Page 12 of Haunted

“Are you calling my sister a liar?”

“No,” he croaks.

My fist lands in his ribs and the strength behind the punch has his body trying to double over, but my hand around his neck keeps him against the wall.

“Did you really think you could touch my sister and get away with it?”

I don’t give him a chance to answer, even if he could, before I grip his shoulder, yank him down, and ram my knee into his gut. The force of the blow has his feet lifting from the floor and when he comes back down, he falls to his knees. I push back the hair that’s fallen in my face and glare down at the piece of shit.

I take my eyes away from him when I see a flash of yellow in my peripheral vision.

“I should have fucking known,” I state venomously. Pointing my finger at a quivering Cora, I grind out, “You stay right fucking there, bitch.”

She freezes in place, and I look back down at Chase. He’s fallen to his side, clutching his stomach and glaring up at me with loathing in his eyes.

“You’re pretty damn desperate to go for a bitch like Cora, Chase.”

“It was her,” he says between clenched teeth. “She wanted me to do it.”

“Oh, I have no doubt, because that’s just something the low down and dirty bitch would do.”

I ignore Cora’s sharp intake of breath and squat down beside Chase.

“You’re going to listen, and do exactly as I say.” I lean down further. “You stay the fuck away from Ella. If you see her, you run the other fucking way. You hear her voice, you better hide like your life depends on it. Because it does. You don’t speak her name. You don’t even think about her. If I find out you’ve done any of those things, I’ll come for you, and by the time I’m finished, even your daddy won’t recognize you. You understand?”

Sensing he doesn’t get the importance of what I just told him when he doesn’t immediately reply, I reach for the collar of his red polo shirt, yank him up, and slam my fist into his jaw. Blood spurts from his mouth and splatters on the floor. Not nearly satisfied, I jerk him back to me and land another punch.

The third time I pull him to me, he flinches. Bringing his face close to mine, I enunciate each word slowly. “Do. You. Fucking. Understand?”

Blood coats his lips and dribbles down his chin when he mutters, “Yes.”

“Good.”

Just for good measure, and because he beat not only a woman, but a woman who is my sister, I sucker punch the bastard again. He falls limply to the floor. I turn back to Cora, who I’ve been watching out the corner of my eye.

I slowly stalk toward her. She looks terrified. Just as she should be. She backs up until she hits the wall. Holding her hand out like that will stop me, she begins to plead.

“Please, Luca. I’m so—”

Her words end on a squeak as I knock her hand away. Using the same hand I used on Chase, I grip her throat tight. I’ve neverhit a woman in my life, but right now it takes everything in me to refrain from hitting Cora.

“It would be wise of you to stay on this side of the tracks from now on. If I see, hear, or smell your rotten scent again, I’ll make your life a living hell. I may not be the type to hit a woman, but I know plenty of women who will do it for me.”

Squeezing a little tighter, I pull her toward me, then slam her back against the wall. Her hands shake as she grabs my arm.

“You get me, Cora?”

I loosen my grip to give her room to answer.

“Y-yes,” she stutters.

I release her and give her one more nasty look before I turn on my heel. I don’t spare Chase a glance as I walk past him. I’m at the door when his scratchy, pathetic voice reaches my ears.

“You won’t get away with this. My father will—”

I interrupt him. “Your father may be just as dirty as you and have gotten you off on assaulting Ella,” I turn and face him, “but I have connections too. Do you really want to test me on that?”

It’s been two days since Ella came home from the hospital, and one day since Chase was acquitted of assault charges and released from jail. I know his father, Spencer Leeway, had something to do with. He’s some big shot defense attorney that works in the city. It came as no surprise when the prosecutor said Chase was cleared because he had an alibi. I’m sure his alibi was conveniently one of Chase’s equally rich friends.

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