Page 50 of Prince of Malice

I lean in to kiss him, but he pulls back slightly, keeping his lips just out of my reach. His eyes glide down the length of my form, stopping in line with my hips before returning to meet my eyes.

“And you seem to like it too.”

He’s such a tease. Still, he’s not wrong; I do love it.

He finally kisses me, then starts puttinghis clothes back on, taking my morning entertainment away from me as he does.

“Same time tonight?” I ask him as he gathers the rest of his things.

Spinning on the spot, Dominic looks at me and tries to tell whether I was joking or not. “Are you sure?”

“Why not? I have nothing or no one else better to do,” I joke.

“Alright then, how about you come to mine tonight instead?” he offers. “Block D, room 207.”

“Sounds like a date.” I smirk.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. I don’t plan on getting you flowers,” he responds.

“Fine, then neither will I.” I grab a clean pair of underwear from my bedside drawer and pull them over myself. “But I’ll see you there.”

“Can’t wait,” he says with a smile I don’t think he knows is there.

Before I know it, Dominic creeps back out the door and closes it gently behind himself, leaving me alone in my bed again like I was just hours ago. However, this time when I throw myself back down onto the mattress, I feel far more content than I was before.

Looking out the window, I take a guess at the time from the sun’s position in the sky and settle back down to reality as I remember I have class soon with the very same professor who watched me walk out mid-lecture only yesterday.

Mid-stride, I feel the confidence in my step start to come back to me. Before any of this happened, before the Rossis became a part of my life, back when the Grecos were just some petty family of criminals and I had barely heard of Dominic, I would walk across the campus like I owned it without a single care or concern for who or what came in my way and feeling like my aura alone would deter even the most assertive of students. However, once everything started unraveling, I felt as if I had lost that sense of pride in myself, as if I had allowed myself to act like everyone else here. I have become a nobody and not a proud Valenti.

Now, though, after my long night with Dominic, I have somehow managed to rediscover that feeling again, that self-assurednessthat has sent me back to the top, higher than ever. Having shared my problems with someone who actually listens to me and offers their help in any way they can, I feel like with him, we can take on anything.

This is no longer just a waiting game. I don’t just have to sit back and wait for a solution to show itself all on its own. I have someone in my corner to help me push back the Grecos, and when the moment comes for us to strike, I have twice the power to knock them down with.

My confidence is clearly showing because the typical crowd that crams their way into the lecture hall as soon as the doors open has split down the middle around me, creating a clear path forward for me to march down with not a single person daring to get in my way.

Except for him.

The man whose identity has eluded me for the past two nights stands as a roadblock between me and my path forward. He’s getting cocky. Why is he getting cocky?

“Have a good night?” he asks me, something hiding on his tongue.

“What do you want?” I scowl back at him.

“Can’t I just pay a visit to a friend?” he taunts. “Hell, we’ll even be family soon.”

I wish Dominic were here; he would crack this guy across the jaw without hesitation. “Cut the act.”

“Fine, fine. I just wanted to talk,” he relents. “I feel like we only ever talk at night.. Why not change up the routine?”

He’s got some hidden trick up his sleeve; I can sense it. That’s the only way he would be brave enough to pull something like this. “Just get on with it.”

“Someone’s in a mood. Didn’t sleep much last night?” he mocks. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we’re expecting you to go see your father so you can give your full support to our deal.”

“Why the hell would I do that?” The audacity he has to come here and say that to me makes me sick.

“I just thought it’d be a better alternative.”

“Is that the Greco motto or something?”

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