CHAPTER 16 : BASTA

NAT 'S POV

"What the fuck do you want Nick?" I ask him angrily.

His audacity never ceases to surprise me.

I have been told to call him Nick instead of Marco. If I don't call him Nick, it will just give him another reason to add on his list to kill me which is a pretty long list.

"Hey," he says coolly as though he just didn't come at my house in the middle of the night and wake me up.

"What the hell where you doing last night? Why were you even there?" I shout at him.

"No hey, no do you want to come in? Where are your manners at Nat?" he smirks at me.

"Get the fuck out of here, you're back to being you and I hate you," I say with venom laced in my voice.

"Back to being me?"

"You really want me to say it?"

"Yes, I do"

"You're back to being Marco," I say and his nostrils flare and his eyes go red.

"What?" he shouts and balls his fists at his side.

I know he hates to hear it but that's what he's being.

He promised himself he won't be that asshole again but promises are meant to be broken.

The thing is he has a split personality when he's Nick whose a normal 17-year-old, he's fine but Marco is something else.

Marco is the person who would even kill their own blood in the name of his clan.

Marco is the leader of the Accardi clan.

Unluckily, I dated Marco and not Nick.

"Watch your words, bitch!" he exclaims in a low voice which sends shudders down my spine.

"You watch yourself, Basta!"I yell at him and he slaps me.

He's not the only one who knows Italian you know.

"You--" he begins but can't complete because I slap him hard and he holds cheek.

"You've grown quite the attitude hunh?" he says and smirks.

Asshole.

I've had enough of his shit.

"You don't want to mess with me," I warn him and take out the switchblade I have started keeping for my protection. Marco's eyes widen at the blade and I smirk.

"Thought you were the only one who could hold a knife?" I say to him and he gulps.

"You know, if I kill you and I end up in jail, I won't give a single fuck," I say and he doesn't move a muscle.

Good.

"What the fuck?" I hear a voice exclaim and me and Marco both freeze.

A second later, Leo comes into view and his eyes widen when he sees the switchblade in my hand.

"You! Get the fuck out of here!" Leo says and stands in front of me in a protective stance.

Marco's nostrils flare up and his eyes go red.

"You don't even know what you're getting yourself into Leonardo Alfonsi!" Marco says his name in such hatred as if it's a cuss word.

"I know Marco Accardi!" Leo exclaims and my eyes wide in horror and so do Marco's.

The realization dawns on us that Leo knows and we both exchange worried glances.

"Back off Alfonsi," Marco says before disappearing into thin air.

Leo deep breathes and calms himself down and I'm still frozen in shock.

I place the switchblade in my pocket and look at Leo.

Does he know who I am?

If he does, I'm doomed, we all are.

He looks at me angrily and I shudder underneath his gaze.

What will he do now?

He steps closer to me and hugs me.

I am taken aback by his sweet gesture but pleased at the same time.

I did not plan on dying tonight.

I hug him back and his hands move down the back pocket of my shorts and he puts his hand in my back pocket and slowly takes out the switchblade.

I step back and he examines the switchblade in his hand.

"Who gave this to you?" he asks me and I don't answer him.

"Nat, please speak," Leo says in a strained voice and I realize he's holding back his anger.

"My uncle gave it to me when I left Italy. He said this would help. I never took it out but now I keep it in my pocket so that I'm prepared in such situations," I tell him and look at him with worried eyes.

"Are you fine?" he asks me and I nod in return.

"Are you?" I ask him hesitantly and he nods too.

"You're not safe," he says and looks around.

"I'm not safe from whom?" I ask him.

It takes him a moment to realize that I'm not safe with either of them and he looks uncertain.

"From Marco," he answers and I get the reason why he said that. He wants that I rather be with him than Marco.

I'd want that too.

If only if it was that simple.

"We have to talk," he says.

"About?"

"Why you ran away after you kissed me," he says and steps forward again.

"I didn't---" I start but he cuts me short and says," Oh yes you did Nat. You ran away as though you had seen a ghost."

Shit.

"I--" I start again but he crashes his lips onto mine and cages my body with his arms.

I'm lost in him once again and can't think straight as his arms form a protective shield around my body.

After a few moments, he pulls away and walks out the door.

I rub my hands on my hair and look around.

My cheeks have heated up.

I start to go into my room but I stop when I see Marco on my lawn.

My eyes wide in horror but he runs away when my eyes land on him.

The day rushes by and I find myself laying in bed and trying to fall asleep.

I fall asleep in an uneasy sleep .

About two hours later, I hear screams next door.