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Janelle’s voice filters through the buzzing rage in my mind, her words a poignant warning.Do. Not. Speak. To. Anyone.My day has gone from bad to worse and I don’t need to add extra crap to the pile, so I bite my lip before I say anything he can use against me. Taking a deep breath, I get control of myself.
“You need to leave,” I say forcefully, shutting the door in his face. At least, that’s my intention. His hand slams against the wood, preventing it from closing. The sound is deafening. So sharp and close to my face that I jump and let out a terrified shriek. Fear spreads through my veins like ice, but even through the terror, I’m wildly pissed off that I made that sound.
“You’re going to regret this,” he hisses at me, spittle flying in a disgusting display of fragile ego. I’m about to open my mouth and shout for Luis to call 911 when I see Mateo storming up the driveway behind Grimaldi.
Shit. There’s probably no explaining this situation away, but that’s not my biggest fear right now. Grimaldi’s threats are meaningless compared to the expression on Mateo’s face. His eyes are dark storms and even from here, I can see the hard set of his jaw.
Mateo was always a gentle giant, but if there’s one thing that riles him up, it’s a bully. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s gotten into exactly one fight. A trio of boys in my fourth-grade class cornered me on the playground, mocking me for being an orphan. They said my grandma only took us in because she had to. That no one gave two shits about me or my brothers and sisters. I remember standing up to the ringleader just in time to see Mateo come in swinging.
Add eight years of intensive military training to an overactive protector complex, and it’s not hard to see where this is going. Neither of us can afford for him to hit Grimaldi right now. The law would be on our side, but I have zero doubts that the disgraced doctor would drag Mateo through civil court just to punish me.
6
Mateo
If I could stop shoving my foot down my throat, that would be great. How does every single interaction with Julia end up with me saying something stupid? I’m only a couple minutes from her house, so I turn around and head that direction. Whether I should apologize or try to insist on taking my dad home, I’m not sure yet.
I’m still stewing as I turn onto her street. As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point about being the best person to take care of my dad. Not just because she’s a nurse, but because Dad adores her and he’ll do anything she asks. She’s way more likely to get compliance out of him than I am.
There’s a red BMW taking up her driveway, so I park on the street. Glancing up, I see a short, stocky man slam his hand on Julia’s front door as she tries to shut it in his face. Even from out here, I can see her face go pale, eyes widening in shock and fear. She lets out a panicked sound that sets off something in my brain. I’m out of my car and storming up the drive before I even register the fact that my legs have moved. My pulse is pounding in my ears as I approach, but I can still hear the hatred in the man’s voice.
“You’re going to regret this,” he spits out. Julia’s eyes flick up to mine as she spots me coming. For a split second, I see relief flash across her face, but then her walls go back up, her chin tilting up.
“Mateo, stop. Don’t hurt him.”
Hurt him? She must be joking. I don’t just want to hurt him. I want to rip him limb from limb. If Julia doesn’t want me to hurt him, he better get his ass out of here.
The man turns, peering up at me. His bravado evaporates as he assesses the situation. Maybe he’s not as stupid as he is ugly. It’s clear from his body language that he views me as a threat, and if he doesn’t move his ass far from Julia in the next five seconds, he won’t be wrong. Clenching my jaw, I stare him down as he scoots around me. He gives Julia one last glance before climbing into his car. I stare him down as he backs out and speeds away.
As soon as the car is out of sight, I round on Julia. She watches me through her lashes as I step wordlessly over the threshold, pressing her back into the house and shutting the door behind me, locking the deadbolt. She leans against the wall, confident facadealmostin place. If I didn’t know her as well as I do, I might be fooled, but her breathing is too shallow and there’s a tightness around her eyes that’s giving her away.
“What was that, Julia?Whowas that?” I ask, gentling my voice as much as I can.
“Nothing. He’s no one.” She looks away, her voice hollow.
“That wasn’t nothing. He was threatening you.” My words come out ragged.
“Well, he’s gone. You got rid of him. Well done, G.I. Joe.” She swallows and pushes past me. “Luis is in the guest room,” she says, pointing toward the back of the house. I watch as she walks down another hallway, disappearing without a backward glance, her hand trailing along the wall like she’s using it for support.
I may not know what the fuck is going on, but that isn’t the Julia I know. Something is deeply wrong and I’m not leaving until I know she’s safe.
Making my way to the back of the house, I follow the sounds of engines revving and guns shooting. I knock on the door and hear the movie pause.
“Come in,” Dad calls out. He grins as I open the door and step inside. Julia has him tucked into a king-size bed with a big white comforter.
“Nice digs,” I tease.
“Yeah, well, Julia worries about me.” He looks around the room and rolls his eyes. “This is overkill but...” He shrugs and I get it. He’s always had a soft spot for the Donovans, Julia in particular. “I suppose you’ve come to drag me back home?”
“I was… but you look comfortable and that TV is bigger than the one at your place.”
“And you don’t want to cross Julia,” Dad smirks.
“Choosing my battles… Did Julia say anything to you? Has she mentioned anything bothering her?”
Dad looks genuinely confused. “No, why?”
I debate telling him about the man I just ran off, but the words stick in my throat. No stress. That’s what the doctor said. If I tell him I just caught a man threatening Julia, there’s not a force on this Earth that could make him rest.
