Chapter 4

"I only mentioned to Vivian that the punch you gave me was still sore, and she couldn't wait to hand me your weak spot," Leon said.

Vivian walked into the classroom right then. She saw me pinned down and only asked Leon, with obvious concern, "How's that? Feel a little better now?"

Veins stood out along my clenched jaw as I bit out a warning. "Vivian!"

She looked at me, her eyes cold. "You hit him in front of everyone at the party. Wasn't that the same as hitting me?

"Your dad will only lose a leg. Leon lost his face."

Leon looked at me with open satisfaction, the corner of his mouth curling up, then spoke into the phone. "Do it."

"No!"

I threw everything I had into breaking free, knocking them off balance and snatching the phone away, only to see something I'd never be able to forget.

The man on the other end raised an iron bar and brought it down on my dad's leg without a moment's hesitation.

A scream of agony and the crack of splintering bone hit my ears at the same time.

My legs buckled under me, and I nearly hit the floor.

Vivian's expression shifted. She rushed over to steady me, but all she said was, "Is it really that big a deal? It's not like you're the one who got hurt."

Something closed around my heart like a fist, an ache too sharp for words.

Vivian knew exactly how I'd grown up leaning on my dad, just the two of us. He'd built everything from nothing with me at his side, through every hardship you could imagine, and just when he'd finally made something of himself, it had all collapsed into bankruptcy.

Back then, the Saunders family had reached out to help when everyone else turned their backs, and Vivian had stood up for me against every bully who'd ever looked down on us.

I used to believe we'd trust and protect each other forever.

Looking back now, all of it felt like one cruel joke.

Once her love ran out, everything she'd once felt for me had turned into a weapon, one that hurt not just me, but everyone I cared about.

Something in me snapped. I lunged forward and kicked Leon off his feet, and before anyone around us could react, I stomped down hard on his leg.

When that wasn't enough, I grabbed a broken chair leg from the corner and brought it down on him again and again, without mercy.

Everyone around us froze, stunned by how far I'd gone.

Vivian ignored the murder in my eyes and threw herself in front of Leon anyway.

The chair leg caught her arm instead, and she cried out in pain.

A chill ran through my whole body.

She'd thrown herself in the way to protect him without a second thought, exactly the way I'd once shielded her when the bullies turned on us.

Vivian collapsed into Leon's arms, and he pulled her tight against him.

"Why would you do that? Why would you throw yourself in the way!"

But Vivian wasn't even looking at him. She was looking at me. "Mike, does that make you feel any better?"

I tightened my grip on the chair leg, unable to make sense of what she was doing.

"If you've let out your anger now, then you're not allowed to come after Leon again."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My dad had just had his leg broken on Leon's orders, and Leon himself had barely a scratch on him. And Vivian wanted me to just let it go?

"Mike, I don't want you carrying around this much hatred. It'll wear you down."

Leon rubbed his leg, watching me with a look of pure malice.

"Vivian, the one who never lets a grudge go is Leon. All I did was give him back what he gave me. Say that to him, not to me."

Her expression twisted, incredulous. "I already told you, your dad's broken leg was only payback for the punch you threw at him in front of everyone. That's not a reason for what you did to Leon's leg!"

I laughed, furious past the point of words.

I wasn't going to waste another second arguing with her. I shoved her aside, hard, grabbed a chair, and swung it straight at Leon.

If I didn't make him regret this today, my name wasn't Mike Teegan.