Easter's Lilly (9 page)

He put the gun away and grabbed my hand. “Watch your mouth with my brother,” Max said to John. “He’s on his way and he’s
not
in a good mood.”

“
You know, I’m right, Maxwell!” he yelled after us. Max opened the car door for me and we took off.

“
Is what he said true?” I asked.

“
Lilly, you need to promise me that you will do everything I tell you until Diego has calmed down.”

“
Okay Max, whatever you say.”

“
I don’t care what Diego says to you, you can not leave my side.”

“
I can do that,” I said playfully.

“
I’m being serious, Lilly. He’s going to think you slept with John and after he’s done with John, he’s probably going to think you slept with me.” I began to panic. “Baby girl,” he continued. I loved when he called me that. “I will protect you. Just don’t leave me.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

“
You didn’t tell me if what Johnny said was true,” I reminded him.

He was quiet for a minute. “Yes Lilly, every word.” We pulled into the driveway of my father’s house. Then he took my face into his hands and put his face close to mine. His breath on my face was warm. “Yes Lilly, sometimes I can almost taste you.” He let me go and my stomach leapt through the air. I never wanted him more. “Come on,” he said. “I need to see your dad.”

We walked inside and my father was in the kitchen. “Mick!” he shouted. “Mick, send some men to Candy’s house.”

“
She brought her to John’s house, didn’t she?” he asked.

“
It’s probably too late,” Max said. “But try anyway.” I started getting scared. My dad called the station but when they got to Candy’s house she was gone. “Too late?” Max asked.

“
You?” my dad asked.

“
I don’t do women or children,” Max answered.

“
Great, a hit man with a conscience,” he snickered.

“
Would I tell you about it, if I did it myself?”

“
Okay, I guess not,” he answered. I wasn’t sure if they were kidding or serious.

“
Call Ray,” Max suggested. “He and Candy go out together.”

My dad called the station and had them pick up Ray.

“
What the hell were you doing there?” my dad yelled at me. “After all these years, you still can’t stay away from him?”

“
Don’t worry,” Max answered. “When I got there she was pushing him away.”

“
Did he…”

“
No, I got there before anything happened,” Max answered. I loved how they were carrying on this conversation as though I was not in the room. “Mick?” he started.

“
Go ahead.”

“
When Diego gets here, you’re gonna have to trust me.”

“
Meaning?” he asked. His face had alarm written all over it.

“
I’m the only one who can handle him. If you pull your gun on me when I’m trying to control him, he could take her.”

“
I don’t like the sound of this,” he said.

“
I’m afraid he’ll take her, hurt her, lock her up…” He paused. “They’re legally married, you know. So please let me handle him.”

“
All right,” he agreed. “Why can’t she just leave him?”

“
No one leaves Diego,” he answered. “Unless it’s in a body bag.” He hesitated. “We’d both be dead before we got out the front door.” I wrapped my arms around Max and he held me close. “Daddy’s here, baby girl,” he said. My dad looked at him strangely. Max sat on the couch and put a pillow in his lap and motioned for me to lie down. I laid my head in his lap and he stroked my hair. I always felt so safe with him. He was reciting some poetry to me from memory, obviously trying to calm me.

“
I don’t get it, Max.” My father looked at us perplexed by our inappropriate relationship. Max was quiet for a minute. “Just leave him, Lilly and marry Max.” Max laughed a little and I looked up at him. “You’d make a great cop,” my father suggested. They both laughed.

“
I’m the bad guy, Mick, remember?” Max looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

The phone rang and my father talked for a few minutes and hung up. “Ray said he and Candy had a fight and she left town.”

“
She’s dead,” Max said casually.

“
Max, who did it?” my father asked. “Diego?”

“
I can’t tell you, Mick. I have to protect myself to keep an eye on Lilly, you know that.”

“
Don’t they call you the iron man?” my father asked. Max laughed. “You know, the one no one can kill?”

“
Let’s hope it stays that way,” he answered. Then he turned my face to him.

“
Lilly, this is going to push Diego into overdrive and I want you to be prepared.”

“
Overdrive?” I asked. “You don’t mean…”

“
Just be prepared, Lilly.” He looked very sad when he said it. “He may want to… put his claim on you.”

“
No, no, no….” I said. “That can’t happen.”

“
Come on Max, take her and run,” my father suggested.

“
Just don’t leave with him tonight.” I turned back over and Max held me. My father watched us for a little while and left the room.

“
Sleep with him?” I looked at Max for some kind of comfort.

“
It’ll be okay,” he answered. “He’s not selfish.”

“
I can’t do that, Max.” It was totally unspoken between us but it was the elephant in the room.

“
I can’t take you yet. I have to stay focused.”

“
Is there something going on?” I asked.

“
I’ll talk to him, first.” His eyes filled with water and he turned away. “I’ll talk to him first,” he said again, almost under his breath.

He was quiet for a minute. Then he turned my face to his and smiled. “Look at it this way. By the time you get to me, you’ll have saved the best for last.” He tried to make light of a really ugly situation.

“
I’m scared, Max.”

“
I know,” he said. “My only fear is that you might fall in love with my brother.” He paused for a few seconds. “He’ll treat you right.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “Sexually, I mean.” Then he said, “Sometimes I wish he was a little more like Johnny.”

“
Don’t worry,” my father said, coming back into the room. “If she falls in love with him, I’ll kill him myself.” Max gave up a halfhearted smile but the tears were still there. I reached up and touched his face. “Do you two know that you’re in love?” he asked us. “Seriously, is it that you just don’t know?” Max and I smiled at each other. I rolled over in his lap and I think we both fell asleep. Next thing I knew, I was awakened by my husband who was dragging me by the arm across the floor off of Max’s lap.

Chapter 9

Not Tonight

I hit my head against the coffee table and there was blood everywhere. Max leapt to his feet and stood in front of me. He pulled his gun out and cocked it before he threw it in Diego’s face. “Seriously Maxwell. You’re going to shoot me?” he asked.

“
Diego, not tonight.”

“
Are you sleeping with my wife too?” he asked.

“
No one is sleeping with your wife,” he answered.

“
I’m about to change that,” Diego answered. “Now give me my wife.”

“
Not tonight, Diego.” My father had his hand on his gun but did not pull it out. Max reached down to pick me up off of the floor and pushed me behind him without once taking his eyes off of Diego.

“
Johnny says you’re sleeping with her too.”

“
John didn’t get to first base with her,” Max answered. “I opened the door and he was forcing himself on her. She did not respond.”

“
And you? Why was she in your lap?”

“
I was comforting her, that’s all,” he answered. “I think we fell asleep waiting for you.” Diego made a face showing disbelief. “Candy took her out there. She didn’t know where they were going.”

Diego seemed to be calming down. “Give her to me.”

“
Not tonight.” Max stood firm with me behind him. He was clearly not going to let me go. “Go take a walk, and let me clean her up.”

“
Max, she does not belong to you.” He reached out his hand for me. Blood was spilling down my face and into my eyes.

“
Don’t make me chose between you,” Max answered. “You won’t win this time.”

Diego walked out the door and slammed it behind him. “Thanks for not interfering Mick,” Max said. I was shaking uncontrollably, wiping blood from my eyes.

“
I’m telling you Max, if you ever change your mind, I’ll get you a job.” As soon as the tension had ceased Max’s hit man exterior fell to the floor like a ceramic mask. He turned to me and pulled me close. “Baby girl, are you all right?” I had blood all over my face and hands. It had dripped all over my clothes and the floor. There was a gash in my head. He brought me to the kitchen and started looking for antiseptic. My dad got him a first aide kit and he started wiping the blood from my face.

“
Does she need stitches?” he asked Max.

“
Even a small gash on the head, will spill a lot of blood,” he answered. My dad gave him a disapproving look. “Just a little something I learned over the years,” he said smiling. He put a band-aide on my head and kissed it.

“
Careful,” my dad said cautiously. “He’ll be back any minute.”

He grabbed a towel and started cleaning up the blood. I was shaking too hard to do it myself. “We’re going to head back tonight, Mick.” Max grabbed my hand. “I’m afraid to leave her in a room with him tonight. I won’t have any control.”

“
That’s fine,” he answered. “You’d better take care of her, Max.” He got suddenly very serious. “I’m trusting you.” Their familiarity with each other confused me. I wasn’t sure if Max used to live out here or what, but my dad really liked him.

We heard the door open and Max stood in front of me again. Diego walked in. “I’m sorry, Lilly.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “Now, can I have my wife?” Diego looked at Max.

“
We’re leaving in a few minutes,” Max answered. “I meant it when I said, not tonight.”

“
Fine,” he conceded. “Let’s get out of here. The sooner we get home, the sooner I get my wife back.” He walked out of the kitchen and my father and Max gave each other an unfavorable look. “Max…” I said. I was shivering.

He kissed my hands. “I can’t believe how hard this is,” he replied. “But we have to go.”

We said goodbye to my dad and the three of us got into the car. Diego drove and Max and I sat in the back together. I had my head on his shoulder and he had his arms around me. “When we get home,” Diego started, “this
thing
you two have is over.” We didn’t move apart. I didn’t want to be away from him. I knew what was going to happen when I got home and was trying as hard as I could not to think about it.

—

For the first few days, Diego ignored me. Max continued to make breakfast for us every morning, like he always did and he and Diego talked business like
they
always have. Then one day, the thing I dreaded more than anything else in the world happened. Diego came into my bedroom after dinner. I was reading a book on my bed and when I saw him, I shuddered. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.” He started taking off his shirt. I never noticed how beautiful his body was before. He had rippling muscles on his stomach and his arms were huge. He walked over and sat on the bed beside me. I don’t know what I was thinking but I reached out and touched his stomach. “It’s okay, Lilly, you’re allowed to touch me.” I quickly pulled my hand back. “I had a long talk with Max,” he started. “He told me Johnny was your first, and only lover.” I could feel my face turning red. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he said. “That explains a lot.” I still didn’t say anything. “Max asked me to be gentle with you.” He seemed genuinely sincere. “He asked me to protect you and make it a pleasant experience for you. I understand that Johnny didn’t do that.” I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “But there are a few things we need to talk about,” he continued. “You can’t let Maxwell call you
baby girl
anymore.” I could feel tears well up in my eyes. He reached up and dried them. “You can never have him, Lilly. He would never betray me like that.” I looked up and met his eyes. “And you can’t call him
daddy
anymore.” I laughed.