can't let it be!

"Mia, did you forget your old friend?" Keith said with a charming smile.

"How can I forget?" Mia didn't try to sound pleasant. "Keith, this is Hunter."

Hunter and Keith shook hands and Keith applied much more force than necessary, to which Hunter was happy to respond. They gripped each other's hands with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"That's enough." Mia said sternly while prying Hunter's hand away from Keith's.

Keith was about to say something, but Mia was talking to her father already. "Where is Roberto?"

"He is not home. Training."

"Oh, I was hoping that he can meet Hunter."

Mia wanted the three main people to know that she is with Hunter: her father, Keith, and her half-brother. All three, for a different reason. She knows that Roberto does not care about people she spends her time with, and Keith will see Hunter as an enemy. But Mia wants to make sure for those two to know that messing with Hunter is off-limits. As for her father, she would like if Hunter and Fabricio get along well, but if they don't, it does not change much for her. Mia will not give up on Hunter, no matter what her father says.

"I was also hoping that Roberto will be here when you return, Mia. That is why I didn't tell you that you can come here with your friend."

Mia paused. She thought that her father does not want her to come home for some petty reason, but it seems that he delayed her arrival because her half-brother is not home. Well, Mia will use this to butter up her old man, and to point out that Hunter is more than a friend. "Hunter is my boyfriend, daddy. I thought I made that clear when I called. As for Roberto not being here, it does not matter. I can always come again when Roberto returns."

"He should be back in two weeks, and in September he will go back to school, so if you want to see him, you should come in August. Will you come again? So soon?" Fabricio asked suspiciously. He didn't like Mia pointing out that Hunter is a BOY-friend, but he was more curious about her future frequency of visits. Mia didn't come home in years, and now it seems that she will come twice during one summer?

Mia smiled. "Of course, daddy. Now that I'm in Seattle, I can come often…"

Fabricio was surprised for a moment before he burst into a hearty laugh. He kept the present from Hunter under his armpit and ushered Mia and Hunter toward the dining room. "Good! Let's go. The food should be ready…"

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