She turns and kisses one of my palms, then the other. “Got it.”
“Good.” I kiss her hard, leaving my mark on her mouth as she clutches the lapels of my jacket.
When I let her come up for air, I return to my seat and pull back onto the road. “I will handle your father. I promise you everything will be all right. Do you believe me?” I take her hand again.
She finally smiles, that warm turn of her lips that makes my heart beat twice as fast. “I believe you.”
“That’s all I need. As long as I have you, I have everything.”
“This is like a dream.” She shakes her head slowly. “I never thought anyone would see me the way you do.”
“I’m glad I found you when I did.” Just the thought of someone else trying to fall in love with my Milly sets my teeth on edge.
“I’m glad you did, too.” Her sweet tone soothes the bit of rage that tried to bubble up, and I focus on what comes next. Though I’m confident in my plan, I still have to execute it to perfection.
We pull up to a gate with several guards loitering out front.
“What do you want?” One of them saunters up to me, a semi-automatic hung at his side.
“We’re here to see Howard Rutherford.”
“No one’s on the schedule. Get the fuck out of here.” He reaches for his gun.
“I have his vase.” I roll the window the rest of the way down, and the asshole leans over and peers at Milly. “And his daughter.”
“Ugh, it’s Benny. I can’t stand him. He touched my butt one time,” she mutters.
“Benny, is it?” I ask.
“The fuck?” He scowls.
“My girl doesn’t like you. That means I don’t like you. Now step back and open the door like a good little lapdog or I’ll have to fuck you up.”
“Mateo.” Milly digs her nails into my hand. “No,” she hisses.
“Get a load of this asshole.” Benny laughs.
I open my car door, nailing him with in the face with it and sending him sprawling. He grunts as the other men raise their guns.
“Mateo!”
“Let them in! Fucking Christ!” a voice barks through the intercom by the gate.
The men immediately back up, and the gate begins to part.
Benny scrambles to his feet and clutches his jaw.
“Touch my girl again, Benny, and I’ll gut you and send pieces of you to your mother.” I ease past the gate and up the straight driveway to an imposing stone house set at the top of a hill.
“I can’t believe you did that.” Her voice rises. “I can’t believe you did that!” She punches the air. “Like kerpow, right in his stupid face!” She giggles with pure exhilaration.
“I’m beginning to think you like it when I do bad things.”
She shrugs. “Maybe I do.”
I only hope I don’t have to do more bad things tonight. But I’ll do whatever to takes to keep her by my side, no matter what.
22
Milly
Just when I don’t think I can fall any deeper in love with Mateo, he goes and proves me wrong. It’s new to have someone stand up for me the way he does. My father’s guards are often dicks when my father and brother aren’t around to hear them. If by some chance my father had popped one of them in the mouth, it would be more so because they are disrespecting him by talking to his daughter that way. Believe me, it would have nothing to do with him worrying about my feelings. He couldn’t care less about those.
Some of my unease and worry lessen when I see Mateo isn’t afraid of my father’s men. The way he handled them showed me that he has no plans of letting them strongarm him into leaving me behind. That’s what I’m most worried over.
The thought of my father kicking Mateo out and not letting me go with him has my stomach in knots. I refuse to ever live in this house again. I made that promise to myself when I moved to my dorm. I wasn’t sure at that time how I was going to accomplish such a feat, but I was determined to try my best.
Mateo pulls up to the front of the house. “Wait for me,” he orders before he hops from the car and comes around to the passenger side door to open it for me.
I take his hand and step out. He leans down and brushes his mouth against mine. I’m not sure if it’s because he wants a kiss or he wants to make it very clear the two of us are together. I don’t care either way. I tilt my head back and lean into his body to kiss him right back.
“I love you,” I say when we break the kiss.
“Love you too. Know that whatever happens, you’re mine. I won’t be leaving here or anywhere else without you.”