We weren’t waiting. The payback needed to be unexpected. My sister gave me clothes and I changed. I would shower when this was done. We gathered what we needed and walked as a group to my dorm. I unlocked the door and stepped through first. Isabella’s entire crew was sleeping on the floor and couch. I walked to her room and saw her on the bed with another of her crew sleeping beside her. I lifted a chair from the four-person dining table and set it in the middle of the living room.

  Donya would help me with Isabella and the remainder of her crew would handle the girls in the living room. I took the side of the bed Isabella was on and jerked her head up by the hair. I had a solid chunk in my fist and she would lose it if she fought me.

  She screamed first which didn’t surprise me, and then she tried to twist away which had to hurt. I wasn’t letting go. My sister took control of the girl beside Isabella but she didn’t fight. I pulled Isabella out of bed.

  “What are you doing?” she screamed again.

  I pulled her into the main room. My sister’s crew stood over the others. One of the girls was Barbella. She didn’t look happy and her nose still had tape over it.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” she said when she saw me.

  I sat Isabella in the chair, still holding on to her hair.

  “What do you think you’re going to do?” she complained. “I’m not scared of you.”

  I ignored her and turned to her crew.

  “I’m here because I was attacked by Armando Franko and his crew last night. They tried to rape me but were stopped by Gabriel’s crew.”

  “You had it coming,” screamed Isabella and I had my answer.

  “Isabella told Armando I wasn’t in my room. She made a deal with him because of Gabriel. I want to know who else was involved. If you weren’t. You can leave.”

  “Did you do it?” one of Isabella’s crew asked.

  Isabella’s eyes drilled the girl. “I said she deserved it. They were only to scare her. No one would have been raped.”

  “They stopped because of Brando.”

  “Bullshit. You’re a whiny fucking baby. Stay away from Gabriel and you won’t need to deal with my shit.”

  “Just stay away,” I said in disbelief. “What about the girls you continue to harass? It never stops but it’s going to.”

  Before anyone could say anything else, someone knocked on the door.

  “Help,” Isabella screamed.

  I jerked so hard on her hair I was surprised it didn’t come out. My sister thrust the girl she still had ahold of in a chair and went to the door. She stepped back and Gabriel entered. His eyes traveled around the room until he found mine.

  “I wanted to talk to Isabella.”

  “You can speak to her later. We’re rather busy.”

  “No, Gabriel, don’t leave me. This bitch is going to hurt me. You can’t let her do this.”

  Gabriel walked closer and went to his haunches once he was in front of her.

  “You’re getting exactly what you deserve. I came here to tell you I’m done defending the honor you don’t have. I don’t care who you fuck or how many times. You’re free. I’ll be there on our wedding day but will not give you a second fucking thought until that day. You will be faithful after the marriage until you’ve given me two children, and then you can do whatever the fuck you want. I will abide by what our family decreed but I will not participate until our marriage is final.”

  He stood, looked at me, nodded, and walked out.

  Isabella had tears rolling down her cheeks but her lips were set in a defiant line.

  “He loves me; he’ll be back.”

  My heart was at least ten times its normal size. Gabriel took Isabella out of his life for me.

  I felt sorry for her. She still had a much-needed lesson coming. I looked at her crew.

  “Were any of you involved?”

  They shook their heads. Barbella stood.

  “I would never condone rape. We all know what a creep Armando is.” She turned to Isabella. “I’m out. You’re on your own.”

  She nodded to me and walked out. The other girls stood too.

  No,” screamed Isabella. “You owe me. You can’t walk away. Nothing was going to happen.”

  Armando was a creep and Isabella had sealed her own coffin. Her crew left and she was now on her own. Donya’s girls held her while she screamed and begged for me to stop. I wanted to slap her but managed to refrain. Halfway through, her yelling turned to pathetic whimpers. I was pleased with the results even if Isabella’s beauty was still evident and maybe even more so. She would never see it or understand what I meant.

  I’d shaved her hair off.

  It would grow back and she would be no worse off but while it grew, she would remember why this happened. I truly hoped she would never repeat anything like what she’d done. I doubted her crew would take her back. Isabella could straighten her shit out or she could spend a miserable year being the same bitch she’d always been. I voted for the latter.

  I returned to my sister’s dorm with her. The crew was in a good mood and started cooking a large breakfast. I took a shower. My sister was waiting on her bed when I came out.

  “What are you going to do about Gabriel?” she asked when I sat down too.

  Her dorm was one large area with two beds and had a couch and chair which was where the other girls were congregated. We spoke softly and they didn’t pay attention and gave us privacy.

  “I’m going to fuck his brains out and see where it leads. I’ll only be here this last year and I want to enjoy it. We might not work out, and then I can move on.”

  Her face twisted and sadness filled her eyes.

  “Or get your heart broken again when he marries Isabella,” she said.

  “There’s that too but I don’t want to look back and wish I’d done things differently. I’ve played it safe for two years. I want to live a little.”

  “You want to love a lot. You have it bad for him.”

  “I do.”

  “I’ll be here to pick up the pieces,” she said because she was mi amica.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gabriel

  I hadn’t expected to see Rosa at Isabella’s dorm but I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was also better for Isabella to hear what I said in front of her crew. Maybe it would sink in that I was finally done with her shit.

  The destruction of Armando and his crew was going down tonight. Brando arranged four vehicles to transport seventeen of us. I would be breaking lockdown rules and the consequences would be dire if I got caught. The consequences for murder were worse and I was worried about neither.

  Armando Franko put his hands on my woman and he would know exactly why he deserved his punishment. I continued to see red when I thought about Rosa’s fear. I gave Rosa time to do what she needed to do to Isabella before I texted her.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “I’m good. Isabella is bald.”

  Priceless. I couldn’t think of a better punishment and it actually made me smile.

  “I have things to take care of today but spend tomorrow with me, please?”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Spend the day on the roof, soak up the sun, talk.”

  “Sounds boring.”

  She was flirting and even with the heavy load I carried, I smiled again.

  “You are responsible for the conversation topics. Don’t make them too complicated or I won’t follow.”

  “I promise you’ll follow what I have planned.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “If we start a relationship, I have a few demands.”

  I chuckled. “Do you now?”

  “I do. We can discuss my terms before the main event.”

  “I like the sound of main event.”

  “I bet you do. What time do you want to meet?” she asked.

  “I’ll bring coffee from The Den. What time do you wake up?”

  “Six.”

  I groaned. “Eight is the best I can do.”

  “I’ll bring breakfast.”

  “It’s a date.”

  I’d never said those words to another girl. I’d never taken anyone on a date including Isabella. This year would be different if I survived tonight. I made the plans with Rosa because I was determined that I would see her again and we would finally have our time together. This wasn’t a simple fuck. I knew that. Rosa was not someone I could do that to.

  I would also kill Armando and the cards would fall however they chose.

  Brando and I spent the day alone. We ate a large lunch because we wouldn’t be eating dinner. We smoked some green and kept it mellow, though what was going on inside my head was anything but.

  Armando laying his hands on Rosa is what I concentrated on. Time crawled and when the sun went down, I was climbing the walls. Brando called the crew over. Our mood stayed somber until it was time to go to the vehicles. It ratcheted up another notch when we left campus.

  We had an hour drive. The town connected with the academy was family controlled. We had to be completely out from under the eyes of Rochester. I wasn’t stupid. Everything Brando did, including arranging the cars, was traceable. This was a statement and I would get away with it or I wouldn’t.

  We arrived first and the guys looked around. We found our spot and waited. Armando and his crew arrived in three vehicles. They got out heavily armed with bats and knives just like us. We waited.

  They formed a wall about twenty feet from us. Both sides knew what was going down.

  Lights in the distance had us all turning. Bats and other weapons were tossed away as several cars stopped, their lights shining on us.

  I knew the first guy who got out.

  “Fuck.”

  It was Xavier, the academy’s enforcer. Mr. Caleb and several other teachers approached with him.

  “Fuck,” said Brando, repeating my statement.

  “Mr. Caruso, Mr. Franko. I will have a word with you.”

  We followed Mr. Xavier back to the car he exited. He held the door and Armando slipped into the back seat first and I followed. Xavier shut the door once he was inside.

  “What you plan to happen tonight will not go down,” he said into the quiet of the car.

  “Mr. Franko, you will not be returning to the academy.”

  “Why the fuck not?” the stupid asshole demanded.

  “You are returning to your family and will not graduate. Your consequence is Caruso. There will be no weapons. If you don’t like the rules, this ends right now.”

  “It’s a crew fight,” I said because my crew would burn if I limited this to me and Armando.

  “This isn’t happening and I am not leaving school,” Armando stated.

  Mr. Xavier exited the car. “Mr. Caruso, I would like a moment with Mr. Franko.”

  I didn’t hesitate and walked over to inform my guys about what would happen.

  “Con, Erik, Gregor, you are stepping out of this one. I want even numbers.” The three of them weren’t our best fighters and they didn’t argue. “This is one-on-one. When you take your guy out, step back. If you go down, stay down.”

  The guys grumbled.

  “What if they don’t keep these rules?” Tonio asked.

  I smiled. “If that happens, fuck them.”

  Xavier and Armando left the car and Armando walked to his crew. The weapons on the ground were confiscated.

  “If you have weapons on your person, bring them here,” Xavier said next.

  I nodded at the guys and handed a knife to Brando who carried it over along with his own.

  “Is everyone clear of weapons?” I asked the guys when they returned.

  “Yeah,” they grumbled as one.

  We were ready. I had a feeling Armando and his guys would not play by the rules. I wasn’t worried. We were scrappy and we’d done more fighting than them. Crew fights were our specialty.

  Armando didn’t deserve to walk away but I would see Rosa when this was done and I refused to allow anger to cloud my head before the fight started. Xavier and the faculty stepped back. There was no signal. Both sides attacked. I went for Armando who was coming for me. The look in his eyes said I wouldn’t be in one piece when this was over. He didn’t know my fists but the first one came up to introduce itself. He stumbled back and I charged him, driving him to the ground on his back.

  He rolled and I was thrown off. He kicked out and connected with my sore ribs as he hustled to stand. I gained my feet as his fist came at my face. I turned and his knuckles skimmed the back of my head. I hadn’t forgotten what was done to me; I was biding my time. The sounds around us were pure war. Grunts and groans along with the sound of blows filled the parking lot. I got an arm around Armando’s head and connected my knee into his face three times before releasing him. He stumbled back but didn’t go down.

  The sounds around us diminished. Armando threw a wild punch that didn’t connect but mine did. He went to one knee.

  “Stand up, you motherfucker,” I shouted.

  He stood and swung again. The fight was over, but he would not get off easily. I aimed for two things. One, I repeatedly drove my knee into his face when I got another chance and two, when he was completely done, I drove my knee into his balls. He didn’t make a sound when he dropped.

  “That was for Rosa,” I said, panting and bending over to catch my breath.

  My crew was standing like I knew they would be.

  “Someone punched Rosa. Who was it?”

  One of the guys on the ground rolled over.

  “Fuck you,” he said and spit out blood.

  Brando got to him before I did and placed his foot in his ribs.

  “You finished?” I demanded when he stared up at me defiantly like an idiot.

  “Fuck you,” he repeated.

  It was my turn.

  I moved closer, half lifted him, and placed my fist into his mouth with all the power in my arm. He lost teeth and it burned the fuck out of my hand.

  “No,” I asked after he curled into himself and rolled to his stomach. “Fuck you. If you touch a female on campus like that again, I’ll kill you after graduation.”

  I looked at Mr. Xavier.

  “Are you satisfied?” he asked.

  “Fuck no.” I nodded to Armando. “That piece of shit doesn’t deserve to live.”

  “He will be taken care of.” From the look in Xavier’s eyes, he would be. “Mr. Cintanetti will also not return.”

  Cintanetti was the guy who struck Rosa and was now crying like a pussy.

  “I’ll live with it.”

  “Your lockdown is lifted, not that you seemed to abide by it. Don’t make me regret this.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I wasn’t stupid. I knew when the game was up. What I really wanted to know was how they found out about the fight.

  My crew left first. We didn’t see lights behind us the entire way.

  “How did they know?” Brando asked once we pulled out.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Can you deal with the way this went down?” he asked me.

  “I don’t have a choice. He won’t be on campus. If he does return, he won’t leave unless it’s in a body bag.”

  “Agreed.”

  It was late when we returned to campus. The guys went back to their dorms and I returned to mine with Brando. I took a shower and hit my bed. I had to be up early. I would get a chance with Rosa and I didn’t want to blow it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rosa

  I woke up excited. I’d crashed on my sister’s couch and wore her clothes again but I didn’t care. I would request a new dorm the following morning. The school could give it to me or I would throw an Isabella-sized tantrum. This was my senior year too. I wasn’t a princess but I could whine like one if it was called for.

  My sister had leftovers from our dinner together so I packed them, grabbed a bottle of wine, and placed it all in my backpack. I added some cinnamon rolls that were individually packed in a box. I grabbed four so we could have them with our coffee. The morning was chilly, but the sun was out and it would be a nice day for this time of year if we got lucky. I was feeling lucky.

  The library was empty when I entered. I loved the sound of my shoes on the wooden floor. My steps echoed and I smiled. I got to the roof first and set things up. Ten minutes later, Gabriel walked outside.

  “There was a line,” he said, holding up two large coffees.

  I smiled. “I have cinnamon rolls to go with it.”

  We sat facing each other. I felt ridiculously shy. I knew what was happening today. I wanted it.

  “Let’s eat,” he said.

  He lifted his coffee to his lips and I noticed the back of his mangled hand.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  He looked at it, turned it slightly, and made a fist, then allowed his fingers to uncurl.

  “You took care of Isabella yesterday, and I took care of Armando.”

  “You aren’t in jail,” I stated.

  He grinned. “I won’t be either. Xavier showed up.”

  “Mr. Xavier?”

  “Yep, that Xavier.”

  “Did you go off campus?”

  “An hour away. Don’t know how he knew about it.”

  “They’re tracking texts and internet. I found a few things on their system that were scary from a student perspective. They also have a way of tracking me that I haven’t figured out. I’ve scrubbed my system several times and even opened it up to see if they had tracking hardware on it.”

  “Did they?”

  “Not that I could find.”

  “But you were able to change the schedules?” he asked.

  “I was and I still have a shell on the scheduling secretary’s system if I need to get back on. I only planned to use it in an emergency but it’s there.”

  “Why don’t you ever post pictures of yourself online?” he asked, changing the subject to one that embarrassed me.

  “For whom? I know what I look like.”

  “Whom. You’re funny. Who says whom?”

  “Stop it,” I slapped his arm playfully. “I say whom. I stalk you too and you don’t post either. Thank God your crew is smarter than you are.”

 

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