"I know what we talked about last night! You guys are too...Look, all I'm saying is you guys are worrying too much about me. I can handle myself."
"We worry because we love you."
"...If you loved me, you wouldn't have been in my house all week. I need privacy sometimes."
"Lexi--"
"Bye. I have more important things to do than waste my time talking to you."
I hung up before Jordan could say anything more. He was my father and he was pretending to care for me? Whatever. He should have cared when he took Ian from me. Maybe then I would love him more. It's just not in me to treat him like the father he wasn't.
No reporters could be seen today, so I opened the gate and pulled around the cul-de-sac. I saw another car in the garage and immediately knew Luca still thought this was his home. Yes, we may share some parts in the deed, but he wasn't welcomed here. It was my mother's house and she gifted it to me. I was going to fight for my home if he wanted to take it, too.
I got out of the car and sighed. The air was full of pollen, so I kind of snorted some in and nearly choked. I hate Summer. There was a bark somewhere far off around the house. So Alex was back? I hadn't seen her since I got out of the hospital. If not for Kathryn trying to get me to agree to physical and mental therapy, I would have been home for good after going to court.
"--stand him! I swear he's doing this for the fun of it. He called saying he was suing me for tax fraud. We've never once partnered with his hospital--" Luca stopped walking when he saw me. "I'll call you right back. Tell Jordan this isn't over." He pulled the phone away from his ear and shoved it in his pocket. "What are you doing here?"
"I should be the one asking you that," I snapped. "...What are you doing here?"
"Last time I checked, we both lived here."
"But, who's name is on the deed?"
"...That doesn't matter."
I smiled and shook my head. Of course that matters. It's my house and I'll have whoever I want in my house. He's not welcomed. He'll never be welcomed. Now is the time to change things. He has Sha'Kayla, so why doesn't he use her to his advantage?
"If you're gonna pretend you don't know what I'm saying, when you return...you're gonna see all your crap outside the gate," I said.
"You can't do that!" Luca exclaimed.
"I can't take my house back, but you can have my kids?" I threw my head back and laughed. "You're too funny, Luca. Too funny. But, I'm not playing around. If you get to ruin my life, why can't I ruin yours?"
⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕
Asher and Brad entered the house with three duffel bags and takeout. What the heck were they carrying? It's not like I asked them to spend the night or anything. Although, that would be great right now. This house has too many rooms that are now vacant. I'll be the only one here. I'll be getting used to living alone. Not unless my friends want to spend the night or something.
I watched them silently as they placed the duffel bags in the living room and the takeout in the kitchen. We convened at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement. I had some really bad memories here, but at least they were going with me. Brad kind of gave me a look, warning me not to do or say anything stupid. Asher isn't supposed to know I've killed someone. He shouldn't know unless someone told him.
"It's better we talk here for a minute. No tell what Luca has put in the house," Brad said. "I don't want him to know what we're planning to do."
Brad made Asher turn around as he put in the passcode. Of all things to remember in my house, he remembers this passcode. What if I'd changed it? That would have been hilarious. The look on his face when he realizes I changed it. Or what if mom had changed it when she got married to Ryder? Now that would have taken a turn for the worse.
The lights flickered on as Brad stepped in. "Now I'm jealous," Asher said upon his entrance. "And Lexi never knew about this?"
I suppressed a smile and kicked at the floor.
"No." Brad chuckled. "I'm lying. She knew about it. Been down here before. Just never seen this part of it. I have technology that isn't supposed to exist for years to come. Let's just say that no one has ever...caught me here."
"It's nice. Better than mine. Bigger than mine."
My head snapped to Asher as he said this. He has a basement like this? I knew he was a psychopath. There had always been something wrong with him since his father was kidnapped. Did he kill for fun? Was it revenge? Has he killed anyone recently? I want to know everything. How has he not been caught?
"Lexi, don't tell me you assumed I was a good guy?" Asher questioned. "You've killed. Brad kills. I do it occasionally. It's not a hobby, but...I do it."
"I didn't think you were a good guy overall," I muttered.
"Overall. Ah, makes sense."
"Okay. We didn't come here to talk about what you do in your free time. I want to discuss Luca. He's getting out of hand with this court thing. I know you both talked about it some time ago, and I wasn't able to attend the small meeting, but I have a little something to tell you both."
I ran a finger down the length of the wooden table that held the weapons I'd used to kill Simon. Brad watched me with his eyes narrowed. What? It's not like I had an obsession with them. It's not like I came down here every night when everyone was asleep to stare at them and imagine if Luca was the one I'd killed instead of Simon. I'm not that type of person.
"I looked into the jury and the judge . You were right, Asher. He planned all of it beforehand, knowing he was going to need people on his side," Brad said. "I saw the recording of the case and...no one seemed to be rooting for Luca. We all know what he's done."
"If we're able to prove he's an unfit father and he tampered with evidence, can't we go back to court?" I asked.
"Of course. I have copies of everything we needed for court. I knew something like this was going to happen. Luca not showing up to work after the earthquake said it all."
"Oh!" Asher put up a finger. "I have a couple of friends who can do more than send him to jail for a couple of months."
"I don't think we need to know their names and what you can do. Just do it."
"Got it. Shall we go look in the bags now?"
Ooh, yes! I want to know what's in the bags.