AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, started this week.” My voice is steady despite the pounding of my heart.
His eyes light up with interest. “Well then, welcome to Crystal Lake University. I’m Elio.”
“Camila,” I reply.
Elio’s smirk grows. “Camila,” he repeats as if tasting the syllables. The way my name rolls off his tongue sends a shiver down my spine, a delicious sort of thrill that I’ve never experienced before.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks at his words. I’ve never been good at handling flattery, especially not from someone who exudes confidence like him.
We stand there momentarily, lost in each other’s gaze, the world around us fading into the background. I’m acutely aware of every detail of this man—the way his shirt stretches across his broad shoulders, the ink beneath that shows through the white fabric, the faint scent of his cologne, and how his lips curve into an inviting and dangerous smile.
Lucia clears her throat, jolting me back to reality.
“I should get going,” I say quickly, eager to escape the intensity of his gaze.
“Of course,” he says with a nod, stepping aside to clear the path. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Maybe,” I echo as I slip past him, his presence lingering like smoke in my lungs.
Once out of earshot, I turn to Lucia with wide eyes. “Who was that?”
Lucia follows my gaze to where Elio stands, watching us leave. “That’s Elio Barone.”
My steps falter as her words sink in. Barone... as in...
“He’s the heir of the Barone mafia in New York,” she announces.
My heart stutters in my chest—Barone mafia—dangerous and renowned, just like the Aguilar family. Only his territory is far closer to here.
I shake off the thought and focus on Lucia’s nonchalant expression. There’s much more to learn here than what’s taught in class—and much more at stake than just grades. As we walk out together, I feel a cautious sense of optimism threading through the apprehension that has followed me since I arrived at Crystal Lake University.
4
ELIO
She’s fucking angelic.
The mission my father gave me is made a million times easier now that I’ve seen my target.
Camila Aguilar is the kind of girl that gets my blood pumping and my cock hard. I’ve been watching her for a few days, lurking in the shadows and ensuring she doesn’t see me until today, when I took the opportunity to ‘bump’ into her in the cafeteria.
I’ve never been more aroused. However, as I approach the penthouse apartment’s front door, reality quickly brings me down a few pegs. Inside, I know what’ll greet me.
The chaos of tangled wires, dirty dishes, and half-eaten pizza slices. If it were up to me, our place wouldn’t be so fucking disgusting, but I’ve got more important things to worry about than finding a maid to clean up after my brother and best friend. I push the door open, and the familiar scent of stale pizza and adrenaline-fueled competition washes over me.
“Look who decided to show up,” Dante quips without taking his eyes off the screen. The frenetic tapping of buttons and joysticks fill the room.
I shrug off my jacket, a smirk tugging at my lips as I watch them annihilate virtual enemies with the kind of focus that would’ve been admirable in any other context.
“What’s got you smiling like the cat that got the canary?” Dante asks, finally glancing my way and pausing the game.
Ren groans at the interruption. “Dante, it was just getting good!”
I lean against the wall, arms folded. “I met her today. Officially.”
My brother’s interest peaks as he drops his controller. “The princess of the Aguilar cartel? What’s she like?”
