Easter's Lilly Page 52

“Come with us,” Hector asked Elizabeth. “I have to take my car and they’re all going together. Keep me company.” Elizabeth looked at us thoughtfully.

  “Why aren’t Max and Lilly taking their own car?” That was a good question.

  “Someone very rudely blew mine up a while back,” he answered. “I don’t have the money Diego used to allow me anymore so… we just haven’t bought a new one yet.” She made a tense face.

  “Okay, Hector, I’ll go. Will you take me to my mom’s so I can pick up my stuff?”

  “And… we’re off…” Hector grabbed her and took her out the door.

  We packed all our belongings into the car while Hector ran her home to get her things. We finished closing the house up until Diego’s return. Max called a meeting, since we were alone. Diego was perfectly comfortable, even though he knew exactly what was coming.

  We piled into the living room, since the kitchen was officially closed down. Diego sat across from Max and me. “I need to know if there is anything going on here.” Max asked this question with such maturity. I must admit that I was doing a little of my own praying when he said that. “God please don’t let Diego give me away.”

  “We are not having an affair, if that’s what you’re asking,” Diego answered. “We’re not even doing whatever it was the two of you were doing when you and Lilly were… well… you and Lilly during my marriage to her.”

  “I’ve been in that seat before,” Max continued. “Even if you’re not having an affair, I know you might be… involved somehow.” He turned to look at me but I couldn’t look back. I was guilty and his sadness was killing me.

  “I’m catching glances and new behavior,” he said. Look, if you’re falling in love, I need to know.” He turned and looked at me. He put his hand on the side of my face with the backs of his fingers. I looked up at him. “If you don’t tell me the truth, I can’t fix it.” Then he turned to Diego. “I always knew if you brought you’re “A” game to the table, I would have some serious competition.” He got quiet. Then he continued. “It appears that you may be bringing your “A” game.”

  Diego laughed. “I can’t help how I feel about her.”

  “If she is falling in love with you, I will not let her go.”

  “For goodness sakes, Max,” Diego said. “You sound just like I used to sound.”

  “She’s my wife, and I will fight for her.” Then Max looked at me again. “Oh my God, I do sound like him, don’t I?”

  “It doesn’t matter how you sound, Max. I love you and only you.” He smiled a weak smile at me. “If you think something is going on, it’s just because it’s weird.” I looked at Diego. “Come on, back me up, it’s weird.”

  “Yes, I guess so,” Diego agreed.

  “I do like him now and maybe that freaks you out a bit,” I continued. “But I love you. You’re just weirded out because we used to sleep together, that’s all.” I looked at their faces for some kind of reaction but they were both expressionless. “Used to being the operative words. And we have not had sex since we were married.”

  “Everything she said it true,” Diego finished.

  “Have you kissed her?” he asked. We both got silent and I know my face gave me away as it always does. “Did you kiss her?” he asked again, a little louder.

  “No,” he finally lied. “But I really wanted to. And I struggled with it.” Max was not convinced but I was not volunteering any information.

  “Lilly, he has told me that he intends to win you back. So if I’m paranoid, that’s why.” He took my hands into his.

  “Have a little faith in me,” I said as though I deserved any of that. He made a sour face. “Okay so maybe I deserved that,” I said.

  “Baby girl,” he was very calm. “You tend to get weak from time to time. I know you love me. I really do know that. I just worry that emotion carries you away sometimes.”

  “What about Hector?” Diego asked. “Do you ever worry about him?”

  “Hector?” Max asked in an alarming tone.

  “Shut up!” I yelled. That just made Max freak out more.

  “What about Hector?” he asked again.

  “Why is he so protective of her?” he asked. “He’s been all over me about staying away from her.”

  Max appeared to calm right down. “He’s just watching my back, that’s all,” he said. “You scared me for a minute.”

  “Max, there is nothing to worry about,” I reassured him. I grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him. “We are stronger than ever.” Hector and Elizabeth walked in just then.

  “What did I miss?” he asked.

  “Are you sleeping with Lilly?” Diego asked.

  “No,” he answered in a confused tone.

  “Nothing then.” Diego got up from the couch. “It’s time to go.”

  Hector grabbed Max by the arm as Max started to get up and said, “Is everything all right?”

  “We’re good,” he said. “I think we’re good.”

  “I know you are,” Hector confirmed. “Now put your tremendous ego away for a while and let’s get the boys.” They all laughed and we headed for the cars. Hector took his and we drove with Diego.

  It was a long drive. When we finally got to the house, there was a shiny black BMW in the driveway. It had a giant red bow on the top of the car. “Happy birthday Max!” It was Max’s birthday tomorrow. Diego had bought him a car. I don’t know if it was out of guilt or out of love but Max got all teary eyed.

  “Diego, why?” We got out of the car and Max ran his hand over the outside of the car like it was a woman.

  Hector jumped out of his car and did the same. “Diego… I want one, I want one…” Diego laughed.

  Max walked over to Diego and hugged him. “Thank you, I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

  “I wanted to thank you.” He backed up a little. “It’s because of you that I am alive and filled with the Spirit. Thank you, brother.”

  “Oh, you two make me sick!” Hector said.

  “I think it’s sweet,” Elizabeth added. “That’s probably why they share so well.” Both Max and Diego gave her an unfavorable glare.

  “Well, it’s true,” she said. Hector hushed her and we all started bringing things into the house.

  It was cold and damp inside. It almost smelled a little musty. The house was quite elegant. Not Diego and Max’s fortress by any stretch of the imagination but definitely roomy. We already moved the furniture in some time last year, so we just had clothes, food and other odds and ends. I went shopping while the boys and Elizabeth unpacked. I guessed we were putting her up, since Hector seemed to be rather attached to her but she soon put my mind at ease. “I’m going to check on my brothers,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t dream of staying here with all of you. There are enough people here.” Hector took her hand and looked sad. “I’ll stay with Rory and Sean,” she said. “If they are staying with Johnny, I’ll call you. I’m not staying in that dump with all those girls he brings around.”

  “He’s married now,” Max reminded her. “I think he’s still married.”

  “Divorced,” Diego added. “Word on the street, anyway.” Max shot him a suspicious look.

  “Don’t tell me how you know that,” Max said with a smile. “Some things are better left a secret.” Diego shot me a glance. I could see it out of the corner of my eye but I didn’t dare look.

  Hector walked Elizabeth out and I unpacked the kitchen. Max came in and grabbed me from behind. “Do you want to break in the house or should I take care of Johnny now?”

  I laughed. “I have to put the food away, daddy, go ahead and take care of business.”

  “I can’t take Diego,” he said. “So behave!” He said it in a teasing voice but I knew he was dead serious.

  “I’ll be good,” I promised. He walked out of the kitchen and said something in Spanish to Diego as he walked out the door. Diego came in and helped me unpack.

  “I’ve been officially warned,” he t
old me. I smiled. He helped me put the pantry in order and I watched him as I took care of the cold food. I poured him a glass of iced tea that I had just made and then I poured myself one. We sat at the table and he flashed those green eyes at me. “I wish you would let me touch you,” he said.

  “Cut it out, Romeo,” I answered. “It’s bad enough that I’m thinking about you when I definitely should not be thinking about you. You cannot touch me like that.”

  “I knew it!” he blurted. “I knew you were thinking about me last night.”

  “Egomaniac!” I yelled.

  “Why last night?” he asked. “Was he doing something I used to do to you?”

  “Stop it!” I said. I could feel the beads of sweat form on my forehead. I got up and stuck my face in the freezer. He laughed. “Let’s talk about something else… please…”

  “It’s just hard for me to watch you with him.” He looked away.

  “What do you think is going on with John?” I asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

  “I think he went back to the life,” he said, making the transition pretty quickly. I sat back down. “It’s hard to walk away. The money…” He paused. “Well, just ask Max about the money.”

  “I know. He was grateful for the car,” I agreed.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if Max didn’t take another job like that someday. Just for the cash.”

  “Oh no,” I said. “Not with two children and a crazy wife running around, forget it.”

  He laughed. “I love you so much, Lilly. Just hearing you talk and seeing you smile. It makes my whole body feel alive.”

  “Thank you, Diego.” I smiled and looked away. “Try and look at me as your sister-in-law now.”

  Max and Hector were back faster than we had expected. So glad I didn’t get caught with my hand in the cookie jar. “Back so soon?” I asked.

  “Disappointed?” he continued.

  “Max, why would you say something like that to me?” I wanted to smack him but Hector hit him in the back of the head for me.

  “He wasn’t home. But his brothers were both there. They had no answers for us. With no probable cause just yet, there was nothing we could do.”

  “What’s the plan?” Diego asked. “Do you want me to go?”

  “Not yet,” Hector said. “We really need to see John.”

  “Let’s go check out that bedroom,” Max said to me.

  Hector looked at him in amazement. “You and Diego are just the same. Leave her alone for five minutes.” I laughed.

  “I’m going to go check on the boys.” I got up from the table and left. They were all muttering something in Spanish as I went to the boys’ room. I noticed a breeze, as I got closer to the door and my heart started to race. I quickened my pace and saw Chris sleeping peacefully in his crib. I looked over at Dieguito’s bed and he was gone. The window was wide open with the light blue curtains were blowing in the wind. “MAX!” I screamed. “MAXWELL!” All the men came running down the hallway. “He’s gone, Dieguito’s gone!”

  Max and Hector drew their guns and Max said to Diego, “Stay with Lilly and the baby.” They ran outside the back door and started chanting his name, “Dieguito, Dieguito…” The sound was deafening.

  I knelt down on the ground and grabbed his teddy bear. Whoever took him, left it behind. I put my face against the side of the bed. Diego stoked my hair and then picked me up off the floor and sat with me on little Diego’s bed. I put my head on his shoulder as he comforted me. All of a sudden, all the other stuff was no longer important. A little time had passed and Max and Hector returned without my son. Max reached for me and Diego passed me to him like a rag doll. “I called the FBI and the police, baby girl. We’ll find him.”

  “Who?” I asked Max. Then I looked at Hector. “Who would do this?”

  “I don’t know,” Hector said. “Could be Johnny, could be his brothers…”

  “Could be Elizabeth,” Diego interrupted.

  “Let’s not rule out Jorge’s influence,” Max reminded us. “I don’t want to speculate. I want to find him. And when I do…”

  “We know,” Diego said. “No reaction time.”

  About the Author:

  Judy Serrano holds a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University, Commerce. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Service, and was an adjunct professor at a local college. Currently she teaches high school English and is a freelance writer for certain on-line publications. Judy also writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series, The Linked Series, and Ivy Vines, Visions.

  Although originally form New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband, four boys, four dogs and now four cats. She sings and plays guitar when she has time and enjoys singing with her very musical family in church when she is able.

  Other exciting reads by Judy Serrano:

  THE EASTER'S LILLY SERIES

  Easter’s Lilly – This book

  Brother Number 3

  Relatively Close

  Memoirs of a Mobster

  The Lost Years

  The Last Fall

  THE LINKED SERIES

  First Blood

  Book 3 coming soon

  Scary Reads

  Ivy Vines – Visions

  Connect with Judy Serrano

  https://www.judyserrano.com/

  https://www.facebook.com/JudySerranoAuthor/

  https://twitter.com/authorjserrano

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