Page 5 of Chaos & Corruption

“What do you mean he’s introducing himself to the neighbors?” I yelp.

Now, before you think I’m overreacting there are a few things you should know about my uncle. His road name is Riggs, but the man introduces himself to everyone as The Tiger or as of late, Big Daddy Tiger, and sometimes, depending on his mood, he’ll roar or claw the air. It’s embarrassing—actually, that’s putting it mildly. It’s absolutely mortifying and one of the main reasons I decided to move in a day earlier than my roommate. Although, Mila is no stranger to my family shenanigans.

We’ve been best friends since the first day of seventh grade. My parents had finally decided to jump ship with the rest of the clan and moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island that summer. Mila was the first friend I made in what natives call Staten Italy, and coincidentally, my mom and her mom hit it off that very same day as they stood on the other end of the fence, both wearing oversized sunglasses to hide the fact they were crying. Later that night, I learned her dad also had signed up for a membership at my dad’s gym. Talk about meant to be. From that day forward we were inseparable.

It wasn’t until two years ago, when we started college, that we parted ways. Mila was desperate to escape the city and her overprotective parents, so as soon as the acceptance letter came for Stonewall University, she began to pack her bags. I, on the other hand, was too chicken shit to go away to school. I mean, I had it made at home—all you can eat meatballs and a state-of-the-art gym at my disposal to work off all the Italian bread that came with the meatballs. So what if my parents were slightly over the top and my brother was hellbent on scaring off any guy who looked in my direction? My mom still did my laundry and I didn’t have to worry about learning how to fold a fitted sheet.

Community college got my feet wet but after completing all my prerequisite courses I realized I needed to transfer to a more prestigious school, one that had a kickass prelaw program. Mila raved about Stonewall and was looking to get out of the dorms and into one of the campus apartments, which aided in the decision process and now here we are.

Barely settled in our new digs and my uncle is screening our neighbors.

We should be the laughingstock of the school by Monday.

“Well, when you wouldn’t let him install a security system, he decided to take matters into his own hands,” Aunt Lauren explains.

It’s not like he wanted to install The Ring doorbell, he wanted to wire the entire the building and put his own cameras in the hallways. Even if I agreed to the lunacy, the university frowns upon crazy shit like that.

As if on cue, the front door swings open and my uncle fills the doorway donning his leather kutte and his signature shades. I’m about to groan and ask him if anyone saw him when he steps aside, giving us all a glimpse of the tall figure standing behind him.

My gaze instantly slides to the handsome stranger’s shoulders, powerful and wide, straining against the fabric of the fitted white t-shirt he wears. The guy towers over Uncle Riggs by at least four inches, something I notice when he straightens to his full height and lifts his chin. His mouth tightens and his dark expressive eyes narrow as he stares back at me from under the rim of his baseball hat.

My cheeks instantly flame under his scrutiny and I force my gaze away. Focusing on my uncle, I silently plead with him but for what I’m not sure.

To disappear perhaps.

You know, crawl into a hole and die.That sounds like a fine plan.

Maybe an explanation as to why there is a hot guy standing on my doorstep, scowling at me while he balances a pizza box in one hand.That would be helpful.

Or possibly I’m simply pleading for him not to embarrass me anymore than he already has.Fat chance of that, Victoria.

“Um…hello,” Mom says, plastering a tight smile to her face. She turns to Uncle Riggs, her eyebrows hitting her hairline as she asks, “And who might this be?”

“This,” he starts, glancing back at the brooding guy. “Is the fine lad that lives in the apartment downstairs.”

Oh my God.

Oh. My. Freaking. God.

He takes the pizza box from his hands and flips the lid open.

“Oh, pepperoni—Big Daddy Tiger’s favorite.”

I close my eyes and lift my hands to my face.

“Someone shoot me,” I grumble against my palms.

“Now, now,” Aunt Nikki chastises. “That’s not something you say lightly around this group.”

I peel my hands away from my face and glare at her for a moment, but she just smiles cheekily and takes another sip of wine. I’m so glad someone is enjoying themselves—not.

“What did you say your name was again?” Uncle Riggs asks, his mouth full of pizza.

Good God, he’s eating the man’s pizza.

“Alex,” Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome grunts.

“Right,” Uncle Riggs says, turning his attention back to me. “Alex here is on the football team. He and a few of his buff buddies are right down the stairs in apartment 6 C in case you need anything. Wink, wink.”

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