“In that week, I found a better man than Seth will ever be for me.” No matter what she said about him, Lucy never explicitly called Seth an asshole of a person. He was just wrong for her. They just weren’t compatible. Meredith shook with the force of her rage at Lucy’s almost gentle declaration. “He is a good man, but he’s not good for me. The only reason we got back together is because you and my mom were making us miserable. We were together because it was easier than dealing with our mothers. The problem wasn’t us, Meredith— it was you.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I grabbed Meredith’s hand when she raised it to try to smack Lucy. Behind her, the younger cop sprang into action, and I sidestepped between the two women as Meredith screeched like a banshee. Crumpling to the floor, she cradled her wrist and screamed that it was broken, but the policeman behind her clearly didn’t believe her as he grabbed her arms and held them back. Theclinkof cuffs was overly loud in my ears, and Meredith instantly switched to panic mode despite herbrokenwrist.
“Here.” Hoisted onto her low heels, Meredith panted furiously, and Lucy took off her engagement ring to give it to the older officer. “She picked it out. She should have it.”
“We’re not done talking! I wasn’t going to do anything! She instigated me! I’m on the Jackson school board, damnit!” My brows rose, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter as she struggled against being led away. The lobby suddenly became still, but her shouts seeped through the glass doors before she got her ass shoved in a cruiser.
“So, that happened.” Lucy rocked back against my palm, and I wrapped my arm around her as she glanced around the lobby. “Where is my mom, anyway?”
“Actually, the last time I saw her was when Meredith spit at you. I don’t know where she went.” Mikayla’s voice was laced with humor but muted, and she shrugged carelessly while Lucy raked her hand through her luscious, blonde hair. “Everyone scattered. I think they all had backup plans, so they’re doing that.”
“I hope you have a backup plan. I’m gonna eat to make up for the past two days and then sleep to make up for the past nine months.” It seemed like everything rose and fell so quickly, too quickly, and I glanced over at the officiant still sitting on the sofa. She had her head buried in her phone, but I guess she saw drama all the time, and this was nothing new. Reaching to punch the elevator button, I only shook my head slightly at the fact that Meredith got herself arrested.
“I do. I’m actually gonna meet up with Roger and Seth. We’re all going to a karaoke bar. I’d invite you, but you just said you have plans.” Puffing out her lips, Mikayla shrugged again, and she stepped out of the way to give a mock salute when the elevator doors slid open. “Relax. Have fun. I’m gonna go get drunk.”
“You, too, Mickey.” Gesturing Lucy into the metal box first, I nodded politely when she waved at me, but as soon as the doors shut again, I pulled my fist to my teeth to stifle my yawn. Lucy rubbed my bare chest, leaning her head on my shoulder, and I shook my head a little harder to clear the fog that muddled my thoughts. “I hope I never see Meredith ever again.”
“She really said she was on the school board.” I didn’t bother to hide my chuckle, and I squeezed Lucy to my side to sigh in pure bliss.
18
Mateo
Cuddling against my side, Lucy twirled my chest hairs around her finger, and I grumbled lowly as I breathed in her smell. I’d felt her wake up with a start, like she was worried this wasn’t real; to be honest, I felt the same way. This was just far too perfect to be true. Stretching my legs, I flexed my feet and toes before rolling over to wrap her up against my chest, and all of my senses tingled wildly.
“You know, I’m an only child. I think my mom just thought I wasn’t going to get any better than Seth. I think . . . I thought I probably wouldn’t, either.” Her hoarse confession wrapped around my heart and squeezed, and I cracked my eyes open to lean back. Lucy’s baby blues focused on my chest under furrowed brows, and she frowned slightly as goosebumps followed her fingertips. “I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t unhappy, either.”
“I had a sister, Sonja. She killed herself when I was ten.” It wasn’t like Sonja was a touchy subject, but shame thickened my tone and soured my tongue, and Lucy’s breath hitched softly. “I spent every moment after that using money to make up for how miserable I was, and it worked for the most part. I mean, I had the means, so why shouldn’t I? After what Carlyle put me through, everything changed. In an instant. Not because I killed her, but because I realized that was my life— being ordered and stepped on and despised for not being invested in the business.”
“But you’re different now. You’re gentle and warm.” Humming softly, I reached to stroke her cheek, and Lucy covered my palm with hers as her eyes flickered up to mine. “You’re a wonderful man, Mateo.”
“When those grease monkeys threw you in that room, I thought, ‘you didn’t deserve this’. I’d grown up in an environment where being kidnapped was a reality I had to face, but you were just snatched on your way home from working at a damn supermarket. How do you get more innocent than that? But the last time I talked to my dad at the hospital, he said something that took me a while to understand.” Trailing off, I licked my lips heavily as my mouth dried from my confession, and Lucy watched me with big, glistening eyes. “I don’t deserve it, either.”
“Oh, Mateo.” Her sharp, sad smile closed my throat, and Lucy wrapped her arms around me to hold my head against her chest. Slithering around her waist, I hugged her tightly, and my heart thundered against the bars of its cage. Stroking my hair, she kissed my crown, and I closed my eyes to focus on the soft feel of her body against mine. “Have you talked to your family since then?”
“No.” Mine was a lonely, sad existence, pining for her because I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t call my dad or Oran, and I really didn’t want to for fear of being dragged back in. Lucy made a distressed noise, and she threaded her long, nimble fingers through my hair as we sat in a comforting silence.
But everything would be better now. The one person I knew outside of the Syndicate was here,single, and willing. Despite knowing what she knew, Lucy wanted me with the same ferociousness that burned in my chest, a constant flame that never flickered out.
“I’m your family now.” My throat closed completely, my heart sputtering, and I lifted my head as Lucy pursed her lips in tender determination. She was so beautiful and kind and gentle, and I blinked as the brightness of her light threatened to blind me. Locking my arms against her back, I tensed as her soft features distorted from the closeness, and her palms framed my jaw, drawing me closer.
Lucy’s kiss was feathery, tentative, and shocks rippled down my neck and sternum as her palms flexed against my cheeks. Cupping the back of her head, I couldn’t keep the air in my lungs, and she shivered against me. Goosebumps blanketed my body, all the hairs on my arms and legs and chest standing straight up. Pulling back, I blinked hard, and her face tinged pink as she panted lightly below the happiness sparkling bright in her eyes.
I was speechless, and Lucy cuddled up against my chest to tuck her head under my chin. Tightening my grip on her, I buried my nose in her hair and sucked in a huge breath.
This was peace.Having her in my arms, where nothing else existed . . . Lucy was my peace.
“Do you want to take the dogs to the beach?” Lucy was still for a long moment, and I savored the feel of her before she nodded against my sternum. Her soft hair tickled my cheeks when she pulled back, and I rolled onto my back to watch her sit up. Stretching her arms above her head, she could’ve sprouted white wings in that moment, and I reached to palm between her shoulder blades.
“I’m gonna go get a bathing suit and my sandals.”
“Do you know how to surf?” She shook her head before scooting off the king-sized bed, and I sat up to throw my legs over the side. “You’re gonna learn. I have to take Sriracha out first, though. He’ll get mad if he doesn’t get his turn.”
“What? Really?” Nodding firmly, I rubbed my jaw and neck and rolled my shoulders before glancing at the clock. The time flashed seven-nineteen a.m. in bright green, and I ran both my hands through my hair as Lucy chuffed a laugh. “You taught them to surf?”
“Yeah. I had a lot of time on my hands. How long are you staying in Hawaii?”
“Uh, this is day three, so . . . today. Tonight, really. My flight leaves at eleven p.m. What about you?” Surprise rose my brows, and Lucy shrugged lightly as we made our way into the sitting area. “I didn’t plan any of this, remember. It was mostly Meredith that made all the arrangements, and then my mom did a lot of talking. She didn’t even tell me about this until three weeks ago and the tickets had been bought months ago.”
