Nero (Made Men #1)

by Sarah Brianne

  Dinng.

  Elle pulled out her phone as they headed toward Chloe’s BMW. Her phone displayed there was a new text message from Asshole, making Elle smile.

  “Who was that?” Chloe asked once they were seated in her car.

  Elle knew she was asking because only Chloe usually texted her.

  “Nero. Let me see what he said.”

  Elle went to her messages and read, Meet me at Poison, urgent. Elle stared at the words, confused.

  “Well?”

  She looked over at Chloe. “He said to meet him at Poison and that it was urgent.”

  Chloe stared back at Elle, just as confused. “Well, we did always wonder what it looked like inside.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have enough money to get inside that place.” Elle didn’t know what could be so urgent. Her stomach started to roll in nervousness.

  “You don’t; I do.” Chloe smiled.

  “I-I—”

  Chloe stopped her. “Elle, he said it was urgent. Do you want to go or not?”

  Elle’s feeling took over her body. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  When Nero looked at her face, he was immediately disappointed it wasn’t Cassandra. Nero let the girl go and turned to his friends.

  “Fuck! I can’t stay here any longer.” His control was finally gone.

  Amo laughed. “It must be hard seeing every sad sack in here is going to go home and get laid when you haven’t even got Elle’s top off yet.” He had to speak loudly for Nero to hear him.

  “Fuck you.” Nero went to walk off, but saw Vincent frozen in place, staring. Nero followed his eyes to two girls dancing together.

  “Who is that? I need to fucking meet her,” Vincent said with his mouth practically hanging open.

  Nero knew which girl out of the two he was talking about instantly. The girl was wearing a black dress that was loose at the top but tight over her ass. The material barely covered it, showing her long legs. He was sure if she bent over slightly, her whole ass would hang out. She was long and lean, the narrow type, and even though she wasn’t Nero’s type because of the small curves—I prefer something I can grab on to—he was even entranced by her dancing.

  It was pretty dark in here, though the sudden flashes of neon every so often could sometimes light up the person’s face; however, the guys hadn’t seen either of the girls’ faces yet.

  Nero noticed the guys around them salivating to dance with the girls. They tried to join in, but the girls kept pushing them away, making them all the more desirable. A flash quickly illuminated the girls.

  “Wait, I think I know them.” Vincent squinted his eyes.

  Nero looked at them harder. The other girl in the purple baby-doll dress looked familiar to him, as well.

  The girls danced around until they faced them. Another flash lit up their bodies.

  “Holy shit, that’s my fucking sister!” Vincent remarked.

  Nero recognized the girl in the purple dress was Vincent’s sister the moment he said it. Adalyn had become Vincent’s stepsister when his mother had married her dad when Vincent had been a toddler. They had grown up together and hadn’t realized they weren’t related by blood until they could understand the concept. Adalyn might technically be Vincent’s stepsister, however to him, she was his sister.

  “Yeah, but who’s the one I need in my fucking bed?” Amo was infatuated with the girl dancing, as well.

  Vincent stared at the girl shaking her ass as she pushed her light-brown hair back. “Lake, my fucking sister’s best friend.”

  “Damn, have you been keeping her all to yourself?” Amo couldn’t pull his eyes away.

  Unfortunately, neither could Vincent. “No, man. I’ve known her since preschool, so don’t fucking think about it.”

  Nero laughed, his anger now gone. Vincent was clearly caught off-guard by her. Vincent had evidently never thought about Lake that way, but right then, he was seeing her in a new light. Literally, neon light. Nero watched as Vincent’s face started to become pissed and torn at the same time.

  “Shit, man, just think about all the years you’ve missed out on that one,” Amo said.

  Nero was trying to cease his laughter.

  “They are dead,” Vincent declared, his nose practically flaring.

  Nero figured it was probably hard seeing them this way, especially his sister.

  While he looked back at the two girls dancing, two guys came up and started to grab them. Oh, shit.

  “No, they are fucking dead!” Vincent started pushing through the crowd with Nero and Amo following him.

  Nero knew this was not going to turn out well for the two guys, as well as Vincent’s sister and her best friend.

  Nero smiled as they came closer. Tonight is looking up. Nero had always looked forward to a good fight.

  “Vincent?” Adalyn yelled as she pushed the guy off her.

  “Huh?” Lake shoved the guy as she turned to see.

  The two girls quickly started walking toward them.

  Vincent yelled at them, “What the fuck are you both doing here?”

  “They are with us.” Two guys pulled them back behind them.

  Nero noticed they weren’t the ones who had been trying to dance with them.

  “Okay then, who the fuck are you two?” Vincent asked, pointing to the two who had been trying to dry-hump his sister and her friend.

  The two guys reached out and grabbed the girls back.

  The one who held Vincent’s sister spoke. “We’re the ones who are going to fuck them by the end of the night. So find your own.”

  “Hey, get off me!” Lake hit at the guy holding her by her ass.

  “You really shouldn’t have said that,” Adalyn said to the guy pinned to her waist.

  Vincent started rolling up his sleeves. “You’ve got this all wrong, motherfucker. That’s my sister you’re holding there, and unfortunately, it will be the last girl you’ll be able to hold.”

  The guy groping Lake started to laugh in his face. “This bitch isn’t your sister.” He looked down at Lake. “Looks like your mine.”

  Vincent flexed his jaw at the two guys who had been groping the girls on the dance floor. “These fuckers are mine; you two get the little shits who brought them here.”

  Nero and Amo started rolling up their sleeves, grinning, looking at the two trying to grab the girls back into their possession.

  Nero grabbed Vincent’s shoulder. “Man, I thought you’d never ask.”

  Amo snickered. “You guys can thank me later for bringing you here.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Out of the Poison’s Doors

  Elle and Chloe walked into the dark lounge. Elle hoped Chloe would be okay surrounded by so many people. She looked over at her and saw she tried to make herself as small as possible so people couldn’t bump into her.

  “We should go bac—”

  “Fight! Fight! Fight!” the chanting sounded over her voice.

  “Shit, Nero!” Elle started running toward the crowd with Chloe right behind her. Elle’s mind couldn’t think as she pushed through the crowd for them to pass, her body only reacting.

  Elle and Chloe finally reached the front of the crowd, their mouths dropping open at what they were witnessing.

  Nero was toying with a helpless guy, letting him get close to take a shot, but then he would strike out, punching him in the face. The guy was too slow and dumb to stop him.

  Elle moved her eyes to Amo when he reached out and took a guy in a chokehold, his feet dangling high off the ground. What really drew Elle’s attention was Vincent. He was fighting off two guys, making them end up hitting each other when Vincent would move out of the way. The one to recover first came back at Vincent, kneeing him in the groin and making him fall to his knees. Vincent recovered quickly, taking the guy’s head in his hand and kneeing him right in the face, making him completely fall to the ground. Vincent laughed as he walked toward the other guy, now begging. Still laughing, he
picked him up by his shirt, making him stand.

  Vincent cocked his fist back. “You piece of shit.” Punch in the face. “Motherfucker.” Another punch in the face. The guy toppled over to the ground, and Vincent put his shoe over his hand flat on the ground. “Don’t ever touch my sister again.” Vincent picked his foot up then smashed his hand, making the poor guy scream in pain.

  As two girls winced inside the circle, Elle figured one of them must be his sister.

  Elle returned her eyes to the three guys now laughing at the destruction they had caused. Elle then looked at the four unmoving on the floor. They were a bloody mess.

  Elle looked up and took a step forward. “Nero?”

  She watched the three guys cease their laughing and look toward her.

  Nero looked at her like she was crazy. “Elle, what the hell are you doing here?”

  Elle thought he acted like he definitely didn’t ask her to be here. “You texted me to come here.” When he still looked confused, she repeated his text, “Meet me at Poison, urgent?”

  Nero shook his head, still confused. “I didn’t text you.”

  Elle saw three girls appear in glittery, tight dresses. They each wrapped their arms around Nero, Amo, and Vincent.

  “That was so fucking hot,” the one holding Nero around his waist said.

  Elle stepped forward. “Who are you?”

  Nero, stunned, went to push her off and tried to speak, but she beat him to it.

  “His date. And who the hell are you, bitch?” The girl spoke and looked just like Cassandra.

  Elle backed up before the tears started to well in her eyes. She pushed through the crowd even though she heard Nero yelling her name. She ran as fast as she could through the people, starting to suffocate. She felt the shattering of her heart take place. Finally, she reached the doors taking her outside and greeted the cool air. Stopping to turn around, Chloe was right there, thankfully. She returned to her escape, going for Chloe’s car.

  “Elle, stop!” Nero’s voice commanded again.

  Elle stopped in place. I’m done doing what you say, and I’m fucking done running from you!

  Elle quickly spun around and saw that Nero had stopped in his tracks along with Chloe, Amo, and Vincent, waiting to see what took place.

  Elle picked up her feet faster and faster, heading right toward Nero. She could see the oh, shit written all over his face.

  Elle hit as hard as she could on Nero’s chest, repeatedly making him back up a step with each hit. “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you! fuck you!”

  Nero grabbed her arms, stopping her. “Elle, it wasn’t what it looked like. I promise.”

  Elle laughed mockingly through the tears that ran down her face. “Oh, it wasn’t what it looked like? Just like how yesterday it wasn’t what it looked like when you were sandwiched between two other fake blondes? You fucking promised me yesterday!"

  Nero brought her closer to him. “I need you to trust me.”

  Elle looked up into his emerald eyes. “I am sick of all your bullshit promises, and the ‘I give you my word.’” Elle’s shattering heart finally crumbled. “I will never ever trust you again, Nero.”

  She watched Nero’s determined eyes. “Elle, listen—”

  Elle spat in his face. “No! I’m done listening to you. I’m done doing what you ask. Don’t fucking talk to me again.” Elle’s voice rose louder. “Just leave me the fuck alone!” Elle snatched her arms back as the inside of her started picking up the broken pieces, attempting to place them back together.

  Nero had been bad news from the start, and Elle had known it. Nero is not worth this.

  She backed up and looked toward Chloe. “Let’s go.”

  She watched Chloe’s face turn into one she had never seen before. Chloe walked up to Amo and kicked him right in his shin.

  Amo grabbed his shin. “Ow! What the fuck did I do?”

  “You should be ashamed of yourself. And you, too.” She pointed to Vincent as he backed up a few steps. “I know you put him up to this.”

  Chloe turned around and stomped off toward Elle. When she passed Nero, she stopped. “I have nothing to say to you. You know what you just lost.”

  Chloe finally kept walking to Elle, who was stunned at Chloe’s behavior and happy her friend had stood up for her.

  Elle silently thanked God this had happened sooner rather than later as she walked toward Chloe’s car. She questioned what her sanity could have been if she had spent a long time with Nero.

  Opening her door and getting in, she slammed it. Shutting her eyes, she replayed his words. ‘I promise, baby.’ Her tears started falling again.

  Elle wiped them away when Chloe got in the car. She didn’t speak, just drove to Elle’s house.

  Chloe parked her car in Elle’s driveway, and then they slowly got out of the car, going in her home and to her bedroom. Elle sat on her bed with her head in her hands.

  “Do you want me to leave?” Chloe whispered to her as she sat down beside her.

  Elle shook her head and looked up. “No, stay.”

  “Okay, I can go make some popcorn and ice cream and we can watch your favorite movie, The Little Mermaid.”

  Elle chuckled through her new tears; her friend could always cheer her up.

  “I’ll be right back,” Chloe said, getting up.

  Elle watched her walk out the door then scrunched herself up in a ball. No matter how much she tried, the pieces kept falling. There wasn’t enough glue in the world to keep her shattered heart together.

  * * *

  Nero stood there, watching Elle get in the car. Fuck!

  He had no idea how he was going to fix this colossal fuck-up. Elle had dealt with enough, and that had been the last straw for her. The look on her crying face had killed him. He didn’t even know where to start on telling her the truth.

  ‘You know what you just lost.’ Chloe’s words had struck him. He did know, and that was what killed him the most.

  Nero didn’t even understand why she was here. I didn’t text her. Nero pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and went to his messages. Sure enough, Elle’s exact words from earlier displayed on his screen. Nero knew no one had taken it from his pocket. How in the hell did that happen?

  “We need to get out of here before the cops show!” Adalyn said as she and Lake came out of Poison’s doors.

  “What the hell were you all here for?” Vincent asked, storming toward them.

  Adalyn and Lake pulled their dresses down and pulled their tops up to cover their cleavage. “Why the hell do you think?”

  Vincent’s face started to contort.

  Lake stepped in, confessing, “I begged her to come dancing with me. It’s my fault. The only way we could get in was going with those guys. We didn’t do anything with them, though.”

  Vincent took a deep breath. “Good. You can’t date boys until you graduate. I don’t care if it’s only a few months away. I won’t say anything, but I better not catch you two again.”

  Nero watched the two both nod, even though it took Lake hitting Adalyn’s arm before she did.

  Vincent held out his keys. “Go get in the car. I’m taking you both home.”

  Adalyn snatched the keys and they both started running.

  Vincent yelled, watching Adalyn hold her dress down as she ran, “You’re burning those fucking dresses when we get home!”

  Lake tried to pull her dress down at Vincent’s comment.

  Vincent changed his mind. “Actually, give them to me. I want to get rid of them.”

  Nero would have laughed under different circumstances; Vincent was clearly just as shaken up as he was right now.

  Vincent walked toward him. “My fucking retinas are burned from watching my sister’s ass in there.”

  Amo was able to laugh, though. “Yeah, right, you were too busy watching Lake’s ass to notice it was even your sister with her.”

  Vincent was about to say something, but then thought otherwise, looking at N
ero. “I’m sorry about Elle, man.”

  “Yeah, I feel bad. I set this whole thing up, then Elle and Vincent’s sister happened,” Amo added.

  Nero ran his hands through his hair. “Oh, yeah, we owe you a thanks, right?”

  “Thanks a fucking lot,” Vincent got out.

  They started to hear sirens coming closer. “Let’s get out of here. Amo, you’re going to fucking owe me for this.”

  “All right, man, I understand.”

  They all started walking to their own cars.

  As Nero walked toward his Cadillac, he thought of Elle’s last words. ‘Just leave me the fuck alone!’ He opened his car door, getting in. Not in a million years, baby.

  Nero spun out of there right before the cops arrived. He didn’t know how he would win her back yet; all he knew was he wasn’t going to stop until Elle was his. For good.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The Horror in the Mirror

  Elle spent the whole weekend in her bed, trying not to cry. Yeah, unsuccessfully. The only time she left her bedroom was to go to work, which she couldn’t get out of. She hated leaving the house to do so, though.

  The love of watching the city pass through her bus window and as she walked to work was now gone. Elle had felt like a mushy mess; her eyes were stained red, her hair was unkempt, and her clothes were mismatched. She had actually thanked God for her uniform this weekend.

  Elle went through varied emotions. She went from happy that it was over so soon between them to sadness it was over and all the way to straight-up ax murderer that he had done this to her, and everything else in between.

  Elle promised herself she was going to get over him by Monday. There is no way Nero is seeing me like this.

  Elle was determined Nero wasn’t going to think he had gotten the best of her. She was going to move on, and he was going to see it Monday morning.

  When Monday morning rolled around and Elle’s alarm clock went off, she thought of a new way to destroy it when school was finally over. She woke up groggy. More like I feel like shit.

  Turning on the bathroom light, she saw the horror in the mirror. She didn’t exactly know if this was even fixable. She wished Chloe was there to help. Wait, Chloe can help.