I press my back against the wall, letting my bag drop to the floor, as I hug my arms gently around myself and attempt to get my emotions under control. But I’m shaken. The assault was vicious, and I have done nothing to deserve it. Nicole Chastain is right up there with Carlo Greco. Both are cruel monsters with no heart or soul. What a pity I couldn’t matchmake the pair and let Carlo unleash all his depravity on her.
Approaching footsteps pull me out of my head, and I lift my head, spying Leo and Brando running toward me through blurry eyes.
“Jesus, fuck, Natalia.” Leo’s eyes flood with concern as he drags his gaze up and down my hunched-over body. “What the hell happened?”
“I was jumped in the bathroom. They kicked me when I was down. My ribs might be broken.”
“Who did this to you?” he asks as Brando reaches down to grab my bag.
“It was Nicole Chastain.” My tears dry up as anger resurfaces. “I want to make her pay.”
Leo’s eyes darken instantly. “Don’t you worry. That fucking bitchwillpay for this.”
13
Leo
Natalia’s delicate floral scent wraps around me as I carry her through the empty school hallway toward the car. I hold her as close as I can without risking injury, but I want to bundle her in my arms and never ever let her go. Brando went on ahead to pull our car up to the curb at the bottom of the steps.
The sound of many raised voices can be heard as we pass by the principal’s office, and it seems that little bitch wasted no time ratting Nat out. Natalia has been filling me in as we walk, telling me about the campaign of terror Nicole has been waging against her for weeks.
I feel sick that I fucked her. It was a mistake I instantly regretted. Guilt lays heavy on my heart as I hear how she’s been taunting Natalia, and I know part of it is my fault because I gave her the ammunition she used to push mydolcezzato her breaking point.
Brando opens the back door of the car, and I carefully set Natalia inside. “I’ll be there in a minute. Try and get comfortable,” I say, knowing it’s probably impossible if her ribs are bruised or broken. Nicole better pray they aren’t broken because I will snap her conniving neck and bury her six feet under if they are. “Where is Mateo?” I ask Brando.
“He’s on his way. He said to sit tight. He cursed up a storm when I told him.”
“Good.” I’m relying on my best friend to go nuclear so we can fix this once and for all. “Can you run to the corner store and see if they have ice. I’ll stay with Nat.”
“Of course,” he says, striding away.
I slip into the car beside Natalia, hating how pale her skin is, her brow dotted with little beads of sweat, and her hair tangled and messy. I hate seeing her in so much pain. “Brando has gone to find ice, and Mateo is on his way. He is going to talk to the principal and smooth things over because your papa is at the hospital with Rosa. Then we will deal with Nicole.”
“It wasn’t just her,” she pants, trying to sit up a little straighter. Pain flares across her face, and I wish I could take it away.
“We’ll get the others too. Give me the names, and we’ll ensure they suffer for the part they played.” Gently, I tuck her hair behind her ears, removing a handkerchief from my pants pocket and wiping her clammy brow. “I need to see the damage,” I softly say. “Can I unbutton your shirt to look?”
Her big blue eyes look too trusting as she nods. With careful movements, I unbutton her white school blouse, hoping she can’t see how my fingers are shaking as I slowly reveal her body to me. I’m instantly appalled at the devastation on her skin. Bruising is already appearing in several places on her torso, mainly centered around her ribs on both sides, but there’s an impression of a shoeprint on her chest and discoloration on her stomach. I stuff a hand in my mouth to strangle my agony, squeezing my eyes shut as I struggle to get a grip on myself. The urge to remove the rifle from the trunk and head into the school to gun down those bitches is riding me hard.
“Leo.” Her melodious voice is a sensual caress over my skin, helping to ground me. “Do I look that bad?” she whispers.
My eyes snap open at that. “Dolcezza.” I take her hand in mine. “You look beautiful. Like always. But I cannot stand to see what those cunts have done to you. I want to go in there and riddle them with bullets until they stop breathing.”
“I wouldn’t oppose that plan,” she says, and I can’t tell if she’s serious or not.
I shake my head. “No,dolcezza.” I bring her hand to my mouth, planting a kiss on her warm skin. “Don’t say that. I know you are hurting, but that’s not who you are.”
“There is more darkness inside me than you realize, Leo. More hatred than I ever thought I was capable of feeling.”
I don’t like hearing that, but it’s naïve to think she is immune to the darkness that is an inherent part of the world we inhabit. And I’m not just talking about the criminal underworld. All over America, kids are gunning one another down over stupid petty shit. It’s an ugly world we live in, and I wish I could shield Natalia from the worst excesses to keep her light and her goodness intact. “I don’t want that for you. You deserve better.”
“I deserve you,” she whispers, peering longingly at me through her gorgeous blue peepers.
“You deserve better than me, and we both know it.”
“Kiss me,” she whispers, threading her fingers in mine. “Please, Leo. Help me to forget this pain even if only for a minute.”
This is emotional blackmail at its finest. But I can’t refuse her anything in this moment. Very carefully, I maneuver myself over her, keeping my body away from hers so I don’t hurt her by accident. She closes her eyes as my face draws near, and I take a moment to savor the view. Her long, thick black lashes fan across her olive-toned skin, as my fingers sweep across her smooth high cheekbones. Her plump lips part, and air trickles out of her mouth as her chest heaves in anticipation. I avoid the temptation to stare at her beautiful tits behind her white lace bra because I will never take advantage of her.
