Reckoning (Vincent and Eve #2)

by Jessica Ruben

  Keys to our apartment.

  Everything that’s mine is yours. Forever.

  CHAPTER 19

  VINCENT

  I get into the car and force myself to change faces. It’s whiplash moving between loving the hell out of my girl and having to take care of business. Tom keeps telling me something feels off at the ports, and his text said as much. In the business we’re in, trusting our gut is necessary.

  Daniela has been asking some probing questions ever since the club. Thank fuck Eve got herself off social media; if she saw what I’ve been doing these days, she’d probably go insane. Since Eve and Daniela had words, I’ve had to go the extra mile to keep Daniela off our backs. That means more time with her out in public, where I’ve been doing my best to keep her happy; at this point, I deserve a goddamn Oscar. Just tonight, I let her come with me to the gym, where she snapped a sweaty picture of the two of us after working out. She keeps insisting that Eve and I have something going on between us, but I just continue to deny it. The damage she can inflict is endless. Not fucking her definitely makes her angrier. I know she wants to get back with me—but that’s not something I’ll ever budge on.

  I get to the stretch between Newark Liberty International Airport and Port Newark. The newspapers have described this area as the most dangerous two miles in America. They wouldn’t be wrong. I open the car door and see Tom waiting for me, a smile on his hard face. I crack my neck side to side.

  “Hey, brother.” We knock our fists together. “I’ve got the rat. Motherfucker has been compiling some data for the Feds.”

  “Let’s see him. Is he ready for me?”

  He nods in the affirmative. I crack my knuckles.

  CHAPTER 20

  EVE

  Spring break is now over. We only have eight weeks before the semester is finished, and then Vincent leaves for Nevada, and hopefully, I’ll have transferred to a school out in California. Stanford is my top pick. I know some people would scoff at the idea of transferring schools for a man, but I don’t see it that way. Vincent is my life, and if I can have both a great education and be closer to him, why shouldn’t I try to do that?

  I pour myself a hot cup of coffee from the dining hall, trying to stay calm—despite the fact I’m scared to death to bump into Daniela. The gossip mill says she went away with Chi Omega girls to Mexico. But now that she’s back in the city, I’m not sure what to expect— especially after the club fiasco. Did she see Vincent run out of the club after me? Claire’s warnings about her ability to ruin my life pound in my chest. Taking my coffee to go, I try to relax while walking to my first class of the day.

  I take a seat in the center of the large lecture hall, pulling out my spiral notebook and a blue pen from my backpack. Strangely, a few students turn toward me before whispering to each other conspiratorially. I hope that it’s my imagination, but I open up the mirror app on my phone anyway. Doing a quick scan of my teeth and face, I see nothing is out of the ordinary.

  When class is over and I head out into the hallway, I bump into her. My gaze starts at her high-heeled black boots that tie up to mid-thigh, a short black skirt, and a beautiful cream-colored cashmere sweater; the color is bright against her perfectly tousled red hair. It hurts to admit it, but she looks like a million bucks.

  My heart thuds as she looks down at me mockingly. “You poor thing.” Daniela shrugs a bony and tanned shoulder. “You were totally wasted at the club before break. And the fact that it was photographed...”

  “Photographed?”

  “Well, you were dancing like a stripper. Do you even remember?” Her eyes move from my feet to my face disapprovingly. And then she lets out a little laugh as if I’m nothing but a joke.

  “I—”

  “Well, even if you don’t, you should check High and Low. You’re all over it. And let’s just say, it isn’t exactly flattering.” She lifts a perfectly manicured hand up to her lips. “But then again, I guess you are who you are, right? I just hope the school doesn’t find out about your behavior. I know they take scholarships away from kids like you who try to party with the rest of us.”

  Sweat breaks out on my forehead, but she continues, “It would be a shame if you got thrown out, wouldn’t it? And after how hard you worked to get out of the ghetto you were raised in! What would your sister Janelle think if everything she sacrificed for you was all lost? Would you have to move back into the Blue Houses with your mom? She’s a stripper too, right?”

  My mouth drops open. How does she know? Cold terror moves straight down my spine and into my feet. Seemingly content with my obvious fear, Daniela struts off. I want to move, but I can’t. I can barely breathe.

  With a shaking hand, I manage to take out my phone and open the browser. I hear whispers in the hall, but I’m too focused on my task to pay attention. I quickly type in HIGH AND LOW in my Google search. I know this is what Daniela hoped for, but I need to know. I can’t even think about anything other than finding out what is on the internet about me.

  I click on the link, and there I am. Pages of photographs of me, dancing. My super-tight red dress leaves almost nothing to the imagination. A random guy stands flush behind me, his face slightly blurry. Every feature of mine is perfectly visible, though. As if the photos weren’t enough, there’s an article accompanying it.

  Will Bitches Never Learn?

  This freshman, Eve Petrov, was spotted before spring break at the hottest club in the city, Marquis. Word on the street is she tried to hook up with THE Vincent Borignone, who completely ignored her pathetic advances—obviously.

  Bystanders at the club all laughed while she pounded shots, got completely wasted, and then slutted herself up to any guy who would give her attention. Ugh, gross!

  When will this freshman girl learn more than just math? It’s called self-respect. And by the way, no one told us here at High and Low that the drinking age was lowered to nineteen.

  XOXO,

  High and Low

  I lift my head while mortification filters through my senses. I quickly type out a text to Claire. She responds right away, telling me to meet her by the no-smoking sign in front of Grant Hall—right now.

  I run out of the building, not caring that people are watching. I burst through the front doors of the mathematics building, wanting to collapse in relief when I see Claire waiting by the tree.

  She starts, “I read it. Everyone has. So, swallow your pride and let’s figure out how to deal now, okay?” I nod my head. We’re in crisis mode, but she’s in control. It almost feels as if I’m an outsider looking in. My mind hasn’t caught up to the fact that this is all happening to me.

  “First thing you do, is a lot of really good stuff so when your name comes up in a Google search, the newer and more positive stuff about you comes up first. That means getting your name out wherever possible in conjunction with good things. Like, charities. Or, donating your time to a good cause. We don’t ever want a future employer seeing this!”

  The tears well up in my eyes. “Employer?” I gasp. This is my future. My life! What if one of the schools I plan on transferring to sees this?

  She puts a hand on my shoulder. “It is what it is, Eve. Another thing you need to do is to speak to Vincent. Maybe he can find a way to erase it.”

  “B-but how?” I stutter.

  “People have connections. I have no idea who is behind High and Low, but you never know. Girls would lick the dirty gym floor if Vincent asked them to do it. If he knows who wrote it, I bet they’d take it down if he asked. It’s worth a try. At least your friendship can help you in this way, right?” She looks at me accusingly, but I drop down on the grass, bringing my knees to my chest.

  She sighs, sitting down next to me. “Text him now, Eve.” I look up to see urgency in her face. I can tell she knows I’ve been lying, but she has the decency not to mention it right now.

  Pulling out my phone, I text Vincent, asking him to call me when he can. Three minutes later, my phone rings.

&nbs
p; “Eve?” His voice is soft and warm, how it gets in the morning right when he wakes.

  I start before I lose the nerve. “I’m on High and Low. Can you find a way to get it taken off?” My voice comes out in a rush. I’m not just mortified. I’m also ashamed.

  “They wrote about you?” He sounds furious.

  “That gossip site. They said…” I pause. I want to tell him everything, but I’m too upset to speak. I swallow the dryness in my mouth, willing myself to hold it all in until I get to the privacy of my dorm room.

  “Give me a few hours. It’ll be gone.” He hangs up the phone. I’m sitting on the ground with Claire by my side. She takes my hand.

  “Vincent to the rescue, huh?” Her smile is relieved, but also sad.

  “Do you really think he’ll get it removed?” My desperation is making my head pound, the tears finally starting to fall.

  “Yes. I do.” She’s nodding, the hopefulness written all over her face. “But Eve, please stay away from him. If Daniela is out to get you, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Getting her angry is a really bad thing. She’s so connected, Eve. I tried to warn you, and I hope it’s not too late.”

  “I’m gonna go back to my room. I can’t be out on campus right now.”

  I run-walk directly to the quad with my head down, swiping my key card to get into the building. After climbing the steps, I bump into my Resident Advisor. She’s about to say something, but I quickly run past her; I can barely look up. Has she seen it? Has everyone?

  I sit at the desk in my room, opening my computer and checking out High and Low. Tears of relief fall down my face when I see that the article and all the photos about me are gone.

  CHAPTER 21

  VINCENT

  Slamming my hand on my desk, I pace the length of my bedroom. I’m back in my apartment by school, here to grab a textbook for Number Theory. The fact that Eve was on High and Low—and her name was mentioned in connection with mine—is a huge goddamn problem. Thankfully, I know the girls who run it. The moment I told them to remove the photos and the article, they took it all down. But if Daniela saw the article, there will be hell to pay.

  My doorbell rings, and I open the door to see her. The bitch has timing; I’ll give her that. I take a deep breath as she waltzes into my apartment.

  “Vincent.” She drops her designer purse on the floor carelessly.

  “Daniela.”

  Sitting on the edge of the couch, she crosses her legs—high-heeled boots and a skirt so short it’s practically indecent.

  “I saw you got that article taken down. So, contrary to everything you’ve told me, you obviously care about her.”

  “Care? She’s no one to me,” I scoff. “Now do me a favor and get out. I’ve got work to do.”

  “You think you can just get rid of me? You’re funny, Vincent. Do you know how many men would give their right arm to get me in bed?” She puts her arms on her hips.

  “Good for you, then.” I laugh angrily. “Go fuck whoever you want.” I walk into my kitchen, pulling out a bottle of water from the fridge.

  She trails behind me. “Look at me,” she says, grabbing my arm. “Me and you go together. Me and you are together. We. Are. Together.”

  I shake my head slowly, amazed that a girl this smart in the books can be so delusional. “We aren’t anything, Daniela. Not now and not ever. You need to find another man and move on. I’m sick of this bullshit.” I can feel the tendons straining in my neck. I know I need to calm down, but it’s becoming damn near impossible.

  “Another man? What other man? Look in the mirror, Vincent! Me and you make sense. Me and you are perfect. Our families—think about the connections! We’d rule the world. I totally accept your life. Hell, I more than accept it. I love it. We,” she starts, gesturing between us, “make sense!” Her lashes flutter faster than normal; the girl is unhinged and clearly on something.

  I put the bottle to my lips, swallowing the entire thing down.

  “It’s her! That fucking bitch charity case!” She’s panting. “You think I’m blind? I saw how you looked at her at the club before break, Vincent. I know you bought her that fucking jacket! You help her with her studying. I already knew you were fucking her, but I figured she was a passing fling!”

  “You need to be committed to a mental hospital, Daniela. She and I have nothing between us.” The lie burns my throat.

  She starts moving through my room, emptying drawers. “Does she have her shit in your room? Is she here every night in your bed, where I’m supposed to be?” She runs into my bedroom like a dog on a scent, throwing my drawers open and pulling out my clothes.

  “Calm the fuck down!” I yell. My shirts and underwear are scattered around the room.

  “Calm down?” she seethes, facing me with her fists balled up at the sides. “Don’t tell me to fucking calm down! You swore to me you’d never bring another girl into our orbit. You could fuck anyone you wanted, so long as it didn’t infringe on what we have. And when I get calls from my friends telling me that my man is staring at another girl and I better get my ass to the club to intercept it? People are going to think there is trouble between us! People are going to think we’re breaking up! I saw how you looked at her. I watched you go after her in that club after she was dancing with that guy!” Tears start to fall down her face.

  “Jesus FUCK Daniela. You don’t own me! I’m done with you. Get out!”

  She stands tall, a smirk growing on her lips. “First, I’m going to call my father to pull the plug on your business. Second? I’m going to get that whore of yours thrown out of school for indecent behavior. I read up on the expectations of scholarship kids. Underage drinking? That’s academic probation. And third? I’m going to publicly humiliate her. I will make sure the entire world knows that she. Is. A. Homewrecker!” Her breaths turn shallow and hard. “You think you can walk away from me? Humiliate me with some piece-of-shit loser?”

  I step up to her. “Have you forgotten who I am?” My voice is terrifyingly low; I feel my jaw clench. My anger is catching hold of me. Part of my brain is telling me to calm the fuck down, but the other side is only getting hotter until my judgment is officially clouded over.

  “A-are you threatening me?” Her voice turns shrill.

  I pull out my gun from the waistband of my jeans. Pushing her against the wall, muzzle pressed underneath her neck. “Who the fuck do you think you are, Daniela? If you so much as even attempt to do what you just said, I will end your fucking life.” She shudders, but I don’t let up. “What? You think I’m going to be shitting in my pants over some dumb bitch like you? You think you can control me?”

  I step back and she falls forward, tripping over her own feet and landing on the floor. Hysterical, she grabs her purse and runs out of my room, the front door slamming against the wall with a bang. I laugh as she runs.

  ***

  I’ve been stewing for hours, pacing my room and going through every possible scenario that could go wrong when I get a call from Tom on my work phone.

  “Yo.”

  “Serious trouble here at the port, man.”

  “What are you talking about?” My breath turns shallow. “Didn’t we already deal with the rat?”

  “Yeah, but someone is stalling our shipment out of Columbia. We were ready to accept today, but the flight turned around mid-fucking-air. My dad told me to call Antonio right away to let him know, but I wanted to let you know first. This isn’t because of Daniela, right Vincent? Because I think one of the Feds infiltrated a labor union here, too. I can feel shit going down—”

  “Got it. Thanks.” I hang up the phone, cursing.

  I pick my work phone back up, dialing my driver. I have to see my father. I check the time and know he must be home right now. I throw on a sweatshirt and take the stairs to my building’s lobby; I’ve got a shit ton of energy right now I need to expend.

  The car ride to the townhouse is quick. I grew up here, on Ninety-Third Street between Madison and
Fifth Avenue. Unlocking the front doors, I strut through the hallways lined with money. Famous art hangs to my left and right, each piece valued between thirty-thousand to close to a million.

  I stop in the living room and take a seat on a navy velvet couch, a red and blue Persian rug under my feet. My father will call me when he’s ready; he knows I’m here. In fact, I’d bet he’s watching me on the security camera right now. I breathe deeply, getting my head on straight.

  “Vincent,” my father’s stern voice calls out on speakerphone. “Come down.”

  I exhale as I get to the staircase, walking down two flights of carpeted stairs into the basement level. Opening the second door to the left, I enter our meeting room. The walls are painted in black lacquer and a huge crystal chandelier hangs from the center, giving the room a dark glow. He sits in his black leather chair at the head of the table. In this moment, he’s no one other than the leader and boss of the Borignone mafia, and I can tell from his body language he’s angry as all fuck.

  “I’m waiting for an explanation as to how all of this shit broke down. I already heard from some of our friends that Costa was behind stalling our shipment today. You’re my right hand. Who the fuck is causing a crack in the empire I’ve built? Tell me you didn’t piss off the daughter, Vincent.” Sitting tall in one of his custom suits, he stares at me with fury in his eyes. He brings his cigarette to his lips, taking a heavy drag. The smoke wafts through his lips and nose, momentarily covering his face. I can tell he knows. He’s waiting for the confirmation.

  Without any preamble, I begin with the night Eve and I met. I fill him in on the important details, including what happened to her at the hands of Carlos and the fact that we’re together right now, in secret. I end with Daniela’s threats.

  His breaths turn shallow as he drops his head, seemingly gathering himself. “Do you know what you’ve just done?” His voice is low, eyes turning to thin slashes in his face. “And for a piece of pussy? I expected more from you, Vincent. You aren’t one of these dumb fucking kids who can’t think without his dick!” He slams his fists against the table. “I raised you better than that! We had a vote. You weren’t supposed to fuck shit up with her!”