Chapter 9

St. Agatha's didn't look the same. It was worse than the first time I walked into these halls. As if the walls were closing in, making the air around me heavier. Every corner I turned held a sense of dread that was darker than the unimpressed glare Sister Mary of the Hallway gave me. It felt like I was being watched.

Of course that might've had something to do with my concern over how a certain someone might act when I saw them again. But that was just semantics.

Memphis would say my anxiety was a basic survival instinct, but clearly I didn't have that. If my drunken fights with wildlife didn't clue him in to that fact, then the deal I made with Gio should've.

And there was the side deal I cut with Special Agent Jack, which kind of put me in the middle of a mafia and law enforcement showdown… unless I decided to suck it and marry Gio.

Still couldn't believe that part. Sure, my choices were dead snitch – let's face it, I wouldn't survive turning on the Mancini's – or bride to an asshole who wanted me dead. And my third grade teacher thought I'd never amount to anything. I sure showed him.

"Hi, Nova."

My lip curled at the blonde passing me in the hall.

Something fishy was going on. That was the third person to say hi to me today. And she didn't throw something after. At the very least she should call me a dumb bitch or something. I had a reputation to uphold.

Shaking it off, I rounded the corner and took a second to scan the crowd. Gio might be big, but he was oddly sneaky when it came to opening doors.

I was starting to think his lack of stalking skills was a purposeful act. The implications of which were terrifying. He could be anywhere for all I knew. Lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Thankfully, the only familiar face I came across was Memphis, who was waiting by my locker.

There was a shocker.

He'd become super clingy. I had to practically kick him out last night. Pretty sure he would've slept in my bed if I let him.

"Hey." His light eyes shone with worry. "Have you seen him yet?"

Did he think the first person I looked for was Gio? Today it kind of was, but that was beside the point.

"No, I haven't seen him."

Unless that was him over there?

My eyes narrowed on a trashcan down the hall. There was a shadow behind it I didn't like.

After closer inspection I realized it was just a broom, although I wasn't entirely sure what Gio's disguising ability was like. So, it could be him?

My gaze narrowed further as I reached out to open my locker.

"What are you doing?"

Did Memphis forget what this place was?

"I thought I was going to school…" I eyed Memphis, glanced down the right side of the hall, then the left. "Yup, students, lockers, books. I'm pretty sure this is a school."

"Nova." He pressed his hand down on my shoulder. "Gio could come around the corner any minute."

"Are there non-Gio options for hallways?" Cause that would be fantastic.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

Actually, I had no clue. I was utterly confused, which Memphis seemed to understand based on the sigh he let out when I looked his way.

He dropped his hand from my shoulder and folded his arms. "We need to come up with a plan."

I totally had this. Plans were my specialty.

"Okay, so we're gonna need a backup driver, five shoppers, a gator, and a golf cart."

Memphis blinked at me for a second before saying, "What are you planning?"

Uh oh.

"Nothing." Nothing that he needed to know about anyway.

He shook his head. "Can we get back to the problem at hand?"

Sure, just as soon as he told me what the problem was.

"We need to get you out of here before Gio sees you."

Oh, that.

Geez, make one deal with the mafia and it's the end of the world.

My eyes rolled, "I'll be fine."

There was nothing to worry about, other than possible deadly repercussions if I didn't do… something? I wasn't sure about that part yet. Or Gio's part. Or any part really.

Was the deal with his dad or him? And did it just require marriage with a touch of obedience? What exactly were the requirements beyond weekend sleepovers? And what were the requirements for those?

"This isn't a game, Nova."

"That depends on your definition of a game." There were rules and roles to play – none of which I had figured out yet – but they were there… I think.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

When I returned to stuffing books in my bag, Memphis sighed and tipped his head into my view.

"What's to stop him from hurting you?"

That was a horrible argument.

"What was stopping him from hurting me before?"

Seriously, what was stopping him? He choked me in the cafeteria in front of everyone, then again in the chapel. And he accosted me at a church clean-up. Christ's sake, his dad made me do stuff to Gio in front of him. He kind of redefined the term untouchable.

"You could run?"

There was a winning idea. "Where? I literally have ten dollars to my name."

That wouldn't even get me to New Orleans. Mind you, I could always trudge into the swamp and live among the gators. Probably not the one I had the mud fight with though. He still gave me an evil eye when I walked down the trail behind the church.

"We could sneak you on a plane or boat."

While I liked the idea of playing stow away… "What do you think will happen to Kato or Veda if I run?"

That wasn't an option and he knew it.

Memphis threw his hands up in exasperation. "You have to do something. I can't sit back and watch this dumpster fire burn"

"Okay, in case you haven't noticed, my entire life is a dumpster fire, so a little extra gasoline isn't a big deal. Besides, I told you, I have a plan."

"But you won't tell me what that plan is."

No, I would not. Should this thing with Special Agent Jack go wrong, I wanted Memphis to have plausible deniability.

"You'll just have to trust me."

Memphis's brow rose. "The last time I trusted you, my lips were blue for a week."

How was that my fault? I really thought scented markers would make good lipstick. He'd get color and his mouth would smell good. Seemed logical to me. How was I supposed to know it would dye his skin? And I was the one who used it for blush. So, I didn't know what he was complaining about. I had purple cheeks.

"Nova—"

"Memphis, stop." I cut him off. "I promise I'll tell you if anything bad happens, okay?"

Did being forced to suck Gio off and crawl around naked count as bad? Nah. I'd been through worse. Like Memphis's attempt at gumbo. I wanted to throw up just thinking about it.

Great, now I could taste it.

He looked me right in the eye. "Promise?"

"Of course." I cleared my throat and forced down the horridness haunting my stomach. "Just promise you won't make gumbo again."

He rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that bad."

Not that bad? Did he forget about the two days we spent throwing up?

"Besides, we're not talking about my cooking skills."

"I think we should."

Memphis huffed out a sigh. "Can you be serious for one minute?"

I was serious. This could save someone's life one day.

"What are we going to do about Gio?"

"We aren't going to do anything." He barely survived Atlee. "I've got it covered."

I closed my locker and headed down the hall for homeroom.

Memphis skipped up behind me. "Do you really think I'm going to let you handle this on your own?"

No, but I could hope.

I opened my mouth to tell him to let it go when a high pitched, "Hey, Nova," interrupted me.

My eyes narrowed on the girl's smile as she waved and walked down the hall. What the hell was going on today?

"That's like the fourth person to say hi to me."

Memphis curled his lip. "So?"

"Memphis, look at her."

I was pretty sure she was a cheerleader. Those girls were in the popular crowd. I was somewhere between scum and outcast. Not exactly two crowds that mingled.

"Since when does a girl who looks like that speak to me?" I looked around at the faces filling the hall. "Have you heard anyone call me whore or something else?"

"Come to think of it, no." Memphis's eyes narrowed as he joined in my scan.

"It's weird, right?"

The last time this happened, Atlee hit on me. I was not the girl guys like Atlee hit on.

"It is weird." Memphis agreed.

Finally.

"Do you think it was Gio?"

That made me snort. "The last thing Gio would do is tell someone to be nice to me."

"Says the girl who agreed to marry him."

"Hey, at least I'll know I hate my husband going in." Not to mention, agreed was a strong exaggeration. It was more like tricked, fooled, or forced. Those all worked.

"Whatever." Memphis let out a breath telling me he was done arguing, for now anyway, which gave me a chance to survey the area.

Barely anyone so much as looked our way, and the odd person who did just smiled. Except for one guy, who was glaring at me like I kicked his mother or something. He really seemed to not like me. Not that that was unusual or anything, but there was something in his eyes.

"Hey, you." My finger flew up. "How do you spell whore?"

A few people looked our way while Memphis slapped my hand down. I don't know what he was so upset about. This was a serious problem that needed to be fixed. I'd be doing the world a great service.

"H O R E."

Oh, my god.

My eyes went wide and immediately searched for the voice calling out letters. I hadn't been this excited since I discovered Memphis's aversion to cinnamon. Everything I made that year had a sprinkle of the spice. Unfortunately this wasn't anywhere near as joyful as that, because the person who called out the letters was fucking Atlee.

His lips spread in a large grin, "According to you anyway."

Asshole.

And again, I wondered why was he everywhere?

Memphis puffed his chest out and grumbled something, but I couldn't make out what he said. I was too busy staring at the prick strutting down the hall next to Atlee.

Gio looked different. He was wearing the same white button up shirt and black pants he did every day. All the guys had to wear the same thing, yet the uniform seemed to make him stand out somehow.

I was suddenly very aware of the dark stubble coating his jaw and how his muscles flexed while he strode closer. He appeared bigger and stronger maybe? It felt like he was going to eat me. Why I decided to open my mouth, I'll never understand.

"I want my underwear back."

Memphis's eyes went wide, making me realize my mistake.

"Why does he have your underwear?"

"It's a long story about trust and betrayal." I waved him off and returned my glare to Gio. "And I want to know what he did with them."

Gio arched a brow that made me want to shrink back into the wall. The way his eyes darken gave me a pretty good idea of what he did with them. Pretty sure I didn't want them back. I liked those panties too.

"How innocent are you?" Atlee curled his lip. "What the fuck do you think he did with them?"

Did he have to make me feel more stupid than I already did?

"No one asked you."

Really, Memphis?He did realize that a Chihuahua couldn't beat a Pitbull, right?

"You see this shit?" Atlee slapped Gio on the back. "He thinks he can protect your fiancé."

Gio smacked his lips together and rolled his eyes Atlee's way. For a second I thought he might hit him. But he just gave him a dirty look and returned to staring me down.

I kind of wished he'd go back to looking at Atlee. There was darkness in his glare that seriously made me contemplate my own mortality. There weren't very many times I felt the need to scurry away, but if there was a table or something else nearby, I might've crawled under it.

"You two are so cute."

What?

If it wasn't for the fact that I wasn't the only one to cock a brow, I might've thought I imagined hearing that.

By the time I spun around it was too late to spot who the speaker was, but I did notice a few eyes on us. And it wasn't in a watchful way. Girls nearby were staring in our direction with that dopey lovestruck look they got when watching romance movies. Seriously, what the hell was going on?

"Did you tell someone?" I asked Gio.

If he did, I was gonna kill him. Murderous glare or not.

"You're fucking kidding, right?"

"I'm watching you." Memphis muttered, causing us all to tip our heads and look at him.

Why did he insist on picking fights with people he stood no chance against? And did the glare from the much larger men make him back down? Of course not.

"That's right, Gio, I know what's going on. And I'm not going to stand for it."

"Yeah?" Gio folded his arms over his chest. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Nothing. He was going to do absolutely nothing.

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do…" Memphis jabbed his finger through the air in a sharp point. "Just as soon as I figure it out."

See.

"Wow, good job." I slapped him on the back. "You sure showed him."

"I could take him."

Atlee snorted, Gio sighed, and I had a deep urge to facepalm.

"You couldn't even take him to dinner." Gio would eat him alive.

"Why would I take him to dinner?"

"I'm just saying, that's the only place you could take him."

"Please, he's not my type."

"Man is your type."

Memphis crossed his arms and lifted his chin. "Not evil cruel men."

"Bobby Ridgeway."

That kid was the most messed up ten year-old I'd ever met, and Memphis followed him around like a puppy.

"That wasn't my fault." Memphis argued. "He had the best fruit snacks."

Okay, I'd give him that.

"But—"

A large pair of hands clapped in front of my face, making me jump back into Memphis.

"God, you two are annoying." Gio growled.

Did he just call us annoying?

Atlee made a slicing motion with his hand while I looked at Memphis and he looked at me. Then we opened up.

"I don't believe we were talking to you…"

"That's right we weren't…"

"Big man thinks he can do whatever he wants…"

"Pfft, he's not that big…"

"Aww, does someone have a complex?"

"No, just an arrogance problem."

Memphis snorted. "What does he have to be arrogant about?"

That was as far as we got before Gio grabbed the collar of my shirt and slammed me back against the locker lined wall. Somewhere past the twang of pain slicing across my shoulder blades, I heard Memphis grumble a string of curses. My immediate worry was for my friend – Atlee messed him up last time – but Gio's face was in mine before I could look for him.

"Just so you know, I'm keeping a tally of every time you piss me off."

"Does this tally start now?" It was a legitimate question.

"You'll find out on Friday." With that Gio snapped at Atlee, then let me go and walked away.

Letting out the breath I was holding, I slumped down the wall.

I was suddenly very much dreading Friday.