Page 31 of Breaking Rules

I was still staring at Alec, mouth hanging open in shock when Keli came running up behind him.

“Alec! Are you okay?” She grabbed his hand. “It was so brave of you to defendEvanne’s teacherlike that. Did you see that, sweetie?” She looked down at Evanne. “Your daddy is such a good man, sticking up for yourteacherlike that.”

I’d had enough. I appreciated Alec’s gesture, especially since it meant I didn’t need to try to explain to Principal McKenna why I’d kneed the vice principal in the nuts, but that didn’t mean I wanted to stick around to hear Keli fawning all over him.

It had nothing to do with the emphasis she kept putting on the fact that I was Evanne’s teacher, like she didn’t know that Alec and I’d spent the night together last night. I would’ve preferred she came out and said what she really thought of me instead of that underhanded shit too many people pulled.

Nineteen

Alec

I yankedmy hand away from Keli and stuck both of my hands in my pockets to remind myself that it wouldn’t be smart to punch the bastard again. I’d seen red when he’d threatened Lumen, and that slip of control might end up costing me, but my gut said this arsehole was a coward, and he wouldn’t want to have to explain to anyone the reason why I’d hit him.

I looked away from the man sluggishly getting to his feet and saw that Lumen was gone.

“Shite,” I cursed under my breath. I needed to talk to her now more than ever. In addition to wanting to explain about our unexpected visit this morning, I wanted to know how long thisclot-heidhad been harassing her.

“Daddy, what happened?” Evanne’s voice brought me back to myself.

“What was that,mo chride?” I looked down at her.

Her eyes were huge, but she didn’t look upset. “What happened?”

The vice principal was limping away now, shooting furtive little glances over his shoulder. Fortunately for me, the entire incident had taken place in a shadowed alcove just out of the main traffic area, so it didn’t appear to have raised any alarms. If Harvey was smart, he’d claim he fell on his own, and if anyone had seen anything, they’d assume that was what had happened.

“What did you see?” I kept my tone casual, but whatever half-truth I told would have to be based on what Evanne had seen with her own eyes. I wouldn’t tell her I hadn’t done something if she’d seen me do it.

“Mr. Harvey on the ground and Ms. Browne looking weird.”

I gave Evanne a crooked smile. “Mr. Harvey must have tripped on something and surprised Ms. Browne.”

“Don’t be modest, Alec,” Keli said, wrapping her arms around me. “Evanne should know what a brave man her daddy is.”

“Keli.” I gritted my teeth. “No.”

She gave me the same patronizing smile she’d always given me right before she announced how foolish I was.

“Mr. Harvey and Ms. Browne were talking,” Keli said, looking down at Evanne. “And Mr. Harvey must have said something mean because your daddy told him that wasn’t right.”

“And then he tripped?”

Keli leaned into me. “Yes, sweetie. Then he tripped.”

What was she playing at? She could have told Evanne that I’d punched the vice principal and hoped that it would make Evanne upset with me, or even afraid of me. She could have drawn attention to the situation and made people question exactly why I’d been so quick to defend a teacher I supposedly didn’t know.

When I’d stepped away from the kiss she’d planted on me this morning, I had fully expected retaliation of some kind. She’d remained at the house all day, and I’d waited for the other shoe to drop. Then she’d announced that she was coming to the meeting with Evanne and me, and I’d thought she would perhaps say something in front of the principal. Instead, she’d been quiet and pleasant.

Things between us had never been acrimonious, but this wastoonice.

Something was going to come back to bite me in the ass.

“Daddy.” Evanne tugged on the arm Keli wasn’t currently hanging on. “Can Mommy sleep over tonight? She said she’d take me to a movie tomorrow, and this way, she could be there when I wake up.”

How was I supposed to say no to that?

“All right,mo chride. But you still have to get your homework done before you can go to the movie.”

“Okay.” She beamed at me. “Mommy can help me.”