Chapter 5

Jeremy’s POV

I was going through the list of recruiters when I came across her name. ‘Nora Miller,’ I met her mother at the gambling den a few weeks ago. She was in a lot of debt and they were going to beat her to a pup.

**Flashback to three weeks ago**

I had just finished speaking to a client when someone grabbed the hem of my pants. “Help me, good sir!” Mrs Miller cried out. My security stepped on her but I knew the face looked familiar. I picked her up and paid her debt on the condition that I get Nora in return. We signed a deal and they let her go.

I was about to leave when I thought she would be a good pawn in my game and she would help get my father off my neck. “I want to offer another deal, You would marry my father, I have no request now so you will owe me.”

“Ohhh boyy, let’s just end it with the first one. Children these days just don’t know when to stop.”She rolled her eyes as she puffed the cigar, obviously heading up to another table to gamble.

“I hate that I have to introduce myself to you, but you will be drowning in money if you accept my offer and when it is time to pay, it will be something you definitely have so it is a safe deal.” I slid the paper and a pen to her side of the table. I could see that she was already yielding after my best friend and consigliere, Denver, showed her a picture of my father, the man she would be wedded to.

I needed her to get married to the old man so he could leave the work of the mafia clan to me. He trusts me with the company but he believes I still need his help to run the clan especially since my cousin is on the lookout to snatch it from my hands. I figured this woman would be a big distraction for him.

On seeing the picture, she signed the paper without even confirming. It made me wonder how Nora grew up with someone like her. But, no worries, Nora is all mine now. I would take care of her the way I deem fit.

“I will send somebody to pick you up, get some new clothes, you do not want to appear before him looking like that.” My eyes ran through her torn and dirty clothes which reeked of cigarettes.

**Back to reality**

I have always wanted her– Nora, while every other girl flashed their tits and fake smiles at me, she never looked at my side for once and it piqued my curiosity. 

 My family owns the school– Kochridge University, that I attended. I messed up a deal with a client at my previous college in Toronto which made his gang come for me but I ended up popping their brains out, so I was sent back to California. Since I was in my final year, my father decided that I should complete my education at Kochridge.

On my first day at school, I watched how she was bullied and cast away from others because of her poor appearance but she always picked herself up. Sometimes she tried standing up for herself, sometimes her sharp mouthed friend– Laurel stood up for her. Whispers got to me that she got in through a scholarship.

** Flashback to college**

“Look, it’s ‘NO ONE NORA.’ Let’s go put some lipstick on her face.”I heard some girls whisper. She was called ‘No One Nora’ to make her feel unimportant and invisible. A part of me wished for her friend to join her soon since it seemed no one could bully her when she was with Laurel.

They walked up to her and yanked her glasses off her face while laughing hysterically. “Look who we have here, it’s No One Nora.” One of the girls said as the others laughed and clapped. She shivered, unable to look at their faces as she held her books tightly in her arms.

My face hardened at the sight, I crushed the cigarette butt against the wall then I walked up to them. Immediately they sighted me, they backed off. “Bring her to ‘The Red.’ She is mine now so nobody touches her anymore.’’ I stated clearly, the hallway became quiet. ‘The Red’ is where myself and my clique chilled in the hallway. I was the top dog in school so the lecturers and students listened to me always.

“Hey you, get coffee for me, now!” I commanded Nora as I handed her glasses over to her. She nodded her head so fast and took off like she was used to running errands. Ever since then, I bullied her because tormenting her was the only way to bury my feelings for her and I didn’t want anyone else to bully her.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Nora’s heels which made clicking sounds against the floor as she struggled to open the push and pull door of the office. She finally entered the office and I could not help but stare at her curved hips and her light skinned legs. I didn’t get the chance to take in all of this beauty when I saw her earlier at home. That red dress suited her perfectly like her body and the dress were made for each other. As if she knew that I was having sinful thoughts, she greeted me and disrupted my intense thoughts.

I told her that there was no need to be formal. For some reason, I think I sounded harsh.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. That was my phone buzzing. I just got to the office but Denver has been blowing up my phone with lots of calls. I just hoped that one of the boys had not messed up a deal with a client.

“Don J, Capo seeks you.” I finally picked up my phone and another text came in. It sounded urgent and he used a formal tone, he was probably in the presence of my father. 

I ended the call and rushed out of the office. I mistakenly pushed some files off my table, I told her to attend to them before I returned, she was going to say something but I brushed her off.

“Fuck! Fuck!!” I punched the car seat. I had gotten to the car park when I remembered that I had Jake’s picture with his information on my desk. I should have burnt it and scattered the ashes on his battered body before disposing of it where it belonged– the gambling den. Nora must not set her eyes on it.

“Capo is pissed, the new boys fucked up the deal. Where are you??” I received Denver’s text for the umpteenth time that morning. I was confused, I didn’t know which one to attend first. I needed my father to know that I was handling the mafia business very well without his intervention. At the same time, I didn’t want the only woman that sways my heart to see me in a worse light than she already sees.

“Fuck it!” I stormed out of the car and took the elevator to the office. I busted into the office and saw her sitting at her desk, going through some documents innocently.

“Did you see a picture or something like that while picking the files from my desk?” I tried to ask her without looking suspicious.

“I did not, sir.” She stood to reply.

“You can sit.” I signalled her to sit. I walked towards my desk and searched for Jake’s photo. I saw it underneath some files and I slid it into my pocket.

Though she looked shaky, I ignored her.