Veiled Amor by V. Theia

TWELVE

“Sacrifice in my name.” Lucia

 

 

The tension expanded like a stretching bubble surrounding them.

Every other person hanging around disappeared as she stared at the man who’d said…

With so many swirling thoughts, it took a second or more for the stomach-churning and her lungs to catch a breath. Then she grasped onto one thought, the one most prominent in her head. And when she did, oh, Lucia was mad enough to spit nails.

“I cannot believe you.” She fired. “If you have to marry me. Have. To. I can’t believe you right now.”

Hopping down from the stool, making her so much smaller than him. Fire licked all over her skin as hurt settled into her heart. She’d always had the urge to kiss Capone whenever she saw him. Now that urge was about putting her fist in his face. The realization was coming fast, how her crush was only ever going to be one-sided.

Lucia wanted to scream.

She wanted to cry for all the time she’d put into loving a man who couldn’t give a flying monkey for her other than a stupid obligation that meant nothing.

“It wasn’t meant—”

“Spare me,” she stopped him. “I know exactly what you meant and why you said it. And let me tell you, Capone.”

“Giancarlo,” he growled hard enough it rattled through her skin. “You never used to call me Capone.”

“Then I should start to because this man you are now is someone I don’t know.” New darkness crossed over his face, but so did hurt, and she felt a pang for causing it. It was the last thing she’d ever do, but amid her temper, she didn’t care. “Let me tell you,” she picked up right where she left off. “The last thing I want is to have no choice about marrying a second Mercado.”

The moment she said it, she felt the chill, like a physical icy cloud putting arms around her.

It was a mistake and not something she’d planned to say.

Daring to glance at him through her long lashes, he looked like he’d turned to stone. Stretched olive skin over his chiseled bone structure. He could never look feminine, he was too rough around the edges for that, but Giancarlo had a model jawline. Frequently he’d left her dry-mouthed and wet…eh, never mind. Not the time for that either.

He was annoyed, but this was her turn to be cross, so she put her hands on her hips.

“Thanks for the oh-so-generous and martyring offer, but I’ll decline.”

So much in his dark brown eyes.

The very breath sucked out of her when he towered, his head hanging low, as if only attached by a thread of cotton. This close, she felt a tidal wave of movement going through him. Capone’s expression was a shuddering blend of darkness and pain. “Repeat what you just said.”

“No.”

“Lucia.” He growled, his pupils two big black disks. “You said—”

The threatening growl gurgling out of his throat didn’t scare her.

She knew enough that she was never in danger from him, however much he displayed his anger. In some ways, she’d wanted a reaction from him, and here it was.

“I know what I said, and that’s not under discussion. I know what you said too, and that was so fucking wrong, Capone. I thought I was done letting my feelings get hurt by you. After years of avoiding me, you can’t swing in and say that shit to me and not hurt me.”

Swerving around, intent on doing a much needed storming out, well aware people had stopped talking and were staring. Great, fabulous. Not even in their house a few hours, and she was causing a scene. She ignored them and her hot face. But didn’t get five steps before a brawny arm caught around her stomach, stopping her tracks. Capone pulled her back into his chest, and she felt his face pressed into her hair.

Every molecule went nuts trembling and overreaction to his nearness.

She was full of crap because she wanted this, his arms around her, held tight to him.

“I’m sorry.” He gruffed into her hair. Quiet enough, rough enough. “lo siento mucho.” So sorry. “I was out of order to say shit that way. It came out wrong because I’m fucking worried.”

Breathing like a cart-horse carrying bricks up a mountain, she didn’t try to detangle herself from him. She leaned into him, anger fading out. “I asked for you to help me, not ridicule me with something like… that. Have you grown into a cruel man, Giancarlo?”

He jolted, as though she’d punched him. His head hadn’t moved from the back of hers. They stood together as if frozen in time.

“Not with you.” He pressed in, “do you forgive me?”

She sucked in a breath. The last thing she’d expect a man like him to ask. “Do you want me to?”

“Sí.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her skin at a temperature that wasn’t good for her health or her libido, so she stepped forward, separating them. When she turned around, he had a weird look on his face. Unreadable. And hot. Like a moody bear coming out of hibernation searching for a picnic basket to gorge on.

She’d forgotten he had this kind of smolder in him. Self-preservation, probably.

“I hurt you, and it wasn’t my intention, Lucia, but let me say… and don’t fly off the handle. I meant it. Not letting you go home to Nicholas, he’d back the fuck off if you were already married. The option is staying on the fucking table, so until you wanna talk about it and not want to stab me,” this he smirked at, becoming impossibly hotter, damn him, “we can shelve it. Now, you ready to play bait and switch? I got word there’s a car parked on the street watching the club. It can only be one of Cole’s men.”

With so much to unpack from that, she nodded dumbly.

It was on the table.

Marrying her was on the table.

Marrying Giancarlo to save her.

What a goddamn sacrifice for him and a horrible heart-thumping surprise for her.

She would never do it.

Nope.

Not in a million… okay, a hundred thousand years, but that was still stiff odds in her book.

Married to the right Mercado brother.

Damn, her heart ached. It almost jimmied out of her throat and danced its way over to Capone. Stupid heart, we can’t have him, so get used to it.

She’d rather not have him at all than to have him from a sense of responsibility.

Knowing he’d go above and beyond to ensure her safety.

This was a step too far.

An hour ago, she would have taken him on any terms.

Lucia was learning where her heart was concerned, she had hard limits.

A lot could have been said at that moment, but what words could she say that wouldn’t make her sound like a simpering idiot? Instead, she cocked her head back to look at the taller beast and kept her face cool as a snowman in December.

“If a woman is going to impersonate me, I think I need ice cream first. Do you think these guys have any around here?”

He snorted, and the tension broke.

Over an ice cream cone, she watched grown men bickering.

It was riveting to see and a little hot.

Capone was pacing between five feet of space, his hands resting on his hips as he blew out air. The other big mountain man was growling and snarling, his head anchored down almost to his chest, hair fell into his eyes, but it focused his gray stare on Lucia’s table. It had nothing to do with Lucia and all to do with the woman sitting at her side.

Between those two men was the MC boss, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Are the bikers always like this?” She asked, licking a slurp of toffee sauce from her thumb.

“Yep,” answered the amused woman, “more than you’d think. Prez, that’s Shark, has a no-guns policy in the club, so if the boys wanna fight, they either do it with their fists, or they sling arguments around like high school girls. It’s so funny.”

“I bet it is,” Lucia grinned, entertained.

It was unfortunate she was mid lick, her tongue swirling like a suggestive horny serpent when Capone glanced over. She watched his moody eyes flash and his nostrils flare. Whoa, either she was in the middle of a sugar rush, or he appeared aroused.

“What’s the problem?”

“He doesn’t want me to do it.”

At that. “She’s not going,” the mountain man called Tiger growled. Lucia was sure she felt it trembling the ground under her feet. God, what must the man look like if he got pissed off? Bet he broke boulders with his bare hands and ripped trees out by the roots, no problem.

The plan was to have one of the club girls dress like Lucia and to lure the spy to the airport. When Capone saw how much Jacie resembled Lucia’s coloring and frame, he’d asked Shark if she’d do it. Jacie agreed right away, and the two women had been talking up a storm for the past few hours. It would be easy enough for Jacie to wear something of Lucia’s, pull a cap over her hair, keep her face down, and the pair could be twins.

But the moment Tiger heard of this, he’d rattled all the walls with his roar.

“I think we should get someone else,” Lucia suggested.

“No way. I want to help you. Tiger will come around.”

From the looks of how he was glowering, he was more likely to headbutt Capone than he was into coming around.

The arguing went on a while longer. Shark was trying to reassure Tiger.

“Are you guys together? Is that why he’s so… grrrr over you.”

Jacie whipped her head around, and Lucia watched a blush crawl up from her neck and up her pretty face. “Oh, my god, no. We’re friends. He’s my best friend. He doesn’t think about me like that.”

“Hm. Well, if you don’t mind me butting my nose in and giving you an unsolicited observation. The way Tiger has his eyes all over you like he wants to drag you onto his shoulders and lock you up somewhere. I’m betting he thinks about you like that.”

“Do you think so?” Gasped Jacie. And then. “No, he says he has to keep me out of trouble. I’m his wayward pet.” She tried to laugh, her stare fixated on the big brute with his tree-trunk, thick arms crossed over his muscular chest.

“Does that mean you belong to one of the other bikers?”

“Nah, it’s nothing like that. The guys helped me out a few years ago, and I’ve stuck around. They’re family.” Jacie turned her eyes on Lucia and popped a shoulder shrug. “What about you and brooding eyes over there? What’s the story?”

Oh, wow. Where would Lucia begin with that?

“How long do you have?” She joked. “The official story is we’re friends, I guess. Unofficially, I have no idea.” Wasn’t that the damn truth?

Capone’s mouth said one thing, but his ardent gaze claimed her.

At her side, Jacie laughed. “It’s usually the hot bastards who are the most complicated. Hang in there, girl, if you think there’s something between you. I mean, he’s going to all this effort for you. He cares.”

The problem was, Lucia wanted Capone to love her as fiercely as she loved him.

There was no room to reply because Tiger’s noise increased. The big guy looked agitated. “Oh, boy,” Jacie said. “Let me sort this out.”

Lucia finished her ice cream, and she watched the small girl march up to the biggest man on earth. Like magic, his roar turned to silence as Jacie laid her hands on his chest. “I’m doing this, Tiger. I want to help. I never get to do anything.”

“You’ll get hurt.” He dropped his head, staring at her. Jacie smiled at him. It was easy to see they had a connection.

“I won’t.”

“And I won’t be there to stop it.” He growled gruffly.

“Would you feel better if you came with Capone and me?”

More growling, Tiger looked ridiculously tamed by the smaller woman. It was incredibly sweet to watch. He nodded.

“Shark, is that okay? Could we do that?”

“We can work with it to stop the big bastard going nuclear.”

Things happened fast after that. The two girls had similar clothes, so Jacie copied Lucia’s clothes by changing into grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Jacie let her wear one of her white baseball caps, and then she went outside to be seen by the spying car.

“Relax,” Capone said from behind her. She hadn’t realized he’d followed her outside.

“I am relaxed.” She lied, wringing her tight fingers together.

She wanted this over with, longing for a boring and wonderful life.

As she walked, she felt his hand come to the back of her neck, squeezing gently. She couldn’t help it, Lucia flinched. “Relax, nena. Don’t pull away. The jackass has to see you close to me because I’ll need Jacie close when we leave.”

Lucia frowned, but stayed against his chest. She hadn’t thought about that when he’d explained what he wanted to do. What did she care? They were friends… barely. And she’d seen him plenty close with women years ago. Knowing it was to help her get free didn’t stop the turbulent washing machine in her stomach going on a fast, jealous spin.

“If I haven’t said it already, thank you for helping me, Capone.”

A little grumble from his chest.

“It’s no problem.”

They walked a small way around the compound in silence, making sure the car from the street would see them being cozy. A few minutes later, an SUV started up behind them, and when it passed by, driving out of the complex, Capone raised his hand to the driver, who waved back. That was the starting pistol. The second car going to the airport was leaving. It would be the car to bring Capone and Jacie back undetected, hopefully.

“Let’s head in, nena. I’ll leave in thirty.”

A few steps that way, she looked up at him. “Do you still want to kill my dad?”

To be fair to Capone, he didn’t even hesitate. “Sí.”

“Why haven’t you tried to over the years? Dad is vocal about people going against him, I would have heard about it.” Lucia wasn’t so hateful to want her father dead, despite every heinous, unforgivable thing he’d ever done. Could she still love Capone if he acted on his vengeance one day?

She couldn’t blame him, that much she knew.

When he didn’t answer right away, it was very telling.

“You must think I’m stupid for loving him still after everything.”

The hand around her waist squeezed once. “He’s your father, nena. You’re born loving your parents, however bad they are.”

“So, why didn’t you do it? The last time I saw you, you were filled with vengeance.”

It was then he cut his dark eyes at her, and she felt the look deep inside her belly. It was serious, and she saw some of the old Capone.

“That hasn’t disappeared.”

She sucked in her breath.

“I left your father alone, I moved out of State, Lucia, because the night I got close enough to put a bullet in his head, he told me if he was murdered, there was a hit put out on you.”

Shock froze her feet to the ground, staring up at him. His jaw tick was working fast. He wasn’t about to follow that statement with “ha, ha.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say to that,” she whispered, pain lancing her heart. “I shouldn’t be surprised he’d use me as a threat. It’s exactly something he’d do.” She couldn’t stop the emotion from changing her voice. Damn him. He would punish her to the end.

A few feet from the entry door, Capone stopped Lucia and turned her to face him. A hand under her chin tipped it up to force her eyes to his. “I’m sorry.” She said, watching him frown, “you haven’t gotten your retribution because of me. I’m so sorry.”

“Do you think your life is worth so little, nena, that I’d resent you?” He rasped.

At this point, she couldn’t say. When she thought her father couldn’t sink lower, he did. One day she’d learn how to switch her feelings off so she could stop being affected by what that man did to her.

“Listen to me. No one else would have stopped me from killing Nicholas. He played his hand well. He knew it. And I am not fucking sorry, you hear me?”

Two hands captured her face, stunning a gasp out of her. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll get you free of that man, Lucia. Because your life is fucking worth it.”

Oh. Goodness.

Swaying, she tried to speak around her thick tongue and came up soundless.

Capone moved again, a hand around her waist. He took her inside.

Jacie bounced up to her, grinning. Her minder was hovering behind like a stalking tree. “This is exciting! I’ll bring you something from the airport gift shop.” Lucia laughed and hugged the woman. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“Hey, girl, this is fun for me. I never get to do covert shit, I can’t wait.”

Then Capone stalked up to her, and her breath went nuts in her chest. “I’ll be back in a few hours. You’re gonna be fine here, nena. Don’t go outside.”

“I won’t.” she agreed.

“The guys will look out for you if you need anything.”

“Be careful, Gi. And hey, maybe you’re right.” She lowered her voice so only he heard as she tried for a smile, but she wasn’t feeling very smiley at the moment. “Maybe you should marry me. That would be the biggest vengeance against my father.”

A joke. A bad one.

Rocks sat heavy in her chest.

What a horrible mess they’d both been caught in for too long.

His eyes flared. Without a word, a kiss dropped on her forehead, and then he was striding out of the door. Capone’s arm was around Jacie’s shoulder like they were the hottest couple on the planet. Her stomach muscles clenched like little jealous fat rolls as she watched them, laughing and pretend-canoodling toward the car. He helped her inside and slid in after her. Tiger was behind the wheel, glowering.

She watched until the SUV disappeared.

“Good news,” Shark announced, dropping his cell into his pocket. She turned to look at him. “They took the bait. The car took off after them.”

“That’s great,” she tried for a smile.

All she felt was shy and alone. And she was already missing the wall Capone made for her. She didn’t know what to do now until he came back.

“I gotta see to some shit,” Shark told her, “make yourself comfortable. They’ll be a few hours.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” he winked and strode off.

Leaving her in a room of men she didn’t know.

Lucia slipped onto a barstool to wait.

She’d been waiting her whole adult life for Capone.

A few more hours wasn’t going to hurt.