Easter's Lilly

It was Easter Sunday; the day Lilly's life went from safe and comfortable to dangerously unfamiliar. Her transformation takes her from a small town girl having an affair with a low ranked gangster in the Montiago crime syndicate, to a woman of grace and fortitude married to the head of the organization. Easter's Lilly is an inspired journey from the idyllic to the darker side of self-discovery. Read as the over-privileged brothers embark on their journey that twists and turns down the road of unbridled passion in this first book of the series.

Easter's Lilly

Judy Serrano

Copyright Judy Serrano 2010, 2012

Published by Black Rose Writing, Publishing at Smashwords

Black Rose Writing

www.blackrosewriting.com

* * * * *

© 2010, 2012 by Judy Serrano

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

The final approval for this literary material is granted by the author.

Second digital version

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Print ISBN: 978-1-935605-90-4

PUBLISHED BY BLACK ROSE WRITING

www.blackrosewriting.com

Print edition produced in the United States of America

* * * * *

I’d like to thank my husband Miguel for always supporting me. I would also like to thank him for creating yet another wonderful cover for my
Easter’s Lilly Series
.

A special thank you to my boys, Miguel, Theo, Tad and Enrique for allowing me time to write and always encouraging me to follow my dreams.

Thank you to all my friends and readers. Without you certainly there would be no stories to tell.

I would also like to thank my publisher, Reagan Rothe and the staff of Black Rose Writing for all the hard work that they do.

* * * * *

Praise for Judy Serrano and
the
Easter's Lilly Series

“
...One of those books that you just cannot put down.”

—
Melissa Vera,
Adventures of Frugal Mom

“
Judy Serrano is a great author never leaving

a dull moment in the book.”

—
Rachel Simons, blogger
Stressed Rach

“
Judy has masterfully written a love story full of so much passion, courage, strength, and oh, the excitement!
Easter's Lilly
is stuffed full of non-stop action and will leave you falling in love,

yearning for more.”

—
Jodi Baker,
Uniquely Moi Books

“
I tried to sleep but I found myself thinking of the story too much.”

—
Gina Butler,
www
.
ginaslibrary
.
info

“
I read this in two nights… It's a love story with a mobster family twist and it moves fast enough to keep you glued to the pages.

I enjoy the way Judy Serrano tells a story.” 

—
Lisa E. Taylor,
“Lisa @ kssnnikkel”

* * * * *

Chapter 1

Th
e Discovery

I opened my eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. The air had a stench of old cigarettes and stale beer. My eyes caught notice of my skirt draped over my purse on a chair, by the door. This startled me as I reached down to feel what I was wearing. I had on a pair of sweatpants, which fit me rather well and I was grateful I was still wearing the same shirt from last night. I pulled myself up a bit; just to notice the three half smoked cigarettes in the ashtray beside me on the nightstand and a bong in desperate need of cleaning next to it. There were four beer cans by the ashtray, empty and crushed in the middle. I had discovered the source of the smell. Just then I heard the door crack open and a head popped into the doorway. I was startled and jumped a little as he said, “Good, you’re awake.” He had long stringy brown hair and some facial hair on his chin that I was sure he thought was a goatee. His mustache was pencil thin and looked as though it had been painted on his face. He was wearing a hat that was worn back in the old days in gangster movies. He looked about my age, twenty-something, and was very thin. I guessed that it was
his
sweatpants I was wearing after I got a good look at him. “How do you feel?”

“
I’m fine,” I said. “I have a bit of a headache, though. Who are you?”

He approached me at that point and I jerked back. He had on red sneakers and clothing that matched only to the blind. I assumed Good Will was his department store of choice. “I’m Johnny Malone,” he answered. “I already know you’re Lilly O’Hara. We met at the party last night.”

My heart leapt into my mouth, which I was sure was filled with cotton. I was shocked and speechless. Finally after an awkward pause I managed to squeak out, “Did we…?”

“
No, no…” he answered quickly. “I’m nothing if not a gentleman.” I breathed out a sigh of relief.

“
Darla, my roommate Patrick’s girlfriend, helped you change your clothes last night.”

“
But I’m in
your
bed, aren’t I?” I asked.

“
I slept on the couch.” He gave me a crooked smile when I said that. It was kind of charming.

“
Thank you for that.” I was so embarrassed. “Was I drugged? What am I doing here?”

“
I got a tip last night that the cops were on their way to the party. I ran out there to tell Rudy so he could flush the drugs and get everyone out of the house.” He paused. “Rudy, being Rudy, refused and is now spending a little time jail.”

I had to think for a minute. I remembered meeting Rudy last night at the club down the hill from my house. He invited me to a party at
his
house. Then I remembered him inviting me into a back room. I could feel my face flush. It felt like rushing hot water. There was a mountain of white powder on the mirror in the back room. I looked at Johnny and said, “Oh my gosh, I do remember.”

“
You were the only person at the party I didn’t know, so I tried to get you out of there. You came home with me pretty easily. You were very friendly.” He smiled. “I drove your car here and you passed out in the front seat. Pat and Darla drove the other car home.” I was stunned. This was very out of character for me. I don’t do drugs, get drunk or go home with unidentified men. “We poured you into bed and let you sleep it off. You’re Mick’s daughter, right?”

“
How do you know my dad?”

“
Chief of police, right?”

“
Don’t tell me how you know. I don’t think I want to know.” I laid my head back down on the pillow.

“
It’s not like that,” he snickered. “Trust me, Mick would have been furious if he found you there.”

“
I guess I owe you an apology and a thank you,” I answered. “You’re right, my dad would’ve freaked.”

“
How about some breakfast,” he offered. “I work at the Grey Willow here in town. I’m an excellent cook.”

“
If you don’t say so yourself,” I answered. I began to find his eccentricities a little alluring.

“
Really,” he said. “I’m the assistant chef at the restaurant.”

“
Breakfast sounds great,” I answered. “I’m sold.”

I stumbled out of bed as he left me to go cook breakfast. I found his presence oddly comforting. I made the bed, opened the door to the bedroom and looked around for the kitchen. I could smell the garlic and onions mixed with the aroma of the coffee. It drew me like a child to danger. He presented me with a cheese omelet with potatoes incomparable to anything I had ever tasted before. When it was time to go, I carried my heels and skirt and walked barefooted on his pebbled driveway to my car. All I could think about was how I was going to sneak into the house unnoticed. Fortunately my room had a back entrance and when I got home, I slipped into bed and closed my eyes. I noticed my mother’s red head look in and out of the door. I glance at the clock and it was already nine thirty in the morning.

“
I told you she was here,” I heard my mother whisper to my dad. “She must have gotten home late.”

“
She wasn’t here,” he answered.

“
How would you know?” she asked in an agitated voice. “You worked all night.”

“
That’s how I know.” I didn’t hear any more words after that.

I was never more grateful to a stranger. I slept for another hour or so and took a shower. I couldn’t stop thinking about Johnny. From where did he get a
tip
about the police going to the party? Is there a leak in the police department that I needed to tell my dad about? If I did tell him, he would know where I was last night and that couldn’t happen.

I tossed Johnny’s sweatpants in the washing machine with some of my other clothes, looking for a reason to see him again. I finished with the laundry and headed into the living room where my father was sitting. “Lilly?” he asked.

“
Yes, dad, it’s me,” I answered in dismay. I poured myself a cup of my father’s coffee and headed into the living room.

“
Let’s go outside onto the patio and enjoy the view.” I followed him outside and we sat on the very uncomfortable wicker furniture admiring the mountains. “Lilly, I worry about you.”

“
Dad, I’m fine. What are you worried about?” I answered, knowing that somehow he knew that I had spent the night at Johnny’s.

“
I heard you were at the club last night. Meet anyone?”

I paused and wondered what would be an acceptable answer. “I don’t know; a few people.”

“
Lilly, stay away from there,” he answered.

“
Why?” I asked. His face was beginning to acquire worry lines as we talked.

“
I already know you spent the night out there with Rudy and Johnny.” He got up and started to walk around the patio.

“
I’m not sure what the problem is,” I answered. I knew what the problem was but wasn’t sure what to say.

“
Did you sleep with him, Lilly?”

“
Who?” I answered back. I was having trouble swallowing at this point, terrified of being discovered.

“
Okay, let’s stop playing games.” He continued to walk around nervously. “John… did you sleep with John?”

“
No dad, I
just
met him.”

“
You spent the whole damn night at his house. How can you explain that?”

“
Dad, I don’t need to.” I stood up and became very defensive. “What’s wrong with you? I’m 23 years old and he’s just a guy.”

“
That’s just it, Lilly, he’s not
just
a guy.”

“
What are you talking about? He’s a cook at the Grey Willow.”

“
Just stay away, Lilly. Promise me…”

“
Fine. I’ll stay away.” I said it but had no intention of standing behind my words.

“
Good.” He smiled. “Have you given any thought to getting a job?” That came out of left field but I shouldn’t have been surprised. I quit college and was drifting along senselessly for quite a while. “Maybe you could try to find a new place to sing.” I spent a lot of time singing locally before we moved to Sedona, Arizona. “How about finding a job?”

“
Fine, I’ll find a job somewhere.” I got up and went back into the kitchen. I was desperate to see Johnny again and threw the sweatpants into the dryer. It was about a half-hour before they were done and I folded them up and drove as fast as I could to Johnny’s house.