Oak watches the proceedings through a pair of binoculars, while I remain seated on a deck chair, keeping out of sight as he instructed.I can see the anguish as he watches her funeral from afar, and it pains me not to comfort him. So, I stand, ignoring his order, and wrap my arms around his waist."Are you okay?" I ask.He shakes his head. "No, my father, brother and sister aren't here." His brow furrows. "My uncle is acting like he's calling all the shots." He pulls out his phone, typing something in Italian into google. And then, he drops his phone to the floor, sinking down along with it."Oak, what is it?"He shakes his head and I pick up the phone, scrolling through an Italian news article. It's about his two siblings and father. Apparently, they died last year in a car accident in Sicily."They're all dead," he mutters.I run a hand through his hair and kneel in front of him. "I'm so sorry."His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. "I don't know how I didn't know." His brow furrows
When the new boy and king of the Syndicate Academy sets out to make life hell for her, Natalya is confused on why he really hates her. But with senior year fast approaching, she would rather get into trouble with the authorities, than let him keep bullying her for no reason any further.—From the first moment he laid his eyes on her, Alexander Morales has always hated Natalya Gurin. Natalya has spent years trying to avoid the brute, with Alexander going out of his way to make life hell for her.Deliberately making her trip in the cafeteria in front of everyone? Check.Disturbing her during classes? Check.Turning her friends against her? Check.Invading her personal space? Check.Natalya has learned to hate him for all this, and with senior year approaching, her escape is in sight. But Alexander doesn't intend to let her go that easily.One would break each other. And Natalya would do anything to be the victor.The show was on.Alexander Morales would pay for his crimes, one way or t
NatalyaAs I search his ice-blue eyes, I wonder what I’ve done to inspire hatred from a boy I don’t even know. It’s impossible to understand, so instead of saying another word, I turn away and walk toward an empty table near the back. Once I’m almost at the table, someone calls my name.“Hey, Natalya.”I turn to see Adrianna sitting nearby, watching me. I’ve spoken to her briefly in physical education and she’s always been friendly, even if we’re not friends.“Hey,” I say, clenching my jaw as I try not to let the pain in my chest draw tears. All I really want is to eat fast and go back to my room to sob into my pillow.“What was that all about?”I shrug. “New kid doesn’t like me and Jeanie cares more about hot guys than her friend.”Adrianna pats the seat next to her. “You are welcome to join me, Giorgia, and Azira.”I glance at the other two girls sitting at her table, who I’ve never spoken to but know by name.Azira smiles at me. “Yeah, that’s pretty shitty what Jeanie just did.”I
NatalyaPRESENT DAY.I stare up at the ominous building, hating the way my palms sweat at the sight of a school I’ve attended since I was eight years old. You’d think after almost ten years the first day jitters would have gone, but I know the reason I get so nervous.Alexander Morales.The king of the Syndicate Academy and a complete and utter asshole. A tingle races down my spine as I take my first step toward the building, wondering if Azira and Adrianna have arrived yet.Every year without fail since he arrived, Alexander has set out to make my life hell. Although, last year was the most tame year of them all. I’m hoping that the trend continues this year and he’ll keep mostly away from me. The last year of The Syndicate Academy and then I’m free from him forever.I sigh, allowing that thought to calm me as I walk through the vast ornate oak doors that pave the way into the academy. It doesn’t help that Giorgia’s family pulled her out last year. We were close, and it’s not the sam
NatalyaA shudder races down my spine. “What exactly do you intend to do to me?” I ask, hating the way my voice shakes.His smirk widens, and he brings his other hand up to cup my breasts through my blouse, making hate coil through me. “Whatever the fuck I want. Tell me, Gurin, are you a virgin?”Heat floods my entire body as I try not to look him in the eye, shocked at the turn this conversation has taken. “That’s none of your business.”“It’s my business if I say it is, or do you want me to direct Lebedev straight to your beloved brother’s doorstep?” he asks.“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Don’t.”He chuckles, the sound so callous it grates on my nerves. “That’s what I thought, now are you a virgin or not?” He forces my face up again. “I want to know if I’m dealing with damaged goods.”I glare at him, acrid hate coiling through my blood and infecting my veins. “Yes, I’m a virgin.”His shoulders relax, and the tension in his expression vanishes. It’s as if he’s relieved to hear that,
I watch her from afar as I so often do. Her head tilts back as she laughs at something one of her pathetic little friends said, acting as if she isn’t shaken by our conversation earlier today.After what I revealed, I expected her to be quiet and fearful of what was to come. Instead, she’s behaving the same way she normally would, which irritates me. Natalya doesn’t realize just how fucking different this year will be from any other before it.Summer was long and boring in Chicago. All my waste of a space father talks about is the war between the Russians, Italians and Irish of the city. He doesn’t seem to realize that I don’t give a fuck about the cartel or him, for that matter. I’m not in line for the throne, so there’s no reason for me to get involved too heavily.I’m unsure whether Natalya notices how much I watch her, but from the day we met, I knew I had to watch her. Her family is the reason everything bad in my life happened and therefore she is guilty by association.After my
Even though the Gurin Bratva is in Boston, they opened the door to the Estrada Cartel by pledging to buy our drugs only, allowing the family to move to Chicago. It led to the worst night of my life. The night we left Mexico. I shake my head, trying to push away the painful memories.Ever since I learned a Gurin attended this academy, I vowed I’d make her life hell from day one, and that’s exactly what I did. That hatred has morphed and changed over the years, getting more twisted and darker the older I got.“It’s a long story,” I say.He nods, as Damien always knows when to push or not. “Fair enough. We don’t want to be late on our first day with Luigi.” He gives me a pointed look. “The guy still scares the shit out of me, even now I’m a senior. Don’t tell Aleks or Nik, though.”I clap him on the back, laughing. “I think he scares most of the students here, including Aleks.”We walk into the classroom, where most of the students have already taken their seats a few minutes before the
It’s been three days since Alexander blackmailed me. In those three days, it feels like the asshole has been avoiding me on purpose, forcing me to look over my shoulder at every turn. I’m waiting for him to strike at any moment, and I don’t like it. Life at the academy has always been this way since he arrived, but it feels worse now I know his intention for me this year.He has sent me texts tormenting me with stupid comments, but I’ve not acknowledged most of them. A few I sent one-word answers back, but if he thinks he can play me for a fool, he can think again. Yes, he has leverage over me and my family, but he’s been clear on what he wants in return. My innocence. I’ll give it to him to keep my family safe, but I won’t let him treat me like nothing more than a slave who has to do everything he says.The memory of the way he touched me in that empty classroom sends an involuntary shudder down my spine. After all the things he’s done to me over the years, he craves the ultimate con