Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(18)

“Someone broke into Livvy’s dorm.”

“Why? What’d they take?”

“I don’t think they took anything. They spray-painted slut across her bed and walls.”

“Sure that wasn’t meant for Sandra?” Luca smirks.

“Sandra seems certain it was purposely done on Livvy’s side of the room.”

“Why would anyone target her?” Luca asks.

I raise an eyebrow at him. It’s not a fucking coincidence that the moment I start showing interest in her, someone is fucking targeting her. This is why people in our world shouldn’t mix with people like Livvy. Sandra’s right. She doesn’t fucking deserve it. And whoever did this to her will fucking find that out the hard way.

“Okay, just give me a sec. I’m coming with you.” Luca jogs back out to the deck, says something to his friends, and jogs back to the front door.

I make it to Livvy’s dorm building in half the time it should take to drive there. Pulling up out front, I jump out of the car and run up the steps. The door’s fucking locked. Luca is right behind me. He leans over and enters a code into the keypad.

“How do you know the code?” I ask him.

“It’s a girls’ dorm? Bro, do you really think I don’t know the code?”

Ignoring him, I rush up the three flights of stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. When I get to her door, it’s already open, and there are four girls in the room. None of whom are Livvy. “Where is she?” I ask Sandra.

She points to their bathroom.

“Why the fuck are you all in here?” I turn to the other girls standing around Sandra. None of them answer me, just look at me with their mouths hanging open. “Get the fuck out,” I tell them.

When no one starts moving, I look to Luca.

“Now!” he yells more firmly. That’s when they scamper out. Luca shuts the door behind them and then pulls a scanning device out of his back pocket. Flicking it on, his finger goes to his lips as he walks around the room holding the device up in various positions. He’s searching for microphones or hidden cameras. I don’t know why anyone would want to plant a device in Livvy’s dorm room. Sandra, maybe. Her father is an associate of the family. But Livvy, no one should even fucking know about her existence yet.

I knock on the bathroom door. “Livvy, open the door.”

I hear shuffling before it opens a crack. Livvy’s eyes are red and puffy. Shit, she’s been fucking crying. I push the door in, forcing her to take a step backwards to allow me room to enter, shut it behind me, and look at her. I want to fucking kill the bastard who brought these tears to her eyes. My hands shake with the need for retribution.

“What are you doing here?” Livvy asks when I don’t say anything.

“I… Sandra called and told me someone broke in. What happened?”

“I don’t know. It’s probably just some stupid prank,” she says. “Right?”

“Probably… I’ll get this place cleaned up for you, but you’re not staying here tonight. Pack a bag.” My hand reaches for the door.

“Wait, I have to stay here. I don’t have anywhere else to go, Romeo.”

My eyebrows draw down at her. Is she fucking serious right now? “You’re staying at my place. Come on.”

“I… I can’t stay at your place. I’ll be fine here. It’s not that bad.”

“It was bad enough to make you fucking cry, Livvy. You’re coming to sleep at my place tonight. Tomorrow I’ll have new locks put on your door and that shit will be cleaned up.”

“Why? I mean, I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I’m not, but why are you doing this? Why are you here, Romeo? Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because you’re my friend, and I’m not the kind of guy who lets their friends get fucked with,” I tell her, cursing myself for putting myself in the fucking friend zone.

“Okay.” She smiles. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend as nice as you, though. Well, apart from Sandra.”

“That’s… sad.”

She laughs. “Shockingly, I wasn’t all that popular in high school. Then I came here and met Sandra.” She lifts one shoulder up and down.

“High school popularity is overrated, trust me. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“I just need to finish washing this paint off my hands.” Livvy holds her palms up. They’re covered in the red paint from her room. She must’ve been trying to scrub the walls by hand.

“Soap isn’t going to scrub that off. I’ve got some stuff at the apartment that will remove it better.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to do this. I can stay here, really. I’ll be fine.”

I open the door, holding it ajar for her. “Pack a bag, unless you want to borrow more of my clothes.” I smirk, my eyes flicking up and down as I remember how she looked in my sweatshirt.

“I’ll pack some things.” She averts her gaze.

There’s a knock at the door while we’re waiting for Livvy to pack the clothes. Luca curses, glancing down at his device. “Did you call the cops?” he asks Sandra, disdain evident in his voice.

“What? No. I called him.” Sandra points to me.