“Better not keep them waiting,” he muttered, opening both of his office doors wide to reveal not just one mob boss.
But all of them, including Sergio.
“Shit,” Tex, the capo, shook his head and laughed. “I think you owe me twenty bucks, Serg.”
Sergio glared. “I said no detention.”
“To win a bet?” I argued. “You warned me no detention so you wouldn’t lose a bet? Are you kidding me right now?”
He shrugged and slapped twenty bucks into Tex’s waiting hand.
Mil smirked from her spot on the couch. As the only female boss she seemed almost out of place amongst all the testosterone. Then again, I knew her heels had the poison of blowfish on the tips, so she was a nightmare in and of herself, even if she looked sweet.
I turned my attention back to the dean, who seemed to be taking in the entire scene well since he hadn’t yet jumped out his window nor had a stroke.
“Is there a specific reason for this… visit?” He gulped, as he ran a hand over his white hair and paced in front of his large plain brown desk, which was littered with folders and candy wrappers.
Nixon was the first to speak; his cold blue eyes assessed the room and then the dean. “This is Luca’s son. I need you to make sure that he has access to everything he needs, and if he gets into trouble — naturally…” He waved a hand into the air. “Make it go away.”
The dean stopped walking and nodded his head. “Understood.”
Phoenix slammed a black folder against the dean’s chest, which in our world was basically a reminder that we had not only him but also his entire family, finances — life — by the balls, and offered a cruel smile. “Record nothing, report nothing to the board, and at the end of the school year, you’ll be compensated… handsomely.”
“How handsome?” the dean asked.
Phoenix licked his lips and leaned in. “You mean despite allowing you to live? Was that the question?”
The dean sputtered, “No, yes, I mean, yes, thank you for my life.”
“You know? I don’t think anyone’s thanked me in…” He looked over his shoulder. “Damn Chase how long has it been since anyone’s thanked me?”
“That guy last night thanked you.” Chase stood.
“No, no.” Tex chuckled. “He was on his hands and knees begging, big difference, though it was hard to tell exactly what he was saying since I cut out his tongue.”
“I hope you froze it so you can re-attach it later.” Mil said, inspecting her nails. “Wait, you can only do that with fingers. Carry on, boys.” She looked down at her phone again.
I almost rolled my eyes when Tex pulled out his knife and started tossing it in the air.
“So,” Phoenix turned his attention back to the dean. “We have an… understanding, yes?”
“Y-yes.” The dean’s lips trembled. “Thank you… sirs…”
Mil cleared her throat.
“And ma’am…”
“Lady.” Chase stood and held a knife to the dean’s neck while Phoenix took a step back and smirked. “Say thank you to the lady.”
“Th-thank you…” Sweat poured down his temples; the guy was a spineless idiot.
I couldn’t keep my snort in.
“As for you,” Phoenix turned that death like glare on me.
I winced, my body remembering the kind of torture he liked to deliver.
“Detention.” He smirked. “Both of you.”
The guys all started toward the door with Mil on their tail.
“Oh.” Chase turned around and gave me a knowing look. “You did good.”
“Huh?” I waited for one of them to say something.
Nixon finally shrugged and offered an apologetic look. “You think we like torturing you? It’s for your own good, and it paid off today. Chase just gave you a compliment instead of trying to stab you in the heart, maybe next time just say thank you.”
“I think I’d rather get stabbed, thanks.” I raised my middle finger and made a sweeping gesture around the room, encompassing them all in a collective flip off.
Chase flipped me off right back.
And the guys laughed the entire way out but not before Mil gave the dean a chilling last look that had me wondering what the hell Chase saw in her.
Because when I looked at Mil.
I strangely saw parts of myself.
A shit ton of hate.
And a whole lot of… something else I rarely acknowledged.
Fear.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dante
“DETENTION.” I ROLLED the word around in my mouth and tried to keep myself from making it worse by lashing out. The dean nodded for us to get a move on.
El’s shoulders slumped like she was disappointed in herself. I rolled my eyes and chased down the rest of the guys as they left the building.
“Wait.”
Chase was the only one who turned; the rest of the guys seemed more preoccupied with the fact that the few students that weren’t in class and were still scattered around the quad were staring them down like they were about ready to bomb the school.
“What?” He put on his sunglasses and checked his phone as if he had more important things to do.
I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Who are those guys?”
Nixon finally glanced in my direction, his face stern, his eyes cold. Tex gave me a fleeting smirk while Phoenix closed his eyes and looked up — like God actually cared what we did, how we lived, like He was watching.
Mil cast her stare downward, like she was more worried about Hell than Heaven.
Chase nodded his head then locked eyes with Nixon.
Nixon did a small semi-circle, breathed in through his nose and closed his eyes. “It would seem, they’re the new us.”
“Us.” I repeated. “Who is us?”
“Two years,” was all Chase said. “All it took was two years of our partial absence for those little shits to rise up and start whatever the hell they’re starting.” His eyes turned murderous. “Just don’t fail.”
“At what?” I clenched my teeth.
“That’s just it, kiddo.” Tex shrugged. It was physically painful to keep my fist from his face, to keep my expression neutral when I wanted to charge him with both fists and pull the knife from my backpack, to make his smile hurt just as much as it hurt for me not to. “We have no idea why the Petrovs are here, or what they’re doing.”
“Shit.” I exhaled. “So you’re sending me… to Hell… and I don’t even know what I’m looking for?”
“Sure you do.” Chase frowned. “You’re looking for a fight.”
“I am,” I said in a bored voice. “I’m pretty sure I already did that and earned a shiny seat in detention.”
“So…” He turned on his heel. “Keep fighting. You’ll know what you’re looking for when it finds you, trust me.”
“Could you guys be any less helpful?” I called after their disappearing forms.
My only answer was laughter from all of the bosses, Mil included.
“Shit.” I ran my bloodied hands through my hair and turned back toward the admin building just in time to see El walk out, and a fresh wave of anger set in.
She looked afraid.
I just wasn’t sure if it was fear of me or something else entirely.
“Get to class.” I barked.
Her only answer was to stare me down with a lifeless expression before clutching her backpack in her hand and walking off.
Leaving me wondering what the fuck the guys had gotten me into.