Savage Elites Read online

  I quickly turned back around, my cheeks heated and flushed with embarrassment. Ason was glaring daggers my way. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had even growled out at me. In all of the years that we have attended school together, the Elite's had never even spoken to me. Yet alone, looked my way. To them, I was nothing.

  So, why was Ason Antoni suddenly looking at me like I had just done something wrong to him?

  I really hoped this wasn’t a bad omen for how my senior year was going to go.

  Chapter 3

  Ason

  Scarlette had slipped out of class before I had a chance to even gather my things.

  Everyone tip-toed around me, not daring to make eye contact with me or Gabby. I knew that Gabby loved the fear that we instilled in everyone around us, but I hated it. Our lives were intertwined with evil and power and those forces oozed out of us like a sore.

  Gabby smirked as one of the cheerleaders jumped out of her way. Shaking my head, I grabbed my books and swiftly began moving toward the door. I kept quiet and allowed our classmates to fear me because it was necessary to our lifestyle. Savannah was filled with dangerous mafia families and even though we never openly admitted to it, the entire city knew we were the heirs to the next mafia dynasty. Our kingdom had been built by our fathers and mothers and we would benefit from the blood they had spilled before any of us had been born.

  Sure, we had money, but that wasn’t what gave us the power and envious looks from those who wanted to be us. It was the danger behind what our lives meant that made us so enticing. Every girl wanted to fuck us and all of the guys wanted to be us. It was like that for our parents and it would be like that for us forever, too.

  “Ason, where are you going?” Gabby asked, turning as she noticed that I wasn’t walking into our class together.

  Shrugging my shoulders, I spoke without looking at her. “Not in the mood for class right now,” I snapped.

  Gabby rolled her eyes and laughed. “What crawled up your ass?”

  She knew she was getting on my nerves, but honestly, Gabby didn’t give a shit. We were second cousins, but really, we were more like brother and sister. We were born less than a year apart and had spent every moment of our childhood together. She knew which of my buttons to push, and loved to jab those fuckers until I lit up like a Christmas tree. Her personality and spirit were just as fiery as the red hair she inherited from her mother, Gia, who happened to be my father's cousin.

  “Nothing, just don’t feel like listening to Mr. Pitman talk,” I said, as I walked past her.

  “Hey, I know about your punishment,” she said, her voice dripping with happiness at my shitty circumstances. “Isn’t rule number one that you stop skipping class?” she asked, wagging her eyebrows.

  Shrugging, I smirked at her. “Beats me. Besides, I won’t skip all day,” I yelled back.

  I didn’t bother to look back or listen to anything she said as I sauntered toward the exit. Teachers saw me leaving, but just like the students here, they were too petrified of me to say anything. My father threw money around this school all of the time to keep me from getting kicked out. They knew the rumors behind the Antoni name and none of them wanted to see if they were true or not.

  I pushed open the metal doors and made a bee-line for the student parking lot filled with luxury vehicles that cost as much as most people's homes. My red BMW shined against the early morning sunlight. Pulling a cigarette out of my pocket, I lit the butt and then inhaled the smoke. Leaning against my car, I stared at the two-story brick building of Savannah Royal Academy. Our school earned its name from the various royal history that made their marks in our city. While none of us were truly kings or queens, most of us felt that way from our prestigious status.

  I fucking hated it all.

  None of this shit really mattered when you thought about it. Sure, money was great to have, but it couldn’t fill the emptiness that sat heavy in my heart. No matter how much my parents gave me, I never felt whole. The void that kept me in my constant miserable state continued to grow until one day, I feared that it may completely consume me.

  I took another puff of my cigarette before dropping it to the pavement and stomping it with my Italian leather shoes. As much as I wanted to stay out here forever, I knew that I had to get to class eventually. I was on the baseball team—a requirement with our school that each student had to partake in a club or sport—and my coach would have my ass if he found out I skipped a whole day.

  Crossing my arms, I leaned my head against the roof of my car and closed my eyes. The warmth from the sunlight felt good on my skin. Images of Scarlette, the quiet girl who always seemed to elude us, sparked in my mind. I knew nothing about her other than the fact that she never was seen at the parties we all attended on the weekends. She seemed to float through the halls like a ghost; she was physically there but no one seemed to notice her.

  Well, no one but me.

  Ever since middle school, Scarlette had intrigued me. She didn’t flaunt her tits in my face or try and become best friends with Gabby. Every girl at our school had fought for a spot with us—the Elite. Sure, I had fucked my way through most of Savannah’s private schools, but I had never honestly cared about any of the girls I had been with. They were all too forward, too stuck up, too greedy for me. They wanted the lifestyle I lived and none cared about me as a person because if they had ever cared enough to get to know me on a deeper level, they would have figured out how fucked up I really am.

  But with Scarlette, she never seemed interested in any of us and that was what had attracted me to her in the first place. She was a good girl. Beautiful and smart and everything that most guys would kill to have. She would go on one day to be successful and live a happy life. A smile crept over my lips at the thought. She was the type of girl who deserved that type of life. But me, I would remain here in Savannah, moving into my father’s career as a made man and be perpetually miserable for the rest of my life.

  “Hey, Ason, you going to skip all day?” I heard a voice call out from across the parking lot.

  Anger flooded me as I opened my eyes and was taken away from my thoughts of Scarlette. I knew it was ridiculous. Thinking about her was wrong. I was wrong. Plus, I was already breaking one of my father’s new rules set for me.

  “Fuck off, Talon,” I quipped.

  Laughter filled the air. Talon was my cousin and best friend. We were close and even had been on my ass to straighten up lately. For Talon, making it into our father’s world was his main goal in life. He loved the power we held, while I was ready to give it away at any given moment. I had secretly applied to a few colleges and after seeing Scarlette take an Emory University pamphlet one day from the front office, I applied there, too. It was a long shot, especially when I was expected to take over the Antoni Mafia Family one day, but I had to try. And, I had to try and keep an eye on Scarlette, too. Even if she had no clue that I was watching her.

  “So, aren’t you on punishment?” he asked, slapping my shoulder. His golden hair seemed to shine against the blazing sunlight. Talon’s wide frame shook as he chuckled. He was built like a brick wall which made him the perfect linebacker for our football team. Not only did Talon have the Antoni Family Mafia on his side, but he was a powerhouse in size. The lethal combination made people fear him more. Well, every except for me. To me, Talon was my little cousin who loved to throw partis and act wild. Out of all of us, he was the least of us to worry about.

  Damn, did everyone know that I was in trouble? I hated how our parents talked so much.

  “Does it matter?” I asked, rolling my eyes. “I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want anyway.”

  This only caused Talon to laugh more. “I swear, I don’t know who I need to worry about more; you or Micah,” he whistled.

  In reality, I was probably the only one of us truly lost. Micah was wild and reckless and had Hollywood good looks, but he always knew when to stop pushing the boundaries. I guess I was the more silent, crazy one. No on
e ever really knew what I was going to do—including myself.

  “I guess not,” he said, kicking the tire of my car. “Seriously though, are you going to do what your dad says?” he asked, all trace of humor gone.

  I had to pause before responding. I knew that my parents were fed up with my shitty attitude and were tired of paying to get me out of trouble. Still, I wasn’t sure I was ready to face Scarlette. No one knew how I felt about her. She was a secret that I wanted to keep all to myself, because in all honesty, she was too good for a guy like me.

  “I guess we will see,” I said, shoving off my car and walking back toward the school.

  I spent the rest of the day going through the motions of school, while trying not to think about tomorrow afternoon.

  Chapter 4

  Scarlette

  The alarm on my nightstand rang way too early.

  I wasn’t ready for the day. I had been up all night with a strange sense of foreboding that I just couldn’t pin point. Macy and I had stayed up late on FaceTime as she showed off several outfits, she planned to wear this upcoming weekend. I still wasn’t too keen on the idea of going to one of the wild parties thrown by our classmates, but Macy didn’t seem to be showing any signs of giving up.

  Despite me telling her that I really didn’t want to go, she continued to pull clothes that she swore would look fantastic on me. Rolling out of bed, I made my way to my en-suite bathroom and showered before dressing in my purple and gold skirt and blazer uniform. Pulling my hair up in a high ponytail, I raced downstairs where I was welcomed by Angelie, our maid.

  “Good morning, Miss Scarlette,” she greeted me, as I walking into the kitchen.

  My mom was on a business call as she smiled my way. There was a plate filled with scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and whole wheat toast ready for me on the kitchen island bar. I knew this had been prepared by our chef and not my mom.

  I saddled up to the bar and began eating. I watched as my mom paced the kitchen, taking sips of her steaming coffee in between talking to whoever was on the other line. All my life, I had craved for more attention from my mom. Now don’t get me wrong; I have a great life. I have parents who provide everything I would ever need, but they are rarely around. Sometimes, I don’t mind being alone, but there are times when I wish they would notice me.

  Moving the phone away from her ear, mom turned to face me. “Have a good day at school today,” she says, flashing a smile.

  Just at that moment, dad waltzed into the kitchen, carrying his black leather briefcase and dressed in a sleek, black suit.

  “Good morning, Scarlette,” he said, reaching for a cup of coffee.

  “Hi,” I said, through a mouth full of eggs.

  “Your mother and I will both be working late tonight, but I have instructed the chef to prepare a dinner for you,” he told me, before taking a sip of his coffee.

  I admired my parents for their work ethic and motivation to succeed in their respective careers, but part of me still wished for a day when they would want to slow down and spend time with me.

  “That’s ok. I have tutoring after school today,” I explained.

  Dad raised his brows at me. “I love your enthusiasm for academics, but you don’t need to work, Scarlette.”

  I knew that my parents couldn’t understand why I would subject myself to staying after school, just to tutor someone for little to no pay. However, it was better than having to join a club or sport.

  “I don’t mind it,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Besides, it gives me something to do,” I say, my tone bleeding with sadness.

  My dad shoots me and look and for a brief moment, I see pain radiating from him. Just as he goes to open his mouth, his phone rings, and I know that he has to take the call. I turn my attention back to my food and my dad slips out of the kitchen.

  By the time I make it to school, Macy is already waiting for me at my locker. We walk to class together and I spend the rest of the day focusing on not being alone.

  When the day is over, I make my way toward the library where our tutoring sessions are held. The expansive space looks more like something you would find on a college campus, rather than a high school.

  As I walk inside, I spot Mrs. Miller, the counselor over the tutoring department. She waves me over and I smile as I walk through the rows and rows of books.

  “Scarlette, I’m so glad you are here. No one else showed up to tutor today...” she begins frantically.

  I see her holding a folder and she seems rather nervous. I’ve never seen her this frazzled before. Her eyes narrowed and she moved in closer to me, lowering her voice as she began to whisper. “Now, if you don’t want to work with this student, I will understand.”

  Her voice is shaky and confusion settles over me. Why would I not want to work with the assigned student? Mostly, it was athletes and students who were trying to get into Harvard or Yale and needed additional help on work. I had never turned down anyone I had been assigned to, so this was truly flabbergasting to me.

  “I don’t mind. I mean, how bad can they be?” I asked, chuckling nervously.

  Mrs. Miller was making me uncomfortable. Her eyes shifted to the small conference room to the right of us and that was when I realized why Mrs. Miller was acting so strange. Sitting at the head of a table, leaning back in the black leather chair, was Ason Antoni. A deep scowl settled on his face as he noticed my staring. My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach and I suddenly felt ill. A nervous sweat began to form over my forehead and I was sure that my face had paled. Of course, Mrs. Miller was frantic. The savage mafia king was sitting in that room, just waiting for someone to come in and help me.

  Hesitating, I sucked in a deep breath as I adjusted my backpack on my shoulder. “Um...” I couldn’t seem to form words as I just stood there, frozen in place, and staring back at Ason.

  “Are you ok?” Mrs. Miller asked, bringing me out of the fog my mind was stuck in.

  Nodding, I croaked out a, “Yes.”

  “If you need me, I will be in my office,” Mrs. Miller explained, before she left me to fend for myself.

  As I began to walk toward the room, my legs trembled and I swear, I thought I was going to fall. As I approached the door to the conference room, I felt the air around me shift and a heavy tension threatened to steal my breaths.

  “Hi, I’m Scarlette and I am here to tutor you,” I said, my voice shaking.

  I wasn’t sure what had come over me. I had been in school with Ason Antoni since elementary school. I had walked the same halls as him and sat in classrooms with him. But this felt different. I had never been close to him—alone with him and something about this felt way too private and intimate.

  Ason continued to stare at me like a predator does its prey. I gulped walking through the threshold of the doorway. I moved to a chair across from him and sat down. His eyes never left me, even when he shifted in his seat.

  “I know who you are,” he seethed, his voice laced with anger.

  Shock spilled through me at that statement. How did Ason Antoni know who I was? Sure, we had gone to school together practically forever, but I never thought he noticed anyone outside of the Elites and those that managed to get a spot in their inner circle.

  “Oh,” was all I managed to say.

  I pulled out the file that Mrs. Miller handed me and opened it. Inside, were lists of assignments that Ason was missing along with worksheets he could complete. I took a moment going through them, pausing and taking my time while I composed myself.

  Leaning back, Ason ran a hand through his hair. Sighing, he grabbed the folder from my hands and grunted. I was taken aback by the action and must have looked startled because for a second, he almost looked sorry for snatching the papers from me.

  “I can do this, you don’t need to stay,” he rumbled out.

  Grabbing a pen lying on the table, he began to scribble something on the math sheet. He was digging into the paper and I feared he may put a hole right into the wooden ta
ble.

  “That’s great, but I have to stay here with you. If you need any help...” I began, but he rudely cut me off. Shaking his head angrily, Ason’s hair fell over his eyes. Swiftly, he shoved the loose hair away from his face and something about that seemingly simple movement made my heart stutter. Ason was incredibly hot and it was almost unfair for him to be this attractive. Even simple gestures were sexy.

  “I don’t need your help. I just have to sign in to prove I showed up. You can run along now,” he stated, waving his hands as though he were shooing away a dog.

  Frustrated, I felt a fire ignite inside of me. I realized that there was a hierarchy at this school and I was at the bottom of the list. But that still didn’t give him a right to dismiss me and treat me as though I wasn’t good enough for him to talk to.

  Before I knew what I was doing, I slammed my hand down on the table and a burning sensation filled my palm. “Look, I get that you think you are better than me, but I refuse to be talked down to like this,” I yelled.

  Clamping my mouth closed, I was shocked by my reaction. Sure, over the years I had grown angry at how people here at this school idolized the Elites, but never had I been brave enough to vocalize such a thing. Especially, in front of Ason Antoni—the king of the Elites.

  Ason chuckled, only sending me further into a dark rage. “Don’t get your panties twisted,” he snarled. “I’m done anyway,” he said, shoving the math papers back toward me.

  I caught them before they flew off the edge of the table. Ason had, indeed, completed each of the math problems and they were all correct. I even double checked his work and the answers.

  “How did you do those so fast? I mean, don’t you need help with math?” I asked, completely baffled by this.

  Ason went to stand and he straightened out his uniform blazer. “Are we done here?” he asked.