AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Enough messing about. In or out?
I take a tighter hold of my backpack and walk slowly toward him.
“Want to go get a soda?” he asks when I’m a few feet away.
It’s not soda he’s thinking about. If I get in that car, he’s going to take me to his place and we’re going to have sex, and that will be that. All my problems over in one afternoon.
“Uh, sure,” I whisper, and go around to the passenger side door and get in. I’m really doing this. I’m going to give my V-card away to some boy I don’t know so my mafia fiancé will dump me and I can be free.
This is crazy.
But the alternative, marrying Salvatore, is unbearable.
I expect Griffin to make small talk as we drive, or to be flirty and charming like he’s always been, but all he says as we get onto the main road is, “My place is on the other side of the city.”
The emptiness of his words makes unease wash over me. At least Salvatore makes me feel precious and coveted as he’s controlling every moment of my life. I push away thoughts of Salvatore and try to ignore the sick feeling in my belly.
While we’re stopped at the lights, I stare out the open window, my arms folded tightly. I just hope the deed itself doesn’t feel too awful, or Griffin doesn’t make it awful by being cold and callous. I cringe, and my courage evaporates.
I don’t want this, and I open my mouth to tell Griffin I’ve changed my mind.
That’s when I notice that the man in the next car over is staring at me. It’s a huge white SUV, spotlessly clean and expensive looking. The person sitting in the driver’s seat is a bear of a man in a white business shirt that’s pulled tight around his biceps and fitted across his shoulders. He has a neat dark beard and his muscled forearms are dusted with black hair.
If we both reached out, we’re close enough to hold hands. I feel a jolt as I recognize him. Cassius Ferragamo has one severe black eyebrow raised at me. His gaze slides over to the driver, and his other brow rises to join it.
My heart lodges guiltily in my throat, as if it’s Salvatore himself who’s caught me with another man and not one of his estranged best friends.
He opens his mouth to say something, and in that moment the lights change. Griffin guns the engines and we shoot forward.
I take a few deep breaths, and then glance out the window. Cassius’ white SUV isn’t there. A blue Ford is in its place. I’m about to relax when I glance into the side mirror.
Cassius isfollowingus.
He’s on the phone and his expression is grim. I can’t tell what he’s saying but I have a horrible feeling it’s got something to do with me.
A few minutes later, Cassius hangs up and Griffin turns onto the freeway. I stare into the wing mirror, hoping that the white SUV peels away, but Cassius stays dead on our ass.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence. This is the busiest freeway in the city and it’s entirely possible that Cassius is just—
“What is that asshole doing?” Griffin’s squinting into the rearview mirror.
I turn around and look behind us, wondering if Cassius is flashing his headlights. A few hundred yards down the road, an obnoxiously red Ferrari is weaving through traffic, speeding and swerving like a race car driver. It takes the car just a few minutes to catch up with us and pull into the lane next to Cassius.
I recognize the handsome face behind the sunglasses. Vinicius Angeli.
What the hell is going on?
“You like Ferraris or something?” Griffin asks, clearly puzzled by the way I’m still twisted in my seat and staring out the back window.
I’m about to turn around and try to pretend there aren’t two mafia bosses on our tail when I see a black, militaristic Mercedes-Benz 4WD tearing up the slip lane next to the freeway, about to merge into traffic.
Ohno.
I have a sinking feeling who’s driving such an aggressive looking car. The driver of the Merc jerks the steering wheel and pulls across two lanes of rush hour traffic, causing half a dozen people to slam on the brakes and sound their horns.
“Is he crazy?” Griffin mutters.
Not crazy. Insane.
