by Ali D
“Fuck, my mom about rained holy hell up on this place once she saw me but she knows I can handle myself so she took me out, fixed my hair up, let me pass out for a solid twelve hours and now I’m here. Just don’t ask me to tell you what I’ve got cooked up for the precious princess, yeah?”
She’s still staring at me with her big ass doe eyes and I’m not really sure what to do with that. Pure, unfiltered shock crosses her features before fear becomes apparent and has her face losing color real fast.
“Uh, Steph, you ok? I’m obviously fine. Snap out of it.” I snap my fingers a few times before I register what actually has her on edge. I feel them before I see them. How did I miss them sneaking up on me? Did they hear what I said? Shit. Shit. Shit. I turn to face the three of them head on ready for our usual back and forth but what I see stops me dead in my tracks.
“What did you say?” I stare up into the depths of those green eyes and feel the fury pouring out of them like a physical attack.
“Uhh, what?” I take a small step back.
“You heard ‘Teo, Q. What did you just say about Avery?”
I turn to meet up with those hazel eyes that seem equally angry.
“Don’t worry about it boys, I can handle my own shit.” I say as I try to bypass them to go to class.
Noah moves to step in front of me, running a soft finger down my arm. “Yeah, we all know what a feisty queen you are. The thing is, is that you shouldn’t have to. You’re ours now and we take care of what’s ours.” He whispers just loud enough for only those in our small circle to hear.
Shivers race down my spine at his touch and his words, but I do my best not to flinch. I don’t want to give these boys anything.
* * *
By lunch, word has spread and now the whole damn school thinks I’m fucking all three of those damn goons in the royal circle. First, I’m trash and now I’m a gold digging whore according to the gossip flowing through this place. Furious, I practically sprint to the dining hall. SB can barely keep up, huffing and puffing, trying to hold me back from causing a scene. I stop behind the three idiots running their mouths, just in time to hear Noah say,
“Oh, yeah. She’s ours alright. Ours to share amongst the three of us. Only the three of us. Don’t get any ideas and don’t think I haven’t noticed you checking out her ass in gym, Riley. I’ll-”
“You’ll what, huh? What are you gonna do? ‘Cause last I checked, I was a single woman capable of making her own decisions. Maybe the three of you just can’t satisfy my needs.” I look at them pointedly before scanning the lunch table.
“Which one of you is Riley?” I look up and all the guys at the table all point to a blonde kid at the end. All in all, he’s pretty average and doesn’t heat me up the way the kings do, but no one else needs to know that. These guys need to be brought down a peg or two. How dare they tell anyone that I belong to them. The fuckheads. I saunter over to Riley and swing my leg over his legs to settle on his lap. Wiggling around a bit, I reach the desired effect. I feel him getting hard underneath me, yet I still feel nothing. Looking down into his eyes, I draw my arms up to wrap around his neck then slowly lick my bottom lip before biting into it softly to draw attention to my mouth.
“So, you check out my ass, huh? How does it feel now that you’ve got it in your lap?” I chuckle lightly, letting my breath fan across his skin, causing him to get goosebumps all along his skin. The poor guy is wide eyed and clearly torn between getting his ass kicked by the royals and getting to touch me. I run the tip of my finger down his cheek.
“Focus on me Riley. Do you want me?” I whisper.
Still wide eyed, he nods once and gulps loudly when I lean in to place a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, it’s barely even a caress of my mouth on his. I watch as his wide eyes dilate, becoming hooded while his breathing becomes more labored. All of the sudden I’m yanked back and lifted into the muscular warmth of Matteo’s arms. My back suddenly pulled against his front, his very hard front.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, my queen.” He whispers, nuzzling into the crook of my neck from behind. Instantly, I’m wet and needy. Stupid motherfucker. I hate that they all affect me so damn much.
I hear the other two assholes yelling as I’m being flipped around to face him before he throws me over his shoulder and rushes out of the dining hall. I look up just in time to see Noah take a swing at poor Riley and knock him the hell out. Poor guy. It wasn’t even his fault. But damn, their possessiveness is hot as hell.
No.
These guys are dick heads. I’d rather eat dirt than fall for one of them.
I’m so consumed by my internal debate that I don’t even realize what’s happening. Next thing I know, I’m being thrown down on some poor teachers desk in an empty room in the musical wing and once again am devoured by Matteo. He holds nothing back as he invades my mouth, curling my tongue against his. He nips at my lips in between kisses, making me want him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone before. It throws up all of my internal red flags and caution signs.
“Stop! Matteo, you have to stop.” I push off of him as much as possible to put a little distance between us.
“You. Are. Mine.” he growls.
“No. I’m really not. That show of male dominance out there doesn’t prove anything. I’m not some plaything to be used and toyed with between the three of you. This isn’t just some sick game you can play with me. I’m not a joke. I’m not a prank. I’m not going to break just because you give me a little attention. You have to stop.”
“Are you serious right now? You think this is all some fucking joke? You are mine, not for a prank, not as a show for the idiots at this school. You are meant for me, Cohen and Noah. Just you fucking wait, you’ll see.” He all but yells at me before he abruptly turns and stomps out of the room.
“What the fuck was that?” I whisper. Putting my face in my hands as I try to regain some of my good sense.
“That, my love, was your man holding back from tearing this place down brick by brick after your little display of disobedience.” I peek through my fingers and see Cohen posted up against the doorway, with his arms crossed over his chest. Scrubbing my hands up and down my face in exasperation before giving him my full attention.
“Look Q, you may not fully understand everything that’s going on yet, but I think you have the right to know. Come your eighteenth birthday, you are due to be wed to Matteo. It was a deal made long ago by your great grandfather in order to marry the love of his life. When you were kidnapped, I think new deals were made but everything changed again when everyone lost their minds over you being found. Everything is up in the air but once he found out about the marriage clause, he’s been determined to make you his. To make you ours. It’s like something snapped in him and he was finally allowed to show us all his affection for you.”
I look up at Cohen in horror, registering everything he just said. He lifts my chin and places the gentlest of kisses to my mouth. My desire for him turns into dread, then morphs into disgust and indignation.
“Don’t you even dare fucking touch me after telling me all that depraved and repulsive information. I’m not an item to be given away or sold! I swear to god, if you are fucking with me-” He grasps my hands, holding me tight.
“I’m not, I swear. You belong to us. It has something to do with combining the territories when we all come of age. I think you need to talk to your grandfather. He’s the one who’s been trying to renegotiate the deals. If this doesn’t happen though, there will be an all-out war. Alessandra, he’s la Don. Do you know what that means?” My eyes widen in sheer terror as I nod.
“He’s the biggest mafioso on the west coast.”
Chapter Five.
Alessandra.
Ever since Cohen dropped all of those bombs on me, I’ve felt myself shutting down. I haven’t talked to anyone. My mom and SB have tried but I’m so angry with both of them, I can’t even stand to look at them. The betrayal burns deeps through me when
I think of all of the conversations we’ve had and neither one of them bothered to tell me anything. Both of them hold a sickening amount of knowledge on me and my family history. They had to know something and yet they chose to say nothing. The guys have all tried to talk to me, but I don’t have the energy to fight with them right now. I feel like I went from one real life horror story to another, but this one is masked as a fairytale. Instead, I’ve focused on my studies. I passed midterms with flying colors. Thanks to extra credit and the MMA club after school counting towards my GPA, I’m now sitting at the top of my class with a four point two GPA. I’m not gonna lie, it felt amazing to knock Avery off of her pedestal. I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty to get back at her. I’m in her head. She thinks I’ve stolen her men. She knows I’ve taken away her spot for head of class. Two of the most important things to her. At this rate, she’ll drive herself crazy and I won’t have to do a damn thing. I mean, I’m still going to ruin her, but this definitely makes my job easier.
I’ve got my sadeyes playlist streaming through my bluetooth speakers as I lay on my bed and search through my Kindle app for something to read. I need something with a happy ending because it seems I’ll never get my own. I’ve been fighting my whole life to escape to something better. I foolishly thought after coming here that this would be that escape. I finally got the mom, the best friend, the house and a school that challenges me in all of the ways that I need. I have full access to a gym, and I get to fight because I enjoy it. For the first time I’m not fighting for my life, for food or to pay off Lauren’s drug debt. What a joke. How could I let myself become so naive?
I need a plan. I need to get out of here. I won’t marry anyone unless it’s because I want to, because I’m in love, and I’ll do it on my own terms. If I ever do it at all. I’m not exactly a believer in all things heart and flowers. I don’t think romance is real life and I think love is for people who want to con themselves into the idea of happily ever after. All in all, it’ll be a hard fucking sell to get me to marry anyone. I most definitely won’t accept an arranged marriage. This isn’t the 1800’s for fucks sake. How is it fair that my great grandpa gets to marry the love of his life but expects his heirs to get married off on his behalf. What a stupid, selfish prick. I’m glad I never knew him. I’d likely have kicked him in the balls.
Thank buddha it’s Thanksgiving break, I need time to work through all of this. If I leave, then I put my future in jeopardy and all of my hard work was for nothing. I’m still a legal minor for just over a year and mom will fall apart if I disappear again. I have ten days to come up with a legitimate plan. Ten days that I don’t have to talk to anyone or do anything. Apparently my elusive, infamous grandfather will be here on Thursday for Thanksgiving, so it looks like my new goal is to get him on my side. It’s the only logical way to do this so that I can get an education and hopefully get out of here after graduation without all of this marriage nonsense. As far back as I can remember, college has been the dream. It’s my one way ticket to my own life. It’s been my only real goal. I need a scholarship so I can make my own way. One way or another. This is my life and I won’t be sold off to anyone, I don’t care how stunning they are.
* * *
“Knock, knock! Happy Thanksgiving sweet girl.” Mom peeks her head in my door. I’ve been up for a couple of hours but I’m still lying in bed reading. I look over to see mom giving me a tentative smile.
“I just wanted to let you know that these flowers came for you this morning. There’s a card, but I didn’t read it. Black is an awfully strange color rose to send to someone though, so I’ll admit, I’m curious. They typically signify death. A boy at your school probably thought that they looked badass or something though, yeah?” She looks to me questioningly and holds out a vase with at least a dozen black roses, crossing my room to put them on my side table. I give her a shrug in response because fuck those flowers. I’m sure the guys sent them, but I won’t be bothered to read their card. I am not playing this game with them.
“Also, your grandpa just got here. I know you’ve been anxious to talk to him.” She hesitantly takes the initiative to walk into my room and sits on my bed.
“I wish you would talk to me. I’d love to know what I’ve done that made you shut down the way you have. It’s killing me that I’ve hurt you somehow.” She pushes some hair out of my face to look at me better. I’ll admit, I don’t want to be mad at her, but it feels like she’s keeping so much from me and all of it is really, really bad. How could she sit by and let me get sold off to someone?
“I need you to be really honest with me right now mom.” I stare at her dead on, watching for even the slightest hint of deception.
“Do you know about the arranged marriage? Do you know about the deal made by your grandpa? The one that essentially marries me off like I’m property and not a human fucking being. I mean, you have to know who your dad is and what he does. What does he have to say about all of this?”
I watch her eyes widen and then her face crumble under the weight of my words, as she registers everything I’ve just said.
She didn’t know.
She regains her composure as she connects the dots. I can see her mind working in overdrive as she takes the information I’ve just been given and pieces it together with the things she does know.
“No.”
Just one word. Just one statement. She’s on my side. I can read the fierce determination in her gaze.
“That will not happen. I do know of some of it but I thought it had been taken care of. I don’t care what anyone says or what deals were made. We’ll talk to your grandpa. There’s no way he’d agree to this. He’ll know what to do. Get up and get ready. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
She gets up and walks to my door, turning around to say,
“we’ll figure this out together. I love you.” she smiles at me and then starts shutting the door behind her. Only once my door is firmly shut do I whisper back.
“I love you too mama.”
* * *
After taking my sweet time showering and finding an old outfit from my Chicago days, black ripped skinny jeans and a black midriff tank covered by an open oversized plaid red and black button up, with my go-to combat boots and knife, I throw my hair up in a topknot and figure that this is as good as it is gonna get. Part of me feels like it’s armor. It takes me back to the days that I was fighting for my life daily. It’s a reminder that this new fancy world isn’t actually me. I’m in control of my life and I can play dirty if need be. Squaring my shoulders and relaxing my face into a neutral expression, I brace myself to meet a real life mob boss and walk down the stairs. Passing through the foyer, I hear yelling off to the right. As I follow the sound, I hear that mom is the one yelling.
“How dare you come into my home! All this time and you knew where she was. You knew who took my baby away from me! How dare you deny it. You’re trying to tell me that you didn’t orchestrate this whole thing and didn’t try to get Lauren fucking Davis to kill my daughter?!”
“It wasn’t fucking me!” A man’s voice yells back.
“You had better believe that I’ll find that that’s the truth or I will make you fucking pay for every moment you took her away from me, you evil son of a bitch. You have two seconds to get out of my house! Get out before I fucking shoot you!” My mom is basically snarling, from the sounds of it.
I make a run for moms office and burst through the door just as mom whips a gun from a thigh holster she had under her dress. I fall back into my natural defensive stance, grabbing up my knife, ready to help mom take on anyone. Scanning the room, I see a very tall, handsome older man with dark hair, only slightly graying at the temples, looking vicious standing to face off with another man who appears to be my mom’s age. He’s holding his hand out to mom, palm towards her, as if to say “Not yet.” The guy looks familiar, but I don’t have time to think about that now since mom has her gun trained on him with a look to kill in her eyes.
; “Someone needs to explain what’s going on! Right now!”
I yell into the room. Three pairs of eyes swing my way, two sets of them matching mine own, both of them exuding a fury that I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of. One set of eyes looks my way and I almost stumble back at the brunt force behind the green eyes I know so well. Only these ones have a few more creases surrounding them. This man is Matteo’s father. It’s clear as day, he’s almost a spitting image of the young devil, himself. Those eyes though, they glow with malevolence toward me in a way that his son’s never have, even at his worst. This man is pure evil and he hates me. I can sense it with every fiber of my being. It sends a shiver down my spine and I do everything I can to conceal it from his disturbing gaze.
“Ah, here she is. You’ve turned out to be quite a beauty. I see why my son is so taken with you. You look much like your mother at that age.” he leers at me, lust clouding his stare. Whether it’s at me or memories of my mom, I’m unsure. It’s fucking disgusting either way.
“First of all, I’m not a piece of meat. My eyes are up here” I point at my face.
“Secondly, I don’t give a single fuck who you are or if your son is the goddamn King of England, I have no interest. It appears as though you’ve overstayed your welcome. Now, unless you’d like my lovely mother here to shoot you where you stand, I suggest you get the fuck out.” I keep my voice low and level and I keep my head high. If I've learned anything, it’s that you don’t show men like this weakness. You own who you are and what you say, then you back it the fuck up.
“Make sure you don’t come back this way.” I hear the older man growl with a slight lilt of an Italian accent.
“If you do, bring an army because it will mean war.”