Wild One

Fifteen

Niccolo

I know her from somewhere. Something about her was familiar. I'm sure it will come to me in the shower, or while I'm dismembering someone—or some other inconvenient or otherwise awkward time.

“Find out everything there is to know about that girl.”

Angelo nods. “Sí, Capo.”

***

It's been five years since I took over. Five years since the partial takeover of the Hundred. Five years since...

Things have changed. I am the head of the Vitale now, and my cousin, no longer commands me from behind the scenes.

I've been in my own, training the newcomers, taking over parts of the South.

My focus has been on the Family, 110%. Until now. Until her. She...intrigues me. There's a certain familiarity about her, but at the same time, I've never met anyone like her.

Angelo comes in just in time, handing me a file. I peruse it.

Name:

I blink.

Name:

“Boss?”

“Thank you, Angelo," I murmur, dismissing him, my gaze fixed on the paper in front of me. No. The name. The name in front of me.

Name: Manon Bordeaux

Manon Bordeaux

Her name tastes like fine wine. It's so sweet and savory, with so many flavors. I really enjoy saying it.

Shaking my head, I clear the bizarre thought.

Age: 22

DOB: 06/27/1996

Race: Black

Ethnicity: French

Born: France

Current Address: **** Ronald Dr. Detroit, Michigan.

Occupation: Special Reporter

Place of Employment: Sky Media

Married: No

Relationship: Recently broke an Engagement with Charles Bowden.

I flip through the files.

I examine the pictures. She really did have a growth spurt at 19, which is odd, considering girls generally stop growing at about 15.

She didn't grow in height, her chest did fill out though. May be due to a change in eating habits. Did her wonders, whatever it was.

She's gorgeous, even more so now. But there's something... dimmer about her.

When I first met her, she was so.... innocent. There was a day glow about her that seemed to draw me in.

Now though, it's almost as if that glow has died, and now, instead of the corruptible aura of light beckoning the devil, it's a macabre atmosphere, singing to creatures of the night.

But either way, the devil will come.

***

I put a tail on her. That initial investigation took nothing from my hounds, wasn't in depth. I also ordered a report on this Bowden individual.

I looked into a work. It seems that she is a special reporter, quite special in fact.

She's a Crime reporter, who investigates and reports from highly dangerous areas and situations.

She's grown, but somehow grew more foolish than when she was 18.

I go for a walk. I have several estates, one in Detroit. I stay there more often these days.

“Niccoló?”

I turn around, with a frown. This is my private property, she should not have been allowed to enter this part of my property without my express permission.

“What the hell are you doing here, pulcino?"

I take in outfit, biting my tongue.

“I study criminology; I'm a reporter, you don't think I know when I'm being tailed?”

I chuckled. She's still too smart for anyone's good. Dio mio.

“What do you want, Niccoló?”

I walk up to her, gazing in her puppy dog eyes. They truly do look dimmer.

“What do I want? I wanted to find out who you were. You intrigued me last night.”

She rolls her eyes, sneering at me. “Niccolò, why don't you just leave me alone?”

If only I could. “Signorina Bordeaux, if I could you leave alone I would.”

I rest my hand on her hip. “You've changed, pulcino.”

She sneers at me, “Yeah well, it happens when you grow up.”

She seems to resent me for what happened 5 years ago.

“Are you still angry I wouldn't date you when you were 18, pulcino?” I pull her close.

For some reasons she doesn't resist.

“No. I'm still angry you were a heartless asshole who broke my heart for no reason. But it's okay."

She smirks. My smirk dies.

“Thanks, to you, the world has one more heartless b***h. So...cheers?”

She steps out of my grasp.

“You're blaming me for all your problems."

“Not all of them," She responds matter-of-factly. “I couldn't possibly blame you for the pregnancy scare I had a month ago, that was my fault.”

Pregnancy scare. Something about that makes my fists clench.

“You just helped me realize how naive I was, that's all. And I appreciate it, saved me a lotta heartache.”

She steps back. “Anyway, I'd like it if you stop having people follow me. There is nothing between is, and there never will be.”

She turns around and starts walking away. From me.

“I think you've caught my eye, pulcino. There's no easy fix to my fascination.”

She turned her head to answer me. “Just do whatever you did last time. I'm not an experiment, Mr. Vitale, I don't want your fascination. I want you to leave me alone.”

Turning away she starts walking away from me again, and it's so effortless—the way she leaves me.

“Manon!” She pauses, but doesn't look back.

“I will not give up that easy. I am a man who gets what he wants.”

She made an amused noise in her throat. “And I'm a girl who doesn't. As you can see, we have nothing in common.”

I stay silent, just watching her disappear down the stone pathway, her heartbreaking beauty even as she walked away from me steeling my resolve.