I slowly wriggle out of his embrace.
I feel the presence of another, as if someone is standing behind me.
I turn and see Mario.
His face is implacable, as if he's playing poker - you can't make out anything, no clue whether he's friendly or unforgiving, maybe even dangerous.
"It's time to go," he says coldly and firmly. I look at Jack, who just nods slightly. Without a word, he motions for me to follow Mario. I feel as if I am being half-coerced.
I walk sleepily around the plane.
My body feels heavy and tired, as if all this time sleeping, taking medication and travelling has completely exhausted me.
I feel like I could sleep for two days in a row - all the tension of the last few days has finally worn me out.
I follow Mario to the black Range Rover waiting for us. Without saying a word, he opens the door and I slide into the leather seat. Jack sits on the other side and quietly closes the door behind him.
"Where are we going?" I ask, knowing the answer.
"To my house in the Hollywood Hills," Jack replies, looking straight ahead.
"How many houses do you have?" I ask, trying to break the awkward silence.
"A few... I'm not sure," he replies coldly, not looking at me, his eyes still fixed on the distance.
"Are you always this thin-skinned? I don't know anything about you and I'm supposed to trust you?" I snapped angrily and looked out of the window, trying to avoid his cold expression.
I see Mario's reflection in the rear-view mirror, he looks tense, as if he's controlling everything, maybe even expecting my outburst.
The anger inside me begins to rise.
Here I am, in America, with someone I barely know.
A stranger who has stunned me, brought me across the ocean and now won't tell me even the most basic things about himself.
Jack, in his thirties - I can't even remember exactly.
How can I trust him when the only thing he has told me about himself is his name?
Apart from the fact that our chemistry is undeniable, I want to know more about him. This attraction between us is not enough to satisfy my curiosity or allay my doubts.
I want answers.
I won't stop until he tells me more about himself.
He may think he can keep me in the dark, but I have other plans.
There is too much mystery, too much ambiguity in him for me to just look away.
I look at him again, this time with determination. "You thought that would be enough?" I think to myself. "You still don't know who you're dealing with."
Although the thought of Jack being Don frightens me, I rarely think of him that way. To me, he is just Jack - the handsome man every woman wants. I'm not as interested in his status and power as I am in the chemistry that binds us.
"I'm not always so thin-skinned, I've just had a long day," he replies with a surprisingly soft voice. It's strange that he adds anything at all, as he usually keeps to himself and avoids explanations.
"Right," I say, more sharply than I intended, "if you're feeling up to it, will you tell me why on earth you had to inject me with that medicine?" I work up the courage to look him straight in the eye, determined not to back down until I have an answer.
He gives me his characteristic calm look and then, with equal calmness, says: "You were too scared. Your heart was pounding and I knew there was no other way to get you on the plane".
His cold logic gets on my nerves, but at the same time I cannot deny that I remember the feeling of panic that came over me.
The car moves, the city rushes past us, but my mind drifts.
I looked out the window, at the buildings, the palm trees, the people rushing about their business.
After a few moments I catch a glimpse of the ocean as we drive along the coast.
The waves crashing against the shore make me feel like the world out there is moving even faster than I am.
The road becomes increasingly twisty, winding over hills until, after a long time, we come to a halt at the top.
Ahead of us is a huge four-storey villa.
At first glance, it looks like a fortress - surrounded by a three-metre-high fence that looks impenetrable.
Mario stops the car and presses the remote control. A large iron gate slowly opens, revealing a driveway leading to the front door.
It's all very grand, but at the same time it's frightening - like entering a place where you can't be completely free.
The people here are completely closed in. In Sicily it is different - there is a sense of togetherness, of warmth.
Everybody knows each other, they say hello, they go for coffee and there is no room for alienation.
Everyone knows what is going on with their neighbours, the community breathes as one.
But here, in this part of the world, I feel like everyone is in their own little bubble. They lock themselves away behind high fences and seem to have no interest in anything but their own world.
They are all looking out for themselves, life flows like separate streams, there is none of the real interconnectedness that I know.
When the door finally opens and Mario drives in, it is only then that I realise the scale of this villa.
Despite the darkness, it spreads out before us like a mighty castle dominating the hilltop.
The light from the street lamps and the spotlights from the courtyard only glimpse its outline, but enough to make me realise that it is enormous.
Four storeys tower above us, their large windows peering out into the night like eyes, while the high walls and fence give off a feeling of cold distance.
This place does not exude the warmth of a home, but rather the feeling of a fortress, a hiding place where people and secrets are hidden.
The car stops and before Mario can open the door, I am already outside.
Something about this place, behind the huge fence, makes me feel restless, as if I want to know the answer to all the questions that are running through my head.
Jack comes to my side, his eyes calm and determined.
"Come on, let's go inside," he says in a soft but encouraging voice that makes me feel like I have to follow him.
Still speechless, I stare at the magnificent house in front of me, my mouth agape at the sheer size of it.
The villa looks like something from another world, like a fortress from a historical novel, with secrets lurking around every corner.
I follow Jack as he strides confidently towards the front doors.
They are large, wooden and heavy, as if guarding the entrance to a carefully guarded world where few are allowed.
