Vincent (Made Men, #2)(16)

“I swear to God, Vincent, I’m going to pay you back for all your bad timing,” Nero said.

He started laughing. “Come on, man; it’s the last day of school. You two aren’t going to see that closet again. There’s a million other closets you two can—”

Nero held up his hand. “Vincent, shut the fuck up. Right now.”

“I will if you two are done so I can get the fuck out of here.”

“Oh, my God,” Elle whispered into Nero’s shoulder as he pulled her along.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart; you weren’t the closet’s first. I was in there freshman year.”

“You’re not helping,” Nero hissed.

Vincent laughed, deciding to stop giving Elle such a hard time. He didn’t have a choice, really. If he kept going, Nero was going to kick his ass.

They had all grown fond of her and Chloe. Hell, because of them, he, Nero, and Amo had all become soldiers. Being a soldier in the Caruso mob was the best and last thing which had changed that semester.

When they reached the end of the hallway, Elle ran to Chloe’s side.

Vincent watched the two girls laugh side by side as they started to walk toward the school parking lot. He knew Nero and Amo couldn’t stop staring at the two, either. The girls had come a long way, and they all felt responsible for them. What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re being a pussy.

He was done having a moment. “You all need to come to my sister’s graduation tomorrow.”

“Fuck no. I ain’t sitting through two,” Amo retorted.

Nero kept his eyes on Elle. “As much as I don’t want to go, either, we all have to. She’s family.”

“That reminds me, is Adalyn’s friend going to Nero’s party?” Amo asked Vincent.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” He shrugged.

“Fuck, I hope her hot ass will be there. What’s her name again?”

Vincent’s hands wanted to rip his throat out even though he had no feelings toward her.

“Lake.” He wasn’t prepared for it to come out as a growl.





Chapter Twelve Getting Whacked On Graduation Day Would Really Suck

Lake scanned the bleachers around the whole gymnasium. Where the hell is she? When her eyes met her father’s, he gave her a comforting smile. She desperately tried not to look at the goons beside him, but the whole Caruso mob took up half the damn bleachers on that side. She knew because it was nothing except a sea of black suits.

She looked down at her phone again to see if she had any messages. Nothing. Lake went into her messages and sent a text.

Where are you?

When Lake raised her head back up to the man talking on the stage, she had to swipe away the tassel hitting her in the face. The man was about to start calling their names at any second, and it was making Lake even more nervous. She really wished the seats weren’t assigned alphabetically so she and Adalyn could sit together.

She started to almost feel out of place as she glanced around. I never knew high school gyms like this even existed, only in college.

Their high school’s graduation ceremony was always held at Legacy Prep High due to budgeting reasons. The public schools got a free place to hold the ceremony, and Legacy Prep saved money by having it in their gym. The school system really knows how to go all out…

Scanning the bleachers again, her eyes rolled over the black sea once more, but that time her eyes were caught by a pair of baby-blues she hadn’t seen in six months.

He looked different to her, like he had in that moment when he had rolled up his sleeves in Poison. Vincent had somehow grown more handsome, more mature, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was making him look that way.

Her body started to respond to him again as his gaze held her prisoner. She began to wish she was closer to him to see his changes up close.

Buzzzz.

Lake nearly jumped out of her seat when her hand began vibrating. She didn’t think she could be anymore embarrassed, or flustered for that matter.

Why, God? Why did you make him so perfect? She felt like the whole dead thing was seriously being thrown out the window.

Looking down at her phone, she read her new text.

John got sick. I am so sorry, honey. I’ll make it up to you. I love you.

Lake squeezed her phone as hard as she could, trying to keep from crying. She had known when her mother hadn’t showed in the first five minutes that she wasn’t coming. She had already had a feeling it was all John’s fault. John had no reason to be there since Ashley was a junior, and he sure as fuck wasn’t coming for his stepdaughter.

Lake hit the button to reply.

It’s okay. I love you, too, Mom.

It seemed like, no matter what, she couldn’t help the fact that she did love her. Her mother was family. There was nothing else to it.

Hearing the first name read, she put her phone away. As the names went farther down the list, she couldn’t help thinking about how John had managed to ruin one of the most monumental moments in her life. Regardless, she decided to try to push it out of her mind as her best friend in the whole wide world waited on the steps to be called next. Lake was already primed to clap and cheer.

“Adalyn Ricci.”

Yay—what the…?

Lake’s attention was drawn to the men in black packed onto the bleachers. They were yelling, clapping, and whistling so loud she thought her eardrums were going to break. She couldn’t help laughing at the goons for making such a scene and clapping along as Adalyn retrieved her diploma.