Chapter 20

Luca’s POV

Mara’s leg went into an immediate uncontrolled bounce. I placed my hand on her leg, calming her anxiety almost instantly. Jason and his little friends frowned at me. “Oh. Is something amiss, Mr.Barello?”, Professor Finn McNoel said. I remember him. The last time I saw him was at my father’s funeral. Marabella giggled next to me, distracting me for a second.

I cleared my throat, “Yes. We will discuss that soon. It’s good to see you, Mr. Mcnoel”, I greeted him with a friendly grin. “You too, young lad. Hope the family is doing well”, he replied. Mara’s head snapped up in curiosity at that, making me grin harder. I patted Mara’s leg, “They are doing fantastic. You must stop by for dinner. Ma would be happy to see you”, I said. Professor Finn smiled and blushed, as he walked to his desk.

I took this opportunity to look over at my wife. “Is this necessary?”, she pouted, making me chuckle. “Yes, bambina, I believe it is”, I answered. She chewed her bottom lip and looked back at her book. I didn’t take my eyes off of her. I knew she had more to say. “How do you know Professor Finn?”, she asked, turning her head back towards me. I smiled as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He went to school with my father. They were good friends”, I replied in a whisper, tilting my head slightly. “Oh”, Mara mouthed.

“Now, do you want to come down there with me?”, I asked. “Not particularly. This seems enough”, she muttered. “Are you embarrassed of me, Mara?”, I asked, beginning to get irritated. Her head snapped to mine, revealing her unshed tears. “No. Don’t ever say that”, she snapped. She wrapped her arms around herself and her leg started bouncing again. What is going on with il mia fiero gattina (my fiery little kitten)?

“Then what is it, piccola?”, I asked. “I don’t like attention on me for a reason. It makes me nervous and sick”, she rumbled on quietly, pulling her knees to her chest. She’s having an anxiety attack. I pulled her legs across my lap, and threaded my fingers in her hair. “Marabella, listen to my voice, amore (love). It’s just me and you. It’s always just me and you”, I whispered soothingly. “I’ve got you, bambina. I’m sorry, I did take that into consideration, that’s why I didn’t do it in front of the whole class”, I murmured, only making her whimper.

“I’m sorry, bambina”, I muttered, trying to find the right words to soothe her. “Please just get it over with so that we can leave. I’m hungry”, she mutteres, looking down at my chin. “Only once you’ve kissed me”, I said. Her eyes snapped up to mine, questions burning in them that she refused to ask. She leaned in and kissed me, running her teeth over my bottom lip as she pulled away.

I growled, “We are going to play a game when we get home”, I informed her, as I stood from my seat. She looked at me curiously and nervously, which is to be expected after her spanking this morning. I waited till I was halfway down the stairs before I stopped and called up to her. “Oh, and don’t worry, piccola. You’ll love it”, I winked, making her blush deeply and hide behind her book. I smirked proudly the rest of the journey to the ground floor, where Mr. McNoel stood waiting for me.

“It has been a while, lad”, he greeted me, with a half hug, half handshake. “Two years”, I said. “That long already, my goodness”, he shook his head. “Why do you seem to be following Miss Calsut around?”, he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at me. “Because, she is Mrs. Barello, now. I had to bring her some stuff and she asked me to come to class with her”, I explained. “Oh, I understand now. You want to tell Mr. Greene to leave her alone”, he nodded, knowing exactly why I’m here.

“What do you know of it?”, I asked. “Come”, he said, tilting his head toward the door, before heading toward it. My eyes found Mara’s, as she watched me from behind her book. I winked at her, making her hide her eyes for a moment. When her eyes found mine again, I smiled, knowing she was mine.

I followed Professor Finn into the hall, where he seemed to be deep in thought. “What is it, Mr. Finn?”, I asked. “It is my understanding that Mr.Greene has bullied Mrs. Marabella since grade school. Since they have gone to this school, Mr. Greene has been… unrelenting. He has slapped her, choked her, pulled unfathomable pranks on her and so on”, Mr. Finn stated.

My mouth was open with astonishment. “And no one has ever done anything to stop it?”, I asked, outraged. “Well, no sir. Mr. Greene’s parents are big funders of this school. And poor Mara, she was only scrapping by”, he shook his head solemnly. “Not anymore”, I growled, storming back into the class room.

My vision blurred blood red when my eyes landed on Jason, who stood before my wife’s seat. Rex stood guard beside her, unsure of what else to do. “If you think your pet of a boyfriend is going to get me to leave you alone, you have another thing coming, bitch”, Jason sneered.

When my hand wrapped around the back of the boy’s neck, bones cracked. I slammed him onto the desk, directly in front of my wife, startling her. “Apologize to her, now”, I growled roughly. “Ahh, what the fuck man? Let me go”, Jason whimpered, as I twisted his arm up his back. “Do you know who she is? The woman you daily disrespect. Hmm?”, I taunted, viciously. I drew his twisted arm further up his back, making him yelp.

I forced his head to look at Mara, as I bent over to his ear. “That woman right there is my Queen. A Queen who has command over an entire army of soldiers, me included. Men who will gut you from asshole to appetite, just to see her break a grin. With smiles on their faces”, I whispered.

“She’s a war goddess, little Jason. My war goddess. And you will show her the respect she deserves and apologize to her”, I growled, as I looked up and locked eyes with Mara. I could feel her eyes on me the whole time. So, when I saw the fire burning in her eyes, I knew she was incredibly turned on. “I’m sorry, Mara. It won’t happen again”, Jason weasled.

“What say you, my Queen?”, I asked smoothly, arching an eyebrow at her. She looked from me to Jason, and whatever she saw in Jason’s eyes, she did not like. “I say, break his arm”, she said with a shrug, looking back up at me. “What? NO!-“, CRACK! The sound of Jason’s arm breaking, and then his screams, cut off his own words. I released Greene, letting him fall to the ground.

I bent over him, so that he could see me clearly, through his blinding pain. “If you so much as breathe in my wife’s direction again, I will slit your throat and hang you on your parent’s front porch for them to wake up to”, I promised. I stood straight and looked at Marabella, her eyes had me pinned to my place. Her tongue slowly rolled her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Are you ready, principessa?”, I rumbled lowly, my eyes were stuck on her lips. Mara peeked over the edge of the desk to see Jason curled up in the fetal position, cradling his arm, still crying and whimpering. When she looked back up at me, she had the most precious, devious smirk plastered on her pretty pink lips.

She nodded her head slowly, as she stood from her seat with her bag. I met her on the steps, and took her bag from her to sling it over my shoulder. I put my arm out for her to take, as we descended the steps. “Finn”, I nodded on my way out, showing where the power was held. “Ol’ lad”, he grunted gruffly.