His hands bunch into fists at his sides. He’s pissed because he knows I’m right. No cop in their right mind, whether from this side of the tracks or the other, would allow a kid to go with someone capable of the things he’s done.
His eyes shoot daggers at me. When they move behind me to the couch, I take a step forward, my arms dropping in preparation to take him down if I need to.
We glare at each other with loathing for several tense seconds, until a small voice captures everyone’s attention.
“Daddy?” Aria says croakily. I look toward the back door and see Aria standing in the doorway, her eyes filling with tears and her face crumpled in pain. Mom’s standing behind her with a hand on her shoulder, her own pain evident on her face as her eyes move from me to Theo. When they land on Jules, her hand flies to her mouth in horror and her eyes glisten.
Theo completely ignores his daughter, not even sparing her a glance. After curling his lip up into a sneer, he turns and stalks to the door. Once he has it open, he turns back. “This isn’t over,” he says with venom. The door slams behind him.
My eyes slide over to Dad to see his jaw jumping as he looks at the closed door. I turn around and get to my knees in front of Jules. Ella is lightly swabbing at the cuts on her face.
Gently, I grab her chin. “Let me see,” I murmur.
There are several small cuts on her forehead, one on the bridge of her nose, and several more on her cheek and chin. The damage looks worse than what it is because they’re head wounds and tend to bleed like a bitch.
“After the police leave, I’m taking you to the hospital,” I tell Jules.
She shakes her head then winces with the movement. She’s no longer crying, but her eyes are swollen and red. “No.”
“What do you mean no? Baby, we need to have your head looked at.”
“I don’t want to go back there.” Her voice cracks. “Please, Luca. I don’t want to go back there.” She grabs my hand and if I were a lesser man, I’d cringe at the crushing grip she has on it. Her eyes are wide and anxious as she pleads.
I unwrap her fingers from mine and bring the tips to my mouth where I lay a kiss against them.
“We’ll let Vicki look over them and see what she thinks.” Relief fills her face. I hate to make the look fade away, but I add, “But, if she thinks you need to go, I’m taking you.” My voice is stern, while still soft.
After a moment, she nods.
Ella scoots over so Vicki can sit beside Jules. She takes over the task of wiping away the blood and cleaning the cuts, looking at each one carefully to make sure there’s no glass embedded in the wounds. I keep Jules’s hand in mine and every few seconds she squeezes my fingers against the stinging pain.
“She should be fine,” Vicki says as she applies ointment over each wound. “They’re superficial so none of them need stitches. Just watch over her tonight. If she shows signs of sluggishness or disorientation, take her to the emergency room.”
“Thank you,” Jules tells Vicki.
Vicki’s eyes turn hard for a brief moment before softening. “You’re welcome.” She leans closer and lowers her voice. “He should have paid more for what he did to you.”
Before Jules has a chance to respond, Vicki gets up, collects the trash, and walks away. I could not agree more with her assessment.
“I don’t want to press charges,” Jules says quietly.
Ella, who has moved back beside her, freezes at the same time my body goes rigid.
“Why?” I ask through a tight throat.
Her gaze stays steady on mine. “Because he’s your brother.” Her eyes flick to Ella. “And he’s your brother.” She looks back to me. “And he’s their son.” Her voice lowers even more. “He’s her father.”
“Jules—”
“No, Luca,” she interrupts. “I can’t do that to her.” Tears fill her eyes and one sneaks down her cheek, sliding over one of the bandages. “I’m not saying she should go back to him. I don’t think she should, but I won’t be the reason she loses her father.”
Everything in me says she’s wrong. Theo needs to pay for what he’s done to Jules, and if I can’t deliver that punishment, then the law should, but the anguish in her eyes, the pure misery at Aria no longer having her dad in her life…. I can’t force her to press charges, even if my mind screams she should.
With a tight jaw, I give her a single nod, and she once again relaxes against the couch.
“Please, Gamma! I wanna see Jules!” Aria cries across the room. I lift my eyes over the couch and see Aria trying to break away from Mom, tears rushing down her red cheeks.
I look at Mom and give her a chin lift. “Come here, Aria.”