Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I t's been two days since I first saw her. Kayleigh Stone. That's the extent of the information Dante has sent through to me so far. Her name. He told me he'd meet me here today to give me the file he's got on her. Something in his tone was off. He wouldn't say anything over the phone, though.

I've been watching her. She's not like the other students here. Sure, she's doing her best to blend in, but this girl stands out a fucking mile away. It's not just her looks either. Don't get me wrong, she's fucking stunning. There is no denying that. But there's something else I can't put my finger on.

When she thinks no one is watching, she seems almost… sad. But then, as if a switch is turned on, the sadness is gone and her face morphs into one of disinterest. I want to talk to her, find out more about her. But first, I need to know what I'm walking into. Which is why I've waited to approach her again until I've met up with my cousin.

Dante sits on the bench seat next to me. I told him to meet me on campus. I do have to attend some of my classes if I want to graduate. Actually, I probably don't need to, but I want to graduate because I earned the degree, not because of my last name.

"What have you got?" I ask him.

"How exactly do you know her?" he counters.

"I told you. I don't know her. She turned up in one of my classes. If I knew her, I wouldn't need you to dig up info on her," I remind him.

"You're not going to like this," he says before handing me a manilla folder.

"What aren't I going to like?" I open the folder. My mouth clenches shut and my teeth grit together as my glare lands on the first page. "She's a fucking cop?"

"FBI actually. Worse than a cop," Dante grunts.

"What the fuck is she doing here then?" I'm disgusted at myself. I should have picked it up. I knew there was something different about her. I should have known.

Worse than that is the fact that I wanted to fuck her. Correction, I still want to fuck her. Which is a problem, because I can't touch her. I can't go anywhere near her.

"No idea. I can't find anything on what she's working on. What I have found is in there. But we're the only family with a foothold at this college. Who else would she be investigating? I don't believe in coincidences and neither do you. There's a reason she's in your class," Dante says.

"She's after me… or us," I say aloud. The knowledge that she's trying to pin me for something doesn't make me want her any less. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"That's not all…"

"What else could there be?"

"There is nothing on Kayleigh Stone before she was thirteen years old. It's as if she didn't exist," Dante says.

"Nothing? Why would that be?" I ask.

"Could be a number of things. She could be here illegally, or she could be a witness protection case."

"If she were here illegally, she wouldn't be able to join the FBI," I remind him.

"Which is why I think she was put into witness protection. How else would her whole identity just vanish before she was thirteen?"

"Is there a way to find out?" I ask him.

"It'll take a little longer, and it's risky. If I get caught…" He lets his sentence drift off.

"Nah, leave it. I'll find out what Little Miss FBI wants all on my own." I smirk.

"Enzo, don't do anything stupid. It's noticeable if an agent goes missing," Dante warns.

"I'm not going to touch her." Well, not in that way. I leave that part to myself.

If Little Miss FBI wants to come after me or my family, I'm not going to make it easy for her. And I'm sure as fuck going to make sure she regrets ever hearing the name Valentino. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I don't need to hurt her physically to destroy her. Whatever else she's hiding, I'll find out. Whatever she's planning isn't going to pan out for her. That much I'm sure of.

"Thanks, coz. Gotta run. People to see and girls to do." I wink at Dante as I stand and back away from the bench, that manilla folder gripped firmly in my hand.

"Don't do anything stupid," Dante calls out after me.

"Never." I wave a hand and start jogging down the path towards the girls' dorms. There's a party this Friday night and I need to make sure Kayleigh is there.

Punching in the code to enter the dorms, I run up the steps instead of using the elevators. A few girls glance my way with knowing looks. I could crook my finger at any one of them and they'd take me to their beds. That's not what I'm here for though.

Nope. I knock on Cassidy's door. Much to Alessandro's disappointment, she still keeps her dorm room. She basically lives with him at his parents' estate or the penthouse here in the city, but officially she's still a resident of this school. And I know she's usually hanging out here between classes.

The door opens and it's not Cassidy standing on the other side. It's her roommate, Pacey. We had a brief thing, and by brief, I mean a one-night thing a while back. Since then, we've been nothing but friends. Good friends.

"Pacey, Cass in?"

"Nope, sorry. Just me," she says, holding the door open so I can step into the room.

"You'll do," I tell her.

"I'm not fucking you, Enzo," Pacey says while folding her arms across her chest.

"You already have. But that's not what I'm here for," I tell her.

"What do you want?"

"A favor."

Pacey doesn't reply for a few moments. She just moves past me and sits on her bed, picking up a textbook and highlighter. "What kind of favor?"

"There's a party this weekend," I tell her. "I need you to befriend someone and make sure they're there."

"Who?" she asks, looking up at me with interest.

"A new student, Kayleigh Stone." I show her the picture on my phone.

"Are you losing your touch, Enzo? Surely you don't need me to wingman for you to pick up a chick." She laughs.

"I'm not trying to pick her up. I just want to make sure she's there. Can you do it or not?"

"What's in it for me?"

"My undying gratitude." I raise a brow at her. What more could she want?

"Mmm, I'll pass. I don't need your gratitude."

"What do you want?"

"You can owe me a favor, and when I come to collect, you can't say no," Pacey says simply.

"Okay, deal. Make sure she's there but do not mention my name or that you even know me," I tell her.

"Okay, I get it. I'll make sure she's my new friend and is at the party." Pacey sighs. "Now, if there's nothing else, I have to study."

"Thanks. You're the best."

"I know." She smiles at me.

It's a shame things didn't work out differently between us. She really is a cool chick. The feelings just weren't there. It was evident the morning after we woke up naked together. We both burst out laughing and agreed to never do that shit again.