Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
SERENITY
I’m working on a healthy work-life balance. Focusing on my studies and enjoying the college experience, like partying.
I refuse to let what happened with Chris destroy my life. It’s been about a year. Now if I decide to be alone with a guy, my bodyguards have a conversation with him. Let him know if they get too rough, they’ll get fucked up.
I attend parties with my friends and stick to dancing, eating, and drinking.
It’s difficult to keep my mind off Mom and Krew.
I constantly worry whether they’re safe.
I catch myself hesitating whenever I think about going back to Delaware to check on them.
Mom insists I stay in Jersey; she says it’s for the best. Part of me wishes they’d never moved back to Delaware.
I know it’s our home, but after everything that happened, I don’t think I’ll ever feel secure there again.
I won’t return until mafia boss Ettore and Aleksandr—the Bratva leader who seized our territory—are dead.
Especially Ettore; he’s got a personal vendetta against me after I took out his men: a Capo, his bodyguard, and his little brother, the pedophile.
Until they’re both gone, I refuse to set foot there.
Vi grabs my arm, swinging me around the half-empty dance floor. “Are you ready for another fun night?”
I giggle. “I am. After that last test, all I want to do is drink until I’m numb.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad.” Nila loops her arm through mine. “Imagine fucking a gorgeous guy who says he’s packing.”
Laneesha laughs, “He wasn’t.” She wiggles her pinky finger.
I glance at Pera. We both bend over laughing.
“I’m not done,” Nila continues. “He fucked like a racehorse. I wanted to push him off me.” She shakes her head as she dances to the beat.
“I faked an orgasm,” Nila admits.
The girls release me and I toss my head back laughing.
“Hey ladies,” a familiar voice says.
I lock eyes with Malik. His amber gaze trails over me, taking in every detail. His short, dark curls are perfectly styled. His honey-brown skin mirrors my own. We’re both mixed, and maybe that’s why I’m drawn to him.
“Ladies!” Levi shouts, clapping his hands. “Looks like the party can really start now that we’re all here.”
Levi is always the life of the party in our circle. I’m pretty sure he’s into Laneesha, though he dances with everyone of us. His green eyes trail her every movement, clearly showing his affection, and I believe she feels the same.
Malik is Levi’s best friend, so of course he hangs with us too.
“Hey! We were just talking about an unfortunate, funny incident,” I blurt out.
Pera bumps my arm with hers. “That’s a good way to put it.”
“I’d say it’s time for drinks, then we can come back to the dance floor,” Nila suggests.
After we get our drinks of choice, we sit in a cozy corner in the frat house and talk for a little while.
A new song I’d heard recently booms through the speakers.
I down my vodka lemon drop, slam the red cup on the small table, and run to the dance floor.
Pumping my fists in the air, I shake my ass to the beat.
The feel of the bass electrifies my soul.
My eyelids lower, and I get lost in the moment.
Something I try to do at every party now.
Take my mind off the murders I committed.
And the fact that I still have to see my family in secret.
I feel two muscled bodies rub against my curvy frame. My eyes pop open and meet Malik’s. Levi’s cologne wiggles up my nostrils from behind. Malik’s hands cascade down my sides as the three of us move to the beat.
“Get your hands off her,” a deep voice booms to my right.
I come to an abrupt halt.
“Chill, man, we’re just having fun,” Levi says.
I’d been at the party for an hour. How did he get here so fast? Was he already in town?
I glower. “Nico, I can dance with whoever I want.”
“Dancing with your friends is cool. But being sandwiched by two guys, Serenity… No.”
My gaze sweeps over him. He always had a nice build but now at twenty, he’s taller, and his chest and back are wider. Pure muscle. The man is irresistibly sexy. Women can’t help but gawk and giggle whenever he’s near. His raven hair is longer, like he’s in some phase of growing it out.
It’s straight—did he blow out his curls? The hair sweeps away from his face, falling loosely around his ears, trimmed a bit shorter at the nape.
The way he stares at me makes my skin heat under his gaze.
He stretches out a tatted arm and curls a hand around my neck, pulling me close. “I want you to sit on my face now,” he mutters in my ear, and my body tingles all over.
We hadn’t had sex in months. I admit I’m horny.
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing manhandling her?” Malik booms.
Shit, I need to tell Malik goodbye. He doesn’t need to get caught up in me and Nico’s bullshit.
Malik grabs Nico’s arm. “Release her.”
A sick smile curls Nico’s lips. “If you want to see the next day, you’ll get your fucking hands off me.”
There’s promise in his eyes. He’s seriously getting ready to end him.
“It’s your friend,” Pera says as she and the girls approach.
I slap Nico’s hand away, and he releases me. Malik nods, backing off.
“Hello ladies, my name’s Nico.”
Each of my friends introduce themselves to him.
“The look in your eyes when you whispered in Serenity’s ear appeared seductive.” Nila points out.
I turn to face the group. “Malik and Levi, Nico can be a little territorial for no reason.”
“It’s not for nothing,” Nico spits.
I know he’s talking about what happened with Chris.
“He’s my ex. We haven’t been a couple since high school,” I tell them.
Laneesha taps her chin, and a devilish smirk lifts her pretty green painted lips. “He touches you like he owns you.”
“I fucking do,” he grits out at my back.
“You’re with him?” Malik asks. Hurt pools in his amber eyes.
“No. We aren’t a couple.”
Malik’s gaze moves to my waist. “He’s holding you like you are.”
I don’t realize Nico’s caressing my hip. The way my skin heats under his touch just feels like second nature.
He’s your ex-boyfriend, Serenity. He shouldn’t touch you like this in public.
I step out of his grip.
“The point is, I’m not tied down to anyone. So I don’t owe anyone an explanation.”
Malik nods in agreement, and Nico lets out a chuckle.
Levi grabs Laneesha’s hand and guides her toward the center of the dance floor. Just then, a woman steps into Malik’s line of sight, pulling his attention away.
I look up at Nico. “Go back to Penn State.”
He ignores me, glancing to his right. “Fred, what’s up?”
“Nico!” Fred calls out.
Fred is one of the frat boys hosting this party. He’s well-known on campus, handsome and popular. Being a baller only boosts his status. He’s clearly soaking in the college experience, just as he should.
Nico approaches and pulls Fred into a bro hug. “It’s been a minute.”
Fred steps back, chuckling. “Since last week.”
“That party was sick, huh?”
“Totally. Thanks for the invite,” Fred says, his flawless, sun-kissed face lighting up with a grin.
“No problem. You know Serenity?” Nico asks.
“Yeah, what’s up, Serenity?”
“Nothing much. Just hanging with my friends.”
Nico pulls me closer. “No.”
He glances back at Fred. “I’ll catch you later.”
Fred’s blue eyes meet mine; he salutes before walking away.
“Great. So now he thinks we’re hooking up.” I shake my head.
“Serenity, that’s what we do, right?”
I don’t respond.
Nico leans into my ear. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your friends would like to watch us fuck right here.”
I peek at them watching us. Laughter bubbles in my chest. “Yeah, they would. They think you’re beautiful.”
He grabs my hand and places it on his rock-hard cock. I visibly swallow because, again, I hadn’t had sex in six months.
Nico, on the other hand, probably had sex last week. I push those thoughts out of my mind. I just need him to please me.
He palms my ass. “Tell Malik to keep his hands off you. If he doesn’t, I’ll chop them off.”
“He’s been nice to me. He likes me, but he doesn’t know where I come from. That’s for the best. So we’re just casual.”
“Nico, here are your drinks,” his bodyguard Abe says.
“Thanks, Abe,” Nico states, placing a red cup in my hand.
I peer into the cup. It’s a lemon drop. How long had one of Nico’s bodyguards been keeping an eye on me tonight?
“Thanks, Abe.” I smile.
Abe nods.
Nico gulps his drink. He’s wearing a gray Penn State t-shirt that strains against his muscled arms and chest, dark jeans, and sneakers.
“Why are you here, Nico? We haven’t seen each other in months.”
“I told you what I wanted when I pulled you away from those two guys.”
“Did you have to pull me by my neck?”
“Yeah, they needed to understand I wasn’t playing fucking games.”
“It felt like you wanted them to know we were fucking.”
He sips his whiskey again. “You’re leaving with me. That’s what they needed to know.”
“I was fine chilling with Malik. We were having a good time then here you come. Do I come to your school and stop you from hooking up with other women?”
He shrugs and laughs softly. “You just send mice to the whole cheer squad.”
My lip twitches at his statement.
“Malik’s handsome. Maybe I don’t need your tongue. Maybe I want to find out if he can make me come.”
Nico’s eyes darken as he leans down, our lips barely touching. “Go ahead. Let him stick his tongue out to lick your pussy. I’ll cut it off before it touches you.” His whiskey-soaked tongue glides across my lips. A shiver shoots up my spine.
“Now stop pretending you don’t want to ride my face.”
The music cuts out as the last three words leave his mouth.
I scan the room.
Eyes from around the room fall on us.
“Fuck, yes,” Pera shouts.
“Go get your happy ending, girl,” Nila yells.
“Yes!” Laneesha sashays across the dance floor, one hand raised, gripping Levi’s hand with the other. “I’m going to do the same thing.”
Levi’s face turns beet red, then he plants a kiss on her neck.
I meet Malik’s pained face beside Levi.
“Ride his face,” Vi yells. “Ride his face,” she repeats.