Chapter 6
FRANKIE
E verything is right with my world as I sit on the veranda in my wicker chair, surrounded by my friends and beer.
We are finally catching up and it’s good to be back knowing that everything is in order.
I am particularly interested in catching up with Jesse because out of everyone, he is my brother from another mother and his easy grin is something I missed.
“How was your break?” I ask him as he sits beside me, chugging down his third beer.
“Interminable.” He sighs. “Fuck, the more time I spend away from home, the more I dread going back there.”
Santi adds. “Then don’t. You’re an adult now and can make your own choices. When college ends, you can take off and live life on your terms.”
I wait with interest for his answer because Jesse has been brought up to accept he will marry a local girl and set up a farm to benefit the community.
“Tell that to my parents.”
He guzzles another beer and sighs. “Fuck, I need to get laid. It’s becoming more difficult to think up reasons to head out of town in the pursuit of pussy. It’s as if my father knows what’s happening and insisted on accompanying me.”
Ali laughs out loud. “Perhaps he has the same aim in mind.”
“Watch your mouth,” Jesse adds, a cheeky grin accompanying his words.
Ali laughs softly. “Well, I came here for a rest. My father had a couple of new additions to his playroom who were eager to make their mark. I swear life gets more hedonistic the older I get.”
“Torture me some more why don’t you?” Jesse groans and leans forward. “So don’t keep it to yourself. What happened?”
“Have you ever had two at once?”
Ali raises his eyes and Jesse groans. “Okay, rub salt in my wound.”
He retrieves his phone and bashes out a text and as the others chat shit, I lean in and whisper, “Miss Sloane, I presume.”
Last semester, Jesse was carrying out an extremely inappropriate relationship with our art teacher who has a sinister by line that I intend on smashing this semester.
A lot happened in the last one and she was overlooked, but now I have the time and the inclination to put a stop to her trade.
I used the break to do some digging of my own and that involved delving into the society she acts as a recruiter for.
Jesse doesn’t realize it but he is her current victim, which will happen over my dead body. However, I require him to carry on his ‘relationship’ with her as my Trojan horse so I can destroy her from the inside.
“I’ve missed her so much. Nobody gets me off like Jenna can.”
I hate hearing him speak of her because Jenna Sloane feeds him drugs and sex as a lethal drug to scramble his mind. Jesse is full on in lust with her and addicted to their situation and it will be up to me to break his habit.
It doesn’t take long before a text comes through and his broad smile tells me she’s intent on carrying on where they left off.
Jesse stands and rakes his fingers through his hair. “Gotta go.”
“Where?” Santi glances his way in surprise, and Jesse taps the side of his nose and grins. “Secrets and sex. The best combination there is. Don’t wait up guys, I have a lot of ground to make up.”
As he springs off the veranda, I watch him go with a thoughtful expression, and Ali’s dark tone matches my mood perfectly. “We should look out for him.”
I’m surprised because as far as I can tell, I’m the only one who is aware of Jesse’s problem, and my gaze swings to Ali along with a question. “Why?”
Ali leans in. “Word is he’s tight with Jenna Sloane.”
“Who told you that?”
This concerns because if Ali knows, it’s probable the whole of Rockwell knows which could spell trouble for Jesse and mess with my plans.
“Jesse told me.”
“He did?”
I’m amazed at that, and Ali grins. “Not in so many words, but I saw a text come through when his phone was left abandoned. It was from her and the picture accompanying it spoke a thousand words.”
“Fuck, what was it?” Santi leans forward, desperate for information.
“It was a work of art, obviously.” Ali smirks. “Let’s just say life drawing may be on the curriculum this semester and she was demonstrating that.”
“No way.” Santi shakes his head and my eyes collide with Jack’s and it’s obvious he shares my concern.
We are distracted when somebody joins us and I stare with interest as Luca slips into Jesse’s vacant seat.
“Sorry to interrupt guys, it’s getting a little lonely in there.”
Jack smiles his welcome.
“How is your room?”
“Good thanks.”
Luca catches the beer Jack throws at him and settles back in his seat, his gaze scanning the group before resting on me.
“Tell me how things work around here.”
“In what way?”
I’m not about to spill the secrets of Rockwell to this guy, who I don’t trust at all, and he shrugs. “I heard someone mention a challenge and I’m interested.”
“You must be talking about The Claiming.”
Santi answers for me and Luca nods, his gaze swinging Santi’s way.
“That’s what I heard.”
“From who?”
I’m surprised because Luca recently arrived and merely walked from the Principal’s office to our house, so I’m not sure where his information comes from.
He holds up his phone. “Student’s WhatsApp group. It appears to be the only subject worth talking about.”
Santi shakes his head. “You don’t wanna be part of that yet, Luca. Unless you prefer to tie yourself to one woman for the entire semester. I mean, why would you?”
“I’m interested, not committed.” Is his careful response and Ali interrupts.
“You disguise yourself as a centurion and hunt a woman in the dungeon. If you catch one, you pledge to stay loyal to her for the semester and she becomes your property if you like. At the end of the semester, you both get the choice to stick or twist.”
Luca raises his eyes. “Which means.”
“Either stay together or set you both free. If one of you decides to twist you both twist. “
Santi jerks his thumb at Jack and me. “Frankie and Jack have that decision to make.”
“When?”
Luca turns to me and I note the interest spark in his dark, turbulent eyes and I shrug. “Next week. Before the new Claiming season begins.”
“What are you going to do?” Ali asks, leaning forward, his curiosity reaching out to me.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
I stare at Jack as I say the words and don’t miss the hope that flares in his expression telling me everything I suspected.
“What about you, Jack?” Luca asks with interest and Jack shrugs.
“As Frankie said, I haven’t made my mind up yet.”
I lean forward and regard him carefully. “Does Siri know you haven’t made up your mind?”
There is a warning attached to my voice because it’s in my best interest for Jack to hook up again with my cousin.
I’m aware their relationship hasn’t moved on, which is fine by me due to the promise I made to her father.
It also helps keep Cassie solely under my control because if Jack threw his hat into the ring, I’m not convinced that Cassie wouldn’t snatch it up and run with it.
They have unfinished business that a blind man could see, and until I am bored with her, I will do everything in my power to interfere with that.
“I haven’t caught up with her yet.”
Jack sighs. “Listen, Siri and I need to have a conversation before we make that decision.”
He grasps another beer, effectively cutting the line of questioning, and I wonder if the conversation he needs is with a different girl entirely. My girl, which will happen over Jack’s dead body.
Ali cuts through the tension with his next sentence.
“Santi’s right, Luca. Wait it out this time and test the water first. Rockwell is pussy paradise and there is more than enough to go around.
If you find someone worth hanging onto, then by all means, take your shot, but she must be part of the challenge for you to capture her and be prepared that someone else may get there first.”
Luca says nothing, which I’m beginning to realize is his super power. I recognize it because it’s also mine. Our thoughts are kept hidden behind an enigmatic expression, and I don’t need to know the guy to understand exactly how his mind works.
He is a mirror image of me, which could either prove tricky or a godsend. Luca Romano could be exactly the man I need to save Jesse and I wonder if he would be up for that.