Easter's Lilly (12 page)

“
I can sleep with you?” I was really excited.

“
You are so cute,” he answered. “Yes, baby girl, you can spend the night in daddy’s arms.” And I did. It was the best night I had ever had. He was right, Diego did not come home in the morning and we took a shower and ate breakfast together before we heard the angry bear slam open the door screaming my name like a crazy person. I gasped and Max put me behind him as he often did and pulled out his gun.

“
Where is she Max?” Then he saw me and reached for me but Max cocked his revolver.

“
I have no problem killing you right now,” Max said. “You raped her and beat her, you bastard!” For a minute, I really thought he was going to shoot him. There was a small part of me that was hoping he would. “We’re not together,” Max said. “I’m in love with her, but she won’t have me.” I couldn’t believe he said that.

“
What?” Diego asked. “Are you serious?”

“
She’s in love with you, Diego, or she was until last night.” I was shocked, confused and sick to my stomach. Diego calmed right down after that. He backed up and sat at the table in the kitchen.

“
How stupid do you think I am?” he asked. “She’s not in love with me.”

“
You have to cut this out, Diego. Stop beating her up. If you’re angry take it out on me. I can take it. She’s a little girl.”

Diego appeared to think about it for a minute. “Lilly, I’m so sorry,” he said. Max put the gun down and stepped aside. He put his head in his hands and said, “I’m so sorry.”

“
No more eating the profits,” Max said. “You know you can’t use
and
sell, Diego.”

“
Come here, Lilly.” He put his hand out for me and Max gave me an approving nod. He put me on his lap and kissed me. Then he looked at my bruise and kissed it. “Forgive me, please.”

“
I already have,” I lied with tears in my eyes. He hugged me and then pushed me up so that he could get up out of the chair. “I have to go to work today, Max.” He started to walk away. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll be back in a few hours.” As he walked off I opened my mouth to scream at him but he shushed me. Then I whispered, “In love with him? Are you crazy?”

“
I had to defuse this,” he said. “He gave in way too soon. He’s up to something.”

We waited about fifteen minutes after he left and he did not come back. We made idle chatter and had some coffee while we waited for the call from the guard confirming Diego had officially left the property. The call finally came in. Max’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Lilly?” He did not have to say another word. I knew what was on his mind. “If you feel up to it…” He paused and smiled at me. “Say something, baby girl, I’m going crazy here.”

I smiled at him and said, “Did you just ask me that out loud?” I had been begging him for months to break his own rules. “Of course I’m ready.”

“
Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Chapter 11

Oh Brother

We started up the stairs and hurried into Max’s room. He and I lay on the bed for what I think was one second, before Hector came flying through the door. “Am I wearing a tracking device, or something?” Max asked.

“
Hurry, Jorge just pulled up.” Hector was out of breath and obviously frightened.

Max jumped up and said, “I’m going to go first, and you follow. Something’s not right.” He ran out the door after Hector and I waited before following. When I got downstairs Jorge and Hector were in each other’s faces and Max was trying to break them up. Olivia was bleeding and bruised and sitting in a corner on the floor in the kitchen, rocking back and fourth.

“
Find my brother!” Jorge yelled at me.

I grabbed my cell and called Diego. “Come home now, Diego!” I said over the phone.

“
What is it, Lilly?” he asked, knowing I would never call him requesting his presence.

“
Its Jorge. Olivia’s bleeding,” I said. “Hector and Jorge…”

“
I’m on my way,” he replied. “Find Max.”

“
He’s here but it’s not good,” I said. He hung up the phone and I said, “He’s on his way.” Jorge backed down from Hector.

“
Jorge?” I asked. “May I please clean her up a bit?”

“
Take her,” Jorge answered. “I don’t want her anymore.”

I took her to the bathroom in my bedroom where we could have some privacy. She was crying and her face was badly bruised. “What happened, Olivia?” I asked.

“
I’m pregnant,” she answered.

“
Pregnant?” I asked. “Why is Jorge so upset about that?”

“
Jorge can’t have children,” she answered. “He’s sterile.”

“
Oh, no…” was my clever response. “How does Jorge know its Hector’s?”

“
I told him. I had to.” She put her hand to her bruised face.

“
Didn’t you protect yourselves?” I asked, feeling very hypocritical about that question.

“
Yes of course,” she answered. “I just can’t believe this.”

“
So, what’s happening down there?”

“
Jorge is throwing me out and leaving me here, I think,” she said. “I hope he didn’t’ kill the baby, when he beat me up this morning.” I was mortified. What have we gotten ourselves into? I cleaned her up and bandaged her cuts. He really threw her around. She wasn’t more than 100 pounds soaking wet. She hugged me and sobbed. “Lilly, I think he’s going to kill me,” she continued as she cried.

“
He came here for help,” I answered. “Let him talk to Diego.” I walked her back down to the kitchen and Diego had arrived. “Thank you, Lilly,” Diego said. “You did the right thing by calling me.”

“
You take her,” Jorge said. “I’m done.” Diego didn’t know what to make of this. Obviously both the younger men took their wives and he was obviously puzzled by the whole thing.

“
Why?” He looked at Hector. “Why?” He glared at Max. “You half-breeds come into our world and you steal from us. Why do you do it?”

“
Look Diego,” Max explained. “When Lilly came here you barely noticed she was alive. You ignored her and she was pregnant and alone. It was easy for me to slide in there and become close with her. It was easy. We have been close for more than three years. You didn’t decide to pee all over her until we found her with Johnny. Then all of a sudden, it was real important for you to sleep with her. You’re too late.”

Everyone looked at Max like he was out of his mind. Jorge took out his gun and pointed it at Max. Diego pushed it down and said, “He’s right, Jorge.”

“
What the hell is wrong with you?” Jorge sputtered. His face was full of hate and I was afraid. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one wishing I were a hundred miles away from here.

“
Lilly and I have only been intimate for a few weeks. Max and Lilly, even if they really aren’t intimate yet, have been close for years.”

“
She is
your
wife,” Jorge responded.

“
Yes but in name only, for a long time.” He paused. “I’ve been watching their improper relationship for many years now, and I never said a thing.”

“
Just put him out of his misery,” Jorge answered.

“
Put it away Jorge,” he said. “Maybe instead of teaching them how to obey us, we need to teach them to love us.” He looked at me and put his fingers on my bruised face. “Maybe instead of beating them and forcing ourselves on them…” He paused and looked at Jorge. “I don’t think we’re teaching them to want us.” Max sat down on one of the chairs and his face changed. He suddenly looked very defeated. “Let’s you, me, Olivia and Hector, sit together in the living room and fix this.” Then he looked at Max and me. “I’m going back to work after this, but the three of us need to have the same kind of talk later.” He put both his hands on my face and I could see Max move towards me from the corner of my eye. “I won’t ever raise my hand to you again. I will fix this. Maybe it’s time we started our own family.” He kissed me, softly and let me go. “I’ll be back by 6,” he told Max, and the four of them walked off into the living room.

Max looked at me with a hollow expression. I had never seen him look so distant before. “I’m going to lose you,” he said. “He’s going to try to get you to fall in love with him. It’s over and I never got the chance to…” He looked at me with tears in his eyes. “I waited too long.”

By this time I was sick of people talking about me like I was property. I took Max’s hand and said, “It’s time, Max.” He was so defeated. He sat in his chair and looked at me with empty eyes. I sat on his lap and wrapped my legs around him. “Its time Max.” I kissed him and ran my fingers through his hair. He instantly responded and I could feel him getting aroused. “Come on…” I insisted. We walked into the hall and could hear them all talking in the living room. We went up the stairs and opened the door to Max’s bedroom. “I don’t care if we get caught,” I told him. “I love you, and I need you to take me and make me your own.” He said nothing. He picked me up and put me in his bed. He kissed me in places I had never been kissed and awakened parts of my body that I didn’t know were asleep. He reached for protection and I knocked it out of his hands.

“
Do you want to end up like Olivia?” he asked me.

“
Yes,” I said. “I want to always be yours,” I answered. “I can’t have his baby, Max. Please don’t make me go there.”

He didn’t say another word. He became enflamed with passion and ripped off my clothes. He brought me to the place only known by Diego over and over again for hours. I tried to be quiet, so I wouldn’t draw any attention to us but I whispered his name in his ear. “I’ve only dreamed about this day,” he said. I wrapped my legs around him and he put his lips on mine to keep me quiet. By the time it was over, we were both spent and exhausted.

“
You weren’t kidding,” I said with a smile.

“
How’s that?” he asked.

“
Definitely the best for last,” I answered. My body felt rejuvenated.

“
Querida.” He pulled me onto his chest. “I need a promise from you.”

“
Anything daddy,” I answered.

He smiled. “You know I can’t resist you when you call me that.”

“
Anything daddy,” I said again.

“
Please marry me when we get you out of this.” he said. “I need to know, that whatever Diego says to us…” He stopped for a second and sighed. “Whatever he says to us that you are still mine.”

“
I need you to promise
me
something,” I added.

“
Anything querida,” he answered.

“
You will never leave me.” He put his fingers under my chin and kissed me.

“
Is that a yes?” he asked.

“
I’d marry you now, if I could,” I answered. “How exactly are you and Hector going to fix this?” I asked.

“
Just know that he is as trustworthy as I am.” He smiled. “In case you ever need him and I am not around.”

“
I’m ovulating, you know,” I said to him. He looked a little panicked.

“
Lilly,” he said with a smile. “I haven’t been with a woman in three years.”