Chapter 127

Lucas POV

The early morning chill sliced through the fabric of my hockey jersey as I rode my motorcycle to practice.

I thought about Shana as my engine roared in my ears.

After we had gotten back from our meeting with Professor Black, the two of us sat on the couch. I was talking with Shana about hockey when I noticed that she wasn't responding to me.

When I looked down, I saw that she had fallen asleep on my shoulder.

A pang of guilt hit me, realizing that she must've still been exhausted from the past two days. I thought about shifting to take her to her room, but I didn't want to risk waking her up.

Instead, I decided to close my eyes as well. It was only mid-day, but a quick nap couldn't hurt.

However, by the time I woke up, it was already dark outside, and the house was full of the scent of Grandma Jo's cooking.

When I went to see if Shana was awake, I wasn't surprised to see that her eyes were still closed.

Even this morning as I left for practice, I hadn't seen her. She was still in her bedroom.

It seemed as if her body and sleep were finally catching up to her.

My heart warmed at the thought of her sleeping peacefully. It brought me comfort to know that she had felt safe enough in my presence to let herself rest.

I revved my engine as I took a familiar street that led toward the school. But as I glanced in my rearview mirror, my previous comfort was shattered.

There it was, the same black SUV I had seen following me before. It trailed behind me with persistence that sent shivers down my spine.

There's only one person on this planet who would go to such lengths to capture my attention: my father, Kendrick.

My grip on the handlebars tightened as I made a snap decision and veered into the school parking lot.

I had been ignoring his calls over the past few days. I assumed that's what he wanted to discuss with me.

Well, if he wanted to talk, I'd talk.

I parked my bike and strode purposefully towards the black SUV, my heart pounding in my chest. The tinted window rolled down, revealing my father seated inside the passenger seat.

He didn't look pleased.

But that wasn't new. He always looked like this.

My eyes shifted to the driver's seat where one of my father's security guards sat.

Suddenly, the back door of the SUV opened and another one of my father's security guards promptly stepped out, towering over me. His imposing presence was enough to make anyone think twice.

He grabbed my arm, pulling me into the van without a word. I didn't even bother fighting him off, but seriously? I didn't need to be manhandled.

He thrust me into the center of the SUV and my father turned in his seat to observe me.

My face twisted in a mixture of defiance and resignation. "Did you seriously have to order your guard to throw me around like that?"

"I thought it would be a nice touch," my father spoke, his voice calm, cool, and collected.

"That was unnecessary, clearly I was complying." I shot daggers at the guard who still held the door open.

"Give us some privacy," my father addressed his security guards.

The one holding the door open slammed it, and the man behind the wheel left the vehicle, granting my father's wish.

"What do you want?" I asked my father as soon as both of the guards were gone. My voice was laced with irritation.

My father's stern gaze bore into mine, his disappointment evident. "I've been trying to reach you, Lucas. I don't appreciate being ignored. And this isn't the first time you've treated me this way."

I folded my arms across my chest, my resolve firm. "I've had enough, Dad. I don't want any part of this anymore. Isn't that painfully obvious?"

"You're stupider than I thought." My father narrowed his eyes, allowing a dangerous glint to sparkle within them. "You're my heir. You need to be involved in the business and everything that I've built."

"I don't want any part of your business," I said with as much gusto as I could muster. "Don't you understand? Under your roof, I was constantly being controlled. Now, I have the freedom to do what I want."

"You can't just do whatever you want." My father shook his head. "You're still a member of the Busch family. Your actions reflect upon me. Don't be stupid and do something that would alter my reputation."

"That's all you care about!" I finally snapped, feeling my jaw tighten with frustration. "You only care about yourself. How things look for you."

"This doesn't just involve me, Lucas. It involves you too." My father looked me up and down before asking, "Don't you want to be my heir?"

"Did you not hear me a moment ago?" I asked. "I said I want no part of your business. If that involves my status of heir, I'd rather not have it."

My father's face remained impassive, but I could see the heat that raged in his eyes. He was upset with me, but he was trying to control his anger.

Why? I wasn't sure. Usually, he would let me know exactly how he was feeling toward me.

"It saddens me to hear that, son." My father said in an eerily calm voice. "But there's always your cousin, Hendrick, so I suppose all hope is not lost."

My cousin Hendrick was my second cousin, twice removed, and the only other male relative on my father's side.

I'd only met him once, and I didn't know much about him besides the fact that he was a few years older than me.

My mind suddenly flashed to Shana, to the happiness we had found together at Grandma Jo's. We were together now. I didn't want to throw all of that away for my father.

And I knew I couldn't voice my reasons to my father for not wanting to have the title of heir. He didn't approve of Shana.

Instead, I said, "I don't want to be your son anymore. Whatever else that entails, I'm done."

"You'll regret this, Lucas." My father leaned in closer to me, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "You have no idea what you're saying."

He hinted at the trouble he could cause, the kind of trouble that could shatter the life I had built with Shana. My jaw clenched as I met his gaze, unwilling to back down from his stare.

"Your treats won't change my mind," I replied, my tone steady despite the storm raging inside me. "I'm certain of this."

"We'll see about that, Lucas. We'll see." My father leaned back in his seat with a twisted smile playing on his lips. "Now get out of my sight."

The van door opened as if the guard knew our conversation was over, and I stepped out, my heart heavy with the weight of our confrontation.

I watched as the black SUV pulled away, disappearing into the distance.

As most things went with my father, I knew this was far from over. He would stop at nothing to maintain control over my life.