Chapter 7 - The Threat
The afternoon sun was setting over Lincoln Park, casting long, orange shadows across the sidewalk.
I was standing outside the private gates of St. Jude Academy, waiting for the 3:00 PM dismissal bell. My heart was pounding against my ribs, Evelyn’s warning echoing in my mind like a siren. I had called Sarah and told her to stay at home while I picked up the kids myself.
The iron gates opened, and a stream of children in navy-blue uniforms poured out onto the sidewalk.
"Mommy!" Maya called out, waving her hand as she ran toward me, her backpack bouncing against her small frame. Leo was walking right behind her, carrying a science project box.
"Hey, my loves," I breathed a huge sigh of relief, kneeling down and wrapping them both in a tight hug. "How was school?"
"Leo won first place in the volcano contest!" Maya giggled, pointing at her brother.
"It was basic chemistry," Leo said, trying to sound mature, though a proud grin broke across his face.
"I'm so proud of you, baby," I smiled, taking Leo's project box with one hand and holding Maya's hand with the other. "Let's get into the car."
We walked toward my SUV parked across the street. But as we stepped off the curb, a dark grey sedan with tinted windows pulled up to the fire hydrant fifty feet away.
The driver's door opened, and a man stepped out.
It was Marcus Vance.
He looked unhinged. His hair was disheveled, his suit wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot and wild. He held a manila folder in his hand as he marched straight toward us.
"Nia!" Marcus barked, his voice loud enough to make several passing parents turn to look.
I instantly shoved Leo and Maya behind my back, my instincts taking over. "Marcus! Stay away from us!"
"You ruined me!" Marcus snarled, stopping five feet away, pointing a shaking finger at my face. "You and your bastard children! You came back into Chicago and destroyed ten years of my hard work in twenty-four hours!"
"You destroyed yourself when you forged my medical records!" I shouted back, stepping backward toward my SUV, keeping my body between him and the kids. "Get away from my children!"
"Mom, who is he?" Leo asked, his small voice shaking as he gripped the back of my coat.
"Shut up, kid!" Marcus snapped at Leo.
Suddenly, a heavy engine roared down the street.
A black Mercedes SUV pulled onto the curb, cutting off Marcus’s sedan with a screech of tires. The driver’s door flew open, and Luca stepped out.
He didn't say a word. The sheer velocity of his movement was terrifying. In three massive strides, Luca closed the distance, grabbed Marcus by his coat collar, and slammed him face-first against the side of his own sedan with a deafening CRACK.
"Touch them," Luca growled into Marcus’s ear, his voice a guttural, demonic whisper that sent a shudder through everyone on the street, "and I will bury you so deep in the Illinois penal system you will forget what the sun looks like."
"Luca... wait!" Marcus gasped, his face pressed painfully against the metal of his car door.
Two plainclothes police officers—who had been following Luca in an unmarked car—instantly moved in, grabbing Marcus and pulling him back, snapping handcuffs around his wrists.
"Marcus Vance, you are under arrest for extortion, corporate fraud, and harassment," the lead officer declared, dragging the struggling former executive toward the police cruiser.
Luca stood on the sidewalk, his chest heaving, his tie crooked. He didn't look at the police. He didn't look at Marcus.
He slowly turned toward us.
His dark eyes found Leo and Maya, who were staring at him with wide, shocked eyes from behind my dress. Luca lowered himself down onto one knee right there on the wet pavement, his hands trembling as he rested them on his knees.
"Are you okay?" Luca asked softly, his voice gentle, devoid of all violence. "Did he touch you?"
Leo stepped out from behind me. He looked at the giant man kneeling in the street—the man who had just dismantled a threat in three seconds to protect them.
"We're okay," Leo said quietly. He looked at Luca’s face, then looked at his own hands. "Are you... are you our dad?"
May you like
Luca’s breath hitched in his chest. A single tear escaped his dark eye, tracking down his sharp cheekbone.
"Yes, Leo," Luca whispered, his voice cracking with a love so immense it filled the quiet street. "I am your dad. And I am so, so sorry it took me so long to find you."
