Easter's Lilly (41 page)

“
That’s my baby girl,” he said. We made love in that same spot and I clung to him like it was our first time. We breathlessly touched and reconnected until there was almost nothing left. When he finished loving me, we headed back to the house. “Are you okay?” he asked me.

I stopped walking and threw my arms around his neck. “Kiss me,” I said. He gave me a blank stare. “Kiss me!” He moved his lips onto mine and we inhaled each other so deeply that we almost didn’t make it back to the house.

“
I think we need to do this more,” he smiled. “Keep you busy.” I laughed. When we got to the house, the boys were waiting for us.

“
Man, for how long can you go?” Hector looked at his watch. “We’re almost late.” We got in the car and headed for the courthouse.

It had been almost a year before the trial had ended. With my favorite holiday around the corner, the trial coming to a close, we were all ready to go our separate ways. Jorge was finally sentenced. We were all there for the final day. Jorge made sure to stare us down just before the verdict. He was sentenced to the death penalty. Diego gasped. I don’t think he was expecting that. When they carried him away he shouted violently to Hector, Max and Diego and laughed like a madman. Of course I had no idea what he was saying but all three of the brothers were motionless. “Clue me in.” I leaned into Max’s ear.

“
I will get you,” he whispered. “Traitors, liars and fools. You will all pay. I will hunt you down and…” he stopped. “You get the idea.” I was sure he said something about me somewhere. But he was so not going to tell me that. We watched him get dragged off and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “I won’t forget you Lilly!” were the last words we heard. Max put his arm around my waist and pulled me close, I think it was simply an instinct of protection. History had been made. One of the largest drug cartels had been exposed and somehow I was right smack in the middle of it all.

Chapter 31

Home

Diego and Hector were planning to help us move to Sedona after Easter dinner. We were so looking forward to leaving this town and starting over. Diego had refused witness protection after all and Hector was going back to Las Vegas with Diego after our move was complete. Diego insisted that we go to church, so I gathered as many church clothes as I could for all my boys, and that included my husband. Even the baby was wearing a suit. We were all very excited. Okay, I was excited. Three handsome men on my arm, my boys in their good clothes and our first time as a family in church. My dad’s hearing was approaching and Max would have to take care of that when the time came, but I wasn’t going to accompany him to Las Vegas this time. He decided that I would never step foot in that house again. If we were to see Diego, he was not allowed to be alone with me. It was funny on some level, I’m sure. I was in the living room with the baby. Diego and Max were finishing their morning coffee and Hector asked if he could hold the baby.

“
Happy anniversary, you two,” Hector said, cuddling the baby.

“
Yeah, happy freakin’ anniversary,” Diego said sarcastically. They all laughed.

“
Max, I am so happy for you. This is what I want. A house, children and most of all a beautiful wife who adores me.” Hector was letting the baby wrap his fingers around his own much bigger finger.

I sat on Max’s lap and he put his coffee down and kissed me. Everything was perfect. “Come on now,” Diego said. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later. Let’s get Dieguito and get out of here. It’ll be hard to find parking if we’re late.”

We started getting ready for church and Diego met me in the kitchen. I was getting the baby’s formula ready. “Lilly,” he said. “I’m not going away.”

“
Diego, really.” I looked around for Hector. He seemed to be Diego’s guard but he wasn’t in the room. “We’re not supposed to be together.”

“
If I can touch you for one minute.” He looked around as I did. “I’ll take the chance.” He reached up and touched my face. “I know you love that.” I smacked his hand down as Hector came in and put his hands on my shoulders.

“
Come on, baby girl,” he said. We knew he was trying to make a point. “Time to go see your husband before I call him in here,” and he pulled me away from Diego.

We heard a knock at the door and Hector changed gears. He turned back around and Diego grabbed me. Diego pulled out a gun and Hector said, “Watch her.” Hector pulled out his gun and I looked up at Diego. “Easter,” I said. “Always on Easter.”

Diego put me behind him and looked out the kitchen door. We saw a well-dressed woman standing there. She had long dark hair and light skin. Hector was at the door and Max was behind him. As soon as Hector opened the door she put her hands in the air. “My mother is Cammy Malone and she sent me here.” Diego put his gun away and we exchanged looks.

“
Wait!” I cried. “Let her in.” I rushed to the door but Max grabbed me.

“
Go ahead and check me,” she said. “I’m unarmed.”

Max took her purse, “Do you mind?” he asked.

“
Go ahead,” she said. He looked through it suspiciously.

Hector frisked her and definitely enjoyed it too much. She made a face. “Are you sure you checked every inch of me?” she asked him. “Should I get naked for you?”

Max yanked Hector backwards. “Sorry about that,” he said. “My brother is a little… zealous sometimes.”

“
You must be Maxwell,” she said to Hector. Max laughed.

“
Hector,” Max said. “This is Hector, I am Max, this is Lilly and my other brother Diego.”

“
Diego and I have already met,” she said. “Which one is yours?” she asked me. I hugged Max.

“
Good,” she said.

“
I think I was insulted,” Max said in his usual tone.

“
I think the zealous one is cute,” she continued. Hector grinned.

“
Elizabeth, what are you doing here?” Diego asked. He didn’t seem happy to see her.

“
I was visiting my mom for Easter,” she answered. “She told me I have a nephew…” She made a face, “named Diego.” She said that in a disapproving tone.

“
Yes, you do,” he answered. “Lilly is his mother and Max is his step father. I don’t have custody anymore.”

“
How fitting that she should have taken that from you,” she answered.

“
Yes, I thought you might feel that way.” The animosity between them was pretty serious.

“
So, you’re the one who killed my brother, Pat?” she asked Max.

“
I had my reasons.” He began to get a bit defensive.

“
I hear you’re a hit-man,” she continued. “Is that your reason?”

“
How does
none of your damn business
, sound to you?” Max answered.

“
Hold on,” Hector said. “Everyone take a deep breath.” He turned and looked at Elizabeth. “What is it that you want?” He paused for a second. “You must excuse us but we have been through a lot lately. We’re slightly paranoid.”

“
I was just wondering if I could meet him,” she asked. “Does he know about John?”

“
He knows,” Diego answered. “Does he know that you hate his father?”

“
I choose not to associate with drug lords,” she answered.

“
Then what the heck are you doing here?” Max blurted. He and Diego laughed.

“
Of course you can see him,” I interrupted. “Max?”

“
I guess,” he reluctantly agreed.

“
Look,” Hector said. “We’re all going to church, why don’t you join us.”

“
I don’t know,” she said in a hesitant manner.

“
After church Max, Diego and I will cook something amazing and you can stay for dinner.” Diego and Max exchanged glances. “Please,” he continued. “You can get to know your nephew a little better.”

“
You don’t cook?” she asked me. The boys all laughed. “I didn’t realize I said something funny.”

“
I’m only allowed in the kitchen to eat,” I answered. She smiled.

Hector put his arm out for her. “Shall we go?” She put her hand on his forearm and we all walked out the door. Max had Chris in his arms and little Diego was glued to
my
arm. He was uncomfortable with the new person. I couldn’t really blame him. All kinds of people have been in and out of his life for months.

The church smelled like a combination of incense and perfume. I never did understand why old ladies had to wear so much perfume to church, when they knew they’d be choking a whole pew of innocent people. Max sat on the end with a sleeping Christian in his lap. Little Diego sat between us. Diego Sr. sat between Hector and me and Hector was chatting it up with our long lost relative. Diego reached over, squeezed my hand and let it go quickly. I looked over at Max but he was too busy being spell bound by our little one. I gave Diego a look. He put his face close to my hair for a second and I could swear he was breathing in my scent. Max looked over when he did that. “Sorry,” Diego said, “old habit.” Max shook his head.

“
Stop that,” I said to him in a whisper. “Are you trying to get me in trouble?”

“
Yes,” he whispered back. “I would so love to get you in trouble.”

“
Enough chit chat over there,” Max scolded. “Behave yourself.” He shot a glare at Diego. It was half kidding and half ‘don’t touch my wife.’

The service was beautiful. We took communion all together at the altar. Diego kneeled beside me and said, “Do you forgive me, Lilly?”

“
Forgive you for which time?” I asked sarcastically. I saw Max watching us.

“
Do you forgive me?” He paused. “For everything?”

“
I forgive you, Diego.” I could see tears well up in his eyes. He looked up as if he was talking to God and said, “Thank you.” Then he put his hand over mine and said, “Thank you, Lilly. You don’t know what that means to me.”

“
You’re a changed man,” I said smiling. “Seriously Diego, I see it now.” They handed us the wine and the bread and we said a prayer. We put our little cups back on the altar.

When we sat back down Max switched seats with me and winked. Hector and Diego both got a kick out of his actions. I got baby duty. Of course when Chris was in
my
arms he couldn’t keep still. He was crying and moving around. Max was afraid to leave the boys in the nursery. “After all, we are the Montiagos,” he said. “There will be too many people there that we don’t know.” So… I took Chris into the lobby and tried to calm him. Max followed. “What’s going on with you two?” he asked.

“
He’s just a little cranky,” I answered.

“
I mean you and my brother?”

“
He asked me if I have forgiven him yet,” I answered. “And I have.”

Max shook his head a little. “He’s going to fight me for you.” He shuddered. “If he was like this before….” He sighed. “Dang it, I just want the world to leave us alone for a while.”

“
Max,” I laughed, “I am madly and completely in love with you.”

“
That’s what you said when you let him…” He paused and picked up Chris to hide the tears I saw developing. “I can’t lose you,” he continued. “I know I probably deserve it for stealing you away the way I did. But I can’t live without you in my life.”

“
I am so sorry, daddy.” He perked up a little. “I will forever be sorry about that day.” As soon as he scooped Chris up into his arms Chris calmed right down. “You have a way, don’t you.”

“
It used to work with you,” he said. “I see you getting weak around him.” He walked around a little and rocked the baby in his arms. “Like you used to get with me.”

I walked over to him, and Chris was smiling between us. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips. “You still make my knees weak.” He smiled. “Only you.” We walked back into the church and sat down.

“
Everything all right?” Diego asked.

“
Couldn’t be better,” I answered. Max let me sit back down next to him. I think it was an offer of trust.

We got back to the house and the men took off their jackets and ties as though they were on fire. It was funny to watch. The three of them went into the kitchen and Elizabeth sat down on the couch next to Diego Jr. I sat beside him. “Diego, this is Elizabeth. She is daddy’s sister from New York.”

“
Johnny’s sister?” he asked.

“
It’s confusing for a little guy,” I said to her. “Yes, Johnny’s sister.”

He put out his hand to shake hers. “That makes me your aunt,” she said. “Do you have any other aunts?”