Easter's Lilly Read online

“Why are we hiding this from my dad?” I asked. “I’m telling you, he is not working with my husband.” They stayed quiet. “Max?” I asked.

  “Well, it’s not one of us,” Max assured me.

  I looked at Hector. “Oh… that hurts, Lilly.” He put his hand over his heart like he was wounded.

  “It’s not Hector,” Max said. “I think your dad is a reluctant traitor.”

  “He would never put a camera in my bedroom,” I said, defending him. “He is my father, after all.”

  “He might if Diego was still using you as a bargaining chip,” Max answered. “You know he has been working Mick for years.”

  I looked at him in disbelief. “I simply do not buy that he would hurt us like that.”

  “Lilly…” Max looked at Hector with a questioning gaze.

  “You’d better tell her, Max,” Hector added.

  “Diego married you to use you as leverage with your dad. He continued to allow drug trafficking as long as you lived a prominent life style and stayed…well… breathing.”

  “You knew about this the whole time, didn’t you?” I asked.

  “I’m sorry, but yes. That’s why I was not afraid to get close to you. I knew that was not his initial goal.” He pulled me close. “The more I tell you, the less you trust me, no?”

  “I trust you. I know you didn’t want me to have to lie for you. I still love you.”

  “Just tell him the baby’s Diego’s. We can tell the truth when the baby is born.” He took my hand. “I want you alive, baby girl.”

  “I will obey, as always,” I said. “I am getting tired of being the obedient mistress.” I crossed my arms and turned away.

  “You were never my mistress,” he added. “You were always the love of my life.”

  “I’ll say the baby is his, but I hate it.”

  “I’m sorry, Lilly. When this is all over, you won’t have to ‘obey’ me anymore, okay? Just right now it is important that you let me keep your heart beating.” He put his hand over my heart and Hector looked away.

  “You two really need a room,” he added.

  “Sorry,” Max responded. “I’m a little giddy.” He and Hector high fived each other.

  “A boy,” Max said. “I can’t believe it.”

  “It’s not over, Max.” Hector reminded us. “We have to put Diego and Jorge in jail. We need to make this happen before she delivers.”

  “Right,” Max said. “Focus…”

  We went home and dad was waiting for us. “Are you all right, baby?”

  “Fine daddy,” I answered.

  “How long until the results come in?” he asked.

  “A day or so,” Max quickly answered. “We’re excited.”

  “I’m glad it’s done.” He walked away and Max and Hector looked at each other with that mischievous glance they get before they are going to do something bad. Max walked outside the kitchen and looked around. Then the two of them started feeling around for cameras and bugs and it took them no time to find the first camera. Max stepped on it and it broke into pieces on the floor. I put my hands over my mouth in shock. It had to be my dad. There was no one else. Or was there?

  We walked outside to the end of the driveway. “I told you,” Max started.

  “What about Leticia?” I asked. “It could be her, you know. Diego is handsome and she’s the right age.”

  “Did you hear that little brother?” Hector said laughing. “Your woman thinks Diego’s handsome.”

  “How handsome?” Max asked me.

  “Would you two cut it out!” I yelled. “Seriously, what about Leticia?”

  “That is something to be considered,” Hector agreed.

  “Okay, we need a plan.” Max responded. “I’ll start following her around,” Max said and looked at me for a reaction.

  “How about Hector takes Leticia and you take my dad.”

  “I’m just kidding, querida,” he said smiling. “Yes, that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I won’t mind following her around,” Hector added. “How focused do I need to be?”

  “I’m going to kill you both myself,” I scolded. “Now get serious and find the leak.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they both said simultaneously and saluted me. I could see my dad from the front door. He walked out to us. “What are we doing outside?” he asked. “I had the house swept, it’s clean.”

  “You can never be too careful,” Max answered.

  “What are you talking about that is so private?” he asked.

  “Lilly’s amnio,” Max answered. “She’s a little anxious.”

  “They should call me with the results as soon as they’re in,” dad said. “It’ll be a relief, Lilly, really.”

  “I asked them to call me, dad. I’ll let you know when they do.” He didn’t like that. His face turned cold when he heard that he was not in control of my results and I began to think that the boys were right.

  “I’m going to Las Vegas tomorrow to find out why Diego is wandering around like a free man out there,” dad revealed. “You’ll call with the results?”

  “Of course, daddy,” I said and I kissed him on the cheek. We went back inside but were weary of our conversations. Max and Hector spotted bugs all over the house so we knew it was one of them.

  After he left in the morning Hector and Max swept the house again. Hector said he didn’t see anything unusual about Leticia. I think they were convinced it was my father.

  “Go ahead and call him with the results,” Max suggested. “Let him tell Diego while he’s there.”

  I called my dad and gave him the news. “You were right, daddy. I was already pregnant when I slept with Max.”

  “The baby’s Diego’s then?” he asked. “You’re sure?”

  “Yes,” I answered, trying to sound like I was crying.

  “Did he leave you?” he asked.

  “No, daddy, he knows and he’s still here.”

  “Good man,” he continued. “You’re very lucky.”

  “I know,” I said. “I know.”

  “When are you coming home?” I asked.

  “Soon,” he answered. “I’ll let you know.” He was quiet for a minute. “I’m sorry, baby.” He hung up.

  Max came in with the mail. “It’s here. Diego’s DNA is in my hands.”

  “Let’s go,” Hector started.

  “He asked me if you left me,” I said, a little surprised.

  “I would never do that. I told you, baby girl,” he answered.

  “You’re sure we’re doing the right thing?”

  “Very sure,” he told me. Leticia came into the living room with the baby. “Max we need to talk for a minute.”

  “Go ahead,” he answered. “I have time.”

  “Can you come with me for a minute?” she asked.

  “Okay,” he answered reluctantly. “Are you sure you don’t want Hector?” he asked as he winked in my direction.

  “Very sure,” she answered. “I have to show you something.”

  She and Max walked down the hall and left little Diego with Hector and me. “I’m going to put him to bed,” I said. “He looks tired.”

  I left Hector and laid Dieguito down in his bed. He grabbed his teddy bear and drifted right off to sleep. I came back out and Hector was looking out the window. “Lilly,” he whispered. “Come to me.” I recognized the tone. It was urgency. I walked to him and he hugged me. “How long has he been in there?”

  “Too long,” I answered.

  “Stay close,” he continued. He pulled his gun and looked out the window while hiding behind the wall. “Did you hear that?” he asked. I didn’t hear anything but he was definitely scaring me. “Max!” he shouted. “Max, get out here!” Max came running down the hall with his gun drawn.

  “Did you hear that?” Max asked.

  “Yes, what the hell were you two doing?” Hector asked.

  “I can’t help that I am devastatingly handsome,” he answered.

  “We were set up,�
� Hector said. “Whoever set this up, thinks Lilly and I are alone in here and you are…” He paused. “Naked.”

  “Funny,” Max replied.

  “Seriously,” Hector went on. “What the hell were you doing in there?”

  “I was peeling her off of me,” he answered.

  “I knew you were in there too long.” They were both checking out the house.

  “She was trying to handcuff me to…” He stopped and glanced at me. “Something in there so that I wouldn’t be able to come back out. She was definitely trying to keep me out of the living room.”

  “Handcuff you to the…” Hector laughed. “To the what?”

  Max looked at me again. “To the bedpost,” he admitted. “Yeah, go ahead and laugh.”

  “I can’t believe she chose you over me. I’m the pretty one,” Hector teased.

  “You idiot,” Max said laughing. “You know they’re going to try to grab Lilly.” I was so scared; I couldn’t believe how they were making jokes.

  I heard a gun cock and someone came behind me and grabbed my neck. That, however, was not the scary part. I was right behind Max, as I always was when there was danger. He had zero reaction time. With one hand he pushed her gun in the air and with the other he shot her in the head. She fell to the ground behind me and I was covered with blood. We turned when we heard a shot and Hector fell against the wall. Max picked up Leticia’s gun and began to shoot at the men with both guns. I had never seen anything like this except for in the movies but Hector got up. He grabbed his gun and started shooting like nothing had happened. There were five men and Leticia and they were all down. “My baby!” I screamed and little Diego came running down the hall crying. I grabbed him and hugged him. Max was checking the men to make sure they were all dead or unarmed. “Max, your brother.”

  He ran to Hector and Hector said, “I’m fine Max, really.” Max grabbed his hand and picked him up while I called 911. “Uncle Max… Uncle Max…” Dieguito called. Max went to him and sat him on the couch. “Do not move, little man, you hear me?”

  “Yes sir!” he said, proud to be part of the group. I ran to Hector and started unbuttoning his shirt. When I opened it, I must have made a face. Max said to me, “Watch it now, he’s my brother remember.”

  “She thinks I’m pretty,” Hector said laughing.

  “Prettier than me?” he asked me.

  “Of course not,” I answered. Then I winked at Hector.

  “Knock it off, you two.”

  “He’s getting suspicious, Lilly, tone it down,” Hector jested.

  “How do you two joke at times like these?” I asked.

  “Who’s joking?” Hector answered.

  “If I wasn’t trying to save your life right now, I’d smack you.” Max reached into his wallet and pulled out a credit card. He pressed it against Hector and Hector let out a yell. “Now she thinks you’re pretty, and a girl,” Max said laughing.

  “You know I’m too stubborn to die,” he reminded him. “I can’t leave you alone.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Max replied. We heard the sirens. “Stay with me, man.” Max said. Hector starting coughing up blood and Max started to panic.

  The person in charge of the FBI came inside; they called him Luke. He walked over to Max and said, “So, Mick’s dirty?”

  “Yeah,” Max told him. “I think Diego has something on him. I don’t think it’s malicious intent.” He never took his eyes off of Hector as the paramedics began to take care of him.

  “Would you like to hang around and watch the shop for me?” he asked.

  “You mean run the police department?” Max asked.

  “I need FBI on it,” he continued. “Come on, Max. Help me out with this.”

  “We’re going home as soon as Hector’s okay,” he told him.

  They finally got him ready to take to the hospital. There were FBI and police in our living room when someone ran in and said, “Luke, turn on the TV. Channel 8.” We turned it on.

  “Diego and Jorge Montiago have escaped the federal penitentiary in Nevada,” the broadcaster said. “It is believed that Michael O’Hara, chief of police in Sedona, Arizona is responsible for signing them out illegally.”

  Max sat down on the couch like the wind had just been knocked out of him. He looked at me and grabbed my hand. I sat beside him.

  “What do you say, Max?” Luke asked.

  “Yeah, why not,” he agreed. “I’ll stick around. I’m not taking her back there with those madmen running around loose.”

  “We are going to hide you in plain sight,” Luke continued.

  “How’s that?”

  “We found you a three bedroom house in the city. Right in the middle of everything.”

  “Okay,” Max agreed. “Less hiding in the trees, I suppose.”

  “Unless you are sick of Hector already,” Luke suggested.

  “No, we need him,” Max said. “I need him.”

  Max got up and grabbed an envelope that was sent by Miguel in Las Vegas and said, “Look, I’ll answer all your questions but please let me go be with Hector.”

  “Go,” he said. “Then you can tell me how Leticia got that big hole in her head.”

  Max paused. “Where’s her purse?”

  Luke reached down onto the floor and handed it to Max. He opened it and pulled out a bunch of ID’s and passports. “Lilly would have been Amelia Montiago.” He looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

  “They would have killed you after the baby was born,” he surmised. “Giving you my dead mother’s identification was a message to me.”

  He opened the next one. “So, Diego was Max and Jorge was Hector.” Max looked at Luke. “They were going to take her and leave the country.”

  We need to find them,” Luke exclaimed. “Go to your brother. I’ll be by later to check on him and give you your new address and keys.”

  “Thanks, Luke,” was all he offered. We ran at high speed out the door and Max put a police light on his car as we sped to the hospital. He got to the desk and said, “I need to talk to someone about the Olivia Montiago case.” He flashed his badge and she asked, “What do you need?”

  “Please do a DNA check on this guy,” he told her. Compare it with the baby’s DNA. All the information is in the envelope.”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered. “I’ll take care of it personally.” She brushed up against him as she walked away.

  Max smiled at me. “Don’t worry, baby.” He kissed my hands. “I only have eyes for you.” Then we asked about Hector and they said they were prepping him for surgery. “I need to see him,” he insisted.

  “Come with me, sir.” She led us down the hall.

  We went to his room and he was lying in a bed with an oxygen mask on. “Hey, bro,” Max started. “We’ll be waiting for you, so hold on for me.”

  “Listen up, Hector,” I said. “You can’t take a bullet for me and not let me pay you back.”

  He lifted up his oxygen mask and said, “I want you to care for me when I am well.”

  “I will, I promise,” I told him. Max looked at us uncomfortably. “Reach down inside, Hector. Max would be lost without you.”

  “And I without him,” he assured me. They wheeled him off and Max hugged me as tears fell from his eyes.

  “He’ll be okay, Max, I promise,” I said, hoping I could keep that promise. Hector looked bad. We sat in the waiting room for what felt like forever. “Mr. Montiago?” A nurse came to us from down the hall.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “I have the DNA results.” She handed the file to Max. He looked up at me. “How is this possible?”

  “What? Who’s the father?”

  “I can’t believe it,” he continued. “How did he sleep with her and keep you so busy?” he asked. “What a damn pig!”

  “No!” I said. “Diego is the father?”

  “I’m going to start calling him superman,” he said. “How is this possible?”

  I sat down in shock
. “I think I hate him even more.”

  “It may have been a onetime thing,” he suggested. “But there is no doubt… he’s the dad.” He handed her back the file and thanked her. She flirted with him a bit and walked off. He grabbed me and pulled me close. “I’m sorry, baby girl.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  “That this business has swallowed you up,” he continued. “My brother cheated on you while keeping you from me.”

  “I guess so,” I answered. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing.

  “I am forever yours,” he said. “Forever.” He hugged me tightly. “I think he loved you as much as he was capable of loving anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t call that love,” I replied. “Definitely not love.”

  A nurse came out of the operating room, “Maxwell Montiago?”

  “That’s me,” he answered. “Hector?”

  “He is a strong man,” she told him. “No complications, he will be fine.” Max let out a sigh and hugged me. “Oh thank God!” He started talking in Spanish and looking up at the ceiling. “When can I see him?”

  “He’ll be in recovery for about two hours,” she answered. “Why don’t you go home and I’ll call you.”

  “I can’t leave,” he answered. “We’ll be in the hospital.” He wrote his cell phone number down on the file. “Please call me when I can see him.” She smiled and agreed.

  “It’s funny how you are acting with Hector right now.”

  “What about it?” He looked surprised.

  “Diego did just the same with you.” He looked away.

  “Maybe he just had a good day. I was lying in bed with holes in my chest, after all.”

  “It wasn’t like that.” I walked around him so that he was looking at me. “He was reading a Bible.”

  “He was not!” he said in disbelief.

  “I’m not kidding, a Bible.”

  “He must have misplaced it,” he said. He looked down at his watch.

  “You are all strong,” I said, trying to be reassuring. “He’ll be fine.”

  “Thank God,” he replied. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.” Then his face changed and I could see worry in his expression. “Although not happy about the closeness you two seem to have.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “I know he wouldn’t pursue you on purpose,” he added. “But what if he falls in love with you, like I did?”

  “Max…” I grabbed his hand and put it on my stomach. “We’re having a baby. He smiled. “Hector is totally not attracted to me. He’s just being silly like you are and milking the fact that I…” I paused. “That I may have noticed the eight pack on his stomach.”

  “See,” Max said. “You even remember it was an eight pack.”

  “You’ve got one too,” I reminded him. “A better one.” He smiled and kissed me.

  “Mine is only a six,” he said in a sad, silly voice. “I’m being stupid, aren’t I?”

  “A little,” I answered. “He’s just trying to embarrass me. He seems to get a kick out of that.”

  “I know,” he added. “It’s part of our charm.”

  “Let him have fun with it,” I said. “His girl was just murdered and he is about to find out that Diego slept with her. I promise, Max, I saved the best for last.”

  “So, you don’t wonder about him?” he asked.

  “I wonder about how his mind works sometimes, but never his body,” I lied. I felt a little guilty saying that to him. There were many times when I had admired him from afar. There was even that one time when he wasn’t too far at all.

  “It’s just that…” He took a deep breath. “When we kid like that, we are putting it out there.”

  “Putting it out there?” I repeated. I really wasn’t sure what he meant.

  “Testing the waters.” He looked pensive for a moment. “Sometimes I think he just wants to see how you will react.”

  “I am absolutely sure you are misreading him,” I answered. “There is no sexual attraction there. We are brother and sister in the purest sense.”

  He seemed satisfied with my answer. We waited for Hector as the news played in the background about the disappearance of the Montiagos and my dad. The whole hospital staff was eying us. Finally the nurse came and said, “He hasn’t awakened from the anesthesia yet.”

  “What does that mean?” Max asked.

  “He needs to wake up within the next 24 hours.” Her face looked grave.

  “Or what?” Max asked again. He was beginning to get impatient.

  “Or he may slip into a comma.” She paused. “He had serious internal injuries but he is strong.”

  “Can we see him?” he asked.

  “Yes, but you can’t bring the little boy with you,” she told us.

  “I’ll watch him,” a young nurse said to us. “He looks just like you,” she said to Max. We smiled at each other.

  “Thanks,” he said, flirting with her a little. “You’re very kind.” We went to see him.

  He looked very pale. We went to his bedside. Max sat in a chair by his bed and put his face in his hands. I was stroking Hector’s hair. His body felt warm.

  “I’m afraid visiting hours will be over in an hour.” The nurse was walking around Hector hooking fluids up to him. “You will have to leave soon.”

  “I’m not leaving,” he said. He opened his wallet and showed her his ID. “I have to stay with him and make sure someone doesn’t show up to finish the job.”

  “Is this your wife?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he answered. She did not believe him.

  “May I see your identification please?” I showed her my wallet. We had the same last name but she was still not convinced. “Wait a minute.” She looked me over carefully. “Aren’t you Diego Montiago’s wife?”

  “She’s my wife,” Max insisted. “She can sleep on the recliner and I will sleep in the chair. The little boy in the hall will have to stay with us.”

  “That will be fine,” she said, walking off in a huff.

  Little Diego slept beside me all night and when we awoke, Max was sitting beside Hector again. The news was on, playing softly in the background. I carefully slipped little Diego off of me and left him on the chair as I headed for Hector and Max. I stroked his hair again and watched Max’s desperate face gradually lose hope. Before too long I noticed something different about Maxwell… he was… crying. I had never actually seen him lose control before. “Max,” I said soothingly. I put my arms around him from behind his chair and touched my cheek to his. “He’s going to be all right. It’s Hector we’re talking about.”

  “Now who looks like a girl…?” we heard a voice say. When we looked up it was Hector. “And Lilly, can you keep doing that thing you were doing with your hand? It really felt nice.”

  Max went to hug him but stopped himself. “Can I hug you or are you too fragile?”

  “You’d better hug me after all those tears I saw.” Max hugged him and got up quickly. He turned his face away from us as he started drying his eyes. I pushed the “call nurse” button. Max turned back around. “How long were you awake, Hector?” I asked.

  “Your fingers on my hair just felt so good. So warm.” He smiled. I think he was serious.

  “Save your strength, Romeo,” I said. “The nurse will be here in a second.”

  Two nurses came running in. “Hector, it seems that you have finally decided to grace us with your presence.”

  “I love this place,” he said to Max, who had finally sufficiently regained control of himself.

  “Mr. Montiago!” The younger, pretty nurse yelled. “I would appreciate it if you would keep your hands to yourself and concentrate on getting better.”

  “Hector, behave yourself!” Max said in disapproval.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “But it’s been a really long time.”

  “I apologize for my brother’s behavior,” Max added.

  “Mrs. Montiago, are you going t
o be staying tonight too?”

  “Oh no,” Hector said. “She’s not my Mrs. Montiago. She belongs to him.” He pointed at Max and Max laughed as he hugged me.

  “Thank God,” I answered.

  “I’m very single,” he continued.

  The pretty nurse looked at him and said sarcastically, “I can’t imagine why.”

  “Seriously,” Hector said. “I apologize for my behavior. I will be good.” Both nurses left the room.

  “Max, we need to talk.” His face got suddenly grave.

  “We’ll talk tomorrow, Hector, right now you need to heal for me.” Max pulled up a chair and motioned for me to sit down beside his bed.

  “Diego, and Jorge… the news,” he blurted, a little more seriously. “We have to go find them.”

  “NO!” I said. “Absolutely not!”

  “Hector, tomorrow,” Max repeated.

  “We’ll leave her with Johnny,” Hector said.

  “I don’t think so, Max,” I said. “We need to talk.”

  “We can find them,” Hector continued. “Before they get to her.”

  Max took his hand. “I love you, hermano,” he said. “Get well and we will talk tomorrow, I promise.”

  “We can find them,” Hector repeated.

  “How do you feel?” I asked, desperately trying to change the subject. I stroked his hair back again trying to calm him. He closed his eyes in pleasure.

  “I feel great, now that you’re here.” He smiled and lifted his hand to my face. “I’ll try to keep my shirt on from now on.” I pulled my face away and Max laughed.

  “Don’t push your luck,” Max said.

  “Don’t worry, Hector,” I warned. “Max has already made me forget.” Max grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “We’ll sit with you for a while. Just rest for now.” He closed his eyes and Max and I sat on a small couch on the side of the room.

  “He’s right, you know,” Max reminded me. “We have to find them.”

  “No, you are not leaving me again.”

  “I will give John and call,” he said.

  “Are you forgetting that he tried to rape me the last time I saw him?” I asked.

  “He’s on a different page now,” Max answered. “Besides he is heavily monitored by FBI so he doesn’t mysteriously disappear.”

  “No, you can’t leave me with him,” I argued. “You’re worried about Hector but not Johnny?” I asked.

  “Nope, not Johnny,” he answered. I made a face.

  “Too late, baby girl, your secret about his… abilities is out.”

  “Aren’t you worried that he might fall back in love with me?” I asked.

  “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?