Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Luna
Waking with a start, I’m in a dark room in an unfamiliar bed, and it takes me a moment to remember where I am. Ugh, Vince’s house.
I flip on the lamp, grabbing the water and taking a sip like I promised Nicky I would. Walking to the bathroom, I use the toilet, nearly doing a happy dance when pee flows freely. “I’ll never take you for granted again.”
Washing up, I return to the bedroom and flip on the overhead light. My forehead scrunches when I notice all my things from my dorm.
Opening the bedroom door, I follow the sound of a television to the living room. Vince is seated on the couch, watching a baseball game with a notepad and pencil on the coffee table, jotting something down. He’s in a T-shirt and gray sweatpants, with a baseball hat turned backwards. I’ve always known Vince was handsome, but I’m just now figuring out he’s hot .
Like hawt hot.
Five o’clock shadow covering the little dimple in his chin. Hair a bit shaggy in the back and behind his ears, curling up beneath his hat. Muscular forearms I’ve never noticed because I’ve only ever seen him wearing a suit. Nice olive skin with the hint of a tattoo peeking out beneath the right sleeve of his tee.
That weird clawing feeling in my chest is back, and I shove it down with annoyance.
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Vince mutes the baseball game, and I startle. “Sit down, I don’t want you passing out on me again.” He gestures to the couch.
“Why are all of my things in your house?” I ask, refusing to sit beside him; instead, I take a seat in the arm chair across from the couch.
“Because you live here now.”
“What?” My eyes go wide, wondering if I heard him right.
“You’re no longer enrolled at boarding school.”
“What?” I shout.
“I’ve got a tutor lined up to help you get your diploma.”
“What?” I say through gritted teeth.
“You’re going to focus on chess without distraction, and don’t say what again,” he snaps.
“What—”
“Did I just say?—”
“Gives you the fucking right?” I seethe.
“Might makes right. Luna, let’s go over our roles one more time.” He leans forward, tenting his fingers. “My role is to collect the debt your family owes my family, a debt that has skyrocketed while you were fucking around in school.”
“A waste of time, that school,” I mock.
“Your role is to focus on chess, earning your way into money-making competitions in order to pay back said debt,” he continues, ignoring my smart ass comment. “Are we with each other so far? ”
“You lost me back at school.” I cross my arms.
“Do we need to take a field trip to the construction site and visit your old man’s corpse? There’s a high-rise built over his remains, but we can still reminisce about old times. It’ll be a history lesson: how history will repeat itself if you don’t fall in line,” he threatens.
“No thanks. I don’t need to waste any more time fucking around in school,” I say, pretending my heart hasn’t nearly imploded at the threat.
“Have you been cutting yourself?” he asks out of left field.
I square my jaw. “I’ve sent you pictures proving I haven’t.”
“Have you been cutting other parts of your body besides your wrists?”
“Why?” I lean forward in my chair. “You gonna make me strip again?”
Vince shrugs. “If it comes to that.”
“I haven’t cut myself since the night you murdered my dad, not that it’s any of your business.” The fear of Vince making good on his threat having outweighed the temptation, not that I’d ever fucking admit that to him.
“Everything you do is my business,” he informs me. “I gave you freedom at boarding school, and you couldn’t handle it?—”
“I can handle it! Give me another chance,” I plead.
Vince shakes his head. “You had your shot, and you blew it. Now, the leash is tightened.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I say, “Love being referred to as a dog. Bow-wow. ”
His lips quirk. “Glad that’s settled.”
“We haven’t settled a damn thing!”
“I’m your legal guardian. It’s settled because I say it is,” he says matter-of-factly.
“This is bullshit! ”
“No, this is reality . A place where actions have consequences,” he informs me.
“Sounds horrible,” I snipe.
“It’ll be as horrible or as delightful as you make it. Now, can I get you something to eat? Kibble?” Vince’s lips quirk.
“Fuck you,” I hiss, but my traitorous stomach rumbles loudly.
He sighs heavily. “Luna, don’t get in another battle of wills with me. You remember how the last one turned out.”
Vince stands, and I begrudgingly follow him. My eyes somehow land on his ass—a nice and tight one showcased in those sweatpants—and I wish I could go back to hating him from the comfort of my dorm room.
We enter a fancy chef kitchen with all stainless steel and clean lines, and I have to rein in my impulse to smudge my fingerprints over the spotless counters. “This your house?”
“Yes.”
“I expected more from a mobster,” I taunt. It’s a lovely house, one I would’ve given anything to have grown up in.
He lifts a shoulder. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“No wonder you need my money so bad,” I goad him, trying to get under this man’s skin.
He smiles, but doesn’t take the bait. “Glad you’re feeling better. Nicky said you should start with bland food.”
“Bland food in a bland house with a bland man. Sounds… bland .” I take a seat at the kitchen table, and Vince chuckles, like nothing I say could ever rattle him. It’s beyond annoying.
He grabs a knife from the butcher block, cutting open a banana and expertly slicing it on a diagonal before tossing the pieces in a bowl and handing it to me.
“Thanks,” I grumble, popping a piece in my mouth.
“Yep.” He opens the fridge and returns with a sports drink, placing it in front of me. “You’ve missed this weekend’s tournament, which is going to set you back with your ranking.” I’m currently ranked Candidate Master, which is three steps below Grandmaster. Three huge steps of tournament wins at a certain performance level against a certain percentage of top-ranking players. “You’re under my roof now, and I’m not going to put up with that kind of bullshit,” he warns.
“Not a problem,” I tell him coolly. “We won’t be sharing a roof for long.”
Vince cocks his head. “How do you figure?”
“My birthday’s tomorrow.”
“And?”
“I’ll be a legal adult.” I point out the obvious.
“And?”
“The guardianship will be over.” And by guardianship, I mean Vince paying off a judge to sign the papers.
“And?”
“I’m not going to be under your thumb any longer.” I point at him. “Don’t say ‘and’ again!”
A bemused expression washes over his face. “ And you, my dear Luna, are what the kids call delulu .”
I cringe. “Please do not ever say the word delulu again.”
“Where you gonna go?” he says in a patronizing tone. “You got no family.”
“Because you killed my family!”
“How you gonna survive?” he continues. “You got no money.”
“Because you take all my prize winnings!”
“ And I will continue to take all your prize winnings until your old man’s debt is paid off, and I will continue to take care of you in the meantime. You’re welcome.” He flashes his pearly whites.
“I hate you.” I grit between my teeth.
“ And I’m well aware . ” He smirks, walking out.