Page 26 of Broken Mafia Prince
“What did you call me?” The boy’s nose flares, the look in his eyes promising wrath.
My heart begins to pound in my chest as the larger boy steps toward me. At my feet, Marty—no, Laika—barks and growls, while my new friend tries to insert himself between us.
Everybody knows boys aren’t supposed to hit girls, but what if the bully decides to take out his anger on the blue-eyed boy? Even if by some miracle he doesn’t succeed in beating up my new friend, he’ll only return with his friends.
Merda.
“Leave us alone!” I suddenly scream, and the larger boy freezes, eyes wide with panic. “Stop hurting us. Ouch! Leave me alone.”
“I’m not even doing anything,” he barks.
“Papa! Papa! This boy here is trying to hit me!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I don’t think there’s anyone nearby to hear me, and my papa is too occupied with his business associates to ever come to my rescue. The bully doesn’t know that, though; all he knows is that he doesn’t want to be known as the boy who beat up a little girl.
His eyes swing from the scarred boy to me, and he makes a sound of disgust low in his throat. “Freaks.”
The dog chases after him for a moment, barking at him. I wait until the boy has disappeared before letting out a sigh of relief. A giddy laugh bursts out of me, and I turn to my new friend, expecting him to look pleased about getting rid of the bully. I find him glaring down at me instead.
“Why did you do that?” he snaps. “I didn’t need your help.”
My jaw drops open, and I gape at him for a long moment. “You can just say thank you, you know.”
“I have nothing to thank you for,” he retorts. “You may have just made things worse for me.”
I cross my arms over my chest and glare back at him. “What is your problem? You’re the rudest, most ungrateful boy I’ve ever met.”
“I don’t need an annoying little girl coming to my defense.” He looks over at the dog. “Let’s go, Laika.”
This time around, he must hear the sternness in the boy’s voice, because he lets out a whine and sidles over to stand beside the boy.
“Then you shouldn’t let losers like that bully you.”
Red climbs up his cheeks, while the area around the scar is left a ghostly white. I’m curious about the scar, but I know that if I ask about it, he’ll clam up faster than I can say Jack.
“He wasn’t bullying me. He’s my cousin, we were talking.”
More like the boy was talking at him. “You shouldn’t let people call you names. They’re not better than you, and standing up for yourself is?—”
“I didn’t ask for advice.” Spinning on his heel, he begins to march off.
I jump into his path, spreading my hands to block him off. “Where are you going?”
“None of your business. Get out of my way, girl.”
“Not until you tell me your name.” I offer him a smile, ignoring his surly attitude. I don’t understand why I’m so fascinated by him.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Why are you so interested anyway?”
“Because I want to be your friend.”
Surprise flashes in his eyes, but it’s immediately replaced by that closed-off expression. “I don’t need a new friend.”
“It doesn’t seem like you have old ones, either,” I point out.
“I have friends.”
I glance around pointedly. “Where are they?”
“Where are yours?” he retorts.
