Page 31 of Sinister

“Monroe invited me to come pick her up seeing as you three assholes are keeping her hostage and not letting her drive one of your precious cars,” Saskia says. Her matter of fact attitude impresses me.

“Don’t stress, mafia boy. We’re not staying.” The blonde guy with the neck tattoos says coolly. His disregard for the malevolence rolling off these three is refreshing.

“Let’s go before Sin bursts a vein.” Sass salutes the three before she drags me toward the car they arrived in. A midnight blue Range Rover. Do all the frats have their own color coding?

Sneaking a look back at the guys, I see the three of them standing just outside the doorway, menacing glares in place and arms crossed over their chests. I have no idea what pathetic conflict they have with these three but I’m sure it’s grinding their gears that I’m leaving with them. I wave as I climb in after Sass and one of the tattooed guys closes the door for me. The car pulls away down the long driveway and I can’t help but think about Charlotte living upstairs amongst the three of them. It makes me feel irrationally jealous and I hate that I feel like this.

Chapter sixteen

Sinisa

Watching her leave with those fuckers from the Diamonds Frat makes my blood boil. They know not to touch another frat’s property, only, Monroe isn’t a House of Dacre member, she merely lives here under orders from my father. She’s technically free for the taking, not claimed by anyone. But thanks to my own sick obsession with her, I’ve made sure everyone knows not to fucking touch her.

Stalking back inside after I watch the Range Rover disappear down the driveway, Rome shoots me a death glare. He knows all too well this is my own doing. He’s pissed, and rightly so. She’s his best friend and he can’t have her because I said so. I know it’s wearing on him. He’s been obsessed with her just as long as I have. I’m forbidden to have her but I just can’t seem to stay the fuck away. My obsession borders on the line of depravity and I’ll do whatever it takes to touch her and taste her. That’s the thing with us men. We throw out all our morals and allegiances when it comes to a woman, especially a forbidden one. Deep within my high walls lurks a sick monster with needs I’m too ashamed to reveal. I knew early on in my life that there was something wrong with me, and that I didn’t fit the normal standards for society.

My family has tried to fix me over the years with psychological assessments and medications, only I hate the way the drugs make me feel less like myself. I like the turmoil in my brain, I like the impulsive ways I react. It’s me. I don’t want to change and I certainly don’t want anyone in my life that can’t handle me at my worst. My father, the head of the New York chapter, has learned to let me live my way, he at least finds my unhinged ways an asset to the family business. He’s the opposite of me, always in control and has his finger on the pulse.

I roam my gaze over the frat members lounging about sipping on expensive whiskey, smoking pot and relaxing. How calm and serene their lives are. Such a simple college experience filled with parties, studying and fucking. If only my life was this uneventful. If only I wasn’t the heir to the Vitiello Kingdom of corruption. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the kill as much as the next guy on my father’s team, but it’s the political and business side of it that gets to me. That’s where my boys, Chaser and Rome, step up and fill the gap I’m not interested in. They’re the ones organizing deals and making sure things run as smoothly as they can with my unhinged ways. They accept my chaotic thoughts and run with it, picking up pieces I’ve left scattered behind me. They thrive in their roles in my father’s organization and I know we make a lethal team when we put our minds together and work out a game plan for whatever task my father has assigned us.

“Sin,” Chaser calls my name over the music. I turn to face him; he’s holding out a tumbler filled to the brim with my favorite whiskey. Bless him. I love this guy more than anything. He always knows what I need when I’m stuck in my own head.

He closes the distance between us, handing me the tumbler. “Cheers.” I salute him and take a sip.

“Here.” He takes my hand and turns my palm face up, dropping his air pods into my hand. “You look like you’re about to gun us all down.”

“The thought has crossed my mind.” I wink at him. He knows I wouldn’t lay a hand on him or Rome, even though Monroe calls out his name in the middle of the night, but the rest of these guys are fair game. “I’m going upstairs. Keep Charlotte down here, I can’t fucking stand her near me.” I place the air pods in my ears and retreat upstairs to stew in my own space.

I’ve been awake for hours, waiting patiently for her. It’s past three in the morning and it takes everything in me not to drive across campus and collect her from their house. I don’t care for rules and me turning up uninvited is water off my back.

Pacing my room, I’m sure the creak from my floorboards is driving someone up the wall on the level below me, but they’d be stupid to say anything. They know the consequences, and this means I’m free to do as I please to whomever I please.

Cooped up in my room on my own is doing nothing for my sanity and I decide to go downstairs and find something to eat. I forget to eat on the best of days, and when my brain is overloaded, I can go days without food. Either Rome or Chaser usually make extra when they’re cooking for themselves and bring me a plate, making me eat.

I climb down the stairs louder than necessary and stalk across the dark house to the kitchen. I love it when there’s no one around. If I could, I’d live here with only my boys and Monroe, and not have all these guys here disturbing me. But that’s not part of the college experience apparently and so here I am in my own personal nightmare, sharing my space with a house full of others.

Opening the refrigerator, I pull out some sopressa slices and gouda. Nothing like good old fashioned motherland snacks. Unwrapping the butcher paper, I shove three slices into my mouth, not realizing how hungry I am. I slice off some cheese and chew it like an animal, lucky it’s dark and no one is around to see me. I hear the slow creak of the front door, thank you Lord for old houses and their creaks and noises.

Making my way toward the front entrance, I watch her in the dark, closing the door as slowly as she can, trying not to make her arrival known. I sneak closer until I’m standing behind her as the door clicks closed.

“Holy fuck!” She jumps when she turns around, grabbing her chest.

“You’re home late.” I stare down at her, barely able to see her features in the darkness of the night.

She tries to step to the side, but I mirror her movement, trapping her between me and the door. “Sin.”

My name on her lips does things to me that are unspeakable. The fact that there is slight irritation to her tone gives me goosebumps. I love it when she’s angry. “Monroe.”

“Why are you waiting up for me?”

“Oh Monroe, you have so much to learn,” I scoff.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

She tries to step around me, but I extend my arm and she bumps into it. Wrapping my hand around her, I squeeze her flesh and she whimpers from the pain. “Not so fast.” I guide her back to stand in front of me. “You living here is going to come at a cost. It’s not a free ride anymore, Monroe. My parents may have had the guilts for what happened to yours, but I don’t give a fuck.”

“Go to hell, Sin.” She lifts her hand ready to slap me, but I catch it before she makes contact.

Holding her wrist in my hand, I push her hard into the door, making her hiss in pain. If only there was enough light to see the fear in her eyes. “That’s no way to treat your brother, let alone the head of the frat you’re living with. Now, what are you willing to do as payment for this free ride you think you can keep living on.”

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