Page 3 of Love and War

“Listen, I don’t have time for this. What do you want?” Draining the rest of the water I stared at her, waiting for her to state her business. It made her uncomfortable when I didn’t blink and just stared.

“You’d think you would be a little nicer to me after everything I’ve done for you.”

“Done for me?” I couldn’t help the chuckle that left. She had to be joking.

“Yes, what I’ve done for you.”

“Okay, you’ve literally been here for two minutes and I’m already exhausted. What did you come here for, Holly?” I always praised myself for my patience. I mean, I taught a bunch of preteens how to dance. Girls who were beginning to have crushes, who were becoming hormonal. I dealt with them four times a week, and I was exhausted spending even a minute with her.

“Have you heard from your father?”

“Don’t call him that,” I growled. I hated when she called Luca that. Sure, I technically shared half my blood with him, but he was nothing more than a sperm donor. I could care less what happened to him, and I hated that she used the information about him against me.

“I mean, it’s true, you might not like thetruth,doll-face. But it’s so true,” she smirked. I knew she was trying to get a rise out of me. I was close to letting her win, but the best way to deal with her was just to get to the point of her wants.

“I’m kicking you out in thirty seconds, so if you don’t get to the point of why you’re here…”

“Always so moody, you’ve never changed.”

“Alright let’s go.” I rounded the island, motioning for her to leave. Instead, she stood there, hands on hips. “I’m serious. Get out, Holly.”

“Fine, I just wanted to know if you heard from him.” She let out a sigh. I had no idea why she would think Luca would contact me. We barely knew each other; I could literally count on one hand the number of times I’ve met him. It was all due to Holly forcing me. So, I had no idea why she would think I would personally call him, or why he would call me. It was foolish.

“You know I haven’t. The answer is never going to change. We don’t talk. And I would like to keep it that way, so you can stop coming over and asking me.” Once again, I motioned for her to leave.

Grinding her teeth, she finally turned on her heel, heading towards the front door. Following her, I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t do anything if I didn’t always have my eyes on her. Opening the door for her, Holly glared at me, stepping onto the front porch.

“You know you should be a little nicer. I’d hate for something to happen to those precious legs of yours, oryour hip again.”

A threat she always tried with me. It was always the same. At first, I had been scared, but I was also five and the thought of never being able to use my legs again terrified me. But now, she couldn’t do anything, at least anymore.

She couldn’t hurt me again.

“Yeah, nice seeing you too, Holly.” Giving her a tight smile, I slammed the door in her face.

Blowing out a sigh, I grabbed the iPad, pulling up the camera feed around my house. I watched as she climbed into her minivan and left. Ever since I was seventeen and finally got out from under her thumb, she’d been trying to wiggle her way back into my life. That was six years ago.

First, it was showing up every day, trying to play nice. Telling me she missed me, missed seeing me every day. Until she finally got the hint, I wasn’t coming back to her. Then she tried the mean tactic. She would tell me I was worthless without her, that no one would want me. That I was just going to become homeless, that no one wanted to be my friend. Then the threats came. If it wasn’t breaking my legs, it was my arms, or even doing something more permanent. Finally she had backed off. She understood nothing was going to work. That I no longer answered to her. Then four years ago, Luca went underground, and I could no longer track him. She started randomly popping up, begging for me to call him. Crying, giving me some sob story about missing part of herself.

Like she wasn’t just his mistress. He had a whole family, a wife and son. Holly was just his secret whore he hid from his wife.

It was always the same sob story.

And no matter how much I tried to find him, though not for the sake of her, I felt nothing for her. She was someone who just made sure I didn’t completely die when I was younger. But I also couldn’t find Luca for four years. He went so far underground that none of his men heard from him. That everything was top secret. He was literally living underground. None of his safehouses held him. They had all been abandoned.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that he resurfaced. Holly just didn’t know that, and she wouldn’t know it. I was going to let Salem finish this revenge path she was on, then I could tell her the truth.

The truth that Luca Russo, the man who brutally murdered her entire family, was my biological father.

***

After I made sure Holly left, I called Salem, giving her a warning I was coming over. I didn’t want to deal with the emotions swarming around in my head. I just wanted to get drunk, eat this pizza, and hopefully pass out without dreaming of him. I still ignored the fact my brain automatically went to the one person I wanted to turn to and tell all my problems to. But I couldn’t. Salem was my best friend; she was always there when I needed someone. But she couldn’t be there for this.

“So, you and Zane?” Mila, a girl I hadn’t expected the moment I walked into Salem's house. Thankfully, I brought enough pizza and wine for the three of us and the little boy. I watched Salem as she helped the little child, Tobias, for several reasons. Salem had never interacted with a child that I’ve seen. I had no idea she could be so…tame. His name was also close to her little brothers. But she surprised me when she laughed and played with him until he went to bed.

Now the three of us sat around the living room. I was the only one drinking. Salem never drank. She was always in the mindset of having to protect everyone here. Which was fine by me. The more I drank, the more I could pretend my life wasn’t a complete shitshow.

Salem hadn’t answered Mila’s question. Instead her eyes focused on me. I don’t know why she was always watching me, as if I would break. I wouldn’t. No one could hurt me, not anymore.

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