Chapter 13
918 Words
Rocco looked at Vivian and smiled. He really admired this girl for everything she had been through. He was willing to keep her safe at all costs. He wanted to teach her everything he knew.
But she had to agree to his terms before he trained her to become a killing machine—an assassin. He gently moved her hair off her face.
She was beautiful, and he couldn't understand, for the life of him, why he was being bullied in school—especially by the Alessandro brothers.
If he weren’t already at war with them, he would have rejected her just to protect her—and claimed her as his own. He was aware she was only sixteen, and he was the youngest capo at the tender age of twenty-two.
His parents had been killed by a rival mafia group, and he swore he would take out every last one of them with his bare hands.
Maybe having her here wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe he could train her to be an assassin and take down his enemies alongside him. That seemed like a reasonable plan.
She stirred, and he sat watching her. God, he was growing more and more attached to her with each passing moment.
He smiled, remembering how they had first met—and how he had initially planned to use her against the Capriolis.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"Good morning, sweet pea."
"Rocco, what time is it?" she asked tiredly.
"Around seven, sweet pea."
"Wake me up in an hour."
He laughed. This girl was so funny. How the hell had she ever gotten up for school, he would never know.
"Rise and shine, sweet pea. Or have you forgotten it’s the first day of training?"
“s**t,” she muttered under her breath, hoping he hadn’t heard.
“That’s no way for a lady to talk, sweet pea.”
Damn, he had heard.
“Well, I guess I’m not a lady, then, am I?”
He grinned. “I guess you’re not.”
She pulled herself up. “You’ll have to move if you want me to shower and change first.”
“First, please don’t hurt anyone.”
“Can you move, please? I need to shower and change into something more suitable.”
He grinned. “That’s better, sweet pea. Manners cost nothing in this world. But before we start, we need to discuss a few things.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“If I train you, I only want one thing in return: for you to finish your studies.”
“I can’t go back there. Please don’t make me go back,” she pleaded, panic rising in her voice.
She knew that if she returned to that hellhole, her bullies would attack her again. She wasn’t ready to face them—not yet, maybe not ever.
And if Alex and his brothers even caught a whiff of her, they’d drag her back, kicking and screaming, and punish her for leaving.
“Don’t worry, sweet pea. You’re not going back there.”
Thank God. She let out the breath she’d been holding.
“You’ll be tutored privately. I know a good one. He’s family, and he knows better than to open his mouth—if he values his life.”
She nodded.
“So, do you agree to my terms?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Excellent. You may shower and change, then meet me in the dining hall for breakfast. I’ll introduce you to Vincenzo. He’s an outstanding tutor. So be on your best behavior.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, saluting him.
He grinned, suppressing a laugh. “I’ll see you in the dining hall, Vivian.”
“You will. Thanks for this, Rocco. I won’t disappoint you.”
“I know you won’t,” he said, pulling himself up and kissing her forehead before leaving the room so she could shower and change.
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True to her word, she was extra polite to Vincenzo at the dining table, and over the next few hours, they worked through the school curriculum.
After her lessons, they went down to the gym where Rocco began her physical training. He had to admit—what she already knew impressed him. So, he increased the intensity. She started learning mixed martial arts and other combat styles.
Once she was ready, he would teach her how to use guns and different types of weapons.
Later that afternoon, she had more lessons with Vincenzo.
“She’s clever, Rocco. I’ll give her that—especially considering what she had to deal with at school.”
“She told you?”
“She didn’t have to, Rocco. I saw her scars.”
“I noticed them when she arrived,” Rocco said quietly. “But I didn’t want to ask where they came from.”
“They’re either from her attackers—or self-inflicted. She’ll tell you one day, Rocco. And when she does, we’ll be there for her.”
“I intend to be,” Rocco replied. “She’s different from any girl I’ve ever met, Vincenzo. I want her to become someone better. Someone stronger.”
“I’m sure she will in time, Rocco. Just give her time to trust you. She won’t trust easily—not after what the Alessandros did to her.”
“I know,” Rocco sighed. “I just hope she learns to trust me enough to open up one day.”
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