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Later that night, I send off a text to Serenity.
Me: What are you doing?
Serenity: lying down. Why did you provoke my father?
Me: I didn’t provoke him. He’s just overprotective of his baby girl.
Serenity: My brother gets away with murder. Not sure why my dad has to act this way towards me.
Me: Like I said, you’re his little girl.
Whom I plan to deflower.
Serenity:
Yeah, I guess.
Lying on my bed with two pillows propping my head up, I smirk as I type out my next message.
Me: Did you take care of yourself?
Bubbles pop up.
Serenity: No. Our fathers started talking about us. I was turned off.
Shit, our fathers were fucking up my plan.
Me: What are you wearing?
Serenity: Good night, Nico.
I FaceTime her.
It rings a few times.
Her face comes into view. She’s wearing a mud mask.
“Do you always wear a mask at night?”
“No, usually on the weekends I do. This is my pamper time,” she replies.
“I’ve only ever seen my mother wear those masks.”
She laughs. “Masks are a must.”
“If you thought the mask would scare me away, it’s not going to happen.”
She smirks. “Good. I think I’ll throw one on every time you FaceTime me.”
“It’s fine. I get to see your beautiful face in school every day.”
She squeezes her eyes shut. “You don’t have to be nice to me. I’m not even your type.”
My brows lower. “What’s my type?”
“Lorna. She has a slender build. I’m more curvy.”
My tongue slides across my lips. And my cock hardens. “I fucking love your curves. Those thick hips and thighs. I can’t wait to bury my face between your thighs.”
She can’t hide the shock in her eyes.
“I like you just the way you are, Serenity.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes hold mine. “I will be your girlfriend for just a little while. You’re going off to college soon. I prefer to date someone my age after you leave.”
My brows bunch together, then I count to five in my head.
“Go ahead, your new relationships won’t last. I can promise that.”
“Nico, we’re temporary. That’s final.”
“Remember who your man is. If you’d like first thing Monday morning, I can make an example out of some poor asshole.”
“No,” she growls.
“You’re my woman, permanently,” I grit out. “Good night.”
She calls out my name as I disconnect the call.
This woman is trying to get under my skin. “I can’t believe she doesn’t want anything to do with me. What the fuck?” I mutter aloud.
There’s a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I call out.
Mom pokes her head in. “Nico, make sure you get your homework done.”
“I will.”
She constantly pressured me to finish my schoolwork, determined I wouldn’t graduate with poor grades. Mom insists that I need this education to manage the family business.
“Why did you try to fight Tizáno?” she asks.
I blow out a breath. “Is that what Dad told you?”
She dropped down onto the foot of the bed. “Miff called your father. Said you were getting hot and heavy with Tizáno’s daughter in the car parked in their driveway.”
Miff had been posted outside the Cichellos neighborhood as an extra pair of eyes to spot any trouble that might come up. Looks like I ended up being the trouble.
I arch a brow. “Mom, I was kissing my girlfriend. Her father just can’t accept we’re a couple.”
I think back to the conversation my dad and I had earlier.
“Son, there’s a time and place for everything. Why did you dangle your kissing session in front of Tizáno?”
He peered at me in the back seat of the Suburban. I ground my teeth together; angry our fathers were inserting themselves in our relationship.
“I was kissing my girlfriend good night. Should I have taken her to the lake and made out with her there?”
He arched a brow. “Yes, Nico. You were kissing the man’s daughter in his driveway. She’s his little girl. If you did that to my daughter, I would’ve dragged you out of the car and beat your face in.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re the same man who stole mom from her family. Told grandpa if he challenged you you’d take him out.”
“Nico, we were in the middle of a war. Our situations aren’t similar. You tried to start a mafia war over a girl.”
“Dad, he tried to intimidate me by dragging me down to his man cave with a gun range. He even had one of his enemies tied up there. He put on a whole performance loading his gun, like I was supposed to back down. She’s my woman, and he has to accept that.”
“Nico,” dad roared. “That’s enough. You will behave like you have some sense.
No starting mafia wars. Make out with the girl somewhere else.
Not in his driveway. Kiss her good night and go on your way.
If you wanted him to know his daughter is yours you made your point.
You don’t have to twist the knife in his chest every chance you get. Do you understand?”
I exhaled. “Yes, Dad. I understand.”
Dad is right. This is a game I’m playing. I don’t have to be so blatant with my actions. Not in front of her father, anyway. He just pissed me off when he tried to play me like I was some soft guy who would bow down to him. I wouldn’t.
“From the statement you made before I entered, it sounds like your focus should be on making her see what’s inside your heart.” She points at my chest.
Her words brought me back from my thoughts. “Mom, were you eavesdropping?”
“Nope, not at all.” She stands, offering a bright smile.
She pushes her dark strands behind her ear and plants a kiss on my forehead. “Good night.”
“Mom, thank you. Good night.”
She grins. “Anytime.”