Chaney“Crazy Girl,” Dante whispered.His hand released mine and went to my tee. He pulled it over my head and left me in my bra. It was dark blue and lacy. His eyes told me he appreciated it. He placed a hand on my shoulder and slowly nudged me back so I was lying with my knees over the side of the bed. He took off my shoes and socks, then unzipped my jeans and began pulling them down my legs. He stood over me once I wore only my underwear.“Are you okay?” he asked while examining every inch of me.Our eyes connected. I was more than okay. He went to his knees again and slowly pulled my panties down, lifted one knee, and slipped them off the first leg and then the other. I was completely exposed and felt uncomfortable for the first time.He leaned in and looked up into my eyes.“This is you and me. Say what you feel and say if I need to stop. I’ve got you and I won’t let anything bad happen.”He knew I had secrets. In his world, he knew they were not good ones. Being safe was all I r
ChaneyI was hesitating and he somehow knew it. This wasn’t the first time I’d felt Dante could read my mind. It was similar with Mr. Xavier, though I knew for a fact he could. It was uncanny how he determined what I needed before I had a clue.Tonight, I was about to party with a group of teenagers and do something entirely normal for my age. I never did normal. I opened the door and peeked out. Dante smiled.“Come on.”He’d dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. I missed the turtleneck but he still looked good enough to eat.“I didn’t wash because I wanted to smell you the entire time I’m out there,” he said huskily.Heat flooded my face and he got that look in his eyes that said he was serious and teasing me at the same time. He brought his fingers to his lips and licked.“I can still taste you.”“Maybe we should skip the party.”He shook his head. “No, you’re not getting out of this that easily. This is your celebration.”He’d turned me on and dashed my hopes at the same time like the w
DanteI waited for Chaney inside her dorm building the next morning. She approached me with a smile on her face, wearing her hot damn uniform, and she put her arms around me. I turned her so her back was to the wall and kissed her, slipping my hand beneath the skirt and skimming my fingers across her ass.“Must I see this every morning?” Megan asked.The door beside us opened and Nico walked in.“Your turn,” she told us with a huge grin and threw herself into Nico’s surprised arms and kissed him.He didn’t miss a beat and kissed her back.Chaney and I held hands all the way to the main building. I liked it. I liked having her at my side. We received attention, most due to the challenge the night before. It was Chaney. They weren’t watching me.We hung together until class started and I left her at the door of her first one. Caine entered after her and gave me a look that said he’d watch her. I didn’t need the look. Caine had Chaney’s back and it relieved my mind.At lunch she sat at o
Dante I lifted my hand and caressed her cheek with my thumb. It seemed impossible that with how little time we spent in clothes when together, something as important as virginity was still between us. I didn’t know why the hell I hesitated. “Patience,” I told her. She made an angry sound and stomped her tiny foot. I was saved from tickling that foot by Nico and Megan. “Hey, man,” Nico said and gave me a bro shake, bumping my shoulder. “Women are feeding us homemade Italian food.” He smiled. “I don’t plan to tell my mother.” We all laughed and went to the table and sat down while the girls brought the food in. Megan poured red wine. I liked this but it didn’t take my mind off the call. My father sent me back here for his own reasons and I would probably never know them. What the hell was it about Chaney that made him tell me to stay away from her? My father knew who she was but Chaney also had those answers. I needed them. I cared about her and the feeling wasn’t going away. I re
ChaneyI sat in my room and stared at the wall. Every word Dante said replayed in my mind. I did owe him the truth but Mr. Xavier’s family came first. It killed me that I couldn’t give Dante what he wanted.I had a secret phone. It was only for emergencies. I called Mr. Xavier.“Are you in danger?” he asked immediately when he answered.“No.” Tears clogged my throat. “Could I talk with Madison?” It was horrible but I needed a woman to speak with.“She’s right here. Let me grab Brightly and you can have all the time you need.”“Thank you.”I heard Brightly squeal when her dad took her and I smiled through my tears. I wanted a family like theirs. I wanted something normal and even though I was at a school for Mafia kids, it was the most normal I’d ever had. I also had a sneaking suspicion that I was in love. It had happened in a matter of weeks.“Hello, Chaney, are you okay, honey?”That was all it took. The sobs started. Madison waited me out and I’m sure half of what I said at first m
Dante“What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone?” I demanded.Megan had knocked on the dorm room door before I had my fucking coffee and she was hysterical.“She wouldn’t listen to me. Mr. Xavier came, they packed her stuff, and they left.”“This happened last night and you’re just here now?”It was sinking in. Chaney left. I fucking pushed it with her and she ran. Fuck, fuck, fuck.“Mr. Xavier threatened me. He said I wasn’t to leave the room or use my cell until this morning. I came here sooner than I should have. She wouldn’t listen to anything I said. Nothing.”I stormed into my room, grabbed my uniform, and got dressed. I then stormed to Rochester’s administration office.“Get me in touch with Mr. Xavier,” I demanded to the poor secretary who shouldn’t have had a clue what was going on.“He’s waiting for you in the back office on the right.”The fuck!I marched in, throwing the door open. Mr. Xavier was looking outside the window and slowly turned.“Have a seat, Mr. Laterza.”“I am
DanteMy father leaned back in his chair. I noticed the oxygen tank beside him but he didn’t have the nose piece on. It’s the first time I’d seen him bring anything into his office that made him look weak.I stood and walked around his desk to the tank and lifted the rubber tubing for him. He took it and placed the oxygen over his nose and ears. His hands trembled and I could see the disease taking over. It was hard for him when I witnessed these times but he’d been honest with me during the hours we spent in his room over the summer where I really saw the toll it took on him.He squeezed my hand before I walked around the desk and took the chair again and yes, I squeezed his back.“Her family was powerful but most of that was due to their money. Their wealth far surpassed ours along with most other families.” He coughed. “After Gimonde senior and his son went down, much happened to level the balance of power. As you know, we came out on top in the transaction.”He took a few moments
ChaneyI was not happy but I was at peace. I’d finally decided to take charge of my own destiny. I was sixteen and that was a huge problem.Mr. Xavier smoothed the way once he knew what I needed, or demanded was more like it. His lips twitched after that talk. It was the closest I’d come to a smile when he wasn’t with Madison and Brightly.I had to be emancipated. It required a judge. In less than a week it happened. Financials were turned over to me and I spent another week discovering how rich I was and what all the investments were. It boggled the mind and I didn’t understand half of it. I knew someone who would—no, not Dante, but Caine. He would tear through the info and have a plan in hours not days or weeks.I started looking at real estate. I narrowed my search to California, Colorado, and Oregon. I needed to be as far from the families as possible. I also needed to be safe. I started looking into security and came up empty. I talked to Mr. Xavier on one of his visits. I’d leas