His Little FLOWER

Chapter 37: 37 - Sottocapo: Heartless

LEXI POV: [Note: She is the Unknown POV from the Previous Chapter]

I watched my phone screen, and it's not about the screen but him, Ferrari. It seems like he gave an

interview for the media.

I was about to visit NYC very soon to meet him, as My brother Ray told me that he was going there to

meet him.

I can't wait...

My daze got interrupted as someone snatched the phone from me.

What the fuck!

Turning around, disturbed, I met with the sight of My brother, Ray. What the fuck is his problem?

"Give my phone back; Don't you know to knock before entering my room?", I shot him a glare,

whenever I see Ferrari's picture or talk about him, he is acting like a maniac.

I let out an audible gasp as he crashed my phone against the floor making it shatter into pieces.

"What the fu-", before I could end the word, I let out a high-pitched cry, not able to bear the pain as he

yanked a fistful of my hair harshly.

"I told you to not fucking play in this matter. But, still, you're lusting over him when you can't even reach

the shadow of his.", he gritted out, before peeling his hold off from my hair in a jerked way making me

fall back on the bed.

"Don't you know when he woke up, how he reacted? He didn't even give a fuck about you. All he

thought of is about one person.", he persuaded me to accept the fact, by making me recollect all the

things that I want to forget.

*flashback*

Arghh... It's been 5 months, when will he woke up. At first, I didn't felt anything for him except the gross

feeling, but now...

"Ma'am.", I got interrupted as I tilted my head towards the direction of the voice to be met with the sight

of the nurse, who is desperately trying to catch her breath.

"What's wrong?", I gave her a confused look, as she breathed out, "He is gonna wake up, his body

movement is visible."

My eyes widened in surprise that filled with indescribable happiness. I got up from the chair and ran

towards the room, where we are treating him.

Reaching the room, I stood beside him, his eyebrows furrowed down, his closed eyes prowled and his

hands hoisted up a little as if he is trying to reach out for someone.

"Ferrari.", I whispered his name gently, as his eyes began to unravel slow yet steady.

Trying to adjust his eyes to the light, for a few seconds, finally, he fluttered his eyes open and about to

touch my face. But the next word I heard, left me as if I'm undesirable.

"Flower.", He murmured in a dazed state, before his fingers could touch my face, he realized, I'm not

His Woman.

His eyes contorted with a grave rage, his face veins are stemming out and it left me terrified to the

core. I took so many steps back involuntarily until my back hit the wall.

He is not behaving as if he woke up from a coma. He sat up from the bed in a swift motion. The doctor

came inside the room, who is staying here and treating him for the past 5 months.

"Mr.Knight, please stay-", Doctor tried to lay him back on the bed only to get pushed down onto the

floor. He ripped off the IV and the connected wires from his body.

"Where is My flower?", he stormed out in wrath, as his eyes wandered across the room searching for

her.

I retorted back suppressing my anger, I don't like to hear that word, Flower. "I don't know about whom

you are talking about, Sir."

He gave me a cadaverous glare in a hinted way to not utter a word from my mouth anymore. His eyes

roamed around the room until got glued to the mirror.

Oh, no!

He alarmingly stared at the mirror, as he took short hesitation-filled steps towards the mirror.

Reaching close to it, he touched his forehead moving off his hair away from his face.

It revealed the thick reddish scar on his forehead, that is traveling across his head diagonally like a thin

layer, putting those spots hairless and it ended at the nape of his head.

Then his eyes traveled down his body, which got wrapped with the bandage. He began to unroll them

in a haste, as it revealed his peeled off jagged skin. But, it didn't hide his shredded-robust form.

In the past 5 months, while he was in a coma, he was injected with drugs to not lose body weight and

to avoid muscle loss.

His face scrunched in disgust, noticing his body. If only if he knows, how he looked at first! I guess, he

would have killed himself.

The air is abruptly rent by the sound of breaking glass as he started to smash all the stuff in the room.

I luckily dodged the crystal flower vase which was thrown towards my way direction involuntarily by him

as it got crushed into pieces against the wall.

"This is not me.", he coughed, but I was too terrified to even provide him a glass of water. He slumped

on his knees clutching his hair tight, his body muscles twisted revealing his nerves.

I crawled onto the bed and flew to the other end of the room to speak with the doctor, who is standing

over the door as if he is ready to run for his life at any time.

"Doctor, he isn't behaving like a man who woke up from a coma and he looks so strong.", I whispered

in low voice, as he is deeply focussing on Ferrari's actions.

"He is healed now, a little weak, but it doesn't matter for him now. His whole focus is now on his face

and body. He is not able to accept the fact that he is scarred totally.", he clarified, as I heaved out a

sigh, staring at his slumped form.

I have no idea how to handle him, his wrath is dreadful, a few minutes ago, I barely survived by

dodging down.

I took slow doubtful steps despite the adrenaline that pumps me up high burning my courage with the

evolving fear. I balked and regretted taking each step towards him.

"Fer-", I stopped myself from calling him by his name. What if that pisses him off more than he is

already now.

I touched his shoulder, only to get shoved against the floor by him with a heavy thud. I hissed in pain

when I felt a burning ache in the side of my head.

I touched the spot and felt the stinging pain as something greasy fluid seeping through. Moving my

hand back, I noticed, it is Blood.

"I need to go back to My Flower.", he confessed, before scurrying out of the room, despite the request

of the Doctor.

-----

It was so hard to handle him...

Before Ferrari could move out of the mansion, Ray reached on time and told what are all occurred, how

he saved Ferrari.

To be honest, Ray didn't save him out of humanity, it is for A Position in Mafia Organization. NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

On the day, I and Ray drove to the place of Tadesse. I stayed in the car, as he went inside wanting to

partner up with Tadesse.

But within a few minutes, Ray came back, and I discovered that Tadesse humiliated him in front of the

other members, saying he is unfit for the Mafia Business.

After that, while making our way back to the mansion, we watched a car falling off from the cliff and

also we noticed a man slide out of the car.

And we didn't take him out of the river to save him, it's just out of curiosity. Pulling him out of the river,

Ray identified him precisely.

He told me, that He is Ferrari Raffa Knight, the First-in-head of the Capone Crime organization.

That's the sole reason, he wanted Ferrari to live so that he could get a place in the Capone

Organization, through him.

At first, I didn't feel anything for him, except the hatred eyeing the huge scar on his head and disfigured

body. But as the day passed on, I don't know how it occurred that I...

"What the fuck you are thinking about?", he demanded, making me want to roll my eyes at him in

annoyance.

"Don't you dare to show that kind of attitude to me.", he warned, before taking his phone out and

searching for something out of it.

"Have a look.", he displayed his phone towards me as I saw a grossly mutilated face of a man whose

jaw was crushed and the long slit drifting across his ear.

Grossing out!

I shoved the phone away, not liking to look. "He is Raffa's Step-brother, Luciano.", he stated, as I gave

him a puzzled look.

Why he is showing me this picture now in the first place?

"Do you know who killed him like this?", he raised his eyebrow at me, for which I shook my head

negatively.

"It's Raffa, he did this repellent act.", he conceded, which left me more confused. Why he has to kill his

step-brother?

And how could he kill like this? It is nauseating...

"He killed Luciano, for abducting his Woman, Rose Brooklyn.", he stated, hearing that name, my whole

body seared in turmoil. So, She's the Flower he craved for on that day.

I couldn't understand, how in the world that Rose has fallen for a man like him. While he lived here all I

noticed is his murderous eyes, which make you want to run for miles away from him.

"Luciano planned to kill her to prove to others that Raffa is weak and to take his Position. But, this is

how he ended up, he got tormented before he was massacred.", he finished off his explanation. I

gulped down the fear that bubbled up inside me which squeezing my heart like a ringlet.

"For abduction, if Raffa went to this extent, think what will he do to you if he finds out that you're trying

to come in between them.", he wiped the sweat that cropped up on my forehead.

"Still, if it is not enough for you to back off, then you must know still how far he would go for her.", he

moved back, settling on the chair with his folded arms.

RAY POV:

*flashback*

"So, how we are gonna kill Tadesse?", I wondered, what plan they all have in their mind. It's been three

weeks since Raffa had woke up from a coma. And now, it is not just Me and him who is here.

Firstly, on that day, I don't know that he woke up from a coma. After finishing up a meeting with my

clients when I made my way inside, I saw him, it left me astounded.

After that, I explained everything to him. He found out easily that I helped him knowing he is A Mafia

UnderBoss.

Besides, It is for a Position, and for saving him, he agreed to give me the Position of the Capo

(Gangster) but only to operate under his Control.

"Mark, Did you gathered all the information about Tadesse as I told you?", he inquired his right-hand

man, Mark, who is standing in front of us with a small file.

On that day, shortly, Raffa made a call to all of his close friends using my phone to inform them, that he

is alive. Since I told him, that everyone believes he is dead.

Within an hour, Red and Mark, both arrived first. They were searching for him in Ethiopia for all these 5

months.

The next day, another man named William, his left-hand man, arrived along with several Soldiers.

For the past three weeks, Raffa has spent most of his time with workouts, to gain back his physical

strength.

On the other hand, Red has checked out the weapons which I gave him. He conveyed to me, that he is

A Assassin and A Sniper.

This is the first time I'm seeing him face to face. I used to hear his name alot, as many Crime

organizations want him to join theirs.

Both Mark and William explored the surrounding of Tadesse's mansion in the past three weeks and

gathered alot of information to plot against him.

"Yes Sir, I got all the data about Tadesse Mohammed. Currently, he is staying alone in the Mansion.",

he reported, as he began to add furthermore.

"Tadesse's wife, Aida, and he has two sons, Negasi and Hakim, doing drug export business. Both are

married and got children. Negasi's sons are Barack, 15 years old, and Salim, 17 years old. Hakim got

one daughter, Naru, 16 years old.", he ended, as it made me wonder why they have collected a whole

family data to kill one man.

"Where are they all?", Raffa quizzed about them as Mark divulged, "Went for a vacation, and today

around midnight possibly, they will be arriving back."

"Ray, how many feasible ways are there for them to reach their mansion?", he puzzled, waited for my

response.

"Mr.Knight, that cliff path, through which you came inside is the main way. From there, the road divides

into many directions.", I replied, yet I'm still bewildered about their plans.

"That's great. So, this is the first thing we are gonna do.", he took the family image of Tadesse's in his

hand.

"His whole damn family should die at the same place I've fallen from.", he declared, as a wicked smirk

blazed on his face, not even a single ounce of compassion nor guilt flashing in them.

Why should we do that? I don't find any reason to kill them.

I glanced at everyone, as all of their faces look as if it is a normal thing. "Why should we kill the whole

family? Isn't that Tadesse, Our only target?".

"Not anymore.", Raffa declared, ripping the photo, he threw them away.

"Keep this in mind, Ray, in Mafia, mercy doesn't play a role. To attain Power, you should be always

ready to raze everything that deters your path. That is what makes you fit for this job.", he stated, his

sharp eyes unwavering in the decision. And he added furthermore...

"Tadesse is My Mission to complete, but his family is for My woman's Safety.", he began to explain,

loading the bullets inside the guns. So, he is not killing them for the Business.

"If I leave his family alive now, they will come for revenge soon. In case if I kill him and his sons, it looks

like the end now. But, those three teenagers will surely rise for revenge one day.", he proceeded with it

to say further, as he isn't regretting killing a family.

"In the future, their revenge will be on My Flower. I won't let that fucking happen, no one can take her

away from me.", he grumbled under his breath in hostility, just by the thought of it, he is losing his

sanity.

"So, this is the plan.", he began to explain his strategy.

--------

I glimpsed at her face, a pure terror washed over her face now as she wiped off the sweat that forms

on her face with the sleeve.

Fucking dumbass she is, hearing a half segment itself, she is getting scared. And I highly wonder how

in the world that Woman named Rose, fallen for that Raffa?

I began to say further, "After that, we waited over there at the time of night 1, in a hidden spot.

Once we saw the car coming through the cliff path, Raffa made Sniper Red, to shoot the driver. It

ended up winning, the next instant, the car deteriorated from the cliff and crashed onto the river.

We killed the remaining Soldiers, but half of them got killed by Red. After that, we made our way to the

river to examine whether anyone is alive still. I found out that one teen boy and a woman are alive.

Before I could inform Raffa about it, he noticed by himself, that they are alive.

Without giving another thought, he purged the whole damn bullets onto their body wickedly.", I inhaled

a deep breath, after elucidating each and everything about that Raffa.

No one is a good person in Mafia Business, there is no difference between anyone here. All are on the

same chain, combatting for Money and Power.

"When it comes to his woman's safety, he is evolving violent. He doesn't give a fuck about anyone

except her. So, decide for yourself, if he finds out your intent, simply, he will kill you.", I got up to leave

but stopped to convey a word from my side too.

"And if you serve as a threat for My Capo Position, I will kill you with my bare hands before Raffa

does.", I warned, after a long time, finally, I'm gonna get a notable position. I don't want to miss out on

this opportunity.

Before I could move out of her room, I halted in my steps by hearing her word. "I am not coming with

you to NYC, you can go, I will stay here.", she divulged, by taking a wise decision in this.

Thank God! She is not that dumb as I expected her to be...

NEXT-DAY MORNING:

ROSE POV:

I sighed in half-sleep when a familiar warmth blazed onto the back of my skin, sending shivers to my

spine.

My lips parted in pleasure when something delicate nuzzled upwards of my shoulder and made me

shudder.

A faint smile twitched on my lips, knowing who it is, as his seductive lips savored my skin, fiercely.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ferr, moving towards my ear while biting my flesh gentle, to gain

my attention. But I played dumb as if I didn't notice him.

I let out a breathy gasp when I felt the sheet that hunged to my lower body has been taken off, leaving

my body exposed.

I shot a glare at him but it melted down when I gazed at his eyes, they look lively than ever, more

exquisite and a satisfying smile played on his lips.

Trying to ignore the aching pain, that I'm feeling in between my thighs, I turned around wholly to face

him.

I brushed off his side bang hair away from hiding his face and touched his scar. Pulling him close, I

pressed my lips profoundly onto his forehead in a lingering way, and especially onto his flaw before

pulling back.

"Feeling sore?", his eyes crammed with worry and guilt. Despite the fact, I feel sore a bit, I shook my

head negatively.

Many times, he smiled, few are told with his lips. Yet my favorite is when he smiles with his eyes.

The tenderness he had for me frazzles my heart with fulfillment, it's almost overwhelming for me to take

in.

Feeling us becoming one, along with the pain and pleasure, my whole body felt alive, setting blaze onto

my soul like sealing me with him ever. The feeling was so intense, that it brought tears to my eyes, left

me breathless with eclectic sensations in the end.

"What time it is?", I wondered, since the outside is not that much glossy like morning.

"It is morning 5.", he leaned forward towards my lips, but I stopped him, pressing my hands on his

broad chest.

"You know bad breath exists.", I conveyed as he let out a deep chuckle, and pulled the sheet to cover

me.

I prompted him to move back, as he shifted back to bed giving me space. When I sat up, an involuntary

hiss burst out from my mouth because of the burning irritation in my core.

"Does it hurt so much, Flower?", he held my shoulder, as I shook my head side to side, retorted out,

"No, just a little ache."

"Do you got clothes?", he quizzed, his eyes wandered around the room, to get my clothes.

"Yes, over there.", I pointed out the corner, where I kept my clothes. He got up to get them, after taking

it he kneeled in front of me.

"Ferr, wh... what you are doing?", I hesitated, when he took out my underclothes, without responding to

my question.

"Wait, I can wear-", he pressed his finger against my lips, hushing me before shoving off the sheets that

covering my body.

Leaving me exposed, he began to make me wear them as I sat still helpless with my flushed face.

It's so evident, that he is not trying to do anything naughty, but still, his eyes are lurking on my body,

deepening my blush more as if my face painted in red.

"Don't turn red, Flower, only I know what kind of extreme inner battle I'm facing right now for you.", he

huffed, making me laugh.

I tugged his beard playfully making him groan, instantly, his eyes grew dark, a glow of carnal lust flared

in his gaze. Adrenaline and the battle to feel each other deep, reared once again.

"Control.", I whispered, as he took an intense breath before he got up to put on his pants to cool off his

crazy hormones. He left his upper body exposed, since, he made me wear his hoodie.

"Shall we leave?", he gazed at me, waiting for my response, as I gave a nod. Before I could arise from

the bed, without a warning, he lifted me onto his arms making me squeal out.

"No, no... I can walk, outside guards must be-", before I could finish, he made the way outside of the

treehouse, not caring about my protest.

"You're being so mean, not even paying heed to my words.", I frowned, tilting my head to another side,

I cross my arms against my chest. I feel like he is ignoring me purposely.

"I am not gonna pay heed to your words from now on.", he declared, as his words deepened my frown.

"What do you mean?", I murmured, staring at his face, waiting for him to explain the reason behind his

words.

"Because you are always ceasing me from touching you. I won't pay heeds to these negative words.",

he pouted back, copying my actions playfully.

So, these are called negative words in his dictionary? This pervert!

"Let me make clear of one thing to you.", he stared at me, as I persuaded him to continue further, being

curious to know about it.

"You're sore, I can understand that you need time to heal. I'll give you space, but once you recover,

don't expect gentleness from me. Because that's not my thing.", he declared, leaving me appalled. His

voice gravely husky and mellifluous enough to make my wet slit, throb.

Did he just declared candidly to me that he is gonna...

"There is so much stuff I want to do with you once you get heal totally.", he confessed, my eyes went

wide enough to pop out of it as I gaped at him dumbfounded.

Pervy bull...

"And yeah, once you healed, I am gonna take you to honeymoon.", I peered at him in disbelief, he

planned each and everything, now disclosing to me one by one.

"Honeymoon.", I shrieked out but instantly dropped off my voice when guards noticed us.

"What do you mean, honeymoon? We didn't get married yet.", I hissed out, in his ear, in low voice. I

don't know what is going on in his mind anymore.

Firstly, he wanted a baby, since, I don't felt like I have a huge obligation on my way, I loved to have a

baby too.

But now, honeymoon?!

"It's honeymoon before marriage, you know I need a short break from all this, want to spend all of my

time with you. So, once you heal, we are gonna go for a honeymoon, where we can have lots of fun

and guess what, I'm doing you a huge favor too.", he smirked at me cockily, as I looked at him

questionably.

He has planned for a crazy ride, I could see in his eyes, he is optimistic in whatever he is doing and

saying, and that's the only reason I am not stopping him.

"You can scream with all the might you want, without being scared about what if someone will hear you.

It will be just us. So I'm giving you all the freedom to scream. You don't have to thank me for it.", he

persuaded his lips to control the laugh, this jerk making fun of me.

I smirked, knowing how to put him in a place. I unlocked the door using the spare key and closed it

gently so as not to wake my grandparents as they would normally wake up at 5.30. Still, got a little bit

of time left for that.

We went upstairs and I was still in his arms. "I can't wait to have your way with me, Daddy.", I nipped

his earlobe teasingly but quickly I faked as if I didn't say anything.

He stopped in his track and stood still like a statue, startled by my word. He tilted his head towards me

with a wide-eyed. But slowly it turned into a smile as it worked its way across his eyes and into his lips.

He dashed to the room with me still in his arms making me giggle out as he placed me on the bed,

kneeling in front of him. His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Say again.", he held my hand in between his, wildly excited to hear it again.

"What you're talking about?", I got up from the bed cautiously aware of the discomfort in between my

thighs before opening the closet to take the towel.

"Don't play dumb, Flower.", he made me turn around to face him, his one arm gripped my waist, other

cradled my neck roughly.

My fingers traveled onto his face teasingly before I whispered out in an alluring way, "I will say only

when I want to."

"Very soon, I will make you scream that word.", he smirked, his eyes came off in a challenging way.

"Challenge accepted.", I smirked back, eagerly awaiting for him to win the challenge.

Currently, we both are in the dining area, having breakfast with my grandparents together before

leaving for Manhattan.

Ferr sitting beside Grandpa, they both don't talk to each other that much, but there is nothing uneasy

stuff going on in between them. It was an affluent silence in here.

"So, when will you come back to see us again, sweety?", Grandpa probed, he is kinda unhappy about

me leaving with Ferr, when he is the one who accepted it first.

"Very soon, Grandpa. Isn't it Ferr?", I looked at him with hopeful eyes, waiting for his response.

"Sure.", he asserted shortly, going on with his breakfast, half-heartedly.

The fork is prowling around the plate lazily. The only thing that is left now is he didn't sulk like a baby. I

feel as if I changed him into a spoiled brat. I heaved out a sigh, it looks like I need to teach him how to

eat by myself.

"Look, baby, don't go anywhere without him. Always stay beside him. Ok.", Granny feared about my

safety, clutching my hand tight with hers. They accepted Ferr, but I know they did this for my happiness

alone.

"Your happiness is what matters to us in this world.", Grandpa caressed my hair gently, trying hard not

to show his distress, which brought tears to my eyes.

I gathered them in a hug, to ease off their fear. Their hold is stronger than anything I've ever known

after all these years. There is always emphasis on the hug, it'll always enhance you.

After a few seconds, I pulled back as granny wiped off Grandpa's non-existent tears playfully making

me laugh.

"Maria, you know, it's ok to cry if you want.", he teased, doing the same for her by wiping off her non-

existent tears, making me laugh more.4

I tilted my head to see Ferr coming this way. "Shall we leave?", he asked, for which I gave him a nod

and gave a sign for him to talk a few words with my grandparents.

He scraped the nape of his neck, awkwardly, before conceding, "Umm... Don't hesitate to call me, if

you want to see her. I will arrange everything for it."

Hearing that both had a smile on their faces, "Sure. Be safe, and your flaw on the head is not a big

deal. Don't hide them.", Granny pulled off his hoodie down as I told them both the reason why he is

hiding his face.

She stroked his scar gently, as his eyes softened for a moment. He gazed at her hand, then her eyes

with his earthly brown eyes which lurched with lots of emotions in them.

AUTHOR POV:

BLACK PRISON: Orenburg, Russia

The prison cell was a hollow cube of concrete, filled with darkness, one way in, no windows. In there

you could have no idea how much time had passed or even if it was night or day.

No sound, no light, no furniture or cloth of any kind except the electric torture chair, in which the

prisoner has been attached with his head hung down after putting up with all the tortures he received

from the guards.

A prison guard came inside, his walk is as if he is trudging on his tiptoes, to not get caught by a beast.

Despite the fact, he knows that the prisoner is bound to the electric chair, yet the guard is scared to

death.

Take a quiet tiptoe, the guard opened the cell to unravel the belt that draped around the prisoner. With

trembling hands, he raised his hand to remove the belt.

Until the prisoner tilted his head up to meet the guard's face and let out an unpredictable wicked laugh,

scaring the guard as it echoed through like an eruption across the walls.

"What made you afraid of, My Love?", he laughed out again, like a maniac, as blood is oozing out from

his mouth.

"You will spend your whole damn life in this prison.", the guard confided, which outraged the prisoner

yet he laughed again hysterically.

Without unfolding the strap of the prisoner, the guard ran away from the dark cell, which was

specifically created for that one particular criminal.

The guard made his way out, on the way saw another guard, Freddy, who is his close pal.

"What's wrong, Joanna?", Freddy queried seeing his frantic state, as he tried to catch his breath from

running.

"That psycho, after all the torture we gave him, he is still laughing.", he gritted out, hating the fact that

the prisoner is holding this much of power still in this state, for which Freddy heaved out a tired sigh.

"Joanna, you know Moretti Orlov, The Russian UnderBoss. He is dead, only the news got spread but

no one has any idea how he died.", Freddy shared the news with him, but Joanna felt it is not a big

deal. If one criminal is head, another will take the position.

"And rumors spreading on, that the Capone Organization trying to take him out.", Freddy pointed out

towards the direction of the isolated dark cell.

"You mean that Psycho but for what?", Joanna gawked at him with disbelief, not able to believe they

are trying to take A Psycho killer out of the Prison.

"To make him The Russian SottoCapo (UnderBoss). Don't you know who are all his friends?", he

quizzed, making me recollect about his friend's visit to see him.

"Those rich ones, Ferrari, Fury, Daggeron, and Sahore. Everyone knows who they are but couldn't

uncover the sole proof to prove that they are doing illegal.", Freddy informed in a low voice to make

sure no one hears of what we are talking about.

"They visited him so many times, in all these years. They'll do anything to take him out of this prison.

And if that fucking Psycho ready to g... go out. I just don't know what he will d... do to me.", Freddy

strumbled in his words as his mind is clouded with lethal fright.

Freddy and Joanna, both seem upset about this issue, since, they tortured him so many times in

prison, they're scared of what will happen to them if that Psycho decides to come out of the prison.

It's not the law that keeping Psycho in the dark cell. It is him who chose to stay here, as the hatred he

has for the world is inexpressible.