Japheth

"A million dollars!?" I asked in sheer shock, not wanting to believe what I just heard but Captain nodded to prove that I didn't hear him wrong.

"This mission is a matter of national security. Which is why we're sending you because you've always kept a low profile." He replied and I tsked softly.

Low profile? What does he expect of a low-life constable?

"So, what you're trying to say is, I get to travel to California, get a new life and identity, which includes a new house and car, and then I still get a million dollars?" I asked to be sure I wasn't dreaming or tweaking and when Captain nodded with a smile on his lips, I nearly punched the air in excitement.

"But-"

Of course, there's always a but.

"You only get half the payment now. You'll use that to take care of yourself for the next six months. Once you complete the mission, the rest will be yours." He explained and I nodded in understanding.

"So, I have six months to complete this mission?"

"This is why I like you, Jared. You're so smart." He said in satisfaction and I scoffed lightly, not wanting to admit that I was a sucker for compliments.

"What now?" I asked and he clicked his fingers before gesturing for me to come over to his table.

"This is your new identity. Japheth Wilson." He pointed to his computer and my face scrunched into a frown.

"Why Japheth? You could have chosen a better name-"

"Are you arguing with the higher-ups now?" He asked in annoyance and I immediately mimicked zipping my lips. "Everything about your new identity is in here. I've sent it to you. Take your time and go through it, study every detail so you don't mess up. You'll be a professor at the university where the suspect studies. You've always been good at teaching anyway so this should be a piece of cake for you."

I let out a sigh, feeling slightly overwhelmed but I knew that this mission held excitement that I couldn't just let go of.

"Alright, Captain. Thank you for entrusting me with this mission." Even though he had almost given it to someone else. Such a two-faced man. "When do I leave for California?"

"By Monday. Here," He took out a big file from his drawer and my lips thinned into a small line. Why didn't he just give me everything at once?

"This contains your new identity passport, ID card, everything you might need as Japheth the professor." He said and handed me the file while I nodded in response. "The whole nation is putting their trust in you. Don't let us down."

Monday. Three days. Three days until my life changes. Until I take on a new identity.

And I would give it my all.

"Yes, Sir!"

**************************

Three days had passed, slowly at first, then like a flash. I had spent every hour researching on the Martinez'. I avoided my family as much as I could but Jackson remained a huge thorn in my flesh. When I packed the few things I needed from the house, he had mocked me, telling me that I couldn't run away from him.

Like hell, I was running away. None of them knew of this mission. None of them even knew where I was headed or why I was leaving. My stepmom had a look of satisfaction on her face when I dragged my small suitcase out. My Dad? He didn't even acknowledge my presence.

I could tell Jackson was curious with the way he followed me around until I got into my pickup car. Shifting the gear into reverse mode, I nearly let out a yelp when I saw Jackson right beside the window.

"Tell me the truth. Who are you going to live with? Do I trouble you that much?" He asked, but I simply let out a sigh and tried to raise the windows, which, of course, didn't care about me.

"You wanted me out so I'm leaving. Shouldn't you be happy?" I replied and he smiled, his hand moving to touch my hair, causing me to flinch instantly.

"You're so gullible and fragile... look at you. You have such a small, lean frame that if you weren't tall, no one would believe you're in your thirties. The world out there isn't kind and it'll break you before you know it." He muttered, his eyes holding a weird kind of emotion that had my skin crawling.

"Fuck off, Jackson." I spat in anger, my hand reaching out to push him away from the car, but he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, so close that our faces were only inches apart, and I yelped in shock.

"Only I can treat you better. I don't care where you're going. I will find you, make your life miserable, and bring you back to where you belong." He mumbled, his eyes trained on my lips and everything in me recoiled as I yanked my hand out of his grip immediately.

I stepped on the accelerator and the car immediately reversed out of the parking lot before speeding out of the house. I glanced at the rearview mirror to see that he was standing by the gate, his eyes fixed on my car as I sped away.

What the fuck was that all about? I shuddered slightly, feeling weirded out by the way he stared at me and the words he uttered. That fucking prick.

He was just a lawyer, and I am a police officer. There's no way in hell that I'll let him make my life miserable again. Besides, how would he even find me in California with a new identity?

I drove to the station and the car finally came to a stop. The moment I stepped into the building, everyone's eyes were on me. Like I was some kind of unreal being.

Pushing my way to the Captain's office, I saw him standing by the window with a lost look on his face. When he finally noticed me, he cleared his throat and gave me a very serious stare.

"Everyone's waiting at the airport." He muttered and I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands getting clammy all of a sudden due to nervousness.

Japheth

The flight took three hours. Three hours that felt like three years. I was anxious and nervous. One, I had never been in a plane before. Two, I had six months to apprehend the most dangerous tycoon's son and I have no idea what will happen to me if I get caught.

I tried not to think negatively but I couldn't help it. I wouldn't admit that I wasn't scared. The moment the plane touched the ground, my heart finally left my throat and returned to my chest. I walked into the airport, with no idea where I was going but when I saw someone holding a board with the name "Japheth" on it, I realized I was probably scared for nothing.

I wasn't alone.

"Mr Japheth Wilson?" The man holding the board asked when I walked up to him and I nodded slowly in response. "Nice to meet you, I'm Stephen. I'm also a police officer but I'm undercover like you." He whispered and I nodded slowly, not knowing what to respond with.

"Your phone." He asked and I raised a brow in confusion before handing it to him. He smiled at me before dropping it to the ground and stepping on it harshly.

"Hey! That's my phone! What did you do?" I asked in horror, picking up the now damaged phone, but he simply took out another from his pocket and gave it to me.

"My apologies. But that phone could get you in trouble since it still has everything from your past identity. Besides, this phone is better and more... sophisticated." He replied with a smile as he grabbed my luggage and started to walk away.

The ride to my apartment was silent, and I could tell that he was staring at me, but I didn't care. It was already nighttime by the time the car finally came to a stop, and the moment I stepped out of the vehicle, my jaw dropped to the ground.

"This is your apartment. If you have any questions, you can call me, my contact is already saved in your phone. I have to run. Welcome to California, Japheth." He said, dropping a key into my hand, and with that, he drove away.

I spotted the Mercedes AMG sitting by the garage and I let out a laugh of disbelief. Stepping inside the apartment was like stepping into paradise. It was big enough and beautiful. Nothing like the dull-looking walls I was used to.

For the first time in a long time, I laughed and ran around the house like I was a kid. I was finally living the life I've been dreaming of. The closet was fully packed with clothes that I would have never been able to afford. Everything felt so unreal.

Just then, my new phone dinged with a message and a shocked scream escaped my lips when I saw the notification. Five hundred thousand dollars. Credited to Japheth Wilson. The captain wasn't lying after all.

After that came a notification from my captain. "Good luck, Japheth. Make us proud."

He already knew about the phone. This was the life I've always wanted to live... Away from my sick family, with enough money to live a comfortable life.

Collapsing onto the bed, I didn't bother to change my clothes or get something to eat. I wanted to finally sleep in a comfortable bed and man, the bed was bouncy. In no time, I had fallen asleep like I had no worries in the world.

************************

One week has passed since my arrival in California. I took my time and got used to how things worked here. I made sure to blend in and not raise any kind of suspicion. The captain had pulled his strings and gotten me a spot at SAU as a substitute professor.

St. Aurelis University was a very prestigious university. Only the top kids with intelligent minds could attend that school. Captain warned me not to be deceived because the university wasn't as clean as it seemed. I had to keep my guard up.

My first day showing up at the college and I was nervous as fuck. My hands were clammy and I stumbled a couple of times while walking. I had to return to my car, slap myself a few times, give myself that pep talk, and then start over.

I made my way to the Dean's office and I couldn't ignore the stares I got as I walked by. Not stares of contempt. But of awe. Of surprise. Even seduction.

"Mr Japheth Wilson?" Dean Laurence asked and I nodded with a smile as I took his hand for a shake. "Welcome to SAU. Please read the rules and regulations before proceeding to the professor's hall." He said sternly, his eyes watching me like a hawk stalking its prey and I gulped nervously.

My eyes skimmed through the paper containing the rules before finally dropping it in front of him.

"I understand the rules, Dean," I said softly and he finally smiled at me, one that gave me chills, before taking my hand for a shake again.

"You're free to leave. Here's your staff ID card."

I took the card from him and left his office before letting out a breath I didn't realize that I was holding. I suddenly needed to find the restroom because I had been too nervous this morning, so I drank three bottles of water.

I was too nervous to ask any student who passed me by, so I simply tried to find it on my own. When I finally saw the sign "restroom", I let out a sigh of relief and hurried in there to ease myself.

The moment I stepped out, I bumped into a tall figure and took a step backward immediately, but I ended up tripping over my leg, causing me to fall backward. To my surprise, someone grabbed me by my waist and pulled me back up, causing me to let out a sigh of relief.

"You have such a small waist." I heard him say and I froze, my head lifting slightly to look at who it was.

To say I froze was an understatement. My entire body stopped working when I met his eyes. Blue, cold, depthless.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and I opened my mouth to say something, but my words got stuck in my throat. His voice was unlike anything I've heard before. Smooth as silk, but held depths of danger.

He still didn't let go of me, and I didn't try to push him away either. It was like I was under some kind of hypnotic spell that he placed on me.

"You're a professor, right?" He asked again and since I couldn't speak, I simply nodded like a child. His eyes twinkled in amusement at my reaction and his lips curved into a slight smirk.

"Are you an impostor? What is a professor doing in the student's restroom?" He asked, this time his voice had taken a lower tone and his face contorted into a frown that made me scared instantly.

Fuck, it was him. Aaron.

Aaron Martinez. The one I was sent to infiltrate, and now he had already seen me as an impostor.

Aaron

"I could put a bullet in between your brows right now if you keep being so stupid." Matteo blabbered, twirling the 9mm Sig Sauer between his fingers like that pocket pistol weighed nothing.

"I'm going to college, Mat. That's considered stupid?" I asked, my back relaxed against the door frame. "It's called acquiring knowledge, something you obviously need to know more about since all you do is shoot guns and give orders," I added and his right eye twitched, a reaction that only happens when he's pissed off.

"Watch your mouth. Just because you're my brother doesn't mean I can't hurt you. You will respect me as the one in charge, is that clear?" He asked, his voice sharp and cold as ice, but when I stayed silent, he cocked the gun and pointed it at me.

"I'll ask again, is that clear?" He gritted through clenched teeth and my lips curved into a smirk as I raised my hands in surrender.

"Loud and clear. Wouldn't want a bullet through my head because of a little argument." I muttered sarcastically and he finally dropped his hand before turning away from me.

I let out a breath of fresh air the moment I stepped out of his room. If I didn't know better, I would have assumed that Matteo abhorred me. But I knew that he was simply pissed that I left him behind to handle everything while I ran off like a coward to college.

Father couldn't command me there, couldn't control me. And because I had slipped out of his fingers, the one who had to bear the consequences of my actions was Matteo, turning him into a stealth entity.

Everyone who knew the Mafia world knew me as the only son of the most dangerous Mafia leader. But no one knew it was Matteo who was working for father in secret. All because he was illegitimate.

"You can't outrun your position in here, son. You'll rule the Mafia world once I'm gone." Father never failed to repeat those words to me every single day. I didn't want to rule the mafia world, I didn't even want to have anything to do with him.

Matteo was the one who deserved to be on the Mafia throne after how loyal he had been to Father. Me? I just wanted to run away to wherever he would never be able to find me.

I loved the feeling of being feared, being powerful.

But not to rule and follow the damn rules.

"Took you long enough." I felt a playful jab in the side of my stomach and I turned to see Santiago smiling at me like he had just won the jackpot.

I looked behind him and spotted Jace patrolling the building, causing my lips to curl up into a smirk.

"Someone's in a good mood because he saw his secret crush," I muttered and walked to the car while Santiago followed behind me with a grin wide enough to touch each of his ears.

"It's not my fault you have such a hot bodyguard, Aaron. Do you think he'll ever notice me?" He asked as soon as we got into the car and I scoffed in amusement before driving the car out of the huge mansion.

"Jace is the type to always go by the book. I can bet a thousand dollars that he's as straight as a pole." I replied and watched as his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

It was amusing to watch my best friend fawn over my bodyguard and even though I wanted to help him out, I couldn't. Our sexualities shouldn't be heard of or spoken about, especially not to Father.

"So, you tell me, are we heading to the Club Nocturne tonight?" He asked and I turned to look at him slightly.

"The gay club? You know I can't go there frequently, if I get caught, I could put people's lives in danger." I replied and he let out a sigh of frustration, his back pressed onto the car seat like he wanted it to swallow him whole.

"Well, I need to get laid. And I know for sure that you need to "lay" someone too." His fingers imitated a quotation mark when he emphasized the word lay, causing me to chuckle in amusement.

"For your information, I have great self-control. You can go to the club if you want, I won't be able to accompany you tonight." I muttered, my grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly.

"You should get a boyfriend already. Everyone literally wants you, Aaron. You won't have a hard time getting one." Santiago said softly and I let out a sigh, my eyes fixed on the road as the car sped by.

The car came to a stop as soon as we arrived at the university and I rushed out of the car, realizing that I needed to get to the restroom as fast as possible or I'd be making a fool of myself soon.

"Where are you going so fast?" Santiago asked and I turned to him with a grin.

"To get laid!" I yelled loud enough for everyone to turn around and stare at me in shock, but I didn't care. Some of the girls whispered amongst themselves and waved as I passed them by but I was too pressed to pay them any attention.

When I finally saw the male restroom sign, I let out a sigh of relief and pushed the door open but before I could rush in, a figure bumped into me, causing me to stumble slightly.

Instinctively, my hand reached out and grabbed his waist, pulling him to me just to stop him from falling. The moment I realized the proximity, I was about to move my hand when my brows furrowed slightly. His waist fitted so perfectly in my arms.

"You have such a small waist," I mumbled softly and when he raised his head to meet my eyes, it felt like I had been jolted with a weird kind of electricity.

He was unlike anything I've seen before. I tilted my head slightly, studying his features and I could tell he was older. His way of dressing showed that he wasn't a student.

"Are you okay?" I finally managed to ask but he remained silent, his brown eyes staring at me like he had seen some kind of deity. He opened his mouth to speak but ended up closing it like he was rethinking his words.

I could tell it was his first day here. And every part of me itched to tease him. I never thought that I'd have an ideal type, but here he was, standing in front of me with my arm wrapped around his waist perfectly like he was crafted for me.

"You're a professor, right?" I asked and he nodded slowly, causing me to smirk in amusement as I watched him.

"Are you an imposter? What is a professor doing in the student's restroom?" I asked and he froze, his eyes widening like he had been caught red-handed.

My eyes narrowed at him as he suddenly stepped away from my grip and his warmth disappeared from me immediately. Very disappointing.

"I'm not an imposter. You've never been lost on your first day?" He retorted and I raised a brow in amusement, my mind replaying his voice in my head like a music box.

"So you can speak?" I questioned, my voice carrying hints of sarcasm and he cleared his throat before brushing past me in annoyance. However before he could walk past, I held his arms gently, my eyes roaming all over his body.

"What's your name, professor?" I asked softly but he simply stared at me with an annoyed expression on his face before walking away.

I totally forgot the main reason I came to the bathroom. All that mattered now was finding out who this new professor was and why he had such an effect on me.

I felt a strain in my pants and I glanced down with wide eyes to see that a bulge had risen just from holding his waist and his feisty attitude.

I was definitely fucked.