Page 22 of Wicked Prince

He gives me a knowing smile. "It just means… be careful. That's all."

I sigh when I realize he isn't going to go any further into it than that. The conversation drifts to lighter topics, but in the back of my mind, I can't get that letter out of my head.

No matter what Anthony thinks, I’m not going to be seduced by some cheesy bachelor pad and those smoldering eyes.

And Lorenzo is about to learn that the hard way.

ChapterTen

AMELIA

Lorenzo's bachelor pad turns out to be a little further away than I bargained for, according to my GPS. I have a couple of hours between getting back to my dorm and when I'm supposed to meet him, and it’s enough time to talk myself in and out of it a few dozen times.

By the time nine forty-five rolls around, I've settled on going, because I'd rather hash this out in private than have it turn into yet another public thing. The last thing I need is this guy showing up outside my window with a boombox. The women of Bainbridge already despise me enough, and Tish made it clear that having anything to do with Lorenzo is a massive target.

How he manages to keep up his reputation as a total manwhore when he has an army of stalkers guarding his "virtue" is beyond me. Something tells me he wouldn't be too thrilled to find that out, but hey, depending on how the conversation goes, maybe I'll give him a heads up.

I check the mirror before I leave one last time, telling myself I'm not being "one of those girls" just because I spent a few minutes too long deciding what to wear. Yeah, the whole "getting the wrong idea" thing based on what I'm wearing is bullshit, but at the same time, I don't want him thinking I dressed up for him. But I also don't want him thinking I went out of my way to do the opposite.

In the end, I settle on a pair of low-rise jeans and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt. The Switzerland of shirts, if you will.

I lock up and check the door twice before I leave because I'm not taking any chances on coming back to a room filled with shaving cream or whatever the hell passes for hazing around this place. Rich kids might not be very creative, but what they lack in imagination, they make up for in cruelty and entitlement.

The lobby is dead silent, which probably means there's another party somewhere I wasn't invited to. Why Lorenzo isn't there is another matter entirely. I step out onto the patio and see a dark gray car waiting at the curb. It's the kind of pseudo-limousine that's far from uncommon around here, and I don't really think anything of it until the driver opens the door and gets out.

"Are you Amelia?"

I look up at the driver. He's the typical mob muscle type. Since he knows my name, I assume he works for my father, which puts me on edge immediately.

"Yeah," I say carefully.

"I've been instructed to take you to Mr. Rossi," he says, going around to open the back door.

I blink. Is he fucking serious? Then again, this guy really doesn't look like the type to crack a joke, so he has to be.

For the next few seconds, I war with myself over what exactly my next move is going to be. Getting into a stranger's car is not exactly smart, but I guess neither is walking around at night in a neighborhood I've never been to. If Lorenzo is this desperate to get me to talk to him, I doubt he's going to give up, so I decide to go ahead and get into the car, keeping my phone ready.

The driver gets into the car again and takes off without a word. Another chatty type.

I glance out the tinted window as he drives off campus, still not able to believe I'm in this situation. I decide to shoot a text to Anthony just so someone knows where I am.

Guess where I am?

It doesn't take long before he texts back.Lorenzo Rossi's love nest?

I snort.On the way. He sent a car.

Sounds about right.

This guy is so fucking extra.

He's a Rossi. What did you expect?

It's a fair point. I sigh.Just wanted to let you know I decided to go in case he serial kills me.

He definitely has the flair, but I don't think he has the consistency for that. Serial killers have a type.

I roll my eyes.Gee, thanks for the pep talk.

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