Page 13 of Boardwalk Kings

I laughed at her message.

My whores?

Why did women always want to know about the rumors surrounding my dick? It was always the same thing when women gossiped about me.

Nico is so hot.

He looks nothing like his brothers.

I hear he's the bastard of the family.

Did you hear about his dick?

I didn't get my looks from my father, but I inherited other things from the Luciano side of the family.

Ava:I have to get to class.

Bella:If you talk to Nico again, do your girl a solid and get a dick pic.

Ava:Hell, no. I hate dick pics.

Bella:Pretty please with a cherry on top. My vag will thank you.

Ava:You're so gross.

Ava:Gotta go. Love you. Bye.

Bella:Bye, bitch.

Ava's life was about to turn upside down, and there was nothing she could do about it. I would see her again soon… but not under happy circumstances.

ChapterSeven

AVA

All night, I tossed and turned, rehearsing my valedictory speech in my mind. I’d rewritten it at least a dozen times in the past week. No matter how often I spoke the words, I still didn’t think it was good enough. But I was the type to live in my head and worry about everything.

It’s just a speech.

As the dean announced me to the graduating class, I rose from the chair on the stage and thanked him. Then I stepped in front of the podium and lowered the microphone closer to my mouth. My hands trembled from the nervous energy shooting through my body like an electric shock.

I can do this.

Blowing out a deep breath, I stared at the crowd. I’d rehearsed more times than I could count. The speech was exactly seven minutes, which I had perfected after practicing over the phone with my best friend.

“Good afternoon, class of 2022,” I said into the microphone, my voice louder than expected. “Before I begin my speech, I would like to thank my dad for teaching me how to make my first trade when I was ten years old.”

I looked for my dad.

But as my eyes drifted to his right, I nearly gasped into the microphone. Salvatore Luciano sat beside my dad with his four sons at his side, dressed impeccably.

What the hell are they doing here?

My voice wavered as I cleared my throat and tried to regain my composure. “While my friends were playing with dolls, my dad instilled the importance of building a future.”

An echo of laughter spread throughout the crowd. I waited for the noise to die down. When my eyes landed on the Lucianos, my stomach twisted into knots. Their eyes were like laser beams searing my skin.

“With that said,” I continued with a forced smile, “I think it’s important for us to look at the past to see how we got here. Sixteen years of schooling are now behind us. Sixteen long years of cramming for tests, working ourselves to the limit. But we also have the good memories and the friendships we’ve made.”

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