Page 36 of Ruthless Passion

We have to duck as a toy flies through Jett’s bedroom doorway, crashes and splinters into pieces against the wall behind us.

"I HATE HIM," Jett shouts as he flings another toy.

Jo presses her eyes closed, inhaling deeply to stifle the tears streaming down her reddening face. I'm going to kill Duke if Jo doesn't do it first.

"Jett, kiddo, I need you to talk to me," Jo says as calmly as she can, staying out of his temper's line of fire.

"NO. He always gets what he wants. He always gets his way. He gets to be a shit and gets away with it. It's not fair. He's not supposed to hit you. You're not supposed to hit anyone smaller than you." Tears stream down his red face, and it sucks how much alike he and Jo look when they're upset. I never want to see either of them like this.

Jo rushes in to wrap her arms around Jett, kneeling to have him curl into her body. It's not my place, but I can't stop myself from stepping into the bedroom to sit on Jett's bed.

Jett continues to rant into Jo's body. "I hate him and I can't stop him."

Jo's eyes well with tears as they dart from me to the ceiling as she tries to stop them from falling.

I hate Duke too, but the kind of destruction I have in mind can't be undone.

"Jo, Jett, how would you guys feel about coming to the studio today to see a movie be filmed?" I ask them.

Jett's entire face shifts into a smile fit for a kid.

"You mean I won't have to go to school today?" he asks, his eyes darting between me and Jo. "Mom, can I?"

"It's been a rough couple of days, so I guess a day off won’t hurt," she says with half a grin.

"It's okay to be angry, Jett. Be mindful about how and where you let your anger out. If you want to cry it out, that's cool. If you want to shout, shout at the person who deserves it. It's like you said, you aren't supposed to hit anyone smaller than you. You can take that a step further to not yell at people who are easily scared of you or scared for you. A young man must clean up his own messes. Okay?"

"Yes,” he nods, his face serious as he does so.

Jo smooths her hands over his curls, kissing him on the forehead. "I'm sorry I haven't done more to protect you from Duke the Puke. I love you."

"Love you, too, Mom. I'm sorry I yelled at you and made this mess," he says, hugging her briefly before he gets to work cleaning his room.

When we step outside, there's tension between us and it's not the sexual kind I prefer.

"Listen, Luca." Jo huffs out a breath. "I am truly appreciative, but don't offer things to him before running it by me."

"I'm sorry, Jo. I overstepped. I want you both to be safe until I put some things in place for you both to feel comfortable in your home."

"I understand, but no matter what happens, I have to be the parent, the good guy and the bad guy most days. If I wanted him to go to school, I'd look like a dick if I told you no."

"You're right. I'm sorry, Josephine."

She stands there as if she's waiting for me to say more. "There's a part of me wondering if you want to lecture me about young boys needing male role models, and everything you've done and said are to Jett's benefit."

"Is that what Duke would do?"

She sighs. "Duke, Collin, my Dad. They all want to tell me how to raise my son?—"

"That's not why I'm here, Jo. I like you. I like Jett. This is a fucked-up situation I feel partially responsible for. If I had beat Duke to a bloody pulp on the court steps, this might have played out differently."

"I think he'd behave this way even if I were dating a regular guy."

"Duke is intimidating to regular guys. Tell me what you want me to do with him, Jo. If you want him gone, out of your lives forever, I can make that happen and there's no court in the world that can undo what I'm capable of."

"I want Duke to do what he said he was going to do, leave San Francisco to go to Arizona or wherever he planned to go when he was ready to throw us away."

"Is Duke a man of his word?" I ask her, already knowing the answer. Respectable men don't treat their families this way. I want her permission. I need her permission to be the man I am to protect them.

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