Chapter 10
Early the next morning, Luciana slung her canvas backpack over one shoulder and stepped out of her apartment. The second she looked up, she spotted a crowd gathered near the bottom of the stairs.
Yasmine Wagner and Helga Novett were at the center, surrounded by neighbors. They chattered away as they tried to explain something.
Yasmine raised her voice and shouted, “Y’all don’t worry, our neighborhood’s still safe. That Hunter Greene guy? He’s drunk all the time and never works. He probably just tripped and fell.”
Someone in the crowd pushed back. “No way. Word is he’s got a huge gash in the back of his head and was out cold. How could a simple fall end up like that?”
Helga piped in, “Well, he was wasted. Maybe he fell backward and hit his head on a rock or something?”
Another voice questioned, “Seriously? And just by coincidence, the surveillance cameras around here all glitched out last night? That’s way
too sketchy.”
Luciana stepped through the crowd to sneak a peek. Everyone had naturally formed a circle around a dried, dark–red bloodstain in the middle of the pavement.
Luciana tugged Helga aside. “Ma’am, what happened?”
“Oh hey, sweetheart, you’re here?” Helga frowned, her face all twisted up with concern. “It’s that drunk guy, Hunter–the one who was always following you around. He got himself plastered again last night and fell. He busted the back of his head wide open. They just carried him away a little while ago.”
Luciana mumbled, “Oh… but last night, he…”
Helga acted like she hadn’t even heard Luciana and went right on talking. “Word is, the cops finally got their hands on enough evidence to nail him for all the shady stuff he’s been pulling. He’s not getting out anytime soon. Three to five years at least.”
A woman standing nearby cut in, “I was the first one to find him this morning. Trust me, that was no accident. His head looked like someone had whacked himn, hard. Now that the cops have dirt on him, it’s looking more and more like someone got even.”
Yasmine tried to reassure everyone. “Well, if it was revenge, then that’s just a bad guy getting what he deserves. Either way, our neighborhood’s still perfectly safe, so don’t worry, folks. Nothing to see here. Go on, head home!”
Luciana still felt uneasy, but honestly, it was a relief that Hunter had been taken away. At least now, she could come home after late shifts without constantly looking over her shoulder.
She didn’t have time to linger; she was already running late for class. So, she adjusted her backpack and headed out.
As she passed the entrance to the medical school, Luciana spotted something up ahead–Vivian was standing there, blocking the path of a pretty woman with a fierce look in her eyes. She was clearly ready for a confrontation.
They were face–to–face, both clearly fired up and practically shouting.
The other woman–pretty and sharp–looking–looked pissed and annoyed. Her brows were pinched tight like she wanted to argue but wasn’t sure how to handle Vivian’s outburst.
Vivian had her hands planted firmly on her hips, leaning forward as she yelled at the woman, completely ignoring the curious stares from students passing by.
“Wendy, you have zero shame! Who the hell sends disgusting texts to someone else’s boyfriend in broad daylight? Why not just strip naked and throw yourself onto Nigel’s bed?”
Wendy bit her lip, clearly flustered. “We’re not married. He’s single, I’m single. What I text him is none of your business.”
Vivian let out a dry, incredulous laugh. “Do you hear yourself? Is that what passes for logic these days? After all the years of schooling, all you picked up was how to be a tramp?”
Wendy’s eyes flared wide. “Excuse me?”
Vivian stood her ground, unfazed. “Go ahead, scream louder–let the whole world know you went after someone else’s boyfriend! I didn’t realize the bar for getting into this university had dropped so low. Just by standing there, you’re dragging the whole place down.”
The crowd kept getting bigger, and soon, the place was buzzing. People were talking, non–stop, everyone throwing in their two cents. It was one rumor after another.
Luciana rushed forward and grabbed Vivian’s arm. “Vivian, stop. People are recording this.”
Vivian shrugged her off. “Go ahead and film, I don’t care! It’s not my fault. She’s the fake one acting trashy!”
Just then, Monica came walking around the comer.
Chapter 10
She gave Vivian a quick, condescending glance, then said politely, “Hey, we’re all students here. There’s no need to go off on each other like that. Even if Wendy did do something wrong, did it ever cross your mind how it looks when you’re out here dragging her and yelling at her in front of everyone?”
Vivian rolled her eyes hard. Her voice sharpened like a blade as she said, “I don’t give a damn how I look. Wendy’s the one who crossed the line. Why the hell should I stay quiet? I oughta rip her lying mouth right off her face!”
That was it for Wendy. She stormed forward and grabbed Vivian by the collar. “Watch your mouth!”
Vivian was never the type to back down from anything or anyone, and now that Wendy had made the first move, there was no way she was just going to sit there and take it. She reached out, grabbed Wendy by the hair, and yanked hard. Wendy let out a sharp, pained scream. “I’ll beat the crap out of you, you shameless bitch!”
In a flash, the two of them were tangled up in a full–on catfight. Students from the medical school swarmed around them in layers, some filming while others texted and called friends from other departments to come watch the show.
Luciana’s heart jumped. She shoved through the crowd, desperate to break up the fight.
“Vivian! Stop! Everyone’s watching!”
Just as she was trying to break up the fight, out of nowhere, a massive force slammed into Luciana from behind. It was like a tidal wave came crashing straight into her small frame.
Luciana lost control of her body in an instant. With a startled cry, she was thrown forward. She tried to catch herself but stumbled and hit the ground hard.
Luck ty, her reflexes kicked in, and her elbow caught the fall just in time. If not, the back of her skull would’ve slammed straight into the paven.ent.
Her ponytail came loose, and the elastic snapped somewhere in the chaos.
Off to the side, the fight raged on.
Vrian landed a slap that echoed, and Wendy howled. “Vivian, knock it off!”
“You laid a hand on me first! Why should I stop?”
Around them, students kept watching like it was a free show.
“Aren’t those two the belles of the design department? Why are they fighting someone from the medical school?”
“Get it on video! Post it on the campus forum!”
Luciana pushed herself up, only to feel a sharp jolt shoot through her arm. Shit. Did she just dislocate her elbow?
Before she could gather herself, someone gently scooped up her long hair from behind, gathering it into a low ponytail. The heat of fingers brushing her neck made her gasp.
Thiago was standing behind her. He tied her hair back neatly, then gave it a light tug, gently guiding her backward until her shoulder blades were up against his broad chest.
He glanced at the still–brawling women and said coolly, “Damn, this is wild. It feels like a damn gladiator match. Keep going and you’ll both be suspended by tomorrow.”
