The Mafia Contract Series

I’m surprised when Claudia calls out when I leave science. “Winter, wait up.”

Spinning around, I smile as she races toward me, looking flushed.

“Hey, sorry, I just wanted to catch your attention.”

We start walking toward the canteen and she sighs. “Listen, I’ve been meaning to ask if you fancied hanging out one night.”

“Me?” I’m surprised because Claudia is one of the popular girls and dates the most popular guys. Rumor has it she’s back with her ex, Joey and probably has a million other girls all wanting to stand by her side, so a little of her magic rubs off on them.

“Listen, there’s a party at Max’s house this evening. Why don’t you meet me there?”

“I’m not…” She stops and looks disappointed. “Please don’t say no. I’d really like us to be friends and kind of think you need a bit of fun in your life.

It can’t be easy for you living in that house and, well, I’d like to help.”

“Why? I mean, it’s really kind of you, but I’m sure you don’t need another friend.”

She looks a little hurt, which makes me feel bad, and she sighs. “Listen, word is, you’re nothing like your brother or his friends. Most people like you and feel bad that you’re missing out things by association. The fact you stood up to Eden and Brianna when they attacked me makes me owe you big time.

I just want to be your friend because one kind act deserves another. Come and see what life at Rockwell Academy is really like. I promise you, it’s nothing more than that.”

She smiles and looks so hopeful, it makes me smile and I feel as if a huge cloud of tension leaves me because she’s offering me something I’ve always wanted. Acceptance, friendship and a night of freedom and who wouldn’t be interested in that, so I smile. “Then thanks, I’d love to come.”

She exhales with relief. “Thank God. I really thought you’d say no.”

“Why?”

“Because of your brother. He doesn’t mix with the rest of us, and I thought you’d be the same.”

“He has parties; you’ve been there. I suppose that’s his idea of mixing.”

She laughs. “Yes, he does throw a good party and I suppose the attraction is curiosity for the most part.”

“I get that.” I laugh because Angelo has never had a problem attracting attention and I’m guessing it’s no different here.

Claudia sighs. “Every girl loves a bad boy, and he has that nailed good and proper. You know, he focused his attention on me one night and it was a powerful thing.”

“I kind of guessed.” I wonder if she’s just using me to get close to him and my heart sinks. “Look, maybe I’ll bail tonight. I’ve got lots of assignments due and…” “I’m sorry, Winter. I hope you don’t think I invited you because of him.”

She looks troubled. “That’s not what the invitation was about. I really do want to thank you for stepping in and helping me; nothing more than that.

Please say you’ll come.”

Relaxing a little, I nod. “Can I bring Emma?”

She looks surprised. “Um, of course, but well, do you think she’ll come?

It’s just that she usually keeps herself locked away studying.”

Thinking about my friend, I wonder if she’ll turn me down because she hates parties, especially ones with the more popular students and I shrug. “I’ll see what she thinks.”

We reach the canteen, which is buzzing, and I see her wave to a table filled with her friends. “Come and meet the gang. They’ll love you, honey, so don’t be shy.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

I have no choice but follow and notice several curious glances in our direction as I walk beside her.

Claudia’s friends are the kind of students everyone wants to be seen with.

Max, the captain of the team and his three friends are probably the most desired guys on campus, not just because of their amazing looks and bodies, legendary parties and supposed wealth but because they’re mainly good guys who like to have fun.

I see Baron watching me and shiver when I stare into his dark eyes. He is the exception to the rule and is an ominous presence in a house filled with sunshine. He fits in more with Angelo’s own group of friends and yet there’s something about him that feels like home. I stare at Max, the man everyone orbits hoping for one moment of his attention, and he smiles as I approach.

“Hey, a fresh face, take a seat and tell us all your secrets.”

Feeling all eyes on me makes me uncomfortable because I hate being the center of attention and always have, so I smile shyly and squash myself beside Claudia and Baron, who shifts up a little to give us more space.

I can feel Baron tense beside me and wonder why and as Max’s attention is taken by an attractive girl to his side, Baron whispers, “You ok?”

“I think so.”

He says thoughtfully, “What’s the score with Claudia? I never had you down as friends.”

“Neither did I?” Raising my eyes, I throw him a look, and he grins. “I see.

Interesting.”

“She’s invited me to a party at your house tonight. Do you think I should come?”

“Why not.” He shrugs. “I’ll be there and have your back. Enjoy yourself.”

“If only it was that easy.” I laugh and he nods with a hint of sympathy.

“You can try at least; maybe it’s what you need.”

“You know Baron…” I grin. “I think you’re right. Maybe I will see what happens. I’m pretty sure I deserve some fun and I expect Angelo won’t be around to spoil it, so why not. I’ll see you there.”

He nods and the spark in his eyes tells me he’s interested to see what happens, telling me he’s exactly like my brother. They like living on the edge and provoking the unexpected and, for some reason, I feel excited about what may happen later tonight. Maybe this is the night Winter gets to experience something new. I certainly hope so because my night of freedom is a long time coming.

Later, after school, I head straight to Emma’s room because I am burning with curiosity about her ‘date’ last night. She wasn’t back when I made it to bed, and I was worried when she had left already when I woke up. Then again, maybe she never made it home, or spent the night in a different room.

Who knows, but I need to make that my priority and head straight to her room?

“Emma.”

She looks up from her desk where she’s already hitting the books and smiles, and the tension leaves me in a big wave of relief. She seems ok, so that’s a good thing at least and I grab a seat on the couch in her huge study room and smile. “So.”

“What?” she grins impishly and if anything looks quite smug and I am burning with curiosity. “Your night? What happened?”

“If you are referring to the best night of my life, then quite a lot happened.”

She looks so animated it makes me smile and I watch as she gets up and closes the door before sitting beside me on the couch.

“Where do I start?” She giggles and just hearing it settles my heart and I wait to hear all the gory details.

“We went to the cinema to see that new horror movie everyone’s talking about.”

“You like that kind of thing?” I’m surprised because Emma seems scared of her own shadow half the time.

“It’s not my usual preference but Flynn told me it was a night of experiencing new things and promised to hold my hand and protect me.”

She sighs and can’t stop the shit-eating grin on her face and whispers, “It was amazing. We saw some kids from college who couldn’t believe who I was with. I felt so important and like the luckiest girl on the planet. I’ve heard them all talking, and Flynn is quite a legend around campus. One night with him ruins a girl for anyone else–so I’m told, anyway.”

I feel quite jealous and say eagerly, “Then what happened?”

“Well, we made out a bit in the cinema, the darkness making me more comfortable about it and it was amazing. He’s such a good kisser, not that I have anything to compare it to and really made me feel as if he wanted me.

He was soft, gentle and romantic and I suppose it was inevitable we ended up in his bed.”

“You did what?”

My jaw drops and she giggles again.

“After the movie, we grabbed pizza, and it felt so natural despite how scary he is. He has this way about him of freezing everyone out and focused his attention firmly on me. It was quite a lot to handle, especially because nobody ever has before, and he just kept on paying me compliments and telling me how beautiful I am.”

She blushes and looks a little sad and whispers, “I know he’s wrong, but last night I believed it myself. He made me feel beautiful. Like the bad skin and glasses were a serious turn on. The fact I’m overweight with zero dress sense didn’t seem to matter to him and he couldn’t tear his eyes from mine and kept stroking my hair, saying it was his favorite color, which almost made me believe he was genuine.”

“Maybe he is. Perhaps you’re his idea of the perfect woman and why wouldn’t you be?”

I feel bad for her because a lifetime of dismissive comments and people ignoring you can harm a person’s soul and make them believe they’re not worthy of love. Thinking of Flynn and his apparent interest in my friend makes me wonder about his story. I do believe he’s genuine. Nobody could fabricate this for as long as he has. I’ve seen the way he looks at her, sad, wistful even, as if she provokes a memory that he cherishes yet kills him inside. Part of me wonders if she reminds him of someone and decide to ask Angelo about his story when he gets back this evening.

She carries on, saying dreamily, “I almost never went through with it.

When we got to his room, I had a panic attack. I suppose the thought of him seeing me naked was the first trigger and then the thought of actually, well, you know, made me doubt my own mind.”

“I’m sorry, Emma.” Reaching for her hand, I squeeze it gently and she shrugs. “Flynn made the doubts disappear. He held me and rocked me gently, like a baby. He wiped my tears away and then kissed me softly. He made me feel something so amazing, I wanted to explore it further and when he took me to bed, it was because it was something we both wanted.”

“And was it?” I am hanging onto every word because I’m fascinated by her story. It sounds so romantic it makes my own heart ache for the same and she nods. “It was amazing. He was so amazing, I actually cried tears of happiness. He worked my body like a master and made it experience things I never thought it could do. I was a different person with him, Winter. Reborn and remolded into a much better version of myself. I feel so powerful now because the pleasure I gave him was not fabricated. It was real and afterward he held me in his arms as if he never wanted to let me go. It was the best experience of my life, and I don’t regret a thing.”

“What happens next?” I’m worried about that, and she shrugs. “We get on with our lives as friends.”

“And you’re happy about that?” I’m not sure I would be, and she nods.

“Perfectly happy. I knew it was a onetime thing; he made that very clear. To be honest, I need to work hard for my finals, and it’s helped focus my mind.

He removed all the anxiety about something that is so beautiful I don’t know what I was worried about, and I feel-well, I feel like a woman instead of a frightened girl and know that I can walk out of Rockwell and take on life on my terms. ‘One night only’ he said, and that’s fine by me because now I know I’m just like the rest of the girls here, and Flynn has given me the greatest gift a girl could receive. He took my virginity and made it so special it will always be the happiest of memories with none of the pain that goes with a relationship and the pain of a breakup. I’m happy about that, strange as it seems, and I just wish you could have the same memory as I do.”

“With Flynn?” I laugh and she shakes her head. “Probably not, but I can recommend it.” She winks and sighs with satisfaction. “But I know of someone else you’d probably prefer, and I wish you had the freedom to see where that leads.”

She looks at her watch and says guiltily, “Sorry, I have a date at the library with my study group. I’m catching a takeout with them, so maybe some other time.”

“That’s fine, although…” “What?”

“I came to ask you to a party next door. Claudia invited us both and it would mean a lot if you came too.”

The old Emma would have a ready-made excuse on her lips, but the new, confident Emma just smiles brightly. “Great, I’m up for that. Just let me study hard first so I can dip out for a couple of hours and not feel guilty.”

She grins as she rushes to grab her things and I’m left wondering at the power of attraction and just how powerful that can be.

As I head to my room, I feel so jealous of my friend because at least she’s had something so special it can never be taken away from her. If only I was half as lucky and, with a sigh, I head to my own pile of books and wonder if it’s even worth my time because there’s no way in hell my education is going to play any part in my future and that sucks-big time.