Age Is Just a Number by Jeffery zedd

Chapter 16 

William’s POV: 

And it’s been three fucking months where she had been giving me the cold shoulder. She rarely replies, and she never calls. 

“Guys, what if I did something wrong, and she is mad at me? Oh fuck, what if she did saw what happen between Misha and me.” 

Marvin rolls his eyes. “You’re starting to sound like one of those clingy girls.” 

I pull out my gun and aim it at his head. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” I said. 

He placed two hands in the air in surrender. 

“Calm down,” Drew said, 

I threw my gun down on the table and ran my hands down my tired face. I wonder what the reason for Zara’s avoidance is. Is it Misha? Did I say something wrong? Did she pick up my feelings for her and thought it was creepy? 

“Look, she is going to come back soon, right? Just tell her how you feel, Drew said. 

“And maybe if you’re lucky, she won’t call the cops on your ass,” Marvin includes. 

I grab the vase and throw it at him. 

His fingers fumble as they attempt to grab the gun inside his pants, “Are you trying to kill me!” 

“Not try. I am.” I reply, grabbing mine from the table. 

“Hey!” I turn towards the door to see Anthony. “Marvin, for the last time. Leave William alone,” he said in a stern tone. We threw our guns down on the table, eyes glaring at each other. 

He takes a seat beside me, arching a brow at all of us who sat down. “So, any intel regarding the missing merchandise?” 

“It’s in New York being shipped to China,” I reply. 

Anthony nods, “Drew, I need you to take over. William, you’re done.” 

I shot my head towards him. “What the fuck do you mean done?” 

“Look, William, for the past three months, you have been snapping at all of our guys. They are fucking shitting their pants just looking at you. I want you to go back to working at the company, and when you 

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finally get your head out of your ass, you can come back,” Anthony Sald 

argue. 

voice witho 

any room to 

“Anth=” 

“Do you know how much mess you created when you broke things off with Misha? You may think it’s simply fucking around, but Misha didn’t. The fucking Russian mafia is hot on my ass, trying to find you, and why? Because you had to fuck around with his only daughter than dump her for your fucking obsession over that little girl next door. Get your shit together,” Anthony snapped. He walks out of the room and slams 

the door shut. 

“William, he didn’t mean that. Anthony has been kind of over the edge because of the Russian mafia and Japanese yakuza. They have been all over his ass saying he isn’t fit to take over the group,” Drew said. 

Releasing a deep breath, I stand up and walk out of the room. I knock on a door receiving a: “Come in.” Twisting the knob open, Anthony sat there doing paperwork, a cigarette laying between his lips. “What 

is it?” 

I scratch the back of my head, taking a seat in front of him. “Sorry, Anthony, I just-“I stop, not sure what to say. 

What should I tell him? That I’m crazy over my 15 years old neighbor and how I keep getting wet dreams about her for the past three months, that’s driving me insane particularly, since I haven’t gotten laid ever since she left. 

Anthony burnt out his cigarette and stood up, leaning against the table in front of me. “I know about your feelings for Zara. Hell, I watch her grow up too, but you have to remember. You’re part of the Italian mafia William, and a girl like her doesn’t belong in our world.” 

I swallow the lump inside my throat. “I know, but I just-“I couldn’t finish my sentence. 

Anthony folds his arms. “Look, if you care about the girl, don’t chase after her.” 

I know I shouldn’t go after Zara, or else I would put her at risk. If she weren’t living in the street filled with ex–Italian mafia members, she would’ve been in danger a long time ago. 

Anthony pat my shoulder. “I’m going back to Italy soon. We are moving bases. The American government is onto us, along with the displeasure of Italian American gang, warning us to stop doing business on their grounds. 

“What are you trying to say?” 

“I want my right–hand man to go back to Italy with me. Plus, your father will be happy to see you again,” he said before walking out the door. 

If I go back with Anthony, it means I would rarely come back here. It means leaving my mother, step–father, and step–brother, 

Most importantly, it means leaving Zara. A week swiftly passes, and I spend the day spinning around a 

O 

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chair at the company trying to get my head out of my ass. 

Dribbling the ball, I shoot it inside the hoop. 

Marvin wipes the sweats off his forehead. “How the fuck do you always manage to pass us?” 

“I think you fucking cheated,” Drew said. 

I hear a loud door slamming from Nina’s house and turn around. There’s a silver car parking in the front, which belongs to Tyler. Nina shrieks when the passenger’s side opens. 

I stand there, staring at the car as a pair of black heels step out. My eyes widened, seeing her black hair, dyed ash brown, and cut to her above her shoulder. She’s wearing a short skirt with a large t–shirt tuck inside and a pair of black shades covering her eyes. 

“Pancakes!” Nina shouts and ram right into her while she releases sweet laughter that I haven’t heard 

in what felt like forever. 

“Heads up.” Marvin threw the ball, but it merely hit my chest and rolled onto the ground. 

Zara looks down and grabs the ball, sliding her sunglasses up to reveal her deep brown. I watched her as she walked up to me, heels clicking along with the beating inside my chest. She smiles, “I think I have your ball.” 

“Zara.” 

I grab her wrist, causing the ball to drop down onto the street and pull her into a tight hug. “I miss your so much, Angel,” I whisper into her ear. 

I can feel her arms wrapped around me, and everything felt right again. “I miss you too, Muffin,” she 

mumble’s into my chest. 

At that moment, I knew I couldn’t leave her, my Angel 

When I hear a honking noise, my head lifts, seeing an unfamiliar old red truck. Zara got out of my grasp and rushed towards the car. The driver’s side opens to reveal this unknown guy, and she jumps into 

his arms. 

“Oh fuck,” Marvin and Drew said at the same time. 

I stand there, staring at them as they embrace each other. 

Zara turns back towards me, then back to him, whispering something into his ears. He nods his head and leans against the car door while she walks back to me. She giggles, cheeks turning red. “Guess what, Muffin?” she whispers. 

Marvin and Drew take a step back, looking at the ground. 

“What?” I reply in a toneless voice, eyes staring at her, praying to whoever is up there he is not who 

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I’m thinking. 

“He’s my boyfriend,” she squeaks, giggling while waving at him. He looks at her and returns her wave with a wink, chewing on the gum inside his mouth. 

“Boyfriend?” I repeat her words, trying to wrap my mind around the idea. 

She nodded and told me to come in closer. “Keep this a secret, but we had our first kiss not too long ago,” she whispers and starts giggling. Every word escaping her sweet lips stung, only fueling the fire that 

burned inside of me. 

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” He shouts. No fucking way. 

“Coming darling!” she screams back. 

She grabs my hand, and the anger inside me vanished when I looked into her gorgeous eyes. The corners of her lips travel upward, giving me a broad smile. “I’ll see you later, Muffin?” 

I nodded. 

She went towards Nina and started squealing along with her. They talked about something, then Zara went back towards the guy jumping into his arms once again as he spun her around. I look at Nina, who folds her arms and shaking her head in a displeasing manner at me. That’s when I knew she knew about that guy but refused to tell me. 

My eyes travel back towards Zara, seeing him, whispering something in her ears, causing loud laughter to leave her throat. My knuckles whiten from clenching my fist too hard, and teeth gritted to remain silent as she peck his cheek. 

Burning rage hissed through my body. demanding to release the violence dwelling inside. I stand there, watching her jump into his truck, turning towards me and innocently waving both hands in goodbye. My eyes refuse to stop glaring at the boy, who, flinch lightly by my urge to kill as he quickly drives off. 

Drew pat my shoulder. “You okay?” 

Clenching my fist together, I can feel a surge of anger boiling inside of me as my mind replays what had occurred earlier. The demon inside of me was on the verge of exploding. 

Zara is my woman, and I’ll be damn to let a little boy take her away from me. 

“Fuck, hide the guns.” Marvin whispers. 

“I don’t need guns to teach that kid a lesson, not to touch what’s mine.”