Easter's Lilly (15 page)

“
I thought he said he was in witness protection?” I asked, getting a little confused at this point.

“
Witness protection is for amateurs,” Hector added. “Pack a bag Max, let’s go get him.”

“
I want you to do it,” Jorge said to Max. “I want him dead, you hear me?”

“
Not more than I do,” Max answered. “Let’s go pack.” He and Hector walked off and headed upstairs to pack a bag. I was shocked at Max’s ‘hit-man’ attitude, but I guess that is who he was before I met him. He probably just kept it away from me. “I’m not leaving until they get back,” Jorge said to Diego. “Then I’m taking Max with me.” Diego didn’t say anything and Jorge walked out the front door. I looked at Diego for some kind of confirmation that he wasn’t taking Max but he said nothing. Finally he took my hand and we went into the kitchen.

Chapter 14

You Do Hate Me

“
Lilly, let’s talk about having a baby.” I looked at him trying to find the strength to look positive about this. “You did promise to love and obey me and you’re not doing a very good job.” He was half kidding but looked a little serious.

“
Now?” I asked. “You want to try now?”

“
Why not?” he answered.

“
Have they left yet?” I asked. He seemed disturbed by my question. He picked up the radio and said something in Spanish over it.

“
They’ll call me when they go,” he answered. He walked away for a few minutes and my stomach began to feel sick. When he came back in, someone on the radio said, “Max and Hector have left the property.” They said it in English, which surprised me. I have never heard Max or Hector speak in English on the radio. He took my hand and walked me to his bedroom. Our bedroom.

He put me on the bed and undressed me rather quickly. He got on top of me and started kissing my neck. He was calling my name out when the door opened and I heard Max say, “Diego, what is so important, I have to go…” He looked up and saw us and I screamed bloody murder.

I grabbed a blanket and shouted, “Oh my God Max, I’m so sorry!” I tried to push Diego off of me but he wouldn’t free me.

“
You pig!” Max said to him and looked away from us. “I should have left you on the floor bleeding.”

“
But you’re not that kind of man Max,” Diego replied. “She’ll be pregnant by the time you get back. So, don’t even think she’ll be waiting for you.”

“
Don’t you have any respect for her?” He shook his head. “I have to go.”

His head was still looking away from us when he said, “Lilly this doesn’t change anything between us.” Then he looked up at me for a second and in a weak voice said, “I love you,” and he closed the door.

I could hear his footsteps walking away from our bedroom in the hall when Diego got violent with me and started pinning me down. I began to scream and I could hear Max’s footsteps coming back. I know he said he would never get involved in the bedroom but I think he was changing his mind. “Diego, stop!” I said. “Diego don’t! You promised!” He stopped immediately and collapsed beside me on the bed.

“
You’re right,” he agreed, “I did promise. I always keep my word. It just makes me so mad when I hear him tell you he loves you. You are
my
wife.”

He turned to me and took a deep breath. Then he wiped the hair from my face and kissed me. “If we’re going to have a baby together, there’s only one way to do it you know,” he said with a smile.

“
You didn’t have to do that,” I scolded. “You didn’t have to call him in like that.”

“
I want him to have that image in his head while he’s away.” He started stroking my hair. “I want him to move on and get over you.”

“
Please don’t do that again,” I asked. “Please, if you want me to treat you like a husband, you have to treat me like a wife.”

“
Is sleeping with my brother, treating me like a husband?” he asked.

“
Is smacking me around, treating me like a wife?” I asked.

“
I guess it depends on whose wife,” he answered with a smirk. Then he got serious and said, “You’re right. But Lilly, once you’re pregnant you’re mine and it’s over with him.”

“
I know,” I said. “I know.” He was much more gentle with me when we finally started to touch and I heard Max’s footsteps go away from the door. It was breaking my heart and I was in absolute pain knowing he would be gone for three days. I still couldn’t believe he was going to kill someone. This whole life was unbelievable sometimes.

We made love so many times in those three days that I was sick all the time. He wanted to be absolutely sure that I was pregnant before Max got back. I was supposed to be ovulating during those days, so he was pretty confident. When the three days were over Diego, Jorge and I were waiting in the kitchen for their eminent return. They walked in and Jorge said, “Is it done?”

Hector replied, “Done.”

“
Did he suffer?” Jorge asked.

“
That son of bitch, got what he deserved,” Max answered.

“
Yeah, Max was not in a good mood, to say the least,” Hector told them. Diego smiled. Max pulled a beer out of the fridge and walked out the back door without even a glance at me. The three brothers started talking in Spanish and I slipped out the side door and tried to catch up with him. It was dark and the property was large. The stars were shining brightly and the sky was lit by the full moon. “Max,” I called. “Max!” He slowed down and looked back at me. He smiled and held his hand out for me to take it. “I’m sorry querida,” he answered. “I just wanted to spend some time by the creek before I was banished.”

“
Without me?” I asked. “You
do
hate me,” I continued. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes and my heart rate accelerate.

He stopped walking and put his free hand on the side of my face. “Baby girl, you are my whole world. I don’t hate you because of Diego.” He took my hand back into his and we walked to the creek side. “I’m going to miss you,” he said. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. He put his beer down on the rocks and picked me up into his arms. He carried me to a wooded area and put me in the grass as he lay down beside me. He pushed me underneath him, put one hand under my hair behind my neck and one on my back as he pulled me close. We kissed like it would be our last time. He moved his lips slowly down my body and rested them on parts never touched by Diego. I moaned in pleasure, which only inspired him more. He continued to caress me with his lips and I prayed that the moment would go on forever. He traced his lips down my body undressing me as he moved being careful not to miss a spot. As his lips reached the inside of my thighs, I shivered with excitement. He made me feel things I didn’t think possible and he made love to me right there in the dark, under the stars. He brought me to heights over and over and I held onto him with my last breath. He covered my mouth with his to keep me quiet but it was to no avail. I had never reached the places he took me before that night. I was so overwhelmed with emotion that there were tears running down my face. When he was done loving me he helped me get dressed again. It was hard to do. We knew he was leaving soon. We saw three figures in the dark as Max was getting himself dressed. “Oh no!” He grabbed my hand and pulled out his gun with the other. “I’m sorry Lilly.” He put me behind him. It was Jorge, Diego and Hector.

“
Do you think they saw us?” I asked.

“
I think they
heard
us,” was his reply. He smiled and kissed me one last time. “Lilly if they shoot me, let Hector take care of you.”

“
Max,” I whispered, “don’t say that.”

It wasn’t long before they were right there upon us. Jorge pulled out a gun and pointed it at Max. “In the air, half-breed!” Max pointed his gun right back at Jorge. “Diego, a gun?” Max asked. “Come on…”

“
Making love to my wife five minutes after you get here. I can’t believe the nerve you half-breeds have,” he responded.

“
How long were you standing there?” I asked.

“
Long enough that he paid me back,” Diego answered. “Lilly, when you’re having an affair, silence is a virtue.” He tried to walk around Max to grab me but Max moved me out of reach.

“
Look,” Diego said. “Jorge, they’re faster than us and we can’t beat them.”

Jorge continued to hold the gun up at Max. Max still unwavering with his gun pointed at Jorge.

“
Come on boys,” Diego continued. “We all have guns here. Lilly is probably pregnant with
someone’s
baby. She’ll end up being the one who gets hurt. Drop the guns.” Jorge lowered his weapon. Max did the same.

“
Did you use protection?” he asked Max. Max said nothing. “Did you use protection? I have a right to know.” Max still said nothing. “I have to send you away, Max.” He looked a little disappointed. “I don’t want to kill you, so Mexico is the only way. We can’t live together anymore.”

I think I lost my sanity for a minute. I threw myself at Diego’s feet and began to beg. “Please Diego, please don’t send him away. Please… I’ll do whatever you want. I won’t ever see him again. Please…”

Max started to approach me when Diego said, “No, take him to the house.” Jorge pulled Max by the arm and shoved him in the direction of the house. Diego tried to pick me up off the ground but I kept pleading with him. Hector scooped me up off of the ground; I put my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. Diego led us back to the house. Hector let me back down and we were standing behind Diego. Jorge put his gun up to Max’s temple and cocked it. Max closed his eyes. I think he was giving up. Hector pulled his gun out so fast I didn’t see his hand move. “I swear to God if you kill him, I will drop you before he hits the ground!”

“
Boys, put the guns away,” Diego ordered. But no one listened. I had to do something. I remembered that Max kept his gun in his waistband in the back of his pants. I wondered if Diego did the same. I reached in front of me and grabbed for Diego’s gun and that is exactly where it was. I held it up and pointed it at Diego. Hector and Jorge instantly lowered their weapons.

“
If I had known that pointing a gun at the favorite brother would have such an effect, I would have done it a long time ago,” I said.

Then at the same time Hector and Max both spouted, “He’s not my favorite brother.”

“
This is not funny!” I screamed. “I am trapped in this house and I have no choices!”

“
Lilly,” Max said. “Don’t shoot Diego, shoot Jorge.” I continued to point the gun at Diego. Although I had always found Max’s humor charming, right now, I was not laughing. Jorge hit Max in the back of the head when he said that and I shouted, “Don’t tempt me Jorge, I’d rather see you dead than anyone else here!”

“
Max, get the gun,” Diego said calmly.

“
I can’t do this anymore,” I continued. “I don’t want to have sex with my husband and make love with my lover anymore. I can’t do it!” My hands began to shake. “You can’t take him from me! I need him! You can’t take him from me!”

“
Max,” Diego said, “do something.”

“
I don’t want to live anymore,” I told them and I moved the gun from Diego and pointed it at my temple. I heard all four men gasp and say, “No, no, no…”

“
Oh my God,” Hector gasped. “I think you two have pushed her as far as she can go. Max, get the gun.”

“
Lilly…” Max walked over to me and had a very calm tone in his voice. “Remember, you might be pregnant. We’re talking about a baby.”

“
I don’t want to have Diego’s baby!” I shouted. I started to feel overwhelmed and confused. I had been with Diego so many times over passed few days; I was feeling disoriented, trapped and desperate.

“
Am I pregnant?” I asked him.

“
Lilly, hand me the gun,” he said.

“
Am I pregnant!” I began to lose control of my voice.

“
Baby girl. If you hurt yourself, you could hurt the baby.” He took a step closer. “Now, don’t move and I’ll take the gun.”

“
NO!” I screamed. “I want to die, Max.”

“
Lilly please…” His eyes began to fill with water. “Please do what I say and give me the gun.”

“
He’s making you leave me,” I reminded him. “You’ll have to move on with another woman and I’ll still be here, pregnant with Diego’s baby. I don’t know how you watch him touch me over and over again. I can’t watch you marry someone else.” I was losing control, I was aware of that. My emotional pain became physical.

“
Max…” Hector was beginning to panic. “Max, what’s happening?”

“
Lilly, there’s no one else. There will never be anyone else.”