Dangerous Devotion: A Struniolo Fanfiction

Chapter 4

AN: Photo is a reference to what the room looks like that Mae stumbled upon.

Shit. 

My mind was racing, all of these weapons, a chair that looked like it was used to torture people, and the door slamming shut behind me. I turned around fast, only to be met by Matt.

"What are you doing in here?" He growled, stepping closer to me. My heart sank, I don't know what Matt is capable of. 

"I'm sorry, I was looking for Aubrey's bag... she asked me to come get it." I explained, stuttering and moving backwards. He was the predator and I was his prey.

He walked closer, looming over me and looking into my eyes. "Well, her bag isn't in here, is it Mae?" 

I looked around, "No..." I peeped.

"So why would you continue snooping in places you don't belong?" He asked.

"I wasn't snooping, I just got here. I was just looking for her bag, please don't hurt me!"

He laughed, "I'm not going to hurt you, but you owe me a date now." He smiled, and lead me out of the room. My mind was a blur I didn't know what to think. I stopped in my tracks making Matt bump into me.

"Are you alright Mae?" He asked holding my shoulders.

"I-I I don't know, I need to go" I was slurring my words from the beers. I instantly ran down the stairs to find Aubrey. The music pounded in my head. What just happened?  I thought. There were much more people at the party then before, how was I ever going to find Aubrey? 

"AUBREY!" I said as I was pushing through the crowd.

I saw Matt across the room, he was talking with his brother's. They looked over at me, I felt a pit in my stomach, I needed to leave immediately. I ran for the door and didn't look back till I got back to the dorm. 

After a few hours, I heard Aubrey stumble into the dorm. "I don't know where she went, we should probably call the police." Aubrey said to someone at the door. 

"Who are we talking about?" I mumbled from my bed. 

"Oh thank god its you!" Aubrey yelled, rushing over to me, "Guys, she's here she's okay!" She slurred her words, clearly not thinking straight, "Where were you? I told you to come get me if you needed to leave! I was worried sick!" 

"I'm sorry, I tried to find you but I couldn't - look, something happened and it freaked me out!" I said, sitting up. Our dorm door closed, whoever Aubrey was with seemed to have left once Aubrey came back to the dorm. 

"What happened?" Aubrey asked, laying down to catch her breath and relax after the shock of finding me safe, and probably from her drunkenness'. 

"When I was looking for your bag -"

"Shit! My bag! I forgot my bag!" Aubrey exclaimed. "I'll have to text Nick in the morning to see if he can find it."

"Oh yeah sorry... but when I went to look for it I found this room that was really sketchy."

"What room?" She asked.

"It was at the end of their hallway, it had so many weapons and a chair in the center that looked like it was used to tie people down." I explained.

She sat up, eyes wide. "Oh my gosh, is that why you left? That's sounds scary."

"That's not all, Matt cornered me in that room asking why I was in there and accused me of snooping, then said I had to go on a date if I wanted him to explain."

Aubrey began slipping under the covers of her bed, clearly wasted. "I've never been allowed in that room, its weird you could even get in its usually locked." She mumbled, putting her head into the pillow. "Are you going to go on the date with him?"

"You think I should?" I asked, looking in my bedside drawer for pjs.

"If you want to know why he has that room, could be interesting. But its up to you, Mae." She said, "Anyways, I need to sleep. The room is spinning." She yawned. 

"Okay... I'll think about the date. Goodnight, Aubrey." I said, before chugging a glass of water and going to bed. 

____

The next day, I woke up to an intense hangover. I thought the water would help but it clearly didn't do much. Aubrey was still asleep, and I checked my phone.

Matt: Brunch?

A text from Matt. I decided I wanted answers, told him yes and he sent me a location and time to meet for brunch. I got up, put on jeans and a white cardigan and put my hair in a messy bun before doing my makeup and heading out the door. 

I made it to a diner that Matt told me to go to, after walking in I saw him chatting up the waitress at a table. He waved at me and I sat down at the table. "Hey." I said.

"Hey, you seem tired?" He smiled.

"Just cut to the chase please, what was that room all about?" I questioned, sipping a mug of coffee that Matt ordered for me, and I took a glance at the menu.

"Well if you must know," He started, "It's a room to keep our important belongings safe... and interrogate people who mess with us."

"Whos messing with you, why would you need all of those guns" I asked.

"Keep your voice down this is serious". He said lowering his voice.

Before I could ask more the waitress came to the table to take our order. I got pancakes with extra whipped cream. He got a burger with a side of fries.

"Really a burger for breakfast?" I laughed.

"Not really a sweet kind of guy." he chuckled.

Once she left he inched closer to me "My brothers and I are in Leather Straps."

"Huh?" I said.

He laughed and patted my hand, "You're so innocent. I like that." He smiled, "Its a gang."

"Oh..." I had to pretend like Aubrey didn't tell me he was in a gang already, in case he wasn't supposed to know she told me, "So... are you in danger?"

He laughed again, "Danger? No. Not right now anyways, but we have that room to protect ourselves. To show other rival gangs what we are made of. My family has been involved in this gang for generations, my brothers and I will take over as leaders once our dad passes it onto us." He explained.

"Do people at the party know? Is that why they were all so intimidated?" I asked.

"Some do, some don't. The one's that do know keep in line, the one's that don't know just follow the crowd."

"What do you guys do in your gang anyways?"

"Well, we sell narcotics, sometimes get into turf wars, and keep the family "business" running smoothly. My brothers and I are mostly into the intimidation stuff - my dad runs the drug side. Now that you've seen the room, I feel like I have to tell you. And if you spill any of this info to anyone.... well, you know how powerful I am." He said, smiling although his words had gravity. 

I gulped, nodded, and the waitress came by to hand us out food. I immediately started eating the pancakes and chugging coffee, feeling anxious by what Matt just said. 

"Don't be so worried," He smiled, "I won't hurt you, I like you. You seem sweet."

I nodded and smiled, but I was unconvinced. He starts eating his burger like nothing happened. "After this," he started in between bites, "Wanna go for a ride in my car? I can show you some cool spots in the city."

I nodded in agreement.