Page 15 of Dark Breaker

Because she’s my property now. And I hate it when people touch what’s mine.

I wait a moment, and then emerge. Rosa is gone, but a crowd has gathered around the dude I punched. He points at me, and two campus security guards walk rapidly in my direction.

“Excuse me sir, can we see your student ID card?” one of them asks.

“Don’t worry, I was just leaving,” I reply.

“No you’re not,” the guard says. “You attackedtwostudents on campus now. This is the second.” He speaks into a radio. “We might need backup on this one.”

I retreat back into the bathroom.

“Sir!” the guards says.

He shoves the door open, but I immediately slam it closed, smashing his head. The second guard draws what looks like a taser and fires. I dodge and it misses. I scoop the taser from the holster of the downed man and point it at the second guard, who raises his hands.

“Don’t,” he begs.

I step toward him, and glance in both directions to see if I can any other guards are coming. There are only students watching, and Rosa’s not among them. So I shrug and pull the trigger. The taser strikes the guard and some girl among the bystanders screams.

I take off down the hall. The watching students part to let me through. I’m just glad Rosa isn’t anywhere nearby.

I race out of the building toward the parking lot. Soon I’m headed well away from campus. I roll down the top of my car and exult in the feel of the wind in my hair. There’s nothing like a little excitement to get the blood pumping. I yearn a little for the days when I used to do this stuff all the time. Now I delegate most of the enforcement tasks to the men who work for me.

I pull over and glance idly at Rosa’s schedule on my phone. Apparently that was the last class for her today. I wonder if she’ll be taking the ferry back to Ustica now. I open my phone’s browser and access the ferry schedule. There’s a boat leaving in twenty minutes.

I make my way to the docks and when I arrive I purchase a ticket.

“This is the last crossing for the day,” the ticket agent warns me.

I shrug. “That’s fine.” I’m sure I can find a hotel or AirBNB in Ustica that will take me on short notice. It’ll cost more than prebooking, but I’m rich, so what the hell.

I park in the first available vehicle lane and then scan the other vehicles ahead, but I don’t spot Rosa or her Vespa. There’s a dude on a motorcycle, another dude on a scooter, but that’s about it. Maybe she’ll arrive later.

Boarding starts, and when my turn comes I take the ramp onto the vehicle deck. An attendant waves me forward and I park in the stall he gestures at. I climb out of my car and make my way to the upper deck.

When I arrive I go the front of the boat and lean over the rail. I gaze out across the sea. It’s a beautiful evening.

Finally the ferry gets under way.

I turn around to scan the other passengers, most of whom linger with their friends and families, or alone. No sign of Rosa. Guess she decided to stay in Palermo tonight. Either that or she has other ways of crossing.

I sigh and turn around to stare at the Tyrrhenian Sea once more. I watch the waves rising and falling next to the hull.

Someone leans against the same rail, not far from me. I don’t bother to look at them.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d almost think you were stalking me.”

Rosa.

I turn toward her. Yes, she’s leaning on the rail, but doesn’t meet my eyes, instead concentrating on the horizon in front of us.

I turn from her, returning my own gaze to the sea.

“And what if I was?” I reply.

She doesn’t answer, not immediately. Then: “Was that you who punched in the face of the poor guy who was flirting with me?”

“You saw?” I ask.