3. "You underestimate my smartness."

HARLOW

***Cristiano's room above.

"Why are you actually letting me in your room?" I narrowed my eyes as I walked into his room, sophisticated and clean. It smelled like him. An alluring scent of honey and expensive cologne. He was acting very suspicious, being a cheeky little son of a bitch. Even though he said he had somewhere to go this morning, he didn't go anywhere.

"Well, seeing as you and I are friends now--" I cut him off with a scoff, we were hardly friends, we fought all the time and the only time we were nice to each other is when we bonded over SpongeBob or morning coffee. "Barely."

He simple ignored my comment. "I guess you should finally see my bedroom, as it will be important in the future." He muttered that last part, but I heard it loud and clear. I'm not one of your sluts, mister. "What?"

"Nothing. Sit." He smirked to himself and sat on his bed, putting his feet up and relaxing before motioning me over. I shook my head thinking of what he's done in that bed. "Come on Harlow. My sheets are always clean, have you met me? Plus I haven't done anything this week."

I hesitantly sat down next to him. He turned to me, his features soft and I took them in for the millionth time, still finding him so gorgeous. "You, are like a book." He said.

"Why?" I scrunched my nose for a second like a bunny. It's a habit. And there's a reason behind it. "Because the more I look at the cover, the more I wanna know what's inside." His sudden words caused me to frown as he looked at me differently than before. He was looking at my features before looking straight into my eyes, a strange emotion overcoming them.

"The book is full of darkness. Don't let its cover fool you." I mumbled, looking away before I fell for the way he simply looked at me. I noticed that the hunger was at me again, my thumb rubbing against my forefinger.

He analyzed me before continuing. "Are you a cupcake? Cause' I think you're really sweet." Then he chuckled, as if he couldn't believe he just said something like that. I giggled, I liked this side of him, when he wasn't so serious, or annoying, or pessimistic.

"Are you a pepper? 'Cause I think you're really hot." He said and laughed. I laughed too, enjoying this quite a bit. "Do you need a hospital? That fall from heaven probably hurt." He continued giving me more stupid pickup lines. "Are you tired, cause you've been running through my mind all day."

My butt suddenly vibrated.

I took my phone out of my pocket and saw that Eli was FaceTiming me. I answered finding no reason not to. Good morning. Why are you FaceTiming me? You're right next door."

"Buongiorno. I'm too lazy to get up right now. Are we going to In N Out later?" He asked, scratching the nape of his neck and then the top of his head as I saw Lola's arm reach across his chest. "Yeah." I answered. "Okay bye." He ended the call.

"Sometimes I wonder how we are friends. He's always lazy." Cristiano chuckled. We heard the front door fly open and slam into the wall, startling the both of us. We scrambled to get up and Cristiano grabbed a gun from his nightstand. He turned the safety off and went off into the living room without fear. I followed, I wasn't at all suspicious on how and why he had a gun. Sarcasm intended.

He had the gun pointed at Zach. He was the intruder. "What the hell Zach!?"

"Woah, Mr. Trigger Happy. Gun down." Zach directed, using two fingers to gesture that he should lower the gun because I was standing behind him, he pointedly glanced at me. Then he said something quick in Italian. Cristiano put his gun down and switched the safety back on.

I kept staring at it. I hadn't seen a gun in a while. Back in NY, I couldn't go a day without holding a gun. Feeling the cold metal on my fingers and the rush of an addictive adrenaline running through my veins. I knew in the back of my crazy head, I wanted to pull another trigger. Feel that dangerous feeling again.

"Harlow. Harlow!" Zach waved his hand in face. I kept myself from snapping at him for

"Sorry." I snapped out of my memories.

"What's wrong?" Cristiano set the gun on the table, approaching me worriedly but I walked around him without breaking my stare. "Uh, nothing." I grabbed the gun, not being able to help myself, I turned the safety off.

"What the hell are you—"

"Sshhh." I cut Cristiano off, holding up a finger. I walked towards the window, I opening it and I hastily but carefully looked for a target. No, I wasn't going to shoot anybody....probably. I was going to hit a street lamp.

The two men watched me with caution as I aimed and pulled the trigger, the feeling kicking back through me and satisfying me, I felt at ease at last. The glass in the lamp two blocks away shattered, people ran away from it as it probably scared them shitless. I closed my eyes feeling that sick bliss again.

I walked away from the window and put the gun back in Cristiano's room with the safety on. I went back to see the boys smiling with interest.

"Don't make a huge deal out of it. It was just a shot." I sat on the couch, grinning proudly because I still had my perfect edge. "That lamp was two far blocks away. You hit it perfectly." Cristiano seemed the most excited about it, I'm not surprised he was the one with the gun in the first place.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" Zach asked. I looked away, I didn't want them to think of me as a monster, I actually liked them, we were getting closer. "I can't tell you."

"Please, cupcake? Cris is gonna die of a heart attack if he doesn't calm down about this." Zach pointed to him who was looking at me and smiling hugely, his breathing quick and heavy. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes." They both said, kind of obviously like it was offensive to ask them of all people. I motioned for them to sit down. They did.

I took a deep breath. "Back in New York, I was 15, I joined a gang. The Shadows. They were the most feared out of all the gangs in that part of the States. I, as cliche as this sounds, became the gang leader's girlfriend. He thought me everything I know. Hell, I became so good with guns and fighting, that I became better than him. I helped him kill. I even had my own signature." I chuckled wryly. "I kissed the cheek of the people I killed--well no, assassinated. I kissed them on the cheek with my blood red lipstick, leaving a print. That way our enemies knew it was me who killed their men. People would say that I used the blood of my enemies to get my lipstick that very accurate shade of red. Most of the time I didn't even care. I've missed the feeling of a gun. Like crazy. The feeling it gives me. When that hunger gets too big, I'd go crazy. But I always find a way to suppress that hunger."

Zach looked shocked but Christiano's smile just grew bigger as if I just told him the greatest thing in the world. They exchanged knowing glances and Cristiano held up a finger, telling him to wait for something. "I learned my fighting from my days as a street fighter." I added.

"Oh, that's the best thing I've heard this year." He sunk into the chair.

"You are just the female version of Cris. Mio dio." Zach breathed.

I chuckled. "I'm nothing like this doofus." I pointed to Christiano who looked really high, but he wasn't. "I'm so happy I could kiss the both of you." He whispered. Zach and I looked at him as if he just licked the floor and said 'I like rusty spoons'. "Why are you so happy about my trigger finger? Are you in a gang too?" I asked, joking, and their face expressions suddenly turned serious.

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you." Zach said, his face still serious.

"Really?" My eyes slightly widened. They nodded. "What about the others?"

"They already know. But don't bother trying to ask them. They won't say anything either. Rules of Omertà." Christiano said.

My eyes went so wide I think they were about to fall out of my head. He smiled at my reaction, not expecting it. "What is it now?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I may not know 99% of Italian. But I do know 1% of it. You forget, I read a lot of bullshit, Cristiano..." I smiled, feeling smarter than him.

N/A- That moment when you realize most of your knowledge is based from Wattpad books.

"So?" Zach shrugged.

"I know what Omertà means." I said in a singsong voice. Their eyes widened.

"What do you think it means?" Zach tried to hide his sudden nervousness by challenging me and smugly smiling. I cleared my throat. "Omertà is a code of the Mafia. It's a code of silence about the Mafia that you can't say anything about your encounter with them." I held a smug smile.

I could tell they were mentally freaking out. I continued. Then the others walked in. "Therefore, my cute guy friend, my hot roommate, and my handsome cousin, are mother trucking Mafia men." I stood up as if I just cracked the case.

Eli froze in his tracks along with Alexi and Lola. Christiano and Zach's faces were priceless. They were probably wondering how I figured it out without any hints.

"You underestimate my smartness." I crossed my arms, quite proud. "And guess what?"

"What?" Christiano looked so freaked out, I began to wonder if I had just caused him so much trouble just now. "From the way I organized you yesterday and what I'm seeing now, it makes sense. From your face expressions and the way you treat each other, Christiano is the big boss, or, he's the son of the Big Boss. Zach is Christiano's right hand man, considering he comes in second to him. And Eli is the brain. But you guys are like the three musketeers."

"Anything else?" Christiano crossed his arms now simply amused by my smart rambling. "You. You were happy when I showed my hidden gunslinger girl because you feel the exact same way." I breathed. His dark blue eyes turned lighter as they looked directly into mine. It was like the entire world paused just for us in that moment, like this fact was the final connection that gave us this push into each other. It felt strange, but riveting.

"Shit. What're we going to do? If--when, Dominic finds out, we are dead. Literally. It's too late for Omertà now." Eli started to panic, not quite dismissing the way Cristiano and I looked at each other. "No, we're not. Not if we show him." Christiano ran his hand through his hair, light bulbs swarming his head. "Show him what?" Eli furrowed his brows.

"Her." Christiano pointed to me. "But we're not due to go back to Italia for another month." His words made me remember something. "Ooooooooh, crap. Crap, crap, craaaaaap. How long have I been in LA?" I stood up, squirming with worry and realization.

"Eh...about a month." Eli said, looking at his phone casually.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! My sister is coming in a month to see how I'm doing! I've only gone to class like four times! If she even sees that I'm even slightly doing bad, I'll have to leave. As a matter of fact, I have class now I can still make it." I rambled, scrambling to get my stuff and I ran out the door.

CRISTIANO

I watched her as she hurried out. As soon as the door was shut Zach and I stood up with conversational glances at Eli who nodded and turned to the girls. They nodded as well and left. Eli locked the door, we all sat down and Eli erupted to only stand up, infuriated and frustrated.

"Why do you want my cousin who's like my sister join the Familia? Are you insane?" Eli raged, close to yelling. I grew annoyed by his tone, he was so quick to react without really thinking, and yet he was so intelligent. "Yes, I am. She's a perfect match. Plus, we don't have any other choice. Either she's a Mafia women or it's our heads." I was dead serious about this.

Harlow is perfect. She's everything every other girl is not. She's the one red gummy bear out of all the same old blue. She's that person that just floats into your world and suddenly makes it better. It would be a crime to let her slip through my fingers. I had to have her, but all in good time.

But I'm getting off topic.

"Chris!" Zach snapped me out of my thoughts of the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on. "Were you daydreaming about Harlow? I don't blame you if you were. I would too. She's hot." He shrugged his brows, I felt uneasy that he also had an infatuation for her.

Eli hit Zach in his head. "That's my sister." Whenever Eli actually spoke of Harlow even before I met her, he'd just refer to her as his sister. 'Cause they acted like it. We knew not to correct him by saying 'cousin'. He'd get mad and touchy about it.

"Your hot sister." Zach added. Eli hit him again, Zach's words not helping calm him down from the original situation at hand. "Shut up! Now, how is she gonna join the Familia? She can't just waltz in there and say 'Hey, Capo Romano. I'm going tojoin the Italian Mafia'. She'd be killed. Her being my family wouldn't matter because she wasn't raised in the Familia." Eli continued.

"Not if she's someone's girlfriend." Zach got a word in, Eli tensed, closing his eyes for a moment in a failing attempt to relax. "You guys may be some of the only few people that I trust, but I'm not letting either one of you anywhere near her as more than a friend. " Eli narrowed his eyes specifically at me. I gave him a look. I didn't do anything.

"Okay. Well then we'll just have to kidnap her and say it's for safety reasons or   something." I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms. Yes, I know it's weird that I can plot something like this so casually.

But what I said, was not true. I had only just pieced together who she really was. She mentioned something about a dark past, her expert gun handling, and her story about her life before LA. God, it was so obvious, why hadn't I recognized her before? She was worth billions to every criminal, every con man, every mob. It was obvious that she was—

"Well," Zach said loud enough to snap me out of my thoughts. They looked at me with a 'meh' look on their faces. "How are we gonna kidnap her? Are we gonna tie her up and blindfold her? Are we gonna kidnap her or are we gonna get someone else to do it?" Zach asks way too many questions.

I nodded. "Yes. We are gonna get someone else to do it. Here's what we'll do...."

****

I leaned against the tree in the main corridor with my arms crossed. I scanned the crowd as the students poured out of the building. Everyone sent glances towards me and whispered to their friends. Of course, nothing I wasn't used to.

Then I saw her. She looked hot in her miniskirt and tightly fitted blood red shirt that showed a great deal of torso, but not too much. It matched her lips and high heels. Someone could've drowned me in holy water right then as thoughts of impurity took over me.

A slight ping of I don't know what hit me as I saw her talking to a guy. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he smiled at her brightly, talking to her about something that made her laugh and snort. My jaw ticked when he winked at her before saying goodbye. She smiled and nodded. Happy that he was gone, I relaxed.

"Harlow!" I called with a smile tugging at my lips. People started glancing at her. Do they not have enough money to buy their own life around the corner? Jeez. Mind your business. She turned around and smiled, walking towards me. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up. It's called being nice." My eyes followed her as she stood in front of me, she precariously looked me up and down biting her matte red lip which gave off false vibes that I wished weren't so false, "Since when are you nice? What's up with you lately?"

"Nothing. We're gonna meet the others at In N Out. Let's go." I glanced back at that guy as he was walking away, furrowing my eyebrows.

****

My jaw clenched. I swear if he keeps staring at her I'm going to rip out his eyeballs and shove them up his ass. Eli and Zach weren't too pleased either. "Anything else?" The cashier asked, continuing to stare at Harlow like she was a piece of meat and he hadn't eaten in days. Only I should look at her in such a way.

"Yeah, idiota, Let's just get six Pepsis' along with our lunch special. Arrivederci." I gave a fake smile before grabbing Harlow's shoulders and rushing her to our booth. The others followed hastily to keep up.

I sat beside her and Eli across from her and Zach next to him. Lola sat next to Eli and Alexi next to me. "What's wrong with you?" Harlow brushed a hair out of her face.

"Did you not see that?" I huffed in annoyance.

"What?"

"That cashier was looking at you like a hungry lion at a zebra." Alexi chuckled, looking at her phone. Harlow scoffed, not seeming surprised but in denial, "What? He was not."

"You can figure out the fact the we're part of the Mafia but you can't see when a guy is even slightly into you?" Zach said, rolling his eyes at the exact same time as me. This cluelessness would have been nice before. Harlow simply shrugged. "You are blind. Do you not see what you're wearing?" Lola let out a breathy laugh.

"And how you look in it?" Zach added. She shook her head. "So what your saying is that, you can't ever tell when a guy is checking you out, is into you or likes you. Wow. I thought girls were supposed to have a mental radar for these kind of things." I scoffed. She's way different.

"Nope. Can't tell. Unless they say it directly." She said.

"So if that cute guy over there were to come over here and start flirting with you, you wouldn't be able to tell?" My sister pointed to a guy standing at the other side of the restaurant. "It depends on what he says. If he says something super obvious and cheesy like what Christiano was telling me earlier, I'd be able to tell." She joked, looking at me.

"What did he say?" Eli raised his eyebrows.

"He said, 'are you a cupcake, cause I think you're really sweet.' And, 'are you tired, cause you've been running through my mind all day'." She imitated my accent.

Zach burst out laughing.

"Thanks Harlow." I said sarcastically. She laughed, her giggle bringing smiles even upon people who weren't at our table, "You are welcome."

"I'll go get our food." I said getting up. I went over to the cashier from earlier, I took our tray of food and drinks out of his hands, staring at him like a vulture at a weak little animal. "And next time you decide to check someone out, make sure I'm not watching. If you don't want me to shove a foot up your weak, 'Herbert the Pervert' ass. You want that, no? Didn't think so." He shook his head and speed-walked into another room. Idiota better run.

He may have been around 17 years old. I don't care. I went back to our table and sat down with a content sigh. "Let's dig in, si?"

_________________________

*sniffs*

Do you smell that?

It smells like jelly. Must be Christiano.

Bye, loves!

- Ke