Leo
There haven’t been many times when dad can’t calm mom down. Today is one of those times. Luca slipped out during the night, when mom went to check on him this morning his bed was still made, and the freak out began.
“We’ll find him, mom,” I try to soothe her.
“I’m going to kick his ass myself,” she mutters, completely ignoring me.
“Let’s not forget why he’s done this, it’s not like he’s been taken,” Dad says, and something in his tone manages to shut her up.
She sits at the table and her leg won’t stop shaking.
“Where could they have gone? It’s not like either of them have a car. I doubt she has any money and Luca can’t get into his money yet.”
Dad’s face falls and he rushes upstairs.
“He’ll be okay, mom. He’s trying to protect the girl, he’s smart, he’s not gonna put them in more danger.”
“He’s fifteen, Leo. Until I see for myself, I’ve learned to expect the worst.”
Dad swears from upstairs and both mom and I rush to the bottom of the stairs as he appears at the top.
“I’m going to kick his ass myself. He’s taken everything, twenty thousand dollars and my glock.”
Shit.
The front door opens and we all turn expecting to see Luca, but Slade and Sparky walk in.
“What’s his number, I’ll track him down,” Slade says, and mom sighs a breath of relief.
The old timers have always kept close eyes on us and Slade has tracked us down more times than one when we were teenagers and lord help us if we turned our phones off so he couldn’t pick up a signal.
I walk around them and head outside and sit down on the porch steps. Luca has pissed all over my plans today and I’m pissed with him.
He may be fifteen but he’s strong and he’s not stupid. Whatever he feels for this girl, it’s strong enough for him to go against our parents and that alone, proves he’s old enough to look out for himself.
I should be with India right now and I’m not.
I light a cigarette and pull out my phone. If I’m messaging her, I won’t have time to plan all sorts of shit to pay Luca back.
I listen to the yelling coming from inside and it sounds like Luca dumped his phone outside Slade’s house.
Until I’m told what to do, I’ll see how India is.
‘I forgot to ask how you are feeling today?’
Her reply is almost instant and a grin spreads across my face as I read her words.
‘Real good.’
Another message quickly follows.
‘You?’
‘Yeah, babe. I’m doing real good too. What are you doing now?’
I inhale on the cigarette before it burns down to nothing and flick the butt across the drive.
‘Mom roped me into helping her at the shop. Is Luca back yet?’
At least I know where to find her when Luca decides to show his face again. The fucker better be found today.
‘Not yet.’
I shoot the message back and think of what else to say. This is all new and I realise I don’t actually know much about her. What she likes, her dislikes, everything but the one thing I do know she likes, me.
‘Do you regret yesterday?’
Her message comes through and I frown, rereading her words.
‘Fuck no, why would you ask me that?’
‘Everything normally looks different the next day.’
‘Is it different for you?’
‘Yes, but I don’t regret it.’
“Nor do I. In fact, I liked it so much we’re going to have a repeat later.’
It takes a while for her to reply, I almost think I’ve scared her off.
‘I was hoping you’d say that.’
My dick throbs and I squeeze my phone a little harder than necessary.
‘You’re killing me here, you’re going to destroy me if I don’t see you soon.’
‘I feel like you’re going to destroy me, leaving me wanting you and you’ll go back to being Leo the ass-face.’
I look up and Luca is strolling up the drive. Alone, carrying his bag over his shoulder, he keeps his head down as I stand and walk over to him. I shove my phone in my pocket, knowing I can deal with India face to face in a short time now my baby brother is home.
“Mom…Dad,” I yell over my shoulder, “Luca’s back.”
Now he’s home, I can get on with my day and see India.
“Are they pissed?” he asks, like a dumb fuck.
“What do you think?”
Mom rushes out first and hugs him before whacking him on the arm. Yelling at him, neither he or I can make out what she’s shouting. When mom gets mad, she gets squeaky and good luck trying to get away from her.
Luca looks over her shoulder to dad standing on the porch. When dad gets mad, he goes quiet. It’s much worse than mom’s hollering.
“Babe, let me talk to him,” he finally says and mom sighs.
She looks between the two of them before going inside. Slade and Sparky make themselves comfortable on the porch swing and I’m surprised they haven’t snapped the ropes and landed on the deck. It’s old and no one has sat on it for years.
“Get up here, boy,” dad growls, leaning against the post and lights up a cigarette.
Luca takes his time and stands before dad, waiting for his ass ripping. I’m sticking around for this.
“I get that you wanted to help your friend, I get you didn’t trust anyone but yourself to keep her safe, and I get that you thought you were doing a good thing. It makes me proud as fuck that your mom and I raised such a decent kid, but we didn’t raise a fuckin’ thief,” he snarls.
He takes a drag on his cigarette and exhales the smoke before carrying on.
“You’ll put every fucking penny back and my gun, and you’ll do it now.”
Luca’s throat bobs heavily and he drops his gaze from dad.
“About that, I don’t have it anymore, when I woke up she was gone and so was your money and gun.”
This isn’t good. Dad doesn’t say a word. His stare is hard and so cold it sends a shiver down my spine.
Sparky lets out a low whistle and the vein in dad’s neck bulges. He steps closer to Luca, and you can see him physically fighting the urge to kick his ass. He quickly turns and heads inside.
Sparky pulls himself up from the swing bench and walks over to Luca.
“You’re lucky your dad doesn’t raise his hand to you, cause you’d be bleeding all over the yard right now if he did.”
“I didn’t want him getting her back. He always gets away with it. She has bruises and has a couple of bad scars because of him. She has to live with them forever, you wouldn’t know what that feels like for a girl.”
He might not know how it feels for a girl, but Sparky knows how it feels to live with scars. The scar on his cheek is a constant reminder of when he was captured back in the day.
“I know more than you think I do. You should’ve trusted your old man to help her. If you saw some of the things he went through for your mom, you’d realise you ain’t so different.”
“Luca!”
Dad beckons him inside and Sparky nudges him towards the door.
I take out my keys and head for my bike.
“Now he’s home, I’m out,” I yell behind me.
“JJ said you were out of town today with a girl you’ve got yourself. You’re a good brother to Luca,” Sparky tells me.
“Like you said, he’s my brother.”
I leave Luca getting the riot act in the house and ride into town. I park up across the street from Kristen’s shop and scout around for her car. India’s ride is out front of the store, but I can’t see Kristen’s car.
I cross over and see India playing on her phone through the window. I take a moment to watch her. I swear she hasn’t changed since last week, but she has in my eyes. I can’t work out why now, or just why, but she has, and I struggle to think about anything but her when she’s not around.
I push through the door and she looks up at the ding from the overhead bell. Her smile blows me away.
“Hi.”
“Hey.”
The silence becomes awkward, and for the first time in my life I’m fumbling over myself around a girl.
“I heard Luca’s home, my dad called my mom and told her.”
“Yeah, the girl slipped away and left town without him.”
“Bless him, how is he?”
“Lucky to be alive,” I snort, “He took my dad’s stash cash to help her and she took it when she ran. Dad was ripping him a new one when I left.”
“Oh my god,” she gasps, “How much did he take?”
“Twenty grand.”
Her mouth falls open, but nothing comes out. Same reaction as dad without the throbbing vein in her neck.
“Anyway, when can you get away from here?” I ask.
Luca is old news now and more importantly, I want my day with the girl in front of me.
“Not till five.”
It’s not what I wanted to hear.
“Meet me at the cabin when you finish?”
“Sure,” she smiles.
“And you don’t have to be worried, if this doesn’t work out to be whatever it could be, I won’t be a dick to you, I always want to be at least your friend.”
I mean it too, I can’t imagine her not in my life in some way. I can’t help myself, I lean on the counter and press my lips to hers. She always tastes of mint from the gum she’s always chewing. Just as I break away from her and step back, the door opens and Slade strolls in and she can’t argue with me about the possibility of being destroyed.
“I thought you were going to see your new girlfriend?” he chuckles and squeezes India’s shoulder as he passes to get behind the counter. I want to punch him.
“I never said I had a girlfriend,” I mumble, not making eye contact with India.
“Whatever you say, what are you doing here?”
Thinking quickly, I lie.
“I was looking at your jewellery selection.”
“I didn’t realise you were such a gentleman, buying jewellery for someone who isn’t your girlfriend.”
Fuck this. I’m going to hear this all over the club later once Slade has gossiped like a bitch.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I get out of there without saying goodbye to India which pisses me off. I only needed a few more moments with her before Slade came in. He must’ve left the house shortly after I did.
My phone goes off and I smile when I see it’s from India.
‘I’ll meet you at the cabin, I get off at five.’