Lake stood, clapping, as the men began their howling. The sound of more whistling and screaming drew her attention away from Vincent. She looked around the gym and saw countless girls wailing at the top of their lungs, each one trying to scream louder than the other to gain his attention. That wasn’t it, though; older women were even whistling and screaming along with them.
Unable to take the torture any longer, she began to squeeze past the men and out of the bleachers. She tried her best to quickly exit the gym without breaking into a sprint; however, when she passed a blonde mother with huge fake boobs screaming and jumping over her daughter, she ran.
Lake slammed open the doors, letting the fresh air hit her face. Breathing heavily, she sat down on a bench. She wasn’t quite sure why she was out of breath yet decided to blame it on the run and not the fact that she might’ve actually been having a panic attack.
She began taking deep breaths, trying not to picture all those girls going into heat after hearing Vincent’s name. It was hard to pinpoint a single thought since so many were flying through her head.
Why were they acting that way? Did he know them all? How did he know them? Why do I even care? Oh, my G— Lake’s head snapped toward the school entrance when she heard the door being thrown open. She sucked in a breath and just as quickly snapped her head back.
Please, please go away.
“Do you mind?” a dark voice spoke.
Lake swallowed then met the crazy man’s eyes again. Yes, I do. Shaking her head, she scooted as far as she could to the end of the bench. Looking out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him sit and pull a cigarette and lighter from his pocket.
He quickly lit the end with his Zippo before taking in a long drawl. “Why did you run out of there?”
Lake nervously bit her lip. “I-I didn’t.”
“Darlin’, I really wouldn’t try to deny it when you were the only girl in there running in the opposite direction of him.”
Shit.
Lake finally looked over at him, regretting it immediately when she stared into the dangerous blue-green eyes. Seeing him so closely, he looked much different than the other suits. Hell, he wasn’t even wearing one. Instead, he only wore dark slacks and a shirt. By the way he didn’t button his black shirt all the way up, it was almost as if he didn’t like wearing the clothes. Not only that, but he had a scruffy beard and well-past-shaggy hair which he kept slicked back.
Finally, she figured out why he made the hair stand up on her arms. Sure, he was dangerous like the other suits, but the man didn’t try to even hide it behind expensive Italian suits and ties like them. Made men were thugs dressed as millionaires, all except for this one. She only wondered exactly who he was to be able to get away with looking like that. I probably really don’t want to know.
She contemplated running from him, as well, yet thought better of it when she imagined what he would do to her if she dared.
She took another deep breath. “I was just feeling claustrophobic is all.” Hurriedly, she tried to take the attention away from her. “You didn’t want to finish the ceremony?”
“Fuck no. They’re lucky I made it to the V’s.” He took another hit then let the smoke roll past his lips, uncaring if it hit her in the face. “Now, Lake, why did you really run?”
Excuse me?
“Do I know you?” That had sounded better in her head.
“Maybe.” He gave a sinister smile. “Lucca Caruso.”
The underboss.
Lake tried to keep her jaw from falling to the floor. She should have known who he was, but she never would have thought someone so high up—let alone the son of Dante—would look like that. It was absolutely clear why he chilled her to her bones.
“So, you do know me?” Lucca flicked his cigarette butt to the pavement. “How come you’ve never come around the family?”
Lake stared down at her lap, unable to look at him. Clearly, there was no point in lying. “Um, I never really wanted to. I never thought it mattered if I did or not.”
“Why’s that?” he asked.
“Because I’m not important. My dad is only a soldier and has never moved up, even after all these years.”
Lucca began to laugh at her. “You don’t know shit, do you?”
“No, I don’t want to know shit about the family,” Lake confessed. She really didn’t like being laughed at, yet seeing the menace in his cold eyes made her wish she could take the words back.
Lucca leaned down closer to her face. “I don’t need to remind you who I am, do I, darlin’?”
Lake swallowed the lump in her throat as she shook her head slowly.