“Alejandro!”
My mom and I shout in unison, but the pair of them completely ignore us as they roll around on the lawn like a pair of MMA fighters, punching and grappling to maintain the upper hand.
“Mom,” I say as she stands beside me and we watch them in horror.
“Hugo,” she shouts and he comes running. When he reaches us he frowns at us both and stands staring at my father and Jax fighting.
“What the hell?” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“Please stop them,” my mom pleads with him.
“Fuck,” he hisses but then he wades into the fight, signaling one of the armed guards to help him. They manage to pull them apart only for my father to launch himself at Jax again, grabbing him in a headlock and dragging him back to the ground.
Hugo and the guard stand with their hands on their hips, shaking their heads in defeat and confusion.
“Oh for goodness’ sake,” my mom hisses before she marches over to them herself. I wonder if she’s going to take a nearby chair and crack it over my papi’s back, WWE style, because I don’t see any other way to split them up. But instead, she leans close to him and places one hand on the back of his neck, turning his face to hers with her other hand. “Alex,” she says calmly. “You’re scaring the boys.”
He stops, fist in mid air as it was about to come crashing down on Jax’s face, then he stands up, brushes the grass from his suit pants and spits blood onto the floor.
Jax stands too and wipes the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.
My father glares at him. “Get the fuck out of my house right now,” he snarls.
“Alejandro?” Jax glares back at him.
“I said get the fuck out.” My father’s hands are balled into fists by his sides. “And stay the fuck away from my daughter.”
Jax looks to me just as Matthias runs to me. “Why are papa and Jax fighting, Momma?” he cries.
“It’s okay.” I pick him up and hug him tightly. “They were just playing.”
When I look up again, Jax is turning away and heading for the door.
“Jax,” I shout, preparing to walk after him but my father stands in front of me.
“You are not going anywhere with him,” he growls.
“The hell I’m not,” I hiss as I cover Matthias’ ears.
“Lucia. Stay and speak to your parents,” Jax says.
“No. I’m coming with you.”
My mom stands beside me and puts a comforting arm around my shoulder.
“No. He’s right. I should leave. You need to stay here with your family.”
His words tear out my heart. Why is he leaving without me? We’re a team, aren’t we?
“I’ll have someone drop your car here and I’ll see you later,” he adds with a faint smile and I heave a sigh of relief. I’ll see him later.
“The fuck you will,” my father snarls.
“Alejandro,” my mom snaps shooting him a look that says this conversation is over for now. Jax walks away, leaving through the side gate to get to the driveway. My father shakes his head and marches over to my twin brothers, scoops them into his arms and storms into the house.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I whisper as tears fill my eyes.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she wraps her other arm around me now and hugs me tightly. “It will all be okay.”