Marrying the Mafia Boss,The Judge's Rebellious Daughter

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," I whispered, eyes closed.

"Why would you think that?" My eyes flew open and I looked up to find Andrew, Vito's best friend and second-in-command, standing over me. Vito and Andrew were polar opposites.

Vito was the all-around sports star; Andrew partied constantly and cycled through girlfriends. Vito cared about grades; Andrew barely studied but still passed—purely because he was clever.

"Screwed up in class. I'm sure you'll hear about it later." He nodded, sitting down across from me, his brown eyes holding my green ones.

"I already heard." Damn it. Someone must have been on their phone during class.

"You know she's doing partnered work for that project, right?" I groaned, closing my eyes. I shook my head, fingers digging into my hair.

"Do you know who I'm with?" I looked up to find him checking his phone, a dazed look on his face. This guy really needed to learn to mask his expressions.

"You're with… my boss. I mean, Vito." My eyes widened. He grimaced at my panicked expression.

"Fuck. I gotta go." I scrambled to my feet, grabbed my bag, and bolted for the nearest bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, rubbing my eyes until spots danced in my vision.

"It's fine. Just ignore him. Hell, stay a foot away at all times, don't talk about anything unrelated, and it'll be fine."

*'Even I know that's bullshit.'*

The bell rang. I rolled my eyes, grabbed my bag, and headed to my next class. Thankfully, he wasn't in this one, but my mind wandered uncontrollably. I could smell his faint scent lingering on James, another one of his underlings.

I inhaled cautiously. Coffee, mint, sea salt—it was driving me insane. I didn't even know what *I* smelled like to my own senses—probably alcohol and cigarettes. The class dragged on until lunch finally arrived, saving me.

I walked into the cafeteria, eyes following me as I headed for the line. I pulled out my last five-dollar bill, buying a bottle of water and an apple. At least I could stay thin. I headed for the door, passing the long table reserved for the "Viscotti crew."

"Ella, wait!" I turned to see Andrew waving. A few curious glances shot between him and me. Looks like they'd finally get to hear the mysterious Ella Marsh speak without sarcasm.

"What's up, Andrew?"

"Vito wants to talk to you about the project. He's dealing with something urgent, but he should be back soon." I knew exactly what he was doing, but I didn't say anything.

"Ella, hey." I looked up into his ocean-blue eyes, and something in my brain *clicked*. I felt Lia stir and awaken, begging to be let loose to touch him. But I shoved her back into the depths of my mind as he walked up to me with a slightly disheveled Paige in tow.

"Hey, um—"

"Vito."

I know.

"Sorry you're stuck with me. Any play you wanna do?" He pulled an old book from his bag, the spine cracked, saturated with his scent. It took every ounce of my willpower not to lift it to my face and inhale deeply, not to bury my nose in it.

"The *Taming of the Shrew* you mentioned in class sounds good."

I nodded, flipping the book over, my fingers smoothing the crumpled cover. I turned with the book and my apple.

"Alright. See you later."

"Wait!" I was reading the back cover when a warm hand gripped my shoulder. I froze, eyes wide.

Shit.