Page 31 of Ruthless Passion

"Fine." She shakes her head as Jett runs into the house with Collin closing the door behind them. He looks at the two of us, laughs, and walks to the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm not sure you know already, but you have a flat tire, man," Collin calls out from the kitchen.

I groan, looking at Jo and going outside to check on my car. Sure enough, there are two flat tires because the most annoying thing in the world is not changing one tire but having to call around for another one.

"The service center isn't far from here." I grimace, kneeling beside my car and patting it like it's a dog, and I have to convince it everything is going to be okay. There isn't any rebar, but my guess is Duke did this, too.

"Luca, it's almost eight. Do service centers stay open this late?" she asks. "You can stay here while you figure out the car stuff."

A car drives down the street. I'm hyper aware of everything because of the events which happened today. Sure enough, my senses aren't too far off as the car's window inches down. I can barely see Duke, but I know it's him as he hurls something out of the window.

The sound of my car window shattering fills me with rage. I'm going to kill that piece of shit.

"How is this asshole not dead yet?" I mumble to myself as my car alarm blares until I silence it with the key fob.

"He's always one temper tantrum away from being a murder victim," Jo says. "I'm so sorry, Luca."

"Don't apologize. Let's go inside. I'm not just going to stay here and get my car sorted, I'm going to stay the night. I can sleep on the couch, but I don't want you and Jett alone if Duke decides to come back once he sees my car's not here."

"You think he's going to come back?"

"I think he's going to be obsessed with ruining your relationship with me and anyone else who might bring you happiness."

"It's a good thing I don't need anyone but me to do that." She sighs. "But that's going to be really annoying. I think my neighbors across the street have a doorbell camera."

"I'll take care of it, Jo," I tell her, following her back inside.

"What was that?" Collin asks as soon as we step through the door.

"Duke threw something at my car. Broke the window," I tell him, frustration flowing through every syllable. "I'm going to have it towed."

"Duke the Puke strikes again," Jett shakes his head from the top of the stairs. "I wish he'd get kidnapped by aliens or something."

"Same, kiddo," Jo calls back. She heads up the stairs to get her son ready for bed and I sink onto the couch where her brother stands in the doorway of the living room.

"So, you're the guy my lucky socks brought into their lives, huh?" He laughs to himself. "Are you really going to put my sister in a movie? Jett told me."

"Yeah, I had plans of going over the script with Jo today, but today was not a good day for work to get done. I should have had her meet me at Luca Brisco Studios. None of this would have happened."

"It's not your fault her baby daddy is a piece of shit. I'd make Duke disappear if I could, but I don't want to take out Jett's father, you know? Duke's showed up more in the past thirty-six hours than he has in the past three months. He's fucking crazy."

"He's not crazy. He's a parasite looking to infect Jo's life in such a way she'll stop being the phenomenal woman she is."

"You like my sister, huh? I mean, more than for a movie role."

"I do, but I don't want to make her life any more difficult than it is. Duke's only coming around because I showed up after their meeting this morning. He's petty and jealous. Those traits are dangerous in a man like that. He already vandalized Jo's car. I'm having mine towed. He's the reason her friend Monique's in the hospital."

"Wait, Mojo's in the hospital? Fuck. I should go check on her tomorrow. Jett left that part out. He was so excited about you and the movie and the car. Mainly the car. It's a nice set of wheels man. I'm sorry Duke fucked it up."

"I want to say it's fine, and money can fix it, but I am pissed. I don't want to let my anger out in front of them."

Collin nods. "I totally get that. I'm the same way. Controlled anger, ya know?"

"Ha!" Jo scoffs as she comes down the stairs. "Is your controlled anger the reason you've been kicked out of the dorms for two weeks and all of next semester?"

Collin groans, narrowing his gaze at his sister. "I told you what happened. I stepped in to help that girl the same way Luca stepped in to help you."

"Wait a minute, what am I missing here?" I ask them.

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