He knows my name.
Alessandro Moretti knows my name.The Prince of the Underworld knows my name.It's been a week since he cornered me in the diner's bathroom, and he's all I can think about.I imagine seeing a black sports car on my way to school every day, but it's all in my imagination.I haven't seen his car following me again. I don't know if I should be relieved, but in reality, I'm just disappointed.I don't know what the hell I was expecting, that he would follow me every day? That he will push me into a wall and do what?Kiss me senseless?The thought alone has my blood boiling, and I want to slap the image of him out of my brain.The number of times I had to remind myself that I'm not that girl is completely laughable.You see all those giggling females I thought were complete idiots wearing short skirts and tight shirts just to impress a boy? Those girls whom I, Farrah Simpson, thought had the brain cells of a cauliflower?I completely fucking understand now.Those girls are all hipnotized by testosterone.The only explanation can be science.That is the only explanation my heart and brain are willing to accept. '"Are you okay?"I hear Sammy ask behind me.I'm currently peeping through the only plausible window our apartment has, thinking maybe the black car is somewhere I could see it."Totes fine."I reply absentmindedly.You see the word "totes"there? Not in my vocabulary.There must be a virus in my DNA."Are you sure?"She keeps going on. "You have been like this for a while now. Should I call Phoebe?"Now most people would say that Phoebe is the pretty one and I'm the brainy one, even though only two years separate us from being almost identical twins.Now, I would definitely know if Sammy would tell Phoebe I've been acting weird and she does not know why, Phoebe would most definitely know why.Although Phoebe might not be brainy and what society would call smart, she would without a doubt know something's up with me.And I really don't want anyone to know.I feel like a teenager, just gravitating her sexuality wherever it may go. Maybe I'll even go to a frat party, anything is possible with me feeling so awakened.I turn towards Phoebe and plaster a smile on my face. "I'm great, really, maybe just a little tired.""Okay." She answers hesitantly, but there's still doubt in her eyes."Do you want some coffee? I'm going to get some at that new coffee shop around the corner.""I'm fine with instant." She shrugs. "Besides, rent is almost due, I don't wanna go over our limit.""I have two assignments due on Friday, I need the good stuff." I hastily put on my sneakers and grab my bag. "I'll see you in a few."I had to get away from the concern in her gaze, I can't tell her what's up with me. She wouldn't understand, right now I don't even understand. Plus, the guy I'm infatuated with is most likely a criminal.I thought Sammy was silly in the club, but I've been going through articles about him and his family the whole week. And where there is smoke, there is always a fire.I shouldn't waste my time thinking about him. He's bad news, but the combination of his looks and the hint of danger intrigues me even more.I stop by the ATM to withdraw money for the coffee. This is my ritual, so I can always know how much I have left and how much I spend. I never swipe my card for purchases. Otherwise, I buy things I really don't need.There are ten thousand dollars in my account.Ten fucking thousand dollars!Where the hell did it come from? Who the hell did it come from!My heart pounds in my ear as I make my way to the coffee shop and buy two Americanos.I've never had money, I grew up in a tattered two-bedroom house where we sometimes didn't even have enough to eat. I had a mother who didn't really give a shit either. So I started working as soon as someone wanted to hire me.Phoebe always thought I was mad, she definitely used her looks to get by, but that's what our mother did and I was never going to be like her.So in my entire life I have never had anything close to ten thousand dollars.It must be some mistake, some glitch in the bank's system. It's probably going to be gone in the morning when the bank realizes its mistake. Yes, that's what it is.Except, in the morning it's still there. I check my bank statements, the money was sent from M.Holdings.Alessandro's surname is M. Is it from him?It can't be, how the hell would he have my bank details and why would he send me money? We don't even know each other.I have a shift at the supermarket after class, but I quickly run to the bank. I've never been late, so I know they will forgive my one transgression.Luckily there's no line at the enquiries counter."How may I help you sweetie?" The lady behind the counter asks with a smile."Hi." I try to smile back, but I'm just so nervous. "I just want to enquire about a transaction on my account."I hand her my card and she starts typing on her keyboard."There's an amount that was tranfered, can you see who it's from?"The lady frowns at her computer screen before looking up at me. "The amount was sent from M.Holdings, that's the only information available on here.""So it wasn't a mistake from the bank?" I ask. I was sure it was a mistake from the bank."No, dear." She smiles again and hands me my card back. "Enjoy the rest of your day."Enjoy the rest of my day?There's ten thousand dollars in my account, from God knows where.I have a hunch it's from Alessandro Moretti.The question is why?And how the hell do I get in touch with him?I look up at the club's sign. It looks less glamorous in broad daylight. I'm taking a big, fat guess coming here. How do you get a hold of someone you've only met twice, and whose number you clearly don't have? The only thing I could think of was coming to The Phoenix. I know he owns the club and he was probably the reason why we were invited to the VIP area. And I know for a fact he's interested in me. Not the way I'm interested in him, I'm sure, but interested nonetheless. He wouldn't have followed me if he wasn't. I'm skipping my shift at work to come here, I lied to Sammy and told her I had an appointment with my academic advisor. I really hate that I had to lie to her. There's soft music playing inside the club and it seems like the staff are busy preparing for an undoubtedly busy evening. The floors are being wiped and people are walking around with crates of alcohol. I spot the bartender who served us the first night polishing glasses and decide to approach him. "
"Are you sure this is the place?" I read the address that Jerry slipped under the door for the third time, and look up at the building in front of us again. It cannot be. But this is the address that he wrote. I hand Sammy the note and she too reads the address again and then looks up at the building. We supposedly had to evacuate our building, which is not in the best part of the city and even though it was clean, was a bit run down. The building in front of us speaks of old, rich architecture that only people with trust funds can afford to stay in. Which we are clearly not. "Should we maybe go in and check?" Sammy continues, looking just as confused as I feel. "It's not like we have any other choice right now." I shrug. Jerry took our keys when we left, so we can't go back there either. We don't have a lot of stuff, our clothes are in three suitcases and we have four boxes with our books and miscellaneous stuff, all sitting on the curb where the cab dropped us off. "Okay, g
"What is this?" Sammy asks, her mouth hanging open as I deposit the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. She's been cooking ever since we moved in two days ago, but she's been complaining about not having the adequate budget for what she wants to make. So I went to the grocery store and bought her everything she'd been talking about. The Devil's money can be used for good, even if it's only to make Sammy happy. Yes, that is what I've dubbed him and that's the name I saved under his number. The Devil. He sure looks like one. Everyone says that the devil was an extremely beautiful angel, it's always the beautiful things that turn out nasty. "You said yourself a kitchen like this needs to be cooked in." I start unloading the bags, something to keep my hands busy while I keep on lying to my best friend. "Don't worry, I used tons of coupons." I'm not looking at her, but I can feel her disbelief. We work at a supermarket, and most of these items are not coupon items. "I have
The air is charged with so much electricity inside the car, I'm surprised the thing doesn't explode with us in it. I don't even bother asking him how he knows where I stay, because I know he knows. I've seen this guy only twice before now, but it feels like I know him on a level I can't even explain to myself. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel as he navigates the car through city traffic, his jaw clamped shut. He looks angry for some reason. "Are you having me followed or watched?" I asked quietly. "What were you doing with that guy?" He asks instead of answering. "Oh, we went on a date and had a nice dinner." I retort back quickly. "Your mouth is going to land you in a lot of trouble one of these days." Is that the tug of a smile I see around his mouth? It seems like it, and I relax slightly. "I tutor students sometimes." "Well, it looked like he was thinking about a lot more than tutoring." I don't answer, because what do I say to that? Was Kevin inte
I'm feeling extremely pissed off the next day as I head to campus. Pissed off that my sister is making a massive mistake by moving in with a guy she barely knows, pissed off that my mother was a crap example, and that Phoebe has clearly inherited those toxic traits. And fucking pissed off that I had trouble sleeping because I kept checking my phone, thinking that some idiot of a guy will text or call me. This is why I stay far away from the opposite sex, they're bad news, they give you sleepless nights and they demand things! Like, keep your phone on. Why should I keep my phone on if he's not even going to bother to even send me a text? I would like to know that I haven't gone completely insane, that this fire I'm suddenly feeling out of nowhere isn't just a one-way street. It isn't. It can't be. It's too strong, too all-consuming. "Good morning." There's a tug on my ponytail as I'm waiting for my coffee at the campus coffee shop. I'm about to give the person a mouth
Alessandro Moretti's lips are soft and warm, and everything I imagined it would feel like. He doesn't take the kiss further though, he just holds his lips firmly on mine for a beat before letting me go, his eyes melted chocolate on mine. "From here on out I'm the only man that touches you, do you understand?" His voice is deeper than what I've heard before and I'm so enthralled by him, all I do is nod in agreement. Maybe it's the Jane in me wanting to find her Tarzan, but I've never been speechless before. Or maybe it's because this is officially my first kiss. That is if I don't count Jimmy kissing me and then calling me names afterwards in the second grade. He holds the door open for me and I get in, clutching my backpack. I watch as he rounds the car and it strikes me that people are looking. I'm sure they're always looking whenever Alessandro makes an appearance, plus he's looking divine in his navy business suit. "Why are you following me?" I ask yet again as he gets
A black widow spider eats the male spider after they have mated. That is what I feel like when I get ready for my "date" with Alessandro Moretti. I have murder in my heart and vengeance in my eyes. I was okay before I laid eyes on him. I was content with my life and where I was going. Then somehow I changed in a matter of weeks and actually thought there could be more to life than studying and working. Only to be left played and looking like a fool. ' Rumor has it that The Devil is engaged. So what was I going to be then? A dirty little secret? A mistress hidden in the shadows? I am not my mother's daughter. I never was, and I never will be. And I will not allow a man to make me like her. "I don't think you should go on this date." Sammy looks at me with concern as I brush my long hair for the last time. I don't look nearly as good as when Phoebe styles me, but I think I did a decent job with the glittery black jumpsuit I went out and bought with The Devil's m
This is the third time I'm riding in this car, which I now know is a Mustang GT something. Yeah, I've now looked up everything I could find of Alessandro Moretti online. He has a brother who is four years older, who also works for the Moretti company. The question is, why did the older Moretti brother not take over when their father retired? The father is re-married to a woman more than twenty years younger than him. I looked up her I*******m handle, she looks like a gold digger to me. Too much make-up, and too much plastic surgery. His mother's whereabouts are unknown. She hasn't been seen in the city in the last fifteen years. Where the hell is she? Dead perhaps? Killed by the father for a younger mistress. I'll probably be killed next. I should send Phoebe a farewell text, tell her to stop making stupid mistakes and tell her that I love her. Alessandro is bristling next to me. I can tell in the hard set of his jaw and the frown between his eyebrows. I expect him to dr