Bully Feud: Allegri Elite High School, #2

By Moira Barretti

Caden hates me.

But that's not my only problem.

My parents have plans for me that I don't like at all.

Soon, I just might find myself in more danger than ever...

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This is the second installment in the Allegri Elite High School series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moira Barretti
• Release date: Jun 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201815127

Book preview

Chapter 1

I MADE MY WAY TO MY locker.

Another school day.

Another day of torment.

My bodyguards were by my side, just like they were every day, from the moment I set foot in the school building.

Some of the students were giving all three of us weird glances, and I didn’t think that was going to stop. No matter how young my guards were—and cute, as my best friend, Megan, would say—it was hard for them to hide that they were only here to protect me.

Sure, they were pretending they were my cousins and that they’d moved here, and it was all supposed to look like they were regular students, but they kept watching everyone with suspicious gazes and they were constantly around me.

So if anyone paid enough attention, I was sure they’d figure out there was something off about Elijah and Corey, the two brown-haired, brown-eyed boys.

They looked like brothers, even though they weren’t related. They were tall with broad shoulders, and I supposed my dad had picked them because he believed they’d be able to blend in.

At least they didn’t wear all black. Elijah preferred to wear gray hoodies and blue jeans, and Corey was all about green and brown colors.

For the first time ever, I wished our school had uniforms, but the students kind of rebelled against wearing those during my freshman year and the principal had relented, maybe because I’d been one of the students backing the whole thing.

But maybe even with uniforms, Corey and Elijah still wouldn’t fit in. It wasn’t just the way they behaved, or the fact that they should be in college now—or well, they could’ve been if they hadn’t chosen to work for my dad.

They weren’t really talking to anyone, or whenever someone asked them something, they gave clipped answers, as if they were soldiers or didn’t speak the language. Maybe we should’ve said they couldn’t understand anything, but then they wouldn’t be able to be with me in class.

But then again, they weren’t supposed to have a life and friends here. They were here to protect me and that was all. What everyone else thought didn’t matter.

If the stares and whispers didn’t bother them, then I supposed they shouldn’t bother me either. The guys were just doing their job anyway.

I opened my locker, grabbing a heavy textbook that I needed. My dark brown eyes focused on the small mirror that was resting against my books for a fraction of a second, and I slammed the locker shut before I could take a good look at my reflection.

I didn’t want to see the tired look in my eyes from all the nights that I’d spent lying awake in my bed and thinking about what could’ve been and what I could’ve done differently.

The nights I’d spent missing him.

I tossed my long, dark brown hair over my shoulder, wondering if cutting or dyeing my hair would help me feel like a new person. Maybe all I needed was a makeover.

But somehow, I doubted it was that simple.

And then my gaze landed on him.

Caden Dinarti was just at the end of the hallway.

A shudder ran through my body, and I forced my face to stay expressionless, but my insides felt as if I was going to burst.

A thousand little spiders were crawling over my skin, and I was rooted to the spot, just watching him, unable to look away.

His blue eyes were narrowed at me and filled with hatred, his black hair the perfect amount of messy.

He was just as handsome as ever, his hands shoved in the pockets of his black leather jacket.

If only I could go over to him and pull him to me.

Kiss his full lips.

Run my fingers down his chest.

I bit down on my lip, trying to stop my mind from imagining what was under Caden’s black shirt and blue jeans.

But it was too late.

The memories were there.

Memories of us together.

Kissing.

Touching.

Loving.

Until I fucked it all up.

That thought brought me back to reality. I’d decided to break Caden’s heart and pretend all I’d wanted was to win that damn bet.

I’d made him believe that I’d only had sex with him so I could take a video of him sleeping next to me and win.

It was stupid, and maybe I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. But if I hadn’t done it, the feelings that had been starting to form between us might have grown stronger.

And then, what would we have done?

I was a Savanti.

He was a Dinarti.

Two biggest, rival crime families.

Our relationship was impossible and doomed from the start. All I’d done was stop us from getting hurt even more and prevented more bloodshed.

Our families would’ve killed each other over it, and I didn’t want to lose my family. I couldn’t betray them like that, no matter how much it broke my heart.

And how’s that working out for you and Caden, dumbass?

I finally peeled my gaze off him and kept going.

Breathe. Eat. Go to school. Study. Sleep.

You’re going to forget about him eventually.

Get him out of your system.

But could I really do it?

Right now, it seemed impossible. There almost wasn’t a single moment when I didn’t think about him.

I strode through the door so I could find my seat in the classroom.

The fact I even remembered my schedule was a miracle, especially when seeing Caden in the hallways constantly distracted me.

Hey, Adrianna. A dark-haired boy with light blue eyes grinned at me.

He was leaning against one of the desks, and even though he was familiar, I couldn’t remember his name.

What do you want? I snapped, my voice harsher than I wanted it to be, and Corey and Elijah tensed next to me. I was so not in the mood for anything, and I really hoped I hadn’t forgotten a school project.

Are you fucking your cousins? Caden says that you are, the guy said, and chatter and laughter filled the classroom.

Aw great.

Just fucking great.

Caden spreading stupid rumors about me was just what I needed.

Not.

He was going to try to get back at me for what I’d done, wasn’t he? And since he couldn’t really get to me, he was going to bully me through someone else.

Awesome job, Caden.

Awesome job.

Why couldn’t he just think that me accepting the bet was my payback for what he had done to me? Because yeah, he’d started the whole thing, and I’d only been trying to make him stop.

How was this even fair?

Except, there was no fair in love and war.

Corey and Elijah didn’t say anything, but they started toward the guy.

I lifted my hand up.

Ignore this asshole. He’s just some sad stoner who doesn’t even know what he’s saying. I rolled my eyes.

I had no idea if Caden was still dealing drugs to students to make himself popular, especially since I kept seeing him all alone, as if he wanted everyone to believe that he didn’t want anyone anywhere near him.

But even as Corey, Elijah, and I took our seats at the back of the classroom, everyone was still talking about us.

Now that someone had mentioned it, I was sure word of it was going to spread like wildfire.

But it was going to blow over eventually.

It had to.

All I needed to do was put up a wall of ice around myself and pretend that none of this bothered me.

Caden was going to get over me with time, and I was going to get over him.

It was the only way.

Chapter 2

I MADE MY WAY ACROSS the school parking lot, and as soon as I spotted my car, I could tell that something was wrong.

Elijah and Corey slowed down, and Elijah lifted his hand to indicate for me to stay behind him and Corey when I went to take a closer look.

But as we all approached the car, I gritted my teeth.

The windshield had been smashed, and there was a piece of yellow paper in the car. I didn’t even have to guess who’d done it.

There was only one person who was currently trying to find a way to hurt me.

Corey opened the door to pick up the note as Elijah inspected the rest of the car. As I took another step closer, Corey turned toward me.

Please stay back, he said, but I ignored him.

If there was a bomb in the car or anything dangerous like that, it would’ve already exploded.

A tiny voice in the darkest corner of my mind was asking me if Caden would really try to kill me, but I didn’t want to think about it right now.

Just give me the note, I said.

If Caden wanted me to read it, then he wasn’t going to blow me up.

Here. Corey extended his hand to me and I took the note.

Leave and never come back.

This is your last warning.

That was all the note said. I curled my fingers around it, crumpling it and stuffing it in my pocket.

So Caden wanted me gone.

Great.

But if he was actually giving me another warning, then that meant he still cared about me, didn’t it?

You’re a special kind of idiot, Adrianna.

Maybe I was. Maybe I should demand for Caden to leave, but that would only increase the tension between our families, and hell, neither the Dinartis nor my family wanted to admit defeat or accept to leave.

My whole family was here, but I didn’t think any of the Dinartis’ men or Caden’s father had come to see Caden after everything that had happened.

I didn’t know the details of the shaky deal my dad had with the Dinartis, so maybe only Caden was allowed to stay in town.

Although, it wasn’t like our families didn’t already share a city, so we could certainly divide this town between us too. The town was supposed to be a safe place for my brother and me, but things hadn’t gone the way my family had expected in so many ways.

I looked around the parking lot, but I couldn’t see Caden’s car anywhere. He actually had a new one now. It was nice and fast.

Why couldn’t Caden find something else to pass the time? Why did he have to keep coming after me? Didn’t that only make it more painful for him if he still cared about me?

All clear, Elijah said, but there was no way for me to drive the car now.

Luckily, my guards had their own car. At least Caden hadn’t done anything to it too. It was clear that I was his one and only target.

Adrianna, we need to— Corey started to say, but I lifted my hand because I suspected what he was going to say.

My guards probably thought that this was a serious threat to my life and that we should take special measures to ensure my safety.

I need to get home, and don’t worry about this. It’s just Caden acting like an idiot. I gave them a small smile that was supposed to be reassuring, but I knew it didn’t reach my eyes.

But— Elijah said.

We’re done here. Let’s go.

We have to check the other car too, Corey said.

All right. I wasn’t about to argue with that.

It was better to be safe than sorry. Even if Caden didn’t want me dead, someone else might, like his family. Yes, that would start a war no one really needed right now, but what did I know?

Ugh. Maybe the guys were right, and this was way more serious than I wanted to believe. If only I knew whether Caden was doing this on his own, or if his family was giving him instructions.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Elijah and Corey turned toward me, and Elijah opened the car door for me.

Don’t make it weird, guys. Don’t forget where we are, I said, lowering my voice, as I hurried to get in the back seat.

Elijah lowered his gaze, scratching the back of his head, and then he gave me a small nod.

After we all got in the car and Corey brought the engine to life, I stared through the window, my gaze focused on the school building.

Maybe I should just leave. It would be easier if I didn’t have to look at Caden every day, or maybe it wouldn’t be.

Seeing him