The Underboss's Prince

Chapter 7

"Kenji, come on out! We know you are hiding in that shack!" Alessandro hollers from outside of the dilapidated, one level, one open spaced house I have been hiding in for the last two hours since running away from the school.

"Fuck," I mutter to myself from my sitting position on the dirt floor under the broken window.

Slowly standing on shaky legs, glancing out the window to find Alessandro, Antonio, Jace, and Salvatore standing about twenty feet from the shack. Making my way slowly over to the broken in half door, I slip through the splintered wood to look at the four men with my head tilted toward the ground.

"Everyone is better off with me living here instead of with civilized people!" I say with my voice raised enough so they can hear me.

"That is bullshit, and you know it like we do, Kenji!" Alessandro hollers back with a deep frown on his face. "Come on out now, so you can go home with us, or I am gonna come get you. I will carry you to the car like a sack of potatoes if I have to come get you!"

My eyes widen at his threat, and I decide to challenge him on his threat.

Crossing my arms definitely over my chest as I call back; "You would not dare!"

Alessandro does not reply, instead he looks at his brothers and Jace with a smirk before walking toward the front door toward me. With wide eyes, I quickly glance around me to find a quick escape. Before I make three steps toward the back door, Alessandro has his arms locked tightly around my middle, and is pulling my back into his chest.

"Enough of your silliness, Kenji," he says softly into my right ear, and I grip his wrists tightly. "Listen carefully to me, Kenji. The guy who messed with you earlier today will be handled, do you understand me?"

Thickly swallowing around the lump in my throat, I silently nod in reply.

"Good. Now, let's go home, shall we?" he murmurs before softly kissing me behind my right ear, and I can feel him smiling against my skin.

Turning around to face him with blurry eyes, he gives me a soft, reassuring smile as he takes my right hand in his left, and leads me toward the front door, and the others waiting for us outside.

"What are you gonna do to the guy from earlier today?" I nervously ask him with a thick voice as we reach the door that he leads me through.

The guys look at me in concern at first before noticing Alessandro and my joined hands. Pouting at their silent teasing, and let out a soft huff at them. Their smiles widen at my pout and huff.

"Okay, let's head home," Antonio says with his grin still in place, and the five of us head toward Antonio's black SUV that is parked in the overgrown driveway.

Climbing into the back seat with Alessandro on my left, and Jace on my right, Antonio is driving, and Sal is sitting next to him. I am surprised that Jace comes home with us.

Raising my left eyebrow at him when he climbs from the SUV when we arrive home; "What are you doing, Jace?"

He grins at me as he shrugs his shoulders; "Hangin' out with my friends, and my boss."

My jaw drops, and my eyebrows shoot toward my hairline; "Who is your boss?"

"I am," Antonio grins at my shocked expression. "He is one of my bouncers at my nightclub."

"Damn," I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "Can I work for you?"

"How are you at accounting?" he asks, and I let out a high pitched squeal, causing them to flinch.

"I am excellent with numbers!" I yell, almost screaming, while clasping my hands in front of my body with a huge grin, and bounce on my toes. "So, can I?"

Antonio looks at me for a second before nodding; "Yes, you can, on a trial basis. We will see how well you do with the numbers, and keep up on your homework for the next three months. If you mess up the numbers, or your grades slip, you are fired, do you understand?"

"Absolutely! Whatever you say!" I eagerly agree with him with an equally eager nod. "When can I start?"

"How about you start tomorrow after school in my office?" he replies with a soft smile.

Eagerly nodding with a soft squeal as I hug him tightly with my arms around his muscular waist, and my head on his chest over his heart.

"Thanks, Antonio! You are the best!" I whisper, giving him a soft squeeze which he returns.

"You are welcome, Kenji," he softly replies with a kiss to the top of my head.

"I promise you will not regret this," I whisper with conviction because I want to make him proud of me.

"I know I won't, Kenji," he murmurs into my hair with another light squeeze to my waist. "Do not stress yourself out over this. Just do you and your best, and I know I will be happy with your work, and your schooling."

Silently nodding in response, I close my eyes, and inhale deeply of his calming natural scent, and his cologne. Breathing out steadily, I squeeze him once more before dropping my arms to step back, and Antonio lets me after he gives me another hug and kiss to my head. He smiles down at me, and I give him a watery smile in return.

"Go do whatever you are gonna do until lunch is ready in an hour," he says, giving me a wink with a nod of his head toward Alessandro and Jace.

They have been patiently waiting for Antonio and I to finish our conversation a few feet away from us. Skipping over to them with a silly grin on my lips, and when I reach them, I reach out for Alessandro's right hand which he happily gives me.