Harder than to look at myself in the mirror, even though he’d never know that reality I faced every day.
If I could bleed myself dry, I would.
“We’re hanging out,” Ash said in a smooth voice behind me as he put a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll have to forgive Junior. He doesn’t like being taunted.”
I released the prick and stepped back.
The guy nodded his head toward Ash. “You’re Senator Abandonato’s son?”
“I am.” Ash crossed his arms. “Why? You wanna pick a fight with me too?”
“No.” He gulped. “You’ve done nothing to offend me.”
“Yet.” Breaker smirked.
“And you…” He looked at Breaker. “…the Capo’s oldest?”
“And brightest.” Breaker did a little bow. “Then again, you already knew that.”
“Nixon’s.” He looked at Serena and then at Claire. “But you, I don’t know.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t look at her if you want to live,” I snarled in a harsh voice. “She’s under the protection of the Petrov-Sinacore Family.”
He paled a bit and backed up.
Of course, the Russian name did it.
“And you?” I just had to ask. “What’s your name?”
He said nothing.
“That’s what I thought.” I slapped him on the shoulder and then turned my back on him.
The minute I was facing away from the guy, he muttered under his breath, “De Lange.”
I turned to lunge, but Ash held me back. “Not here, not now, man.”
I jerked away from him. “We’re leaving. Sorry Tank, another time, let’s go, Serena.”
Tank’s face fell. “Sorry guys, I didn’t know it would be a big deal.”
My laugh was ugly. “A big deal? You do realize that you just gave that guy a death sentence, right? All because you wanted Serena to see your bed.”
The guy was already going back into his room. I shared a look with him and sighed. “Pack your shit.”
His eyes narrowed. “What?”
“I said…” I clenched my teeth. “Pack your shit.”
“Hell no!” He shook his head. “I’m not packing my shit, so you can shoot me behind the building!”
I frowned and then burst out laughing. “That’s hilarious. Ash, when was the last time we just up and shot someone on a campus?”
“That would be, never.” Ash grinned. He leveled a gaze on the guy. “But I’d do what he says.”
“I’m dead if I do, dead if I don’t.”
Breaker sighed. “We’re not killing you.”
“Lies!” he spat.
“Hell, who raised you to be so resentful of the five families? You should be on your knees, thanking me for this kindness.” I snapped. “Grab your shit and come with us.”
“Where are you going to take me?”
I glanced around the scared faces and sighed. “Where you belong.”
“In the ground?”
“Eagle Elite University,” I said softly.
A hush fell over the crowd.
And a few of them met my gaze like maybe they could trust me, maybe they could trust us to keep our word.
And keep our word we would.
Because as much as the De Langes had a death sentence over their heads, I realized one thing in that moment: it wasn’t fair that I was alive just because I got a new name when they were stuck with theirs.
“Any of you want to follow; you have ten minutes.” I leaned against the wall as several people ran back into their rooms.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ash hissed.
“What our parents should have done.” I sighed. “Keep your enemies closer and all that…”
Serena and I shared a look, she nodded her head once, like she approved of me not killing everyone and for the first time in my twenty-one years, I felt like the made man I was. I felt like I was the new generation of the mafia, and I felt like my dad would be proud of my choice to keep the battle on our own turf.
“If they cross us—” Breaker looked around as people started packing up duffel bags.
“They won’t,” I said. “Because they know what happens if they do.”
“And what? We just waltz back over to Eagle Elite and let them know they have fifteen more students?”
“Of course.” I smirked. “Because we run the fucking world, and it’s about time everyone knows it, the bosses included.”
Within minutes everyone was packed; twelve De Langes came, including the random guy who had tried to pick a stupid ass fight he would have lost.
They were silent, untrusting as we walked them from their campus through the black iron rod gates of Eagle Elite, and you’d think we’d just invited the devil onto campus with the way students stared.
I know what they saw, more mafia.
Except we had no clue if these guys even knew how to fight. For all we knew, they were all adopted, their parents dead.
I was the only connection they had.
Shit.
I stopped in front of the Senior dorm and slid my card against the slot. The dorm mother came running to do my bidding, but she was in her thirties and knew the drill, thank God.