Easter's Lilly (26 page)

“
Of course,” he answered. “Am I worried that you will fall back in love with him? Not so much.”

“
I see I shouldn’t have given you so much information.”

“
You’ll be perfectly safe with him. He knows how to use a gun and he still cares for you,” he continued.

“
I can’t believe you would leave me alone with my first lover,” I said again in surprise. “How can you do that with such confidence?”

“
Well,” he said. “Did he make your body quiver with excitement?” I started to feel warm inside. I didn’t say a word. “I can tell by the way you’re looking at me that the answer is no.”

“
Aren’t
we
over confidant?” I was starting to get mad that he wasn’t even a little jealous.

“
Always,” he answered.

“
I want to talk to him before you drop me off there,” I warned. “You remember right, that Dieguito is
his
baby?”

“
I see the irony,” he smiled.

“
Who took care of
me
, Max, when I had John’s baby?”

“
I can’t talk about this anymore.” He took my hands and pressed them against his cheeks. “We have to find them and you have to go to John. That is the way it will have to be.” He was very forceful and I realize that I was supposed to say, “Yes sir,” but I was too frustrated. Leaving me with Johnny was not an acceptable answer.

Chapter 21

Does Anyone Else see the Irony in This?

“
You know you’re going to have to tell Hector who the baby’s father was.” I told him.

“
I know,” he said.” I just keep thinking about how I would feel if your baby wasn’t mine.”

“
I thought you said you would love it like it was your own?” I reminded him.

“
Of course I would have,” he said, taking me into his arms. “But I
really
wanted it to be mine.” He smiled. “Hector will certainly feel the fool when I tell him.”

“
I hate to say this out loud,” I responded. “But did you ever think that maybe he and Jorge raped her and Jorge already knew who the father was?”

“
That has occurred to me,” he answered. “I’m a little surprised it occurred to
you
.”

“
Jorge has expressed an interest in sleeping with me before,” I told him. “I wonder if they don’t share from time to time.”

“
He did what?” Max asked. “And you never told me before because…”

“
He never did anything about it.” I said. “But he did make insinuations from time to time. I wondered if Diego would be okay with that.”

“
You never told your husband?” he asked.

“
As far as I was concerned, Max,” I put my hand on his face, “you were always my husband.”

“
So, you never told
me
?”

“
I was afraid!” I answered. “He’s a scary guy.” I backed away for a minute. “He’s creepy, you know. It’s like looking into the eyes of the devil.”

He pulled me close and hugged me. “I’ll be sure to mention that possibility to Hector. It might help… I’m not sure,” he said. “Would I feel better if they gang raped you or if you freely gave yourself?” he asked. “Probably if you gave it up.” He paused. “It would hurt that you betrayed me but I think it would hurt more that they took it from you.”

“
Okay, I do
not
want to talk about this anymore. If you call Johnny, I’m talking to him.”

He laughed. “I promise, baby girl. I would not leave you with a madman.”

Hector took a few more days to heal than we had expected. Max decided to get me out of town. He was too worried about the fact that they were missing and no one seemed to be able to find them. He went to see Hector in the hospital one more time before we left. “Hey man, what you doing still laying around here?” Max asked.

“
I feel fine,” Hector assured him. “I think it’s a plot to let our crazy brothers find me and kill me.”

“
I doubled the guards in front of your room,” he whispered to Hector. Then he leaned over and quietly said, “I’m taking her to Johnny. Then you and I will meet up and find those bastards together.”

“
I still don’t like it,” I said. “I thought I was supposed to take care of Hector while he was healing.” I was trying to get them to reconsider.

“
Max is too jealous,” Hector added. “Anything to keep us from being alone, baby.”

He laughed and Max said, “Not funny anymore, brother.”

“
Okay, I’ll quit,” he said. “She’s just so easy to embarrass.”

“
Yeah, yeah,” Max responded. “It’s bad enough that I have to leave her with her former lover. Lets not make this any worse than it already is.”

“
I don’t know what you’re worried about,” Hector said. “She never got an…” He looked at me. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“
Shut up you two!” I shouted. “This is personal and a little humiliating.”

“
Not for you, baby girl,” Max added. “Only for him.”

“
Anyway,” I continued. “We will miss you, Hector.”

“
I’ll meet up with you when they let me out. Stay in touch.” Max leaned over and hugged him.

“
I’ll be in touch every day. Stay safe.” Then Max, little Diego and I walked out and headed on our way to Johnny’s.

“
Why didn’t you call him first?” I asked. “Don’t you think he’ll want to know you’re coming?”

“
Probably not,” Max answered. “I personally prefer the element of surprise.”

When we got there, we had been traveling non-stop for a long time. “Where are we?” I asked.

“
Taos, New Mexico,” he answered. “We are officially in the middle of nowhere.”

We got out of the car and looked around. There were a few trees and a small house almost alone in the street. There was another house similar in size not too far away, beside it. I grabbed my son’s hand and we headed towards the door. My hands were sweaty; I suppose I may have been a little nervous. We knocked on the door and Johnny opened it. His face glowed with joy. “What are you doing here?” he asked. He grabbed Diego’s hand and brought him inside. “Can I give him some cookies and some milk, Lilly?” he asked.

“
Sure,” I said. “He’d love that.” He started getting cookies out of his pantry. I noticed he was not nearly as skinny as he used to be. He appeared to have been working out and had gained some weight. I was assuming it was due to the fact that he was clean now. He had to be with FBI everywhere. “This is Johnny, baby,” I said to Dieguito. “He is an old friend of mommy’s.”

“
It’s nice to meet you, little man.” John reached over and shook his tiny hand. “He’s about four and a half now, right?”

“
Yes,” I said. “He’ll be five in…”

“
A few months,” John said. “I know.” Then he turned to Max.

“
To what do I owe this honor?”

“
I know you are considered a flight risk, so I’m guessing that the little house beside this one, is the FBI station.”

“
Yeah,” he said unfavorably. “Those are my jailors. Why?”

“
I need you to keep an eye on Lilly and Dieguito for a while.” Max was looking at the ground, almost ashamed to have to ask.

“
Are you serious?” he asked. “Diego took everything from me.” He looked over at the baby and then me. “You want me to take care of his pregnant wife?”

“
Yes I do,” he continued. “You know, John, you owe me.”

“
How’s that?” he asked. “I’d like to hear this one.”

“
When Lilly came to us, Diego ignored her completely. I took care of her for you. When the baby was born,
I
was there, not Diego. I took care of Dieguito, protected them and loved her sincerely.”

“
Yeah, about that,” John said sarcastically. “Thanks for sleeping with my girl.”

“
I waited four years to sleep with her.” Max looked back up at him and made eye contact. “Seriously, John.” He paused. “I loved her with everything I had but never touched her.”

“
Why?” he asked. “Why would you wait? And what made you stop waiting?”

“
She wasn’t mine to take,” He told him. But he did not offer any further information.

“
So, you want me to take care of Diego’s baby,” he said in a disappointed tone. Max and I exchanged glances but it did not go unnoticed by Johnny. “Oh my God!” he shouted in a voice of revelation. “You got your brother’s wife pregnant!” He smiled and Max returned his gaze to the floor.

“
It wasn’t like that,” I said. “Diego said he wanted to get me pregnant and I made Max sleep with me without protection before Diego had a chance to do it himself.”

“
Made
him sleep with you,” he said sarcastically. “That must have been painful.”

“
That was our first time,” I told him.

“
Look man, it was him or me.” He paused and took my hands. “We wanted it to be me.”

“
Does anyone else see the irony in this?” he asked.

“
Of course we do,” Max answered. “You owe me.”

“
I do owe you,” he agreed. “When the baby’s born, can I name it Johnny?”

“
I had nothing to do with that,” Max replied. “I wish we could change that now, but we can’t, it’s too late.”

“
Sorry, a bad attempt at humor.” Johnny reached out and stroked Dieguito’s hair. “I suppose I can’t complain. It’ll give me a chance to get to know my… friend and her son again.”

“
No touching!” Max said and he looked at me.

“
It’s been five years, Max, I think it’s over,” he said as he smiled at me. “I am so sorry, Lilly for the last time I saw you.” He looked at Max. “I’m sorry about all of it. Getting Lilly shot, trying to kidnap her…” He paused again. “I am clean and sober and I would never hurt her like that again.”

“
Just so we’re clear,” Max said. “I love this girl, and I’m trusting you with her life. Don’t disappoint me.”

“
So, give me the story, Max. Where are you going? After Diego, Jorge and Mick?”

“
So, you do get to see the news.”

“
Where’s Hector?”

“
In the hospital with a gunshot wound,” he answered.

“
Holy crap!” Johnny said. “What’s going on with you guys?”

“
My brothers,” he started. “They are in a state of unrest.” Max laughed a little when he said that.

“
Diego thinks the baby is his,” Johnny said with a twinge of nervousness in his voice. “Oh, this is bad. He’ll try to take her.”

“
Thus, Hector and the gunshot wound.” Max was looking around the house by now. I wasn’t sure if he was just nervous or looking for something.

“
Sure, I’ll take care of them,” he answered. “I could use the company. You know Diana didn’t come with me.”

“
I heard,” Max replied. “I’m sorry about that.”

“
Who is she sleeping with now to get the drugs?” he asked.

“
Do you want me to tell you?” Max answered. “Really?”

“
Are you serious?” Johnny said. It was like they had some kind of language of their own. “She is
not
sleeping with Ray,” he asked in astonishment.

“
Sorry man,” Max confirmed. “I wish I could tell you no. He’s in jail now though if that helps.” Johnny got upset and threw a glass across the room. It shattered in the living room.

“
Okay, rule number one,” Max started. “No touching my girl. Rule number two, no losing your temper.”

“
I know, I know,” he answered. “It won’t happen again. This is just the first I’m hearing of it.”

“
I’d be upset too if I found out Lilly was sleeping with…” He paused. “Let’s say YOU!” He pulled out his gun and pointed it at him. John lifted his hands in the air.

“
I won’t touch her man, I owe you, remember?” Max put the gun away.

“
Just checking,” he said. He took my face in his hands and kissed me. “I have to run, baby.” He went for the door.