68. Astor
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
ASTOR
I know she’s spiraling. And I know her well enough to know that she is not letting him leave this campus without getting to him. So, I’m on edge the entire class as I watch her from the corner of my eye. When class is over, I’ve never jumped up so fast. But she doesn’t move. She watches Miles as he stands, but when he looks over his shoulder at her and smiles, she’s up in a split second.
“Hey!” she yells at him. He ignores her and takes off out of the door. She pushes away from me and chases after him.
“Alessia!” I yell behind her. She stops and turns to me. Her eyes are clear and I know she’s got this. I nod at her and she continues her rampage.
We’re all outside, back in front of the coffee shop area. She doesn’t care that campus is full, she doesn’t care that there are innocent people around when she screams his name. He freezes and turns towards her as she marches up to him, glaring at his face.
All of her friends are staring at her, Briar included. I’m guessing they all were texting in class. The guys are standing by Mikhail, waiting as usual.
I walk up behind Alessia. Her fist is bawled and I know she’s going to hit him before she even does it.
“Why the fuck are you here?” she grits through her teeth. She’s trying not to cause a scene. I can tell by the level of her voice, but anything can set her off.
He opens his mouth to respond, but she hauls off. Her fist flies straight to her nose and blood spurts immediately. She shakes her hand out and rams her knee into his stomach. When he drops to his knees, she grabs his head and rams her knee into his face.
People who were passing by have fully stopped now. There are murmurs everywhere, but not a cellphone in sight. They know who she is, and they know if they recorded her, they’d be next. The campus knows she’s a mafia princess, so naturally, there’s a fear.
She steps over him and presses her black, knee-high boots on his throat.
“Alessia,” I warn, but she ignores me.
“I want you to know that the girl you raped that night is gone. So, when I finally get to kill you, don’t look for any mercy.” She releases her foot and walks away, leaving him on the sidewalk with a bloody smile on his face. She walks past me, and I barely notice because I’m so enraged with the sight of him. I walk up to him and drag him by his shirt towards the bathroom. The guys follow me as everyone makes a path. No one dares to say anything.
I push open the stall and dunk his face in it, holding him down until he’s thrashing for air.
When I yank him up, I take his face and slam it into the mirror.
“Don’t fucking come back.”
“You killed my family,” he spits out as he catches his breath. I grab him by his shirt and slam him against the wall.
“You raped my fucking wife…and make no fucking mistake, the only reason you aren’t dead right now is because I promised her she could kill you herself. And trust me, she’s going to kill you.”
I look up at Mikhail. “Call Jay. I don’t want this piece of shit out of our sight until Alessia’s ready to have her revenge. I doubt she’ll be waiting much longer.” I throw him to the ground and walk out of the bathroom, Teagan and Justin on my heels.
I don’t see Alessia when I come out. I pick up my phone and it goes straight to voicemail.
“Call Caro, find them,” I tell Justin.
He nods and picks up his phone. “Where are you?” he barks into the phone. He puts it on speaker and I listen as Caroline curses at him.
“Don’t fucking call me with that tone.”
“ Caroline …where are you?”
“I’m going to my next class.”
“Where’s Alessia?” I say, taking the phone.
“She’s in her class, I dropped her off myself.” I hand Justin the phone and head to Alessia’s next class.
I have to make sure she’s alright.
When I get to the class the professor is already teaching, but I don’t give a fuck. No one on this campus in their right mind would correct me, including the professors.
“Mr. Pavlov, do you need something?” the professor says.
“I do, I need to see Mrs. Pavlov, ma’am.” She nods and Alessia gets up.
When she gets out of the class, I grab her hand and walk into a supply closet that’s close by.
I grab her hand and she winces in pain. It’s bruised and already beginning to swell. I shake my head and cup her face in my hands. “You good?”
“I am. Hand hurts, but I’m fine.”
“That was quite the show you gave.”
“Ehh, memorable last first day, right?” I kiss her and she sighs into my mouth. “Did you kill him?” she asks.
I chuckle. “No, little devil. I told you that was your revenge to take. But I did bang him up a bit.”
“Yeah?”
I nod and she smirks at me. “You sure you’re ok?”
She removes my hand off her face and kisses it. “I’m ok, I’m in a different space. I still hate him, I’m still enraged, but I can control myself. I promise, you don’t have to worry.”
“Meet you after class?” She nods and kisses me on the cheek before walking out of the closet back to her class. Fuck’s sake, what a first day back.
Redcrest, you never cease to amaze me.
I open the door to the Dean’s office, not bothering to knock.
“Mr. Pavlov, what are yo?—"
“Tell me, Dean, why there was a face in senior seminar today that I personally told you was never allowed on this fucking campus. Tell me why my wife almost committed murder in front of half of your students. Tell me and tell me quickly.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“Miles Raz. Why is he a student at Redcrest University?” He leans forward in his chair and types on his computer.
“It-it wasn’t me. I didn’t enroll him!” he says quickly. I hop up and circle his desk with my gun in my hand.
“Then who the fuck did?”
“The professor! It was the senior seminar professor!”
“Hope you have someone to fill the position, because Mr….” I look at the name, because I didn’t care enough to listen to it in class. “Bello will be resigning; effective immediately.”
He nods quickly and throws his hands up. My vibrating phone alerts me to a message that makes me see nothing but fucking red even more.
Mikhail:
He got away, we can’t fucking find him.
Astor:
You’re fucking kidding me.
Justin:
He wouldn’t have gotten away if you left his measly ass with me.
Mikhail:
Whatever helps you sleep better at night, Princess Justin.
Astor:
Just fucking find him.
Jay:
We will.
Teagan:
Where is Lessia?
Astor:
Class. I’m going now. Find him.
“Of course, Astor, of course.” I nod and exit his office.
Time to pay Mr. Bello a little visit.
Class is in fucking session.