A Sinner’s Saint (De Bellis Crime Family #4)

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

B eing the girlfriend of Vin De Bellis has its benefits. Other than the mind-blowing orgasms he gives me, there are certain advantages I wasn’t aware I get because of my relationship with him.

Like right now, for instance, when the lunch lady wouldn’t take my cash. She simply said, “Tell Vin it’s on the house.” I feel strange walking towards my usual lunch table, knowing I didn’t pay for the food on my tray.

“What’s wrong?” Lauren asks.

“The lunch lady wouldn’t take my money today,” I say.

“You got a free meal?” Devon asks.

“That’s the thing. There is no such thing as a free meal in life,” I explain. There’s always a price to pay. Isn’t that a saying or something? I’m sure it is.

“What’d she say?” Elena asks.

“To tell Vin it’s on the house,” I repeat right as a body fills the seat next to me. Not just any body. His body. The scent of weed surrounds me.

“What’s on the house?” Vin asks me.

“Lunch apparently,” I tell him, pointing to my tray.

“Good. It fucking should be.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re De Bellises, babe. It’s how it’s done.” He lifts one shoulder before nodding at my tray. “Eat.”

“ You are a De Bellis. I’m not. And I’m not even hungry.” I push the tray towards him. “But by all means, you eat your free food.”

Vin’s brows pull down. He stares at me, his mouth clamped shut and his eyes bloodshot. “I fucked up but I don’t know what I did. You’re going to have to help me out here,” he says.

“You’re high as a kite. I’d be surprised if you even knew your own name,” I fire back at him. I know I’m being bitchy, and I shouldn’t take my foul mood out on him. It’s not fair.

“I know my name. It’s Cammi’s man .” He smirks, and I fight the smile that wants to spread across my lips.

I don’t like it when he gets high. I get why he does it. Sort of. I know he’s using it to mask something. Whatever trauma Vin has experienced was bad, and I’m not going to be the one to tell him he can’t do something that gives him peace. Although I wish he’d just come and find me. He’s told me he doesn’t need to smoke as much when I’m with him, because I quiet his nightmares. I also don’t want to be that girlfriend who’s super needy and annoying.

Argh, why are relationships so hard?

I’ve had flings before. Steady boyfriends, in a way. But nothing compares to what I have with Vin. It’s as if he’s a part of me. I can’t imagine living my life without him now that I’ve got him, and I know he’s afraid of fucking this relationship up. But so am I.

“You’re really mad, huh? I’m sorry. Whatever I did, I won’t do it again,” he says.

“I’m not mad at you,” I tell him. Everyone at the table—Lauren, Devon, Elena, Dash, and Marcus—is watching us. I glare in their direction. “Don’t you all have a better form of entertainment than me and Vin?”

“Nope,” Dash answers.

“It’s like watching an episode of some bad reality show, except I’m rooting for you both. I think you’ll go the distance,” Elena says.

“Gee, thanks.” I scowl at my friend.

“If any of you piss her off or upset her, I will shoot you.” Vin points to everyone at the table.

“No, he won’t,” I say.

“Yes, I will,” he repeats, his tone deadly serious.

I roll my eyes. “Stop being dramatic. Did you ever think that perhaps I’m just moody? I am a seventeen-year-old girl, Vin. We have weeks where we get moody and emotional.”

“You on your period? That explains a lot,” Marcus grunts.

Vin looks at me with a raised brow. He knows damn well I’m not on my period, considering he had his fingers inside me before school today. Then he turns to Marcus. “Don’t talk about my girlfriend’s vagina.” He scowls. Then he leans in and whispers against my ear. “Tell me what to do. I don’t want you angry at me.”

“Hug me. Hold on to me like the apocalypse is upon us and we don’t have a tomorrow,” I tell him.

Vin wraps his arms around me. This hug is just as much for him as it is for me. We need this. I can’t explain it, but when I touch him, it’s like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. I feel lighter. Freer. I can only hope that he feels half of what I do.

“Fuck, I’m going to miss you,” Vin says against my neck.

My body tightens. “Why? Where are you going?”

“Gio’s getting married this weekend. I have to go to Queensland with the family.” He sighs.

“You’re going to be gone the whole weekend?” I pull back. My teeth dig into my bottom lip. I don’t want to spend the whole weekend without him. He’s crept into my room every night this week. He’s stayed a few hours and then left sometime after I fell asleep.

How am I supposed to go a whole weekend without him?

“I have to. I’m sorry.” Vin looks torn, like he doesn’t actually want to go. But I know how close he is to his brothers, and he’d hate to miss one of them getting married.

“Are you going to be okay?” I whisper to him.

“It’s only a weekend, and I’ll come find you as soon as the jet lands back in Melbourne on Sunday.”

“Okay. I just… I’m going to miss you,” I admit. “Vin, kiss me. Kiss me like you’re not going to see me all weekend, because you’re actually not.”

His lips press against mine. The noise of the cafeteria drowns out. The only thing that surrounds me is Vin. His scent, his taste, his touch. It’s all him and I love it. I love him.

Holy shit, I love him.

Should I tell him? Or should I wait for him to tell me first? I need a how to do relationships guide for dummies at this point.

Vin’s tongue pushes into my mouth, swirling around mine. I can’t get close enough. I need to remember we’re in the cafeteria and not in the privacy of a bedroom or a car.

“Okay, get a room,” Lauren says right before a fry hits the side of my face.

I pull back from Vin and glare at Lauren. “Did you seriously just throw a fry at me?”

“Yep. It was either that or pour a bottle of water over the two of you. You’re making a scene,” she says.

I look around and notice everyone in the cafeteria staring. One guy has his phone up. “Is he recording us?” I ask Vin.

Before I know what’s happening, his chair scrapes across the floor and he’s on his feet and storming towards the guy.

“Oh shit.” Marcus jumps up to follow him.

“Some people really do have no sense of self preservation,” Dash says, rising to his feet before creeping up behind his friends at a much slower pace.

Vin grabs hold of the guy’s phone, smashing it to the ground before his booted foot stomps on the screen. I don’t hear what he says before his fist slams into the kid’s face. I’m frozen. I know I should get up and do something. Pull Vin back. Something. I don’t want him to get hurt. But all I can do is sit here and watch as Vin and the other guy end up on the ground.

It’s a blur as an all-out brawl breaks out in the cafeteria. Marcus and Dash are both in the throes of fighting. I’m not concerned about them, though. Finally getting to my feet, I push my way through the crowd to find Vin.

He’s on the ground, on top of the same kid. I’m just about to reach out for him when someone knocks into me and I fall onto my ass. “Ow, fuck!” I yell out.

Vin’s head snaps in my direction. His eyes go wide and a feral growl escapes his throat. He pushes off the guy and takes two steps before reaching me. He tugs me to my feet. “Who the fuck just knocked her to the ground?” Vin shouts over all the noise.

Suddenly, everyone stops moving. It’s as if the king has spoken and all the humble servants are waiting for his next decree.

Vin turns to me. “Who pushed you?”

“I don’t know,” I tell him. I honestly didn’t see who ran into me.

“Whoever it was, I’m going to find you. So might as well come forward now,” Vin says while his eyes flick around the crowd.

Before anyone can say anything, a heap of teachers rushes into the cafeteria, ushering our classmates out of the room. “De Bellis, the office now,” one of them says. “You two as well.” He points to Dash and Marcus.

Ignoring the teacher, Vin looks me up and down. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m fine. Do you think you’re going to get into much trouble?” I ask him.

“Nah, it’ll be fine. Go to class. I’ll catch up with you later.” He leans forward and kisses my cheek. We stare at each other for a moment. This is the first time he’s kissed me without me asking him to. Granted, it was only my cheek.

I smile, and Vin takes an audible breath. “Will you find me before you leave? Please?” I ask him.

“I will,” he says.

I walk out of the cafeteria, doing my best to ignore the stares and whispers being directed my way.

“That was… intense,” Devon says while linking her arm with mine. “Don’t you think he’s a little much?”

“Who?” I ask her.

“Vin? It’s like he’s all caveman or something. Someone just has to look at you the wrong way and he freaks out.” She keeps her voice low, but her words sting.

“I think he’s perfect.”

“I think he’s obsessed with you. I’m just not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing yet. But if you ever disappear, the De Bellis family basement is the first place I’ll send the cops.” Elena laughs.

“Leave her alone. She’s happy.” Lauren comes to my defence. “Besides, I think whatever they have is special.”

I want to tell them that I love him, but I don’t think it’s fair to Vin for me to tell my friends before I tell him . I just need to find the right moment…