Divine Obsession (GodHood #2)

Chapter 15

Present

Harvard’s captain had to be rushed to the hospital.

An ambulance showed up and took him.

I knew something bad was going to happen.

I could feel it in the air; sizzling .

When the Harvard’s team captain dedicated that stupid goal to me, my eyes had immediately shot to Trevor.

But he hadn’t been looking at me. He was glaring at the rival team’s captain.

And I was glad for it, since the murderous darkness in his eyes iced the blood in my veins. It froze me to the spot and made anxiety roll off me in waves.

A couple minutes passed, and I naively thought Trevor had maybe forgotten or gotten over it.

It’s not like there was anything between us. He had no claim on me. I wasn’t his girl. I was available. So who was to stop guys from trying to win me over?

The game kept going uneventfully. Zach had control of the basketball again, and all eyes were on him as he shot another three-pointer.

The crowd gasped when Harvard’s captain somehow managed to snatch the ball away. My stomach turned and a sick feeling overcame me. I watched as he dribbled his way across the court – no doubt, probably about to attempt another slam dunk. God, if he dedicated it to me again, Trevor really would kill him.

Maybe he didn’t have a legit claim over me, or me over him, but something told me he wasn’t about to sit back and watch while another man attempted to take something he was currently interested in.

However, it never got to that, because the rival captain’s shot never made it into the basket.

Trevor blocked him.

He was already up in the air before anyone could blink, smacking his hand down on the basketball and sending it shooting across the court, straight into Zach’s hands, who scored again within seconds. Our team was winning.

The rest of the cheerleaders were right. This would be an intense game.

A suppressed cry broke through the gym hall, bringing everyone’s attention back to our home team’s side of the court.

Harvard’s captain was on the ground, holding onto one of his arms with the other, groaning in pain. Then everyone saw the blood and chaos broke loose. Some people screamed from the audience, others rushed down the bleachers, many started looking around and whispering.

My vision zeroed in on the white through all the skin and red. The bone poking out of his bicep. A severely broken arm.

No one could tell it wasn’t an accident. They’d think he just fell on it.

But I knew better.

Especially when Trevor winked at me from across the court as the medics rushed to the rival captain.

That’s when the game should’ve ended. Or at least been rescheduled.

But the teams chose to continue. Harvard’s vice-captain stepped up, someone got off their bench, and everything continued like nothing happened.

Columbia won. Everyone was ecstatic. But I couldn’t bring the smile on my face to be sincere.

My heart was beating out of my chest and I was scared.

Not of Trevor, but whatever it was that was happening between us.

I was on a train heading full speed into destruction. I could feel a heaviness hanging over me, like it was about to explode in my face any second.

We’d already crossed too many lines by even touching each other at all, and now that we had, we couldn’t seem to stop from going even further. Tension cracked between us like static every time we looked at each other.

We might’ve not had sex or even kissed – but the fact that he’d been the first man to give me an orgasm, didn’t lessen the need weighing between my thighs.

The whole thing was insane. From letting Trevor touch me to begin with, to knowing I’d had those thoughts from the very first time I met him.

The worst part was I couldn’t talk to anybody about it.

Maria was gone.

And I couldn’t tell Kali…

“Hey, stranger.”

Looking over my shoulder, the first real smile of the night touched my face. “Francesca. Hi.”

Francesca DeMone was the daughter of another Don of the five families. Her older brother, Gìo, introduced us at my birthday a couple weeks ago, and we clicked immediately. Though, I hadn’t seen her since.

“I forgot you go to Columbia. Should’ve expected to see you here.” Her platinum hair glowed in the moonlight, bringing out her olive skin, dough eyes and bold red lips. “I heard the game was crazy.”

It had been.

This party was even crazier.

I didn’t know how I’d let the other girls on the cheerleading team convince me to come here. They promised dancing, music and good food. Then abandoned me once we arrived, to go find some guy on the team to make out with.

Bad trap music boomed through the speakers.

The rooftop was packed. No one was dancing, but somehow everyone except me and Francesca was making out with somebody else.

And the only food present was weed.

“Apparently, someone got hospitalized?” Francesca made a yikes expression.

“Yeah… Harvard’s captain.”

“No shit. Was it Trevor that did it?”

“Yeah. How–”

“Thought so. He’s captain of Columbia’s team, right? Guys always do dumb cavemen shit like that. Territory-property bullshit and all.”

I got a sour taste in my mouth.

Was that how Trevor saw me?

His territory? His property?

I didn’t have to think more about it to know I didn’t like it.

There was a difference between belonging with someone, and belonging to them.

I wanted to be owned romantically. Who didn’t?

But this wasn’t romance.

And neither was what Trevor and I had.

He didn’t like me. He didn’t want to date me. And he sure as fuck didn’t get rid of other guys because he cared about me.

Francesca was right. It was territorial, proprietorial caveman bullshit.

“Hey. You okay, Nat?”

My eyes snapped up. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I cleared my throat. “What about you? How come you’re here? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining.” Now I was the one saying yikes in regards to the party.

“Oh, my gosh, of course.” She smiled, hooking our arms. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “ Tony .” She rolled her eyes, and I covered my laugh.

Antonio – Francesca and Gìovanni’s younger brother – was always getting into something. Lately, that something had escalated from sneaking out and eating too much candy, to sneaking into nightclubs while underage and taking party drugs.

Drugs were a taboo subject in the Mafia – especially Cosa Nostra. While my father and his crew, along with the other smaller families refused to even touch them, the DeMones dealt it. A lot .

Enzo DeMone, Francesca’s father, had very clear rules forbidding anyone in the Cosa Nostra or associated with it to take drugs.

Enzo had a similar saying to Scarface’s ‘ Don’t get high on your own supply. ’ Don’t get high. Period.

And if you did… There would be very unpleasant consequences.

Not even Zach or his brother, who were Cosa Nostra’s main suppliers, took drugs. And they were the biggest narcotics traffickers in the Western Hemisphere.

There was a basic rule in the underworld that I was starting to understand.

You couldn’t trust addicts. They would be the first to stab you in the back or rat you out for some baggy of pills.

Drugs were for those on the bottom.

No one that had real power did it.

Product was for the clients.

Wall Street guys that slaved away at their job only to spend it all on cocaine. Big-shot lawyers who needed energy to power through their thousands of cases. Low lives that did nothing except get high twenty-four-seven.

Antonio, however… He was running away from something.

It was an escape. From what, I couldn’t imagine.

The same look in his eyes, I’d seen in Manny’s. My little brother.

And it scared me, not knowing what either of them was dealing with, and how they might end up.

Francesca narrowed her eyes as she glanced through the crowd. “Apparently, he’s at this party.”

“I am at this party.” Some drunk guy pushed between us, attempting to throw his arms around both mine and Francesca’s shoulders, but failing when we immediately stepped back.

Ew. Definitely not Tony.

“You ladies asking about me?” The man shifted towards Francesca, his eyes roaming over her bold, red lips.

“One more step, I’ll bury you alive.” She spoke low – like a true Don – her gun digging into the guy’s stomach.

Goosebumps formed over my arms and I was glad for the long-sleeved top hiding it. While I was new to this whole mob scene, Francesca was born and raised in it. I would’ve put my hand in fire, this wouldn’t have been the first life she took.

“Okay, okay. Backing off.” The drunk stepped away from her but turned to me. “What about you? Interested?”

I forced myself to not back away. I mustered every ounce of strength and cut-throat attitude I’d gotten from Maria over the years. “Get the fuck outta here before she blows your brains out.”

Not even a second later, the guy was backing away, tripping on his own feet.

“Badass, Moretti.” Francesca smiled, looking almost proud. She knew all of this was new to me.

“My first death threat.”

She gasped, leaning in so only I could hear. “Did I just pop your cherry?”

We both started laughing, Francesca hitting my arm while struggling for air.

“Bold move. Hope you can back it up.” The deep voice froze me to my core. His sardonic reply in regards to my threat iced my blood.

Biting down on my back teeth, I couldn’t stop my hands from turning into fists. Of course, he’d show up like this.

Not when I was hanging out here by the glass guard of the rooftop alone. No.

But when another guy tried to hit on me? That’s when he popped up like a genie.

Francesca was right. It was territorial, proprietorial caveman bullshit.

“Hey, Trev.”

“Francesca… Always more pleasant than your brothers .” His dark voice was laced with venom, though none of it was aimed at her.

Gìo.

God, was he still on that?

Francesca’s eyes moved between us. “I need to go look for Tony. If you see him, let me know.”

“For sure.” While Trevor’s demeanor was smooth and laid-back, I couldn’t manage to get anything out except a parting smile to Francesca.

Not even a second passed after she was gone, and Trevor’s rough palm grazed my naked back as he wrapped a strong arm around my waist, pulling my side into his six-pack. “Still not over me, hm?”

A sound of frustration escaped me as I attempted to push him away. Property my ass. “In order to get over something, there needs to be something there in the first place.”

“Hm. That so?”

It was a rhetorical question. One I would’ve answered if I wasn’t so out of breath from him touching me, and me trying to get away.

Trevor’s hands locked on my waist, pulling me flush against him. “Maybe we should change that. Give you something worth getting over…”

“Get your caveman hands off me!” I whisper-yelled; trying not to draw attention to us.

He raised a brow, and if I didn’t know better, he almost looked turned on. “Caveman?”

“That’s right.” I spit, feeling my veins fill with angry confidence. “I’m not your property, Trevor. You can’t just come and go as you please, or only when it benefits you.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”

“It is what you’re doing. Only time you’re interested is when you see another guy hitting on me. Otherwise, you don’t give a shit.”

He watched me for a long moment, and I could feel the tension curling in his muscles around my body. “Better learn to deal with it, then.”

My brain short-circuited. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“You– I– What? ”

“Keep pretending you don’t feel this between us. See where that’ll get you.” His rough hands pressed into me. Although his voice was threatening, there was only one punishment I knew he’d deliver. And it ended with me moaning his name.

“ Trevor ,” I spoke again, more determined, through gritted teeth. “ We can’t .”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

I short-circuited again, looking around and stumbling on a search for words. “Your sister is my best friend!”

“She’ll want what’s best for me.”

I scoffed. “Yeah? What about what’s best for me?”

Trevor tilted his head as he leaned in closer. “Since when did your best interest matter to me?”

“You’re such a–”

“I don’t remember you complaining when I was making you come.” His tone dropped dangerously; so much so that I felt it between my thighs.

“Don’t talk about that… I was… I wasn’t thinking clearly. It’s not happening again. Ever .”

He chuckled, low and infuriating. “You act like you got a choice in this.”

“ Because I do .” My voice shook.

The look in his eyes made my legs tremble. His tone was almost apologetic when he spoke. “You shouldn’t have let me touch you, Natalia.”

“Trevor, this is wrong .”

His gaze darkened, voice cutting. “Maybe. But it didn’t seem to bother you before.”

I bit down on my back teeth. God, why hadn’t I stopped him? Now, here I was; stuck in an unescapable mess I’d created myself.

Just when I thought he’d back off, he leaned in again. “Oh, and just a tip? If it’s so wrong, stop acting like you want it to happen again.”

When his gaze dropped, mine followed. Right to where my hands were fisting his white T-shirt. To push him away or pull him closer – I didn’t know which was worse.

Dropping my hands, I tried to take a step back. His iron-hold on my lower back stopped me. My eyes met his with resentment.

He was so close… His dark eyes so focused on me… Frowning slightly while taking me in… Rough fingers digging into my waist…

“I… I can’t do this right now…” I trailed off, looking away and trying to step back again. Lifting my hair to let the night air cool my burning skin, I pulled out my pink heart pendant since it was sticking to me.

Trevor cupped my chin, pulling my face back to his, though his eyes were fixated on where the pendant sat right between my cleavage. “Nice necklace.”

“Thanks,” I breathed out. “Kali got it for me.”

“That right?” He murmured, looking back into my eyes. Something dark flashed across his onyx ones, and it made my heart drop like a weight between my thighs. “Think I’ll stick around for a while. Let you figure out the rest.”

My chest rose with shallow breaths. My pulse hammered.

This was bad .

Of course, he would do whatever he wanted – take whatever he wanted – and leave me to deal with the mess.

An obnoxious phone ring broke through.

Pulling away slightly, I licked my lips before biting down on my bottom one. Glancing up just in time to catch Trevor run his tongue over his perfect teeth.

He dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone. “Yeah?”

His other hand remained where it was – on my waist. And his rough fingers slightly dug in. It caused something dark that had been lurking beneath my skin to crawl to the surface.

Not even a moment passed after picking up, his face fell.

“On my way,” He cut the conversation short, hanging up.

When his eyes met mine, my stomach turned. “What’s wrong?”

“Kali’s in the hospital.”