Chapter 76: Chapter Twenty-One

Andrei

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I grasped my phone between them and sat on the couch, my knees bumping up and down like I needed another hit of something before I lost my mind.

I couldn’t stop shaking.

Couldn’t stop feeling her warm skin.

No matter how bad I wanted to.

I tasted her.

I felt her on me.

On my skin.

In the air I breathed.

I didn’t know how to handle it.

Shit.

My phone lit up with a text from Phoenix.

Phoenix

How goes hell?

Me

You tell me.

Nixon, Chase, Sergio, Dante, and Tex were added. Perfect. Just perfect. I was having a midlife crisis at twenty-two, and they wanted me in on another group text?

Phoenix

You seem… strained. Doesn’t he, guys? Like his whore maybe isn’t giving him what he really, really, really needs.

Me

Don’t make me kill you.

Phoenix

Huh, you’re probably already dead inside, or did your heart do a little… flutter?

Tex

Flutter? What the hell is a flutter? It should do a hell of a lot more than flutter, my man, like think of your dick as a…

Sergio

The fact that I have to interrupt this and explain human anatomy should shock me. It doesn’t. And Tex re-read, he was talking about his heart, you ass, not his dick.

Chase

Burnnnnn

Nixon

Yes, let’s bring that back, burn… Are we twelve?

Me

Is there a reason you guys decided to come in and ruin my day by traumatizing me about Tex’s dick or is this just another Wednesday?

Phoenix

Wednesday.

Dante

I can’t get flutter out of my head.

Nixon

Same, man, same.

Me

I’ve never fluttered, not once, and I’m pretty sure flutter and dick shouldn’t be in the same sentence. I’m leaving gossip hour; I have shit to do.

Phoenix

We know… because as of midnight last night the Eagle Elite computer system was hacked, and a girl by the name of Alice was added as a junior.

I thought I’d have more time, good thing I hadn’t added in her last name yet. They’d think it was a clerical error and then I would lay out my cards.

Me

Oh?

Chase

It’s almost insulting when you play dumb, dumb ass, besides thought her name was Black Widow?

I grinned down at my phone, my shaking subsided just barely when I thought of pissing Chase off.

Me

She was bored. And the idea of her cleaning toilets and sucking dick wasn’t very appealing.

Phoenix

Oh, so she’s been servicing you and your toilets? Interesting.

Sergio

I don’t buy it.

Nixon

You barely touched her.

Tex

Between boobs.

Dante

I don’t think his hands should be just like, laying between her boobs, guys. Don’t give him false information. Plus, we all know he’s an ass guy.

Phoenix

Do we, though?

Me

Is there a point to this?

Sergio

Just that if you wanted her enrolled it would make sense to come to us and get it done.

I sighed, hanging my head a bit as I typed back.

Me

Full disclosure, we got in a fight. I was trying to make it better by doing it faster than your grandpa hands could.

Tex

Haha get it, because he’s old as fuck!

Sergio

Can someone put a muzzle on Tex?

Phoenix

You should have let us know, given us a heads up.

Me

Well, I figured I can’t fly under the radar anymore, may as well ask for forgiveness than permission. Plus, you know I don’t like using too many words.

Chase

It’s really no shock that you’re single.

Dante

None at all.

Tex

How deep?

Sergio

My. God. You’re an asshole.

Nixon

Look, just shoot us a text next time. When are you going in? Phoenix set up the new dean at the beginning of the semester.

My eyebrows shot up.

Me

And they think they won’t see blood at EE? That’s hilarious. What did you do? Lie to him repeatedly and promise him nothing but staff meetings and teacher luncheons for the rest of his days?

Nixon

Er, something like that.

Me

Let me know how that works out for you when he runs away screaming from all the bloody bodies and guns.

Chase

It’s more refined now that the De Langes are less of a problem.

Me

Right.

Phoenix

Let us know if you need anything, and for future reference, if your girl’s mad at you, it’s probably because you called her a whore during family dinner.

Me

Why would I lie to you?

Nixon

Why… indeed?

Me

Nixon, I say this out of both love and hate, go shoot something before you lose your temper. We get in a fight, and I end your life.

Tex

This I would pay to see.

Me

I don’t have all day to take out all the Italians, that would take more planning, but I do have time to take a girl who’s still pissed off to school where I’m going to piss her off more.

Phoenix

Fingers crossed she doesn’t draw first blood.

Too late, she already did. I stared down at my phone and almost typed those words.

It was an odd thing to think.

Me

I have it under control.

Dante

Doubtful. Highly doubtful.

Dante might have gone to school with me for a few months but he didn’t know me, not in that way. He only knew me as the part I played, his enemy, to flush out the double-crossing.

He had no clue the sort of man I was now.

The things I would do.

The guilt I felt.

I tossed my phone against the couch as Alic—six thirty-two made it down the hall in her short black skirt, black and red jacket, and white shirt.

I licked my lips and stood, looking away and fishing my phone from the couch. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I was…” She sighed. “Wondering if you had a protein bar or something—”

She covered her stomach with her hand.

I immediately felt like shit, again.

Her hand was shaking.

Did she have low blood sugar?

Why the hell did I care?

She was a product.

A thing.

Barely human.

So fucking warm.

I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned against the countertop, sucked in a few deep breaths, and then rasped out, “Yeah, one sec.”

I went to the cupboard and grabbed a few protein bars, then realized that she’d probably need lunch too.

How the hell had I turned into this guy in the span of twenty-four hours? From calling her a whore to making sure she had a sack lunch?

Phoenix would shit a brick and then break a rib from laughing so hard.

“Thanks.” She took the bars.

I grabbed the bag I’d had Ax buy for me first thing that morning. I was trying to go for something that wouldn’t look too expensive and had probably failed since it was Gucci, but I liked things that looked nice, that complimented each other, and I liked the idea of her with white leather.

With a curse, I reached for my wallet and pulled out two crisp hundred-dollar bills.

Blood money.

Stained with mine and theirs.

“Here.” I held it out.

She stared down at it and then swallowed slowly. “Nothing’s free.”

“Pardon?”

“You said that last night. Nothing’s free, everything has a cost, what’s my cost for this? For your kindness? For the clothes? For lunch money?

“I need to know, so I can process what it means I have to do. I know I’m in deep. I know this is my life now. The least you can do is just tell me.

I had a sudden image of her dropping to her knees and was so fucking appalled I stumbled backward and turned away from her.

“Dinner,” I said smoothly. “You’re in charge of cooking dinner, every night, at six o’clock, until I tell you it’s been paid off.”

I could hear her exhale. “Okay, I can do that.”

“We’re going to be late.” I grabbed the keys off the counter and walked ahead of her, opening the door and waiting.

She took one look at the door, then her gaze flicked to me, and she held her head high and walked out.

So regal that I found myself smiling after her.

Her posture didn’t change as we moved through the near-empty club, and when we reached outside, Ax was already at her side opening the door to my black and silver Aston Martin.

She hesitated a minute and then slid into the seats while I walked around to the driver’s side and got in, roaring the engine to life.

I’d missed driving lately.

And I didn’t want to show up in a giant Escalade that screamed mafia, better to show up in a car worth three million dollars and scream wealthy.

Money was safer.

Money looked dangerous.

Money made me look more normal, and when the mafia showed up, it was typically in all black with guns strapped to their bodies.

I’d show up with my knife and still do more damage.

The sound of Avenged Sevenfold filled the air as I hit the accelerator and whizzed past two cops who both waved. We flew by an ambulance.

She gripped the sides of the seat as I peeled around the corner and pulled in front of the iron gate at Eagle Elite.

Why hadn’t Dante burned the place down?

The question I think all of us asked once he was done doing his duty, the question I asked myself when I was told I could leave.

The gates opened.

Trees lined the sides of campus as I sped down the lane and then took a right for the registration building.

He would be waiting for us.

It would be easy.

She would be protected here.

From everything.

My bare hands included.

The guys would look the other way. They’d be curious, but they wouldn’t think I would hide her in plain sight like I was doing.

It would be fine.

I gripped the steering wheel and wondered why I was sacrificing so much… for so little.

After all, a woman was a pawn.

An object.

And yet.

This one reminded me of them.

Of the wives.

Of their strength.

And I couldn’t stop.

Just couldn’t fucking stop.

The rabbit hole had me sucked in its grasp, and I was still falling without a clue as to what was at the bottom.

I parked the car and got out, then went and opened her door. She seemed confused by this as I held out my hand.

My gloves were gone, they would look ridiculous with what I was wearing, and again, it would look too conspicuous.

I wasn’t a boss here.

Here, I was just another rich guy.

Not that every single staff member wouldn’t know who I was, just like the dean was probably already holding out his prayer beads and chanting.

Students walked around, some stared, others looked away like they knew it was dangerous to be too curious.

And the whole time, I clutched her warm hand.

Felt her palm pressed against mine.

Warred with the need to do something about it.

With the strange tingle in my chest that made its way down my arms and legs like I was slowly burning from the inside out.

“Walk faster,” I snapped. I couldn’t hold her hand forever, I couldn’t even hold it for a few seconds without losing touch with reality.

We finally made it to the front steps and walked up. The building was solid brick, three stories, and looked completely innocent despite all the crimes that it had been involved in.

I grinned when a staff member opened the door to us and then quickly jogged away like I was going to impale him with my knife.

And slowly as we walked down the hall, doors closed. No, they slammed like they were afraid I was going to stop and ask for directions or just stop and start shooting.

My reputation, it seemed, preceded me.

Nice.

We finally made it to the dean’s office.

The secretary, Mrs. Derullio, looked up, eyes wide. “We weren’t sure if we should be expecting you or not.”

“Do you not have a phone?” I asked just as one started ringing.

With shaking hands, she answered and nodded. “Yes, sir, yes, I’ll tell him.” She hung up. “The dean says he’s expecting you.”

I winked. “Thought so, nice sweater.” It was horrible but she didn’t need to know that. That shade of green would make anyone look sick.

“Oh, thank you.” She smiled wider.

I grinned and led six thirty-two to the door just as it opened. Bear Abandonato stood on the other side. I wasn’t really sure what his real name was.

The guy was a beast.

“Come on in.” He beamed down at Alice. “I’m so happy you could join us this semester…” He looked briefly at his paper. “…Alice.” And then he frowned.

Alice stiffened.

Her hand gripped mine so tight I was ready to outwardly react.

Woman had grip strength that was for sure.

“Petrov,” I volunteered. “Alice Petrov.”

“Oh!” Bear’s smile could not manage to get any bigger, “Didn’t know you had another sister, Mr. Petrov.”

I smiled mockingly at him. “Oh, I don’t.”

“Cousin.”

“Most of them are dead.”

“I see.” He frowned. “So, she’s… a niece?”

“No. Actually,” I beamed at Alice and very slowly lifted her hand to my lips, inside shaking with… something. “She’s my wife.”

Alice gaped and then shut her mouth. The minute my lips touched her skin, she sucked in a breath.

“Ah, in the honeymoon phase still, I see.” Bear winked.

Alice snatched her hand away and nodded. “Yes, it’s new…” She shot me a glare. “Some might even say, hardly any time has gone by that we’ve been… together.”

“Seems that way, doesn’t it?” I laughed, enjoying her obvious hatred toward me and the idea of being my wife. For some reason, it gave me pleasure just as much as the touch of her skin.

“Yes.” She clenched her teeth. “It really does.”

I leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Don’t burn my dinner tonight… Alice.”

She put a hand to her chest when I said her name out loud, like it did something to her heart, like she didn’t want to hear me say it because it conjured up a reaction.

My instincts told me it was a way to control her.

While what was left of my heart told me it was a way to win her.

“All right, then,” Bear pulled out a folder. “Here’s your schedule for the semester, you should report to Econ, it’s starting in the next ten minutes, right across from here in the tan building.”

“Okay.” She took the paper and stood. “Thank you, Mr. Bear.”

“Bear, Abandonato, whatever you wanna call me.” He smiled brightly while I felt her stiffen again.

“Thanks again.” I shook his hand and then escorted her back out of the office and down the hall. Her body was tense, too tense.

When we made it outside, I grabbed her hand and jerked her down the stairs and to the side of the building. “Listen,” I barked and gripped her chin between my thumb and forefinger.

“You said you wanted something to do. This is better than cleaning toilets.

“Why are you telling me this?” She licked her lips. “I’m not scared.”

My eyebrows shot up. “So, you’re petrified of being in my apartments back at the club, but here, in the middle of a swarm of enemies who want nothing more than to see you dead, you feel… fantastic?”

She just shrugged.

“Clearly, I need to try harder. Buy more clothes, offer more freedom, tell you how beautiful you are, is that what you want? Compliments? Things?”

“I want a life.”

“You can’t have a life,” I said through clenched teeth. “And what you have is what I give you. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes.”

“The minute they brought you through those doors, you lost every option given to you, the only ones that are left I control. Last night you chose me, don’t make me regret asking.”

She snorted out a laugh. “That wasn’t asking! That was threatening!”

“That…” I narrowed my eyes. “…was more efficient than begging you on hands and knees…”

“Perhaps,” She lifted a shoulder. “But one would have given you much more… pleasant results.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her what she meant.

And then I realized she was smiling at me.

A dazzling, controlling smile.

Manipulation.

I leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. She went stiff in my arms, her hands shaking. “I’m the king of manipulation, of every single game you could possibly conjure up.

“The day I’m in front of you, on my hands and knees, will be the day I take my last fucking breath. I submit to no one.”

She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed a similar kiss to my neck and then turned her head and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth and said. “We’ll see.”

I gripped her arm.

We both glared at one another.

“Don’t play games you can’t win, six thirty-two.”

“Don’t start what you can’t finish, Petrov.”

And then she was gone.