CHAPTER 9 : PLANS WITH THE ENEMY

Nat's POV

I haven't seen Nick for a few days and god I'd be lying if I said that these few days haven't been peaceful.

Peace.

Something I've always wanted but never was desperate for.

Now, I am though.

I turn the volume up and enjoy the song.

It's the few things by JP Saxe and Charlotte Lawrence.

It's one of the best songs I've ever heard.

I'm in my car and I'm going for a night's stay at Nina's.

We'll go shopping, watch movies and eat at our most favorite place, Subway.

It's been a while since I've done these things.

My phone starts ringing and I see it's Nina.

"Hey, I'm coming. Wait for 5 min--"

"I'm sorry but we'll have to cancel"

"What? Why?"

"My dad's sick. Sorry"

"Ah, it's okay. Hope he gets better soon"

"Yes, thank you," she says and hangs up.

There goes my plan.

I don't want to go home though.

But I don't have more friends.

I take a U-turn and take the road which leads me to my house.

As I park my car in the driveway, I see Leo watering plants in his lawn.

"Hey," he says and I wave towards him.

"What's up?" he says and comes near the fence.

"My friend canceled on me," I sadly reply.

"Oh, I'm free today. Wanna hang out?"

"Oh, I'd love to but--"

"Don't cancel on me"

"Okay. Where do you wanna go?"

"To the arcade?"

"Sure. I haven't been there since forever!" I say with a grin.

"Let's go. Let me just get my jacket," he says and goes inside his house.

We can hang out, right?

I mean we are friends and friends hang out.

"Let's go," Leo says and sits in his car.

I sit in his car.

"Why haven't you been to the arcade?" he says after he starts the car.

Well you know, I was being hunted down by two clans who were after my life but now only one clan is behind me and you're the leader of it. Also, did I mention Nick, my ex-boyfriend, who is hunting me down and tries to kill me because he blames me for the death of his brother?

"I was busy," I go with the much shorter option.

"With what?"

"Studying, you know," I lie.

"Oh, yes"

"Leo?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you go to school?"

"I graduated from school last year"

"Oh, but you look about my age. I'm a sophomore"

"I would have been a senior but I passed school early. Thankfully to my sharp brain"

"So, you skipped classes?"

"We're here," he says but doesn't answer my question.

"Okay," I grimly reply and I get out of the car.

I wait for him till he parks his car and gets out.

"This arcade is owned by my uncle," he says when we step inside the arcade.

"I used to come here every day but never got a discount. Now I can get discounts I guess," I say and he smiles.

"You can come here for free now," he says and starts playing on the nearest machine.

"Amazing," I say and he smiles again.

I like his smile, at least he doesn't smirk like someone.

We play there for an hour and then I excuse myself to go to the restroom.

I wash my face there with the face wash I have in my purse.

I didn't even bother to see how I was looking.

I wipe my face and apply a layer of lip gloss.

When I go out, I see Leo talking to a middle-aged person.

Must be his uncle.

I step closer and my eyes go wide with shock when I realize that his uncle is Mario.

The guy who killed Nick's brother, Luca.

If Mario sees me it will not be good.

I don't want Leo to know it's me, that girl, due to which he no more has a clan.

Technically, it's not even my fault but everyone blames me for everything already so I'll take this blame too.

But I don't want to die.

Not at the hands of Leo at least.

I take out my phone from my purse and text Leo-

'Urgent business came up. I'm sorry but I have to go. Let's keep dinner for next time?'

'Sucks, I wanted you to meet my uncle'

'Another time then?'

'Okay, how are you going home though?'

'My dad will pick me'

'Catch you later then :)'

I let out a sigh of relief and escape from there without anyone noticing me.

"I'm telling you. It's her" I hear Mario say and leave.

He will never leave me alone.

I already hate him for killing Luca and now he wants to kill me as well.

Does he have a conscience?

I guess not.

I take a cab and reach home.

It's already very late and dark so it's best to go to sleep.

I change into my nightsuit and go to sleep.

But a peaceful sleep doesn't come easy to me.

I keep tossing and turning and things get worse when a nightmare starts playing in my head of that night when Luca was shot.

' "Luca! Luca! Please wake up!" I scream when Luca doesn't get up.

His heavy, dead body lays on my lap and his blood is all over me.

"Luca, please," I say and start crying.

He doesn't have to die, he did nothing wrong.

Mario is the one to blame.

He should die.

"Luca!" I say with a cry but he still doesn't move.

"Luca!" I hear Nick scream.

"Please wake up for Nick. He really loves you" I pray.

"Get aside Nat!" Nick says and pushes me away.

I fall to the ground and my head hits the ground pretty hard.

The fight is over now.

Everyone is gone from the enemy clan.

"Luca!" people of his clan start screaming.

But the scene changes, instead of Luca I'm laying on the floor with a pool of blood around me. There's a hole in the place near my heart and blood keeps gushing out of there.

I look up to see who shot me and I see Leo standing with a gun in his hands'

I wake up sweating.

I can't live like this anymore.

I need protection from the Alfonsi clan and the only ones who could provide me protection is the Accardi clan.

But, would they?