The Night She Got Lucky (32 page)

The smart girl didn't set Lucio uphis friend did
.

Jason got out his cell phone and sent a quick message to Lucio. Then, as fast as he could, he sorted through the other papersthere were a whole lot of forms with Lucio's signature. Jason's hands began to shake.

He grabbed the passport and started thumbing through to the last pages. It was hard to think straight, but he tried his best to figure out exactly when Lucio was in China. He'd been in San Francisco for about six months, and six months ago would have been late March or early April. So if he saw that Piers was in China at that time, they had a situation.

And there it wasthe immigration stamp showed that Piers entered China on March 15 and left the country on April 3.

Jason was so nervous his fingers could hardly hit the buttons of his phone. He sent another text and prayed Lucio would get it right away.

What are you doing in there? he heard Piers ask. You're awful quiet.

Jason threw the passport back on the stack and texted Lucio one last time. HELP was all he had time for.

Hey, Lucio, what's up?

Lucio strolled into the foyer, giving Josh a high five and then a hug. It is a beautiful day, yes? Where is your lovely mother?

I think she went upstairs.

Where's Jason?

Piers just picked him up.

Oh? That's great.

Both Lucio and Josh looked to the stairs, hearing the skittering sound of small paws racing down plush carpet. HeatherLynn bounded up to Lucio, barking, pawing his leg, her tail spinning around over her back.

What is all this,
nena
? Lucio leaned down to pick her up. She licked his face desperately, whining, wiggling in his grasp. Lucio looked at Josh. Is there something wrong with little Miss Bichon today?

Josh shrugged, then his head turned toward the door. He chuckled. Maybe she's just excited 'cause
Dad's
here!

That's when Lucio heard the unmistakable sound of a Porsche turbo engine winding down in the driveway. He sighed, not really prepared for a heart-to-heart with Larry, but knowing it was inevitable.

HeatherLynn squirmed and barked until Lucio put her down, but instead of running to the door she ran back upstairs. She sat on the landing, her dark little marble eyes looking down on the foyer.

The front door flew open. Larry sneered at Lucio.

Hello, Lucio said.

Larry laughed. Oh, so this is your place now? You're doing the meet-and-greet duties around here, big man?

Joshua took a few steps toward his father. Give it a rest, okay, Dad?
Please
.

Larry put his hands on his hips and tightened his mouth. Where do you get off disrespecting me like that in front of a stranger?

Josh stepped back. His eyes flashed and he shook his head. Lucio is not a stranger. I see him more than I see you. And if you were someone I respected, then maybe I'd treat you that way.

Larry's face went scarlet with rage.

Hey, hey, Lucio said, putting himself between Josh and his father. Listen, Josh, that was no good. You need to apologize to your father.

Sorry, he mumbled.

Why don't you take a breather in the family room? He walked the teenager to the kitchen and whispered, This is more about me than you, so give me a few minutes to calm him down, yes?

Josh's eyes were big with uncertainty, but he nodded and headed toward the family room.

Lucio took a deep breath, turned, and found Larry inches behind him.

You really think you're the shit, don't you? Larry laughed sarcastically.

Why don't we sit down and have a talk, Lucio suggested.

There's nothing to talk about. You're my wife's Eurotrash boy toyher last desperate attempt to prove to herself that she's still attractiveand you're trying to turn my boys against me. End of discussion.

Lucio could not believe this man. He did not appear to be drunk and he could not smell alcohol on his breath, but he was behaving the way he had the night of the refried-beans incident. Lucio said, She is no longer your wife, Dr. Garrison. And the reason she is now your
ex
-wife is because you regularly belittled her, and after you committed adultery here in your home, she divorced you.

Larry looked offended. Nothing happened in this house. It was outside in the driveway.

Lucio could not contain his laughter. What do you want, Larry? he asked, still laughing. Why did you come here tonight?

Oh, so I need to book an appointment to come talk to my own children now?

Of course not, but each time they see erratic behavior like this they trust you a little less. You confuse them.

All I am saying is you need to examine how you have chosen to live your life and ask yourself how it is affecting your sons.

Larry took a step closer, his eyes menacing. And you are their hero now?
You
are their good example? He laughed in Lucio's face. Come on, now. I found out a little bit about you. It wasn't hard. You're a notorious no-good horn dog with a checkered professional reputation, and that's putting it kindly.

The text message alert went off on Lucio's new cell phone again, the second time in the last minute. He wanted to take it from his pocket and make sure all was well with Jason, but he didn't have that luxury, not with Larry breathing like an angry bull, puffing up his body in preparation for attack.

I do not wish to fight you, Larry, Lucio said. If you are smart, you do not wish to fight me, either.

Ha! You think I can't take you down, big man? Is that what you think?

Lucio bit his tongue. It was not easy when he would rather give the
idiota
a tongue-lashing.

Answer me. Is that what you think?

Genevieve's former husband was a schoolyard bully in a middle-aged man's bodynot an attractive combination. I refuse to play this game, Lucio said, his voice calm and soft. You should go.

Larry's eyes burned. You think you're a badass, don't you?
Don't you, punk?

Lucio sighed, knowing it was time for Larry to hear the truth. What I think, Dr. Garrison, is that you are having the midlife crisis from hell. I think you are setting a terrible example for your sons, who are on the verge of becoming men with only you as their guidea man who fucks anything that moves, flies off into rages, and cares more about his car than his children. Having a father like this does not bode well for them, I am afraid.

Larry's jaw dropped.

I think you are an egomaniac, Lucio continued. And I think you are a coward and a brute for treating Genevieve the way you have through the years, not to mention being the world's biggest idiot for letting her gothough I do thank you for your idiocy.

After the stunned silence continued a moment more, Larry tilted his head back and let go with a roar of laughter. He wiped his eyes and sighed when he was done. And you have become an expert in marriage and child rearing
how
, exactly? Larry balled his fists at his sides. How many diapers have you changed, Ricky Ricardo? How many five-hour T-ball games have you sat through? How many god-awful elementary-school band concerts have you videotaped? How many boys have you taught how to catch a pop-up, or drive, or shave?

When Lucio did not answer, Larry felt free to continue. And how many women have you been married to for seventeen years? How many times have you had
that
gem of a life experience? Because from where I stand, it looks like you don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about, and you sure as hell don't have the right to tell
me
how to do any of it.

Lucio nodded, about out of patience. It is true. I may not be a parent, but I was a boy once, and I had a father much like you, whom I have not spoken to in twenty years. Is that the kind of relationship you want with Josh and Jason?

The corners of Larry's mouth pulled down.

I also happen to be the man who loves your ex-wife and cares deeply for your boys. I am the man who stepped into the giant pile of doo-doo you left behind and has begun to clean it up.

Larry's nostrils flared.

Lucio gestured graciously to the front door. And now, I must insist that you leave.

HeartherLynn started barking from the top of the stairs.

Larry's right arm swung out in a wide arc, his elbow cocked, his fist flying right at Lucio's head. Lucio ducked and Larry's fist went swishing by. Then Lucio blocked an uppercut coming from the left, and a right headed for his chin. After a few more moments of such ridiculousness, Lucio realized that Larry had no intention of stopping his flailing. That left him with no choice.

HeatherLynn continued her barking frenzy.

Lucio popped Larry right between the eyes.

The doctor cried out in pain. His fists ceased swinging and he cupped his palms under his nose to catch the blood. But the fury still burned in his eyes, and Lucio suspected that a broken nose was not enough to stop him. He braced himself as Larry lowered his head, turned his shoulder, and prepared to inflict a full-body slam.

Stop it! Joshua screamed, running into the hallway from the kitchen. Dad! Stop it!

Ignoring his son's plea, Larry charged Lucio, who avoided the onslaught with a simple sidestep. Larry head-butted into the wall with a thud.

God, Dad! Joshua went to his father, who was lying in a heap on the tile, blood still flowing from his nose. Larry moaned. Get up, Josh said, with more annoyance than concern in his voice.

Lucio helped Josh pull his father to a stand and walk him into the kitchen. Once Lucio saw that Josh was doing a fine job settling his father in a chair, he went to the freezer for some ice.

Why did you have to do that, Dad? Josh collapsed in the chair next to him and handed him a wad of paper towels. Larry tipped back his head and stuck the paper to his nose.

Where's your mother? Larry mumbled.

Lucio handed Josh a plastic bag filled with ice and stepped away, leaning up against the stove out of Larry's view.

Josh nodded his thanks to Lucio. She's upstairs getting dressed or something. Josh held the ice to his father's upturned nose.

Go get her. I need her to see this, Larry whined. I want her to see the handiwork of her new boyfriend. I want her to see with her own eyes the difference between usthat I am a healer and he is a destroyer.

Josh glanced at Lucio and rolled his eyes. You started it, Dad. I saw the whole thing, Josh said. Lucio didn't want to fight you. He was only defending himself.

Larry tried to laugh but just ended up gurgling his own blood. The man is a fraud, Larry said, pointing over his shoulder, well aware that Lucio stood behind him. He's a thief and a liar and maybe even a spy.

Yeah, Josh said. We know all about the trouble he's been in.

Larry peered over the ice bag at his son.
You do?

Of course, Josh said. He told us all about that stuff the first night we met him.

Larry's shoulders hunched over. Oh, he mumbled.

None of it is true, Dad, Josh said, gathering the bloody paper towels and tossing them in the trash can below the sink. The State Department has cleared him. There were no criminal charges. And Lucio found out who set him up in the first place and there's going to be an arrest.

Larry's eyes traveled to Lucio, leaning back with his arms across his chest. Even from under the ice pack, Larry was producing a sneer.

Since it looked like Josh had the situation under control, Lucio excused himself. I'll go get your mother, he said to Josh. Then he nodded in Larry's direction. You might want to get that nose checked out.

I'm a physician. Larry took the ice from his face and glared at Lucio. I know what I need to do, he said, the blood dripping down his chin.

Lucio shrugged. Suit yourself.

He found Genevieve sitting on the edge of the big bed, slipping on a pair of shoes, listening to a CD with the volume turned up high. No wonder she hadn't come running downstairs when Larry cried out in pain.

Lucio stood in the doorway a moment, simply watching her. He loved the graceful arch of her foot, her slim ankle, the delicate bones at the top of her feet. His chest tightened at the sight of her arm extended its full length, fingers stretched to buckle the strap.

She was so beautiful. He loved her so much.

I think I broke Larry's nose, Lucio confessed.

Genevieve's head snapped up. She blinked at him, surprised to see him there. Really? she asked. Genevieve didn't look very concerned.

Yeah. He went crazy on me. I had no choice.

She shrugged, then stood. She grabbed her bag from the coverlet. When she raised her eyes to his, Lucio was stabbed with the knowledge that something had changed in her. Her coloring was high. Her eyes were brighter. Genevieve's expression seemed to hold a subdued peacefulness he hadn't noticed before.

Are you all right?

She nodded, taking her eyes away.

Genevieve?

She turned quickly, her hair flying around her head with the movement. Tears welled in her eyes. I know, she said. I know you're leaving. Piers told me all about it.

Lucio's body tingled. He straightened from his casual pose against the doorjamb, and stared at her. Why would Piers tell her such a thing? He knew Lucio had no intention of taking that job. They'd talked all about it!

And then, seamlessly, everything clicked in Lucio's head. The paranoia he'd felt leaving Sydney's office wasn't paranoia at allit was his intuition. Piers getting him that contract was underhanded and mean-spirited. It was not the act of a friend. It was an attack from an enemy, and the wound was intended to be fatal.

Joder!
he hissed.

Don't use language like that in front of me, she whispered.

It was then that Lucio realized Genevieve's expression wasn't peaceful at all. She looked defeated. Devastated.