Chapter 37 Luca
LUCA
I should follow her. But instead, I go to the classroom where I know Brooke will be and haul her into the hallway. “Who the fuck was it?”
“Who was—” Before she can finish, my fist slams into the locker beside her head.
Her entire body flinches as she cowers away. “It wasn’t me.”
Which means she knows who it was.
“Tell me. Now.”
“Luca, he’ll—”
My knuckles smash against the metal again, closer to her head.
Tears trail down her cheek as she confesses, “It was Micah. Please don’t tell him I told you. He’ll kill me.”
“Not if I kill him first.” I truly feel like I want to in this moment. “Where did he get the photographs from?”
She flinches and shields her face when I go to move. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me. He was trying to upset Ivy so she’ll drop out of Mercy or think it was you tormenting her. I begged him not to. That was her mom. If he would do that, what won’t he do to win?”
“You already know the answer to that.” I release her and try to remember where the fuck he is. I memorized his schedule to keep tabs on him. But I’m so fucking furious I’m second-guessing which room he’s in. It doesn’t matter. I will search every inch of this building until I find him.
But I don’t have to because he’s in the first place I check. The instant he spots me; I see the confirming smirk rise on his face. He did it. And he’s thrilled I’ve figured it out. The next second is a blur as I charge towards him, my already bloody fist connecting with his jaw over and over.
He gets an opening and takes it, smashing his knuckles into my mouth.
The sting is minor but reminds me of her grief, causing my anger to boil over.
I punch and swing at anything and everything I can reach, doing whatever I can to inflict pain on him until I’m hauled backwards.
But it’s not enough. He didn’t get all the wrath he deserves.
It’ll never be enough. Because with every second that goes by, another vision of Ivy broken and lifeless in the wreckage flashes in my psyche along with the agony in her eyes when she saw the damage for herself.
“Luca, stop. You’re gonna kill him,” Cain shouts, moving in front of me as someone wraps me in a bear hug from behind. “Man, stop. He’s your brother.”
I cease even though every muscle in my body begs to continue the assault.
Micah rolls over onto all four and spits blood to the floor with a groan. He’s nothing to me.
“Luca,” Principal Guidry gasps as she enters the classroom. “What on earth is going on?”
“Just a brotherly disagreement.” Micah waves her back as she runs up to him, her eyes whipping back and forth between the two of us.
He’s aware it’s not a joke or a simple disagreement, but he knows how to get to me, and he’s picked a very dangerous strategy, because I’ve just realized the lengths I’ll go to protect her. “If you fuck with her again, I’ll kill you.”
“That’s enough,” Guidry states before instructing Micah, “Go to the nurse and wait there.” She motions to the campus security guy who arrived a little too late. “Escort him to the front office.”
I willingly go with Security Guy as Cain follows nervously. “Just take a minute to consider the costs. We’ll handle him later. But this isn’t going to end well if you can’t keep yourself under control.”
By handle, he means get Micah to back off. But it’s too late for that. “You didn’t see her face.”
Cain, who probably knows me better than most, tries to reason with me. “She’s stronger than you think.”
For the first time, I admit it aloud, “I should’ve never pulled her into Mercy. It’s all my fault.”
“You didn’t realize. It’s just the cards you two were dealt, so don’t let it come between y’all now. You’re too smart to let Micah get to you like this.”
“Yeah, I know.” I’ve heard it all before but when Cain hesitates to respond, I look over at him as he adds, “It’s not him. She’s gotten under your skin.”
I ask, “What if I can’t handle it?”
“Find a way.”
That’s easier said than done because ever since I’ve laid eyes on Ivy, my world has been off-kilter. And no matter what I do, it keeps spinning further out of control.
My only regret is not beating his ass worse, because the fucker is well enough to sit across the conference table from me. Notably, the security guard has stayed in the conference room, though he can’t stop me. No one will.
There’s a knock on the door as it swings open. My father is the last person I expected to see. But what really intrigues me is the way he grins at Principal Guidry, her hand on his bicep as she smiles back. Once they turn to us, their expressions become solemn.
Dad declares, “You both owe Tara an apology.”
Micah is in kiss-ass mode as he says, “I’m so sorry, Tara—I mean, Principal Guidry. We behaved like heathens, and we’re deeply ashamed.”
The woman falls for it as she nods her head.
Dad points his it’s-your-turn look to me. “I’m not sorry.” Well, maybe that I didn’t end him. Because his fucking mouth is still working enough for him to continue yapping, “What my brother meant to say is we’ll work out our differences in a more civilized manner next time.”
“Luca, don’t be disrespectful. I raised you better than that.” My father employs this spectacle when he has an audience.
Standing from the chair, I move in front of him as Security Guy gets closer to us. “I must’ve missed all those pivotal paternal moments, because I can’t recall one lesson.”
My recall consists of being raised by an unhinged woman or hired help.
Guidry appears uncomfortable, as does my father who states, “We’ll continue this discussion at home.”
Meaning he’s saving face in front of Tara, and we won’t discuss shit after we walk out of this room.
“Thanks for going easy on them. I appreciate the grace even though they aren’t deserving.” His frustration points at me before he centers back on Guidry.
“This is a one-time pass.” Guidry shifts, peeping at Security Guy. “I can’t permit this behavior to resume on campus without consequences.”
“Trust me, they’ll be dealt with at home,” Dad states.
The child I was would be scared. The adult me knows how to put a quick stop to it.
After the first time I fought back, he never raised another fist to me.
It says a lot about a man when he’ll only punch a kid who wouldn’t fight back. Until I did.
As soon as we’re in the parking lot, Dad asks, “Micah, care to explain?”
Of course, he asks him and doesn’t get the real answer. “Just a friendly quarrel.”
Dad states, “Keep it clean. We can only keep so much under wraps before the game gets messy and they’ll step in.”
“What else have you intervened in?” I ask. It’s always been a question on my mind. How desperate is he to have Micah win?
He squares up to me. “When you lose, it’ll be by your own doing. You can’t blame me for your mistakes forever. She chose to leave you behind. That says a lot about you, doesn’t it. She always wanted Micah around though. Why is that?”
“Because he kissed her ass like he does yours.” And the second Micah stops; Dad will turn on him too. It’s a given.
“Better pucker up then, because you’ll be kissing ass for the rest of your life.”
“Or you’ll have to kiss mine.” He knows exactly what I mean. Mercy. If I win, I’ll have more control over him and Micah than ever. And he won’t let that happened.
“The only reason you’re even eligible is because of your bloodline.
They don’t know it’s wasted. Do the right thing and bow out discreetly so your brother can take his rightful place.
You’ve never had the backbone needed to succeed.
Just like with your mother. Besides, it’s all politics.
Ass kissing and campaigning. I don’t even know why you’re bothering. ”
“Not from what I hear. Because you wouldn’t regret failing and missing out on the utmost critical and influential position of your life, right, Dad?
” I repeat the advice he gave Micah, which is completely contradicting the way he’s downplaying the significance of what’s at stake to me.
Mind games. That’s all he’s ever been good at.
“No wonder you didn’t win. You’re as bad of a liar as you are a father. ”