Page 47 of Learning to Love

I want to argue so badly, but in my heart, I know she's right. "I know that’s best, but I don't have to like it."

"No, you don't, but we have to handle this situation carefully."

"Yes, we do. Rod from the O-line has an uncle that's a cop. I had a meeting with them after practice yesterday. We came up with a plan to catch him selling drugs at that new club on Riverside. They told me to stay out of it and that they already had an open investigation against Benji and his father."

"Wait...who's his father?"

I sigh. No way around this, no way I can even make this sound better. "A notorious crime lord from the east coast."

She opens her mouth and then closes it quickly. Then opens it again. "You've got to be kidding me? Right?"

I kiss her forehead. "I wish I was baby. I'd never joke about that."

"What the hell? Out of all the places in the world, why did he have to come here for school?"

"I don't know, baby. He did the unthinkable tonight. I can't sit here and not do anything now."

She shakes her head. "No, WE can't just sit here and not do anything."

I smile at my brave Georgia. "That's right, we...what's the new plan?"

"Who says we need a new one? Let's catch him selling drugs and go from there."

We agree. "We need more than just a single drug deal. We need to find out routes and suppliers. The whole shebang."

Chapter 28

McCarthy's

Everything Fearless 24/7

McCarthy's is the new "It" place to be. But then again, every spot is hot when the Fearless show up. I wonder what Janet thinks about Benji’s apparent obsession with our Georgia?

The week flies by, and we barely have time to see each other except when we pass out from exhaustion each night. We take our midterms, and I thankfully still have all A's. I smile as I turn off my laptop from checking my grades. I've got to keep this momentum going for the next three or so years.

I check all my social media platforms for the first time this week. I blush crimson when I see Jake's Instagram post from the first night we made love. I'm convinced he's perfect. He posted a cute picture of us. With a caption that read:

She was a storm, not the kind you run from, but the kind you chase.

-R.H. Sin

I don't think I could love him any more than I do now. He's a great guy and so sweet. I'm so thankful he's not trying to keep me a secret. I sigh and try to muster up the motivation to get ready. I'm nervous about tonight. So many things could go wrong in our quest to dethrone the king pin of the Longhorn Nation. It will take more than just tonight to bring him down, but tonight is the beginning of everything. Tonight we fight back.

I go through my new panty drawer at Jake’s. He went crazy and bought me everything new. I laugh to myself. He said these came without drug dealers' paw prints. We now share a closet and a bathroom. I have three drawers, counting the drawer that holds my scantily clad new panties. He thinks that since Asshat went through my things, they are now somehow tainted. I laugh again thinking about how his face is almost comical when he goes on the Benji is an Asshat and a panty ruiner tirade. While I feel violated, that doesn't mean I'm not going to wear my other things still. Not any of the panties, though. Jake already threw them away anyway.

I still can't believe Benji did what he did. I made Jaxon show me the video during our cram Bio study sessions before midterms. Jake hasn't seen them yet, and I begged all the guys not to bring it up again. Jake will want to kill Benji deader than dead if he ever sees what actually happened. Not only did Benji take my underwear, but honest to God, he smelled them before placing them in his pocket. I'm not smelling anyone's underwear, not even Jake’s! I was so embarrassed that I went ten shades of red. It made me freakin' holler, which earned me a disdainful look from the librarian. I bet she would have felt that way, too, if someone had smelled her panties before stealing them, but I couldn't very well ask her that.

I haven't said anything to Jake or anyone else, but Benji has been obsessively staring at me again. I'm not sure what his endgame is, but I don't want mine to be in chains in his basement. He gives me the creeps. I'm scared that when I gave him attention at the party during the first part of the semester, he misconstrued it for more than what it was, and he hasn't taken the hint that I will never be his.

I think it's every girl's dream for a guy to become obsessed with her somehow or other, but this is not what I had imagined in my daydreams. First of all, it's Benji and not Jake that's obsessed. Second, his creepy friend Jeffery stares almost as much as he does. It's terrifying.

I've watched too many true crime shows to ever want to end up being the star of one. I need to be smart about every move I make. I can't wind up a pawn in this game of deception that Benji has created for us. In my free time, I've been researching everything on the internet about Benji and his crime lord of a father. I need to take charge and be the hunter before I become their prey.

His dad, "The Enforcer" Bianchi, is 55 years old. There are no recent pictures of him that I could find, at least. Only ones from the beginning when he was building his empire. I don't know what he looks like now, and I hate to admit it, but "grandpa" was a stud! I can see how he could have easily seduced Benji's mom. Benji is the, albeit preppy, spitting image of his dad.

From what I understand, the evil empire started in the Jersey Shores, circa 1988, when he killed the three heads of the Vito crime family and took over. He strong-armed the remaining members and became their boss. Decades later, he's known as a ruthless dictator. If he wants it, he goes and gets it, no matter who or what stands in the way. He sounds crazy and all kinds of scary.

Done with my research for the day, I take my shower and nervously get ready. I'm not sure what to expect tonight. Will we catch him? Will we be able to film anything that goes down? My phone vibrates and it's my love.