Mascherata

Daddy Meet Jared

Candy

Caspenada luckily didn't get to my family. Well. . . He shot my father somewhere close to the chest but managed to miss any internal organs. Dad hid Mom and Maxwell in the cellar when he was attacked, Kent left untouched and unable to contact. Jared's men were there to help Dad in the end though. The guys told him they were family now, and are household would always be safe as long as the Remontti's were still around. He recalled the name but couldn't connect it to any case he had worked on.

It's been two weeks since Jared and I were able to put the incident behind us.

"Candy, you have to go back. They're clueless, they miss you. If I didn' know it would hurt you severely to never see them again, I'd say fuck. But you know that's not the case." Jared tries to reason with me.

"I don't want to. I'll have to explain everything to them. My mother will pass out, my father will freak out and my brother will kill you. He's on spring break you know, they probably wanted him home from the lack of my presence." I wine childishly.

"For someone who was in a lot of conflict you sure are avoiding it. I know I would cry if I din't have my candy cane." He nuzzles my neck, taking a bite.

"Okay Okay." I push him off, holding him at arms length. " But only if you come help me."

He rolls his eyes sighing as he hulls his huge muscular body off the couch and grabs his keys. "Pain in the ass." He mumbles out the door.

"Ready?" He ask pulling into the driveway.

"No." I stammer out.

He kisses my hand and opens the car door for me. We walk up the stone path to the front door.

"I love you Cand. Just in case I die."

"I love you too Jared." I breathe out.

He takes a deep breath before loudly knocking on the door. I squeeze his hand.

"Hi Daddy." I say quietly.

A smile forms on his face but significantly drops seeing Jared.

"Noah, who is it?" My mother appears in the door frame. She pushes Jared off of me and wraps me into an enormous hug. "Oh Candy! Where have you been?! Who is this fool?"

"You," Dad points a finger at Jared. "You were the asshole who got away! You've been running the mafia in Nevada for over forty years!"

"Ouch! Do I really look that old? Maybe I should shave." He rubs the dark  scruff of his chin. He did have a five 'o clock shadow type of thing going on there.

"Sorry 'Pops', I hate to burst your bubble but . . . no. That was my father. The one you drug out of the burning building with a knife in his stomach. I took over not to long ago though. I betch' you thought it was over, didn't you?" He laughs mildly, shaking a finger at my father. "Let's take a seat." He pushes through me and my mother and father, using both hands as if we were french doors.

He sits down on one of the imported french white couches. When was the last time Jared took a shower? Mom was going to kill him.

"Noah it's been a while. Come on, sit down, let's have a chat. I promise I don't bite." Jared shines his horrifying hyena smile.

I bulge my eyes and stamp my foot lightly in disapproval. I swear! That asshole! Jared, there will be hell to pay later!

Dad slams the door and we follow him to where Jared has mad himself comfortable with a happy Joker like smile on his face (which he had on most of the time). "What did you do to my daughter!? What have you done to my little girl!?" He asked enraged.

"Well you see Pops-"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Now I see where she gets it from. Wowza!" He shakes his head as if he's awoken from some nightmare. I think he was on some kind of cocaine. He's trying to get clean. Trying.

"As I was saying, I needed your little cherry pie here for some mass scheme of mine. You know get rid of the girl, get rid of the cop, some money and drugs as a bonus, etc. etc. etc. But, uh, Caspenada held off his little masquerade for quite a while leaving little Caramella and I some time to bond. " A smirk spreads across his face as he looks back to me. My mother's grip on my forearm tightens.

"I swear if you touched one hair on her head I'll slaughter you, you lousy piece of scum-" Father starts towards him but Jared pulls out a gun stopping him. I slap my palm to my forehead mumbling some curse words to myself.

"Well how do you think I got her into the car? Put up a hell of a fight too, had to give her a sedative to even get her out the door. Don't worry, don't worry, I didn't do anything in that manner without her consent." He shakes the gun around mindlessly as he speaks.

"In all seriousness sir, I love Caramella with all of my heart, and I wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on her."

"Candy what did he do to you? Do you have Stockholm? Is he holding something against you? It's okay you can tell me everything. I won't be mad." Dad speaks trying to control his anger and urge to kill Jared.

"Yes princess. Why don't you come tell Daddy everything." Jared smiles wickedly patting his lap for me to come sit on.

I pry my mothers fingers off my arm. She gives me a very confused look as I make my way over. I sit a safe distance away from Jared and not on him like he'd prefer. He tightens his lips and eyebrows justifying that the seat I chose was not to his liking, and pulls me closer next to his husky frame into his broad shoulder. My whole side rest on his ribs. My fingers brush the trim of his fresh shirt collar and lay on his chest.

"Get your-" My father tries to speak through gritted teeth but Jared cuts him off.

"Ah ah ah. Let the lady speak now." Jared rest his head on the barrel of the gun giving me a hazy daydream look, as if there couldn't be anything more interesting than what I have to say.

"Mom. . . Dad. . . I love Jared. I'll admit not at first, and he's most certainly not the ethical or rational choice,. . .but. . .but. . .HE'S MY CHOICE!!!" I start crying and screaming. "He almost died for me!!! He saved my life!I'm sorry Daddy, but I love him, soooo muhuhuhch!!!"I sniffle. "AND I CAN'T HELP IT! I WANT TO BUT I CAN'T! I know sorry doesn't feed the bulldog but I refuse to live without this stupid, bipolar moron!I LO AMO HIM!!! WHICH MEANS I LOVE HIM!" Jared tightly embraces me as I sob into his chest knowing that he was probably my dad's worst enemy, I had betrayed him.

"Are you Jared Remontti?" Daddy ask him.

"Yes I am sir."

"Did you send those men in red who saved us over?"

"Yes sir I did. They're my men. I have much more."

"Then I guess if my daughter truly does love you, and you did save hers and our lives, I guess you may occasionally visit her. But you better start paying me some respect young man."

"Yes sir.

As if that was the green light he grinned widely and gave me a big smack on the lips. I knew this wouldn't be over but for now it was good enough.