CHAPTER SIX

Dante

“THANKS FOR NOTHING,” I said under my breath as we walked side by side toward the admin building.

El glared. “You mean for keeping your windpipe from getting crushed? You’re welcome.”

I sighed. “It was part of the plan, I had it handled.”

“You were letting them beat you!”

“Exactly,” I said, adopting a bored tone. “Can’t show all my cards all at once you know… every game has its strategy.”

She said nothing.

We took the elevator to the dean’s office just in time for his secretary to nearly run into the dean. She looked ready to puke, her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her lips were pressed together in a firm line like she was about to give him some really bad news. “They’re here.”

“All of them?” he asked, his voice shaking.

She gave him a quick nod then looked at me and El, her expression thunderous before she sat down at her desk and started typing away on her sleek metallic MacBook Pro.

“Better not keep them waiting,” he muttered, opening both of his office doors wide to reveal not just one mob boss.

But all of them, including Sergio.

“Shit,” Tex, the capo, shook his head and laughed. “I think you owe me twenty bucks, Serg.”

Sergio glared. “I said no detention.”

“To win a bet?” I argued. “You warned me no detention so you wouldn’t lose a bet? Are you kidding me right now?”

He shrugged and slapped twenty bucks into Tex’s waiting hand.

Mil smirked from her spot on the couch. As the only female boss she seemed almost out of place amongst all the testosterone. Then again, I knew her heels had the poison of blowfish on the tips, so she was a nightmare in and of herself, even if she looked sweet.

I turned my attention back to the dean, who seemed to be taking in the entire scene well since he hadn’t yet jumped out his window nor had a stroke.

“Is there a specific reason for this… visit?” He gulped, as he ran a hand over his white hair and paced in front of his large plain brown desk, which was littered with folders and candy wrappers.

Nixon was the first to speak; his cold blue eyes assessed the room and then the dean. “This is Luca’s son. I need you to make sure that he has access to everything he needs, and if he gets into trouble — naturally…” He waved a hand into the air. “Make it go away.”

The dean stopped walking and nodded his head. “Understood.”

Phoenix slammed a black folder against the dean’s chest, which in our world was basically a reminder that we had not only him but also his entire family, finances — life — by the balls, and offered a cruel smile. “Record nothing, report nothing to the board, and at the end of the school year, you’ll be compensated… handsomely.”

“How handsome?” the dean asked.

Phoenix licked his lips and leaned in. “You mean despite allowing you to live? Was that the question?”

The dean sputtered, “No, yes, I mean, yes, thank you for my life.”

“You know? I don’t think anyone’s thanked me in…” He looked over his shoulder. “Damn Chase how long has it been since anyone’s thanked me?”

“That guy last night thanked you.” Chase stood.

“No, no.” Tex chuckled. “He was on his hands and knees begging, big difference, though it was hard to tell exactly what he was saying since I cut out his tongue.”

“I hope you froze it so you can re-attach it later.” Mil said, inspecting her nails. “Wait, you can only do that with fingers. Carry on, boys.” She looked down at her phone again.

I almost rolled my eyes when Tex pulled out his knife and started tossing it in the air.

“So,” Phoenix turned his attention back to the dean. “We have an… understanding, yes?”

“Y-yes.” The dean’s lips trembled. “Thank you… sirs…”

Mil cleared her throat.

“And ma’am…”

“Lady.” Chase stood and held a knife to the dean’s neck while Phoenix took a step back and smirked. “Say thank you to the lady.”

“Th-thank you…” Sweat poured down his temples; the guy was a spineless idiot.

I couldn’t keep my snort in.

“As for you,” Phoenix turned that death like glare on me.

I winced, my body remembering the kind of torture he liked to deliver.

“Detention.” He smirked. “Both of you.”

The guys all started toward the door with Mil on their tail.

“Oh.” Chase turned around and gave me a knowing look. “You did good.”

“Huh?” I waited for one of them to say something.

Nixon finally shrugged and offered an apologetic look. “You think we like torturing you? It’s for your own good, and it paid off today. Chase just gave you a compliment instead of trying to stab you in the heart, maybe next time just say thank you.”

“I think I’d rather get stabbed, thanks.” I raised my middle finger and made a sweeping gesture around the room, encompassing them all in a collective flip off.

Chase flipped me off right back.

And the guys laughed the entire way out but not before Mil gave the dean a chilling last look that had me wondering what the hell Chase saw in her.

Because when I looked at Mil.

I strangely saw parts of myself.

A shit ton of hate.

And a whole lot of… something else I rarely acknowledged.

Fear.