Page 24 of Ruthless Passion

Mojo doesn't let him finish before her kickboxing classes swing into action, raising her foot swiftly to kick him in the groin. The one thing Mojo doesn't expect is Duke's athleticism, or the fact he's already been put into grappling moves earlier this morning. He towers over both of us, his six feet to our five-foot-four frames. It doesn't take much for him to grab her foot and push her awkwardly to the ground.

Mojo yelps as she stumbles back, falling to the pavement behind the car.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing pal?" A jogger stops in their tracks, pulling out their earbuds to come help us.

"Fuck this. You were never worth it." Duke tosses the keys on the ground beside the car as I rush forward to snatch them away. The jogger approaches and Duke puts his hands up in surrender, telling the bystander. "I'm leaving, Captain Save-A-Hoe."

Somehow, even as Duke walks away, I have a feeling he'll show his face again. As I thank the stranger for intervening, I rush over to Mojo, who's sitting beside the car, disappointment and tears in her eyes.

I sit beside her. Soft murmurings come from her as she stomps the ground, but winces in pain.

"I'm sorry, Monique. Thank you for sticking up for me." My voice is soft with regret for her getting hurt.

She rests her head on my shoulder, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Fuck him. Fucking shit."

"You sound like Jett." I tell her with a slight nudge of my shoulder.

She chuckles. "Well, Duke is a shit. I should have had him."

I lean away and turn toward her. "Mojo, I love you. You are one of the strongest people I know, but Duke played professional football. It doesn't matter if he only played for a season. He's not some run-of-the-mill scumbag trying to jump you in a dark alley. I actively avoid attacking him physically. It doesn't end well, and he can find a way to take it out on Jett."

She slaps her forehead. "Shit, I'm sorry, Jo. I wasn't thinking. He?—"

"Brings out the worst in everyone." I finish for her. "We have forty-five days before his parental rights termination is final. I don't want to give him any reason to come after us. Are you okay? How's your leg?"

She groans, turning her leg from side-to-side, squinting her eyes and flashing her clenching teeth. "I'll be fine. I think I hit my head, but come on, it's almost time to pick up Jett from school. I want to see his face when you pull up in this bad ass car."

I wrap my arm around her, squeezing her tight. "Yes. A bad ass car with my bad ass bestie, to grab my —"

She pops out of the hug. "Don't you call my Jett, bad."

"Are you sure you don't want to get checked out?" I ask her with a giggle.

"Jo, I'm going to be fine. I'm not going to the hospital and you can't make me."

10

LUCA

Ihate hospitals.

There are many people who have similar issues, but mine has nothing to do with the patients or the sickness. It's the fact that every time I'm in one, it's never for anything good.

The most jarring memory is one I try desperately to forget, but I can't. I didn't make it here in time. Someone I loved dearly came inside and never left alive. My heart beats rapidly with every step I take into the Emergency Room entrance.

Sonny's pacing in front of a large desk where two nurses move urgently behind it to answer ringing phones while helping everyone in the line forming. Dozens of people sit in the waiting area, sick, bleeding, and complaining as doctors and nurses call them one by one.

"Hey, Sonny," I call to him as I get closer only to realize the gaze of fury in his eyes. His entire face is red as his wide muscular frame continues to pace.

"You need to go see, Faith. Look at what that monster did to her." Sonny's practically shaking with rage.

"Where is she?" I ask him.

He gives me her room number. I take the elevator up to the floor where Faith is resting in a single hospital room. My most popular actress has a bandage wrapped around her head with her leg elevated in a cast that spreads from the top of her thigh down to her foot. Her hospital gown does nothing to hide the bruises of fingerprints and other marks littering her arms.

My heart breaks as I knock softly on the door. She offers me a smile, exhaustion in her eyes. This is only another reminder of how I fail to show up when people need me. Another reminder of how I'll let Jo down if we take things deeper than what they are.

I let out a heavy breath, approaching her bedside. "Hey, kiddo. What happened?"

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