by Ali D
“It turns out that your pretty princess went behind your back to get me kicked out of school and now it’s time for me to handle things. I let you guys do it your way, but she outmaneuvered you so now it’s my turn.”
“What the fuck? Are you serious? What happened?” All three guys come at me at once. Feeling justified in my shitty attitude, I feel all the residual anger coursing through my veins.
“Well, it turns out that Avery has not only been sneaking around with the headmaster, but she’s also been using it as a tool to stay at the top of the social pyramid and keep her grades at the top of the class list. They were using each other, among other things”
I look into the eyes of each of my guys.
“Your little girlfriend tried to get the headmaster to expel me due to cheating on my tests and bullying other students into completing my classwork. Supposedly several students came forward to file complaints against me. What neither of them knew was that I have cameras covering damn near every inch of that office and I have enough live film documented and saved to put him in jail for the remainder of his life, and sabotage her into nonexistence. She’s going to regret ever coming for me, I promise you that. You’ve all tiptoed around her for too long and that’s done now. I cut up his face a little and stabbed him in the leg. He’s tied up in his office chair for now but mom and nonno’s guys are on their way to handle the rest. That fucker will be lucky to breathe his last breath beyond the day's end. P.S. you all might want to get checked. He was into some pretty nauseating shit and who knows how long it’s been going on.”
I’m still running hot after everything and it’s probably the worst time to get into it with the guys. I’m lashing out. They don’t actually deserve my jabs at their previous relationships with Avery. I know they care and that’s why they are so mad, but I don’t need Matteo in my face while Clifford’s blood is still warm on my knife. I need to decompress. I need to fight.
“C’mon Q, don’t be like that. You’re it for us, how many times do we need to tell you? Are you really mad about some girl we hooked up with before we even knew you existed?” Cohen looks at me with a hurt in his eyes that I don’t want to give recognition to.
Yes, for some unbeknownst reason I’m incredibly angry that they ever had that stupid bitch. I wish I could deny the ugly green goddess within my psyche but let’s be real. I’m jealous that she’s had them in a way that I haven’t and am not fully ready to. It makes me feel weak and stupid for even having these thoughts and feelings.
“I just need some time, Red. Can you give me that? A lot has happened today, and I just need to go home and be alone for a bit.” I look up and see each one of them staring back with a mixture of concern and frustration, and eventually resignation. They know not to push me right now and I am eternally thankful for that.
* * *
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap! It feels so good to hit the heavy bag. I needed this release. There’s just something so fulfilling about working out my muscles to complete exhaustion. Throwing up a few more kicks against the heavy bag, I decide to move on to the speed bag. I still feel an energy buzzing throughout my body though and I know I won’t be able to settle until I run it out. I feel a deep-seated need to wear myself out until I collapse, and my brain just shuts down. Today was a lot, and not even because of the mafia vibes running through my veins but I didn’t expect to feel so many more feelings to hit me about the royals. Rushing to my room, I grab my running shoes and a lightweight jacket. I send a quick text to mom to let her know that I’m leaving the estate to run the hills between us and the rest of civilization. Throwing my earbuds in and blasting music on shuffle at full blast. I start running down our driveway and by the time I make it to the gate, the guards are on high alert. They seem to be unaware of the fact that I am going running but now that they see me, it would be pretty cool if they could open the gates. I slow to a stop so I can speak to them since my obvious running attire isn’t telling them to open up.
“Hey, can you let me out? I’m trying to get in a run.” I huff out. I pull out my headphones when the guard starts to talk, and I realize I can’t hear him.
“Miss Salvatore, we can’t let you go out alone today. We received word from your grandfather that there’s been a threat issued. He didn’t say if it was directed towards you or not but as a precaution, we’ll have to escort you back into the house. Call your grandfather as soon as you can please.”
I level them with a look and start back towards the house. Looking at my phone, I realize I have missed texts from nonno, Cohen and Noah.
Nonno: Stay indoors and call me as soon as you can.
Cohen: Q! I’m coming to you. Stay in your house.
Noah: Alessandra, something has happened. Matteo is in the hospital. We are coming to see you. Please lock yourself up in your room. Set the alarms.
I call my nonno as soon as I see the texts. Confusion coloring my tone as soon as he gets on the line.
“La mia luce, I’m glad to hear your voice. Are you in the house?”
“No, nonno. I’m walking back inside now. I wanted to go for a run but the guards at the gate wouldn’t let me through and then I got your text. What’s going on? Noah texted that Matteo is in the hospital. What happened?”
“Matteo went home after school and someone shot him, the boys had come home shortly after him and found him in time to call an ambulance, but he is in critical condition and needs significant medical attention. The boys are on their way to you. We haven’t figured out who the immediate threat is and with you as a potential target, I need you to stay with them. They will go to the ends of this earth to keep you safe and I know Matteo wouldn’t trust anyone else with you. I have guards coming to stay stationed outside of the house. Your mama will be here with me. There’s enough food and drink here to last a month and we have full video surveillance set up so you can stay on top of Matteo’s prognosis after his surgery. You have full access to the weapons room and there’s an alarm control panel in each room. Oh, and you’ve been excused from school for the foreseeable future. I’ve already made arrangements for Clifford so no need to concern yourself with any of that nonsense further. Please stay safe Tesoro. Call me if you need anything.”
“Wait, so I can’t go see him at the hospital? He can’t be alone right now. Where’s his father? The boys should go stay with him if I can’t. Nonno, he can’t be alone, it isn’t fair.”
“Calm down mia nipote cara, it’s a live feed so he will know you are with him via video chat. His father is missing, and we haven’t heard from him, I fear he may have caught onto our snooping and may be responsible and has gone into hiding for the time being. Matteo won’t want the boys there if he feels you are in danger, but I’ll have guards stationed with him until the threat has been neutralized. Stay where you are, and Noah will set up the live feed as soon as he gets there. Ti amo, la mia luce.”
“Ti amo, nonno. I’ll speak with you soon.”
I enter the house on high alert, doing everything I can not to let my feelings swallow me whole. If I think too hard on how hurt my king is, I know I’ll fall apart and now is not the time. What in the actual fuck is going on? Why would someone target Matteo? I decide to take a quick walk through the house. Immediately I regret not arming myself for my run. I have a very bad feeling about this day and I just know that the trouble isn’t over yet. I head towards the kitchen to grab a knife. Something is off about the timing of everything. It’s too suspicious that the same day that everything went down with the headmaster and Avery, Matteo gets shot.
Click.
I hear the click of the safety on a gun as soon as I round the corner to the kitchen and when I look over, I’m honestly not even surprised to see Avery on the other end of it. It’s true what they say, you should never spoil your kids to the extent they expect the world to cower to their every whim. It only makes sense when they become this unstable. This girl probably never heard the word no until I showed up.
“So, you’re the reason Mat
teo is in the hospital then, I should’ve figured. And what? Now you’re here for me? You couldn’t control yourself after getting expelled, baldy?” I snark at her, holding tight to my calm bravado. I will not show this bitch fear.
“You are such a bitch, you know that? You come into my school. You take my men. You take my academic achievements. You act like the queen bee when everyone knows that that should have rightfully been my place amongst the student body. Since day one you’ve acted like nothing ever affects you. It’s not like you’re anything special. You aren’t even that pretty. Then you take my hair and get me expelled. All because of who your grandpa is? Puh-lease! That’s such bullshit and now you’ll know how it feels to have everything in your life fall apart, to have it all taken away. Matteo is as good as dead, you know, and no one even knows it was me. If he didn’t want me, then he certainly couldn’t have you. I’m glad I shot him. Once I get rid of you, the other boys will come crawling back to me and I’ll make them forget you or Matteo ever existed. I’m more of a woman than you’ll ever be.” She says, though her eyes are wild and crazy. She’s lost any ability to think straight through her own sense of injustice. She’s thoroughly convinced herself that she’s the one who’s been wronged. Despite shooting someone even.
I look into her eyes and keep her focused on me.
“Oh, you poor delusional thing. It’s like watching Mental Ward Barbie having escaped the strait jackets and padded rooms. You’ve even got the fake Barbie hair” I smirk.
“If you’re so dead set on killing me, then do it. Pull the trigger. You think you’ve got it so bad because you aren’t at the top of the totem pole at high school and you got dumped? Do you hear yourself and how ridiculous you sound? So what if you got kicked out of school. There’s only a hundred other prestigious high schools throughout the United States and you still have a rich daddy who can cover it all up for you. I don’t particularly care if you pull the trigger or not. Your aim is shit, based off of what I heard about Matteo’s wound. Not to mention the live streaming cameras stationed all over my house. The fact that you’re even here holding a gun in my direction means that you just signed yours and your family’s death warrants. My nonno is a head mafioso, you stupid, stupid girl.” I take a step towards her, shaking my head in mock disappointment at her utter lack of a brain.
“Pull. That. Trigger. Bitch.” I take the remaining few steps closer, putting my forehead up against the cold metal of the barrel. She clearly didn’t expect such a bold move. Stepping back as realization sets in, the gun to fall out of her hand as it trembles. Her wide, shocked eyes start scanning her surroundings now that she’s realized how deep of a hole she dug herself and now she’s trying not to shit herself. I square up and get right back in her face.
“Huh, looks like someone isn’t as confident as she once was. You thought you could take out my king and get away with it? Nah boo. Now I’m going to make your life an ever living hell. I’m not going to kill you. No, I’m going to keep you alive and I’m going to take everything. You think what I’ve taken so far is bad? Just wait, I’m going to take everything you love, I’m going to take everything your family loves. Hell, I may even take away everything your friends love just to make them hate you. From now on, you are nothing. You’ll wish you were dead.” I turn from her bug eyed face like I’m going to walk away but throw a roundhouse kick to her head and watch her fall unconscious on the floor.
“What the fuck is going on?!”
Noah yells as he bursts into the kitchen with his gun raised. He must have heard the commotion on his way in.
“Why is Avery on the floor?” Cohen leaps into action as he takes in the scene before him, checking Avery’s pulse.
“She’s the one who shot Matteo. She came here to try and take me out on some twisted revenge plot because you guys broke up with her and then my getting her expelled. I handled it. How’s ‘Teo doing? Is he out of surgery yet?” I ask, waving off their concern towards the scene in the kitchen and focusing on what’s really important.
“Jesus, woman. You’ve had one hell of a day. Matteo’s fine. He was in critical condition when he got to the hospital, but the surgery overall went well. He got hit in the spleen but the worst of it was how quickly he was losing blood. A few more minutes and he may have bled out. He’s in recovery now and I can get the live feed set up so you’re the first thing he sees when he wakes up. You’ll need to call your grandfather in the meantime to let him know what’s happened and Cohen can go run you a bath. You need to relax and get some rest feisty girl. You’ve done enough for one day.”
Noah leans in to press a soft kiss to my lips and I allow myself to relax into it. The kiss I give back, showing my gratitude for his care for me.
“Ok pretty boy, let’s get this shit cleaned up first, then you and Red will need to join me. Set up a monitor in my bathroom so I can keep an eye on our boy, pretty please.”
I bat my eyelashes up at him and press another kiss against his lips.
* * *
This bath is literally the most heavenly experience. It overall took a few hours to clean up all of our messes and tie up loose ends. I couldn’t settle my mind until I called Matteo’s doctor and verified that surgery went perfectly, and his recovery was already on track. Now I’ve got a sexy naked auburn haired god rubbing out the knots in my shoulder and back muscles while my sexy naked blonde god rubs my sore feet. Between all of that, seeing my guy finally settled in the recovery room on the TV monitor and the magnolia scented bubbles, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace. Things have finally settled, and it feels like everything is going to be ok. It would be even better with Matteo here but I’m just thankful that he’ll be good to leave the hospital soon. Cohen takes on a large knot in my upper back and I can’t contain the moan that’s released from my lips.
“I wouldn’t mind waking up to that sound every day. Oh fuck, damn... Remind me not to move for a while.”
I hear the dark grumbly voice that heats me up all over whenever I hear it. My eyes snap open and up to the monitor. I damn near jump out of the tub to kiss the screen when I see that Matteo is awake.
“Oh! Thank god you’re finally awake! ‘Teo, don’t you ever get fucking shot again!” I blink up at him, my heart feeling too heavy for my body. I have to fight to hold back the tears threatening to fall.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you actually care about me.” He chuckles low and deep. A sound that shoots straight through my heart.
“Shut up. No one asked you. Just- ugh, just don’t get hurt again. It’s been difficult to be stuck here while you’re there.” I pout.
“You seem perfectly content where you are, baby. I’ll be with you soon though. Don’t leave your house until Avery is dealt with. She’s the one who snuck up on me and shot me. I don’t need anything to happen to you while I’m not there to keep you safe.”
The boys both huff out a laugh before Cohen speaks
“Q already took care of Avery, bro. She didn’t kill her, but she definitely made her wish she was dead. Ha.”
“What are you talking about?” Matteo growls.
“She came to pay me a little visit after she hit up your place, snuck into the kitchen through the servants entrance, I imagine. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I handled it. She won’t be a problem going forward. As of right now, her entire family has been notified of their new place in the world. They lost all of their shares to every company they owned. It seems they were all bought out about an hour ago by my mother. SB and Red teamed up via FaceTime to hack their bank accounts, including offshore accounts, and drain all of their funds and place them into the accounts of several charities throughout the United States.”
God, I love that my best friend is an honest to god genius, even if she refuses to acknowledge it. And it was fascinating to watch Cohen do his part.
“Oh, and thanks to a quick call to a friend of my nonno, all of their possessions have started to be repossessed. I also placed a not so anonymous call
to Mr. Arden to let him know that his daughter's poor actions have led to the ultimate downfall of his success. Her choices alone have created the mess that they will never be able to come back from. I also let him know that going forward people will be watching him and his family’s every move and not to fuck with the wrong people again.”
I smile up at my king and receive a devastating smile in return.
“Damn girl, you never fail to surprise me. I can’t wait to get out of here and have you in my arms again. Guys, I’m gonna need you to take care of our woman for me. Right. Now. Let me watch her fall apart at your hands and mouths.” He commands.
“You don’t have to ask us twice, man. Let me switch out the video feed so you can watch her writhe all over from pleasure in her bed. Cohen, dry off our queen real quick.” My pretty boy jumps into action.
He hops out of the tub, grabs a towel and takes off into my room. By the time Cohen and I are up and out of the tub wrapped in the warmth of our towels, he’s got the big screen TV in my room set up with Matteo’s face up close and personal. In his typical fashion, I end up over Cohen’s shoulder and then tossed on the bed. My towel flies off of me and my breasts bounce heavily, causing all of the boys to groan in unison. My hands come up slowly to pinch my nipples and tease the boys. Leaning up on my elbows, I ask,
“Is anyone going to join me?”
Red and my pretty boy practically sprint towards me and pounce on the bed.
“Noah, tell me how good those beautiful dark nipples taste.” Matteo says, strong and demanding as ever.
“With fucking pleasure.” He lowers his head, taking his time to run his tongue around my areolas before biting down on my nipples. God, he’s such a tease sometimes. He takes the sting of the bite away by sucking one and then the other into his mouth, sucking so hard, I swear I almost come.