Hidden in Darkness: A Mafia Love Story

by Ali D

  * * *

  The final bell rings right as I walk into my first class of the day. At least I won’t be considered tardy.

  “It’s lucky we have the exact same schedule, right?” Steph shoots me another little wink that tells me luck had nothing to do with it.

  “C’mon SB, don’t tell me you’re a computer hacker as well as a top notch stalker. I’m starting to fear for my life” I joke.

  I realize only too late that the entire class is deadly quiet, and everyone is staring directly at us. Thankfully my supposed new bff takes it in stride and just smiles the cheesiest smile I’ve ever seen before laughing. The teacher looks up and just points to the two open desks at the back of the class.

  “You must be Miss Salvatore, I’m Mr. Francis, your new World History teacher. Take a seat and we’ll get started.”

  The pudgy little man turns toward his whiteboard and starts listing our assignments for the week. While walking to the back row of seats, I get tripped up by a prissy looking girl in the middle of the class. She glares at me with an ugly pinched facial expression on an otherwise lovely face.

  “You might want to watch where you’re going, trash. In fact, why don’t you just turn yourself around and walk back out. It doesn’t matter what name is on the building, we all know you don’t belong here.” She sneers.

  A few snickers can be heard around the room but nothing that catches the attention of the teacher, that or he’s studiously ignoring the blatant bitchiness that is this girl. So, it’s gonna be like that, huh. Freaking fabulous. And here I was hoping we could skip the cliché mean girl routine.

  Take a deep breath and do not smack a bitch on your first day. I remind myself internally. Leaning down I get directly in her face and give her a deadly smile,

  “hm, so I’m trash, huh? Where I come from, it takes a lot more than some catty, stuck up bitch running her mouth to make me back down. In fact, where I come from, you earn your place in sweat and blood. You earn it by being the smartest and being willing to fight it. Hear me now princess. I’m here to stay, so unless you wanna go toe to toe for that invisible crown you’re toting around, step up your game or shut the fuck up.”

  I stand up to my full height at five foot eight, my boots making me a solid five foot ten, square up and stare her down. I look her dead in the eye so she can see how serious I am. Everyone always looks down on me until they see what I’m capable of, and why? Because they come from money or a higher status? Fuck that. These fools are gonna learn real quick that when it comes to me, respect is earned. I give not even one single fuck about these people, their status, or their superiority complex. They need to stay out of my way. I’m here to get a diploma, the end.

  She scoffs

  “Ugh, whatever trash.” She says but doesn’t fight back like I expected.

  As soon as I’m sure she knows what’s up. I make my way back to the back and flop down in my seat.

  “Damn girl, that was hot! I love me a good cat fight!” A smooth voice, full of rambunctiousness and excitement greets me.

  I scowl up at the guy sitting in front of me and make note of how he’s looking at me like he’s starving and I’m his snack. Eyes sparkling with playfulness and maybe just a hint of something deeper, something darker. These Richie Rich assholes affect my attitude in the worst way. I need to rein it in and play it smart, not dirty. It’s clear this dude is looking to get the shit smacked out of him. The thing is, I can’t tell if it’s because he wants to get me kicked out or because he’d actually enjoy the beating. I can already see that these people are entitled as fuck. The ones who consider themselves royalty, are going to do whatever it takes to push me until I snap. I gotta give it to ‘em though. It would be the fastest way to get me kicked out, since I’m sure they’ve all heard about the fighting from my old school.

  “Ohh, I see. Pretty boy likes ‘em feisty, yeah?” I smirk and bat my eyelashes at him obnoxiously. He smiles like he’s just won me over, licking his admittedly delicious full lips and leans in like he means to tell me a secret.

  “Yeah Alessandra, I do. How about you follow me out to the gym after class and you can show me how well you work that feisty ass mouth of yours.” He whispers.

  “Ha!” I laugh louder than I mean to.

  “You’d have a better chance at getting me to fuck your pretty little princess up there. I don’t do fuckboys. No offense but even I can see that, pretty you may be but as far as I can tell, you’re just the court jester in this big ass ‘kingdom’. Nah, I can’t be bothered with any of that.”

  He narrows his molten chocolate eyes, allowing that hint of darkness to burn bright through those alluring irises, then pushes some of his thick blonde hair out of his face, much longer on the top and shaved close on the sides, as he frowns. I much prefer his smile, if I want to be honest with myself but no, he’s an asshole and I don’t cave for cute boys.

  “So that’s how it’s going to be?” He masks his fury at being turned down quickly, giving me a devilish smirk.

  “I like a girl that’ll make me work for it.” With that he turns around and faces forward, ignoring my entire presence for the rest of class.

  * * *

  “What the hell was that?! I thought I told you to get it together, not bring on the full force of the royal court! We need to game plan. Fast. You just pissed off some of the most influential people in the school. You’re lucky I like you.” SB practically drags me through the halls as she goes on her tirade.

  “That was Avery Arden and she’s vicious. One year she literally had a girl tied up to the football stadium stairs, butt ass naked, then had people cover her in horrible names and sayings in permanent ink, she had it filmed and blasted all over everyone’s socials. All because she got drunk and kissed Matteo at a party. That poor girl moved to, like, Ohio or Arkansas or something. Avery is the daughter of Angelo Arden. CEO and majority shareholder to Arden Entertainment, one of the top multimedia conglomerates on the west coast, she’s at the top of our class with a perfect four point o GPA. She’s captain of the girls’ field hockey team and is the lead dancer on the school dance team. She’s obsessed with the royals and she’ll likely see you as her biggest threat so be prepared for that disastrous mess. That guy you were flirting with is one of Matteo’s best friends, Noah Bailey. I mean, he may seem cute and funny but that’s a dangerous game to play. There’s an undercurrent of cruelty there. He’s a beast on damn near any sports field he plays on. He’s a big time ladies’ man. He doesn’t really care about school but he’s wicked smart, he plays it off but if you pay attention you’ll notice. He flies under the radar and only gets well enough grades that he can play football and field hockey. But seriously, keep your eyes open with him. If I were you, I’d steer clear of him. In fact, I’d keep my distance from all of them. You’ve hardly interacted with them and you’ve already got a target on your back. You haven’t even met Cohen yet. God forbid you piss him off. He’s the analytical one. He’ll map out how to torture you, cover every possible outcome, gauge how you’ll react on pure instinct and he’ll be right. He’s literally never wrong. He’ll go over it with his boys and Matteo will be the final call on whether or not to torment you. Do not make an enemy of them.” She looks genuinely panicked at the thought.

  “Shh, take a deep breath. I’m made of tougher stuff than I look. Everything will be ok.” I say, doing my best to console this girl, but she’s still practically a stranger. She huffs out an angry breath in response.

  “It’s moments like these that you prove just how new you are. Guys like them only see you as a shiny new toy to play with, break and throw away. Your only saving grace will come from being related to your grandfather. Look, I know that you have this thing for fighting but damn, it’s your first day. You need to cool it before people get hurt.”

  “Girl, seriously. Calm the fuck down. I didn’t do anything wrong. That bitch is the one who started shit, I just intend to finish it if need be. I don’t know how everyone out here defends t
hemselves but I’m not about that bully game. If they wanna try it with me. They're gonna learn.”

  “Um, seriously? Do you like trouble? I guess it makes sense what with your bloodline but still-”

  She looks at me wide eyed and fearful. She didn’t mean to say that. It doesn’t take long for her to avert her gaze.

  “SB, look at me. What the hell are you talking about? My bloodline? I barely even have any family. Just Cecelia and my grandpa, whom I still have yet to meet. It’s nothing special.” I try to get her to look at me, but she won’t.

  “Come on, we’ll be late to physics if we don’t hurry. Let’s drop the heavy stuff and game plan later. Just please, try to keep your cool for the rest of the day? Plus, lunch is after our next class and I don’t know about you but that’s my favorite subject.” She skips ahead forcing laughter.

  I have no idea what just happened but whatever, I hate being late for class. I’m sure I’ll figure it out sooner or later.

  * * *

  I’m not gonna lie, today was exhausting and I’m so glad school is out. I only got into one fight, and it was during my gym class so hardly anyone even noticed. That girl won’t be coming at me again though now that she knows how I’ll make her plastic face look more like ground beef. Hopefully, she’ll spread the word that I’m not the one to mess with. Other than that, there were some whispers here and there about me being trash or ghetto filth and someone got clever and actually filled me locker with garbage. I had kept all my stuff in my bag though, so I didn’t even flinch. They’ll have to try much harder to really bother me. My favorite rumor so far is that I’m not actually a Salvatore, but someone who’s scamming my family for access to the real Alessandra's inheritance. I’m not mad though. Not many are brave enough to confront me and a few put downs or small pranks aren’t enough to scare me off. The royals on campus didn’t even acknowledge my existence today so I won’t concern myself with them until I absolutely have to. Lunch was crazy delicious though. SB was right, it’s my new favorite subject. They have actual menus to order from. It’s a little insane to me that it’s run more like a restaurant, considering my old school could hardly make food that didn’t taste like an old microwave dinner. My classes all went well but now that I’m finally walking out to my car, I’m wishing I hadn’t parked so far. My bag isn’t as light as it was this morning. I have a lot to catch up on so I’m bringing everything home. Thank god, most stuff is digital now and can be submitted through my school issued MacBook. It’s going to be a long night for sure. SB was parked in the main lot, so she bailed on me a few minutes ago but she’s definitely starting to grow on me. She’s both intriguing and annoying. I can’t remember a time I had anyone that I could actually call my friend. I guess only time will tell if it lasts but I’m not counting on anything. She made me call her from my phone and told me she’d text me later, but I won’t hold my breath. She literally just spent all day with me.

  I go to click the key fob, looking up to see where I parked my car, except it isn’t here. I pull my school map out to make sure I’m not missing something but no, it should be right here.

  Fuck.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  Is this actually happening? My car got stolen on my first goddamn day?! The other shit was petty and kind of expected, considering I’m the new girl but this is too fucking much. I thought this fancy ass school had legit security and shit. Fuck me. I pull out my phone to call Cecelia when I hear that unmistakable gravelly voice behind me.

  “Lose something?” I turn to see Matteo, flanked by two guys. Great, he brought along Tweedledum and Tweedledee. I recognize the blonde one as Noah. This other guy though, he must be the last of the remaining ‘kings’, what was his name? Camden. Captain. Maybe Corbin? Also, why are all of these guys too attractive to look at directly? It’s like they were manufactured in a lab or something. Normal dudes don’t look like this, that’s for damn sure.

  “What. The. Fuck. Did you do?”

  I’m so mad I almost don’t notice how close they get as they move in on me. Well, fuck that. I’m not getting boxed in by three giant ass guys. Dropping my bag and quickly pulling my knife from my boot, I fall into a defensive stance like it’s second nature. The newest member of the bunch, this flawless boy with dark hair highlighted with auburn streaks in the sun and soul crushing hazel eyes, holds up his hands as if he’s defenseless and not the one moving in on me, but his calculating gaze gives him away.

  “Whoa, calm down Q. We just came out here to talk to you.” His attempt at passive might work on someone else but I know a threat when I see one. Q? As in Quinn? No one here so far has called me by my requested name, not even SB. This feels a lot like manipulation.

  “Fuck you, Red. Where’s my car?” I respond to the new guy but look to Matteo, since he’s clearly the ringleader.

  “Bro, I’m dead ass serious. My car had better be back here and in perfect condition within the next five minutes.”

  “Or what? Hmm? What do you think a tiny girl like yourself can do to the three of us?” He holds out his hands, gesturing to his boys on either side of him. Confidence exuding from his pores as he gives me a smug grin. He no doubt thinks because they are bigger and clearly stronger than me, that I’ll be intimidated. Not today fuck face.

  Moving fast, I don’t have time to think about it as I swing my leg around and kick Noah in the chest with all my weight, catching him off guard comes to my advantage and has him flying backwards. I throw my elbow back into Red’s solar plexus and then drop my fist into his groin. Without watching to see him drop to his knees, I fling myself upright and slam my booted foot on Matteo’s instep and throw my knife up to meet his jugular, just close enough to make a small knick but not enough to actually cut him deep. I watch the small trickle of blood for a moment before moving my gaze to his.

  “You don’t wanna know what a small girl like me is capable of Your Majesty.” I say with a smirk as I back away slowly.

  “Get my car back here. Now. Day one and I’m already done dealing with your bullshit. Un-fucking-believable.”

  “So. Fucking. Hot. Can we keep her? Please?! C’mon, just imagine how good it could be. You know she’s going to be wild in bed, maybe even a little dangerous.” I swing my gaze over to Noah, noting the malicious gleam radiating from his eyes. He’s a deviant freak, that one. My body apparently appreciates that about him but actually, fuck that.

  Laughing I remind him,

  “Nah, pretty boy. You already know I don’t get down with the court jester. Try someone in your own league.” I look over and see Red getting up off the ground, scowling.

  “I have a name you know, it’s Cohen, Cohen Beckett. Feel free to use it.” He turns an appreciative look my way before he locks it down. I doubt many people get the better of him and he’s trying to figure me out because of it. He likes this. I’m a problem for him to solve, an impossible equation. I give him a blank stare in return. You’ll get nothing from me, sir.

  “Hm, I like Red better. Plus, I have absolutely no intention of talking to you beyond this, so no need for the formalities. Just let me know where you hid my car and then kindly fuck off.” I say in the snarkiest tone I can muster.

  A low growl rumbles out of Matteo. And I genuinely wish my body would stop reacting to it.

  “Your car is parked outside the campus gates, on the street. It’s probably fine. I just made sure the trash got taken out.” He tells me, reluctantly.

  “Wow, Your Majesty, quite the class act. I feel thoroughly enlightened by your words. I think I might even be smart enough to understand what you’re saying, I’m the low level trash that came in and sullied up your beautiful kingdom. Am I right? Is it my name written across the front of the building? Somehow, my presence affects you, but why? I never wanted your kingdom. I wanted to come here, lay low and get my diploma. In fact, I haven’t even told anyone my name. It’s everyone else in the school that’s felt the need to bring it up. It was them that knew who I was before I got here. It was
them throwing my newfound name in my face like I had any control over it. I didn’t ask to come here! So, fuck all of you for thinking so highly of yourselves that you thought I’d give two shits about taking your crown. If any of you had bothered to talk to me instead of acting like immature pieces of shit, you’d know that. But now? Ha, now I’m going to find out why you’re so threatened by my being here and I’m going to use it to make your life hell. It can’t just be my last name. Now, I’m going to make this so-called kingdom mine. You just signed that threat with your own blood on my knife. I can’t wait to see you fall to your knees before me.” I turn towards my car and walk away without waiting for a response from any of them. I hear the telltale growl though.

  “This isn’t over Alessandra. We’ll be watching you. You’re bound to fuck up sooner or later and then you’ll be gone again. I’m going to make sure of it.”

  I flip him off, but I don’t look back.

  Chapter Four.

  Alessandra.

  “Damn girl, I’m so proud of you. You made it through your first week of school. I don’t know how you managed, in just one freaking week, to get caught up in every single class and make a name for yourself in fight club. Everyone is now walking on eggshells around you because, you bitch, are fierce as hell. They are all basically shit their pants, scared of you, and let me tell you, it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Quite the one eighty from your first day. The royal court is watching your every move, the kings especially, which is driving all of the female race crazy.” SB says, almost looking high she’s so delirious with excitement. “Seriously, my bestie is dope, y’all!” She yells to the universe, before turning her starry eyed gaze back to me, or her Facetime app, I guess.

  “Hey, can I be you when I grow up?” SB is cracking herself up right now so I turn down the volume on my phone because, holy hot damn, that girl can be loud. I really am starting to like her and it’s freaking me out.