The Mafia Prince's obsession (MM)

Elijah

The past few days have been a whirlwind of wedding preparations. My mom and Madeline running around, finalizing caterers, selecting floral arrangements, arguing over the cake, making sure every detail is perfect.

I, on the other hand, have been staying out of it as much as possible, avoiding the endless discussions about colors and seating charts, but even with all the chaos, one thing stood out to me—Maya has been acting......off.

She is always on her phone, typing furiously, sneaking off to take calls in hushed tones. When she is around, people she seems distracted, as if her mind is elsewhere.

At first, I brushed it off as stress about the wedding after all, being forced into marriage isn't exactly something to celebrate. But now, I am not so sure.

As I pass by her room, I notice the door is slightly open. She is sitting on the bed, phone in hand, her fingers moving fast across the screen. She doesn't notice me standing.

I knock on the doorframe. "You good?"

She jumps slightly, locking her phone and looking up at me with wide eyes. "What? Yeah, I'm fine."

I criss my arms and step inside. "You sure? You've been acting weird lately. Sneaking off, staring at your phone like it's your lifeline. You got a secret admire or something?"

She scoffs, too quickly. "Pfft, No. I'm just stressed about the wedding. "

"Uh-huh," I say, unconvinced.

"I'm serious, Eli," She insists, slipping her phone into her pocket. "You know how father is. He keeps changing things, and I feel like I have no control. It's exhausting."

I study her, trying to read between the lines. I know Maya and I know when she's lying. But she is also stubborn as hell.

"Alright, " I say slowly. "If you say so."

She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I do. Now go away before I make you help with the wedding planning. "

I put my hands up in surrender. "Say no more." I say as I turn around and go to my room.

As I lay in my bed, my phone buzzes.

Dante: Miss me?

I huff a laugh, shaking my head as I text back.

Elijah: Didn't even notice you were
             Gone.

Dante: Lies. I know you've been
             thinking about me.

Elijah: oh, absolutely. You are the
             Highlight of my nightmares.

Dante: You wound me, baby. But it's
             fine, I like a little pain.

I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs at my lips.

Elijah: Seriously, what do you want?

Dante: Just checking in on my
            favorite distraction.

Elijah: I'm not a distraction.

Dante: You are when you're in my
             head 24/7.

I swallow, fingers hesitating over the keyboard before I finally respond.

Elijah: You're annoying.

Dante: And yet, you're still texting
             me.

I sigh, pressing the phone against my chest. Maybe Dante is right. Maybe I do miss him. But admitting that? Never.

----------------------------------------------------------

The last class of the day has finally ended, and I let out a relieved sigh as I step out of the building. The warm afternoon breeze ruffles my hair as I adjust my bag, ready to head home.

I reach for my phone, about to text Yuri to pick me up, but before I type the text, a familiar black car pulls up near the entrance.

Dante.

My stomach does a flip as I watch him step out of the car, looking effortlessly good in his tailored black shirt and dark slacks. The way he moves confidently, like he owns the world—always sends a rush of something through me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as he approaches me, trying my hardest to ignore the way my heart has picked up speed.

He smirks. "Can't a man surprise someone he likes?"

I roll my eyes, but with a smile on my lips. "This is a bad idea, Dante."

"And yet, here I am." His voice is low and teasing as he steps closer, his eyes flicking down to my lips for just a second.

I can feel my breath hitch, heat rising to my face. I glance around, conscious of the students walking past, whispering, and side-eyeing us. "People are watching." I mutter.

"Let them." He shrugs. " I wanted to see you."

As I am about to respond, another voice cuts through the air.

"Elijah."

My stomach drops.

I turn and find Gabriel standing a few feet away, arms crossed, his expression sharp and unreadable. I hadn't even heard him approach. He looks between me and Dante, his eyes narrowing. "What the fuck is he doing here?"

My mind races. I have to come up with something fast.

Before I can even open my mouth, Dante smoothly steps in. " Relax, Vega. I just wanted to talk to Elijah about Maya."

Gabriel's eyes darken further. "Maya?" His voice drips of skepticism.

"Yeah," Dante continues easily. "The wedding is around the corner, and I wanted to ask him if she's okay with everything. I know they're close, so I figured Elijah would know if something is bothering her."

I quickly nod, latching onto the excuse. "Yeah, Maya's been stressed. He just wanted to check in about that."

Gab doesn't look convinced. His haze flickers between us as if trying to piece something together. "That's interesting," he says slowly. "Because last I checked, you and Maya barely talk, Markov."

Dante smiles, but it's the kind of smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "We'll be family soon, won't we? Thought I should at least pretend to care."

Gabriel's jaw clenches at that.

"I'll go with him," I say quickly before Gab can argue. "We'll talk, and I'll come home after."

Gabriel doesn't look happy. "You don't need to go anywhere with him."

"Relax, big brother." Dante's voice has a mocking edge now. "I'll have him home in one piece."

Gabriel's eyes harden. It's very much clear he hates the idea of me going anywhere with Dante, but pushing too hard would just make him seem paranoid. Finally, he lets out a sharp breath. "Fine. But don't be out late."

I nod, trying to appear casual as I turn back to Dante.

As soon as we got into the car and pulled away from campus, I exhale. "That was too close."

Dante just smirks, gripping the steering wheel. "Relax, Fiammetta. He's suspicious, yeah, but he doesn't know anything yet."

I slump back in my seat, groaning. "Gabriel's not stupid. If he keeps seeing us together, he's going to figure it out."

He glances at me, his smirk widening. "Then we should make sure he doesn't see us."

I shoot him a glare, but he only laughs.

As much as I want to be mad, I can't help the way my lips curve into a small smile. Even with all the risks, Dante makes my world a little more thrilling.

And that is the most dangerous part of all.