“Yes, he saw something no father wants to see, but you weren’t doing anything wrong, Lucia. The person who took those videos is the only person at fault here. Not you. Not Jax.” She reaches out and takes my hand in hers. Her skin is so soft and warm. How is it that she always feels like home to me?
“But he was so mad at Jax. What if they can’t get past this?”
She waves her hand dismissively. “You know how he gets. He’s angry and he’s upset. He won’t take that out on you because you are his little girl, and I would give him hell if he did.” She gives me a wicked grin and despite everything, I laugh. “So he took it out on Jax, but they will both shake hands when this is all over, and they’ll go back to being the best of friends again. I promise you.”
“You think?” I sniff.
“I know.”
“What would you do if you were me, Mom? Go to Dallas or stay here and help Papi?”
She takes in a breath and then she smiles at me. “The same thing you would do, sweetheart. Be with my family.”
Chapter23
Jax
Sitting on the chair beside his bed, I watch my father sleeping. It’s after 2 a.m. and he hasn’t woken since I arrived eight hours ago. The doctors tell me he’ll wake up again as soon as the drugs they gave him wear off.
I listen to the beeping of the machines all around me and all I can think about is her and how I’ve abandoned her when she needed me the most. I tried to call her a couple of hours ago and her phone went straight to voicemail. How have I fucked everything up so quickly?
I shouldn’t have left without forcing her to speak to me. Does she think I chose my father over her and our son? Did I?
I feel guilty that it’s my fault that he almost died. I feel guilty that I assumed the worst of him and the thought that I might never get to tell him that makes me feel like I can’t breathe.
But nothing hurts me more than the look on her face when she told me to go. Having to walk out of that house and leave her behind almost killed me. I suppose she’s a Montoya first and my wife second and I’ll have to get used to that, because I can’t fucking live without her. Knowing that she doubts me makes me feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest, leaving a gaping black hole in its place.
As soon as my father is awake, I’m going to hear what he has to say about his attackers and then make my peace with him. Then I’m on the first plane back to LA to take my wife back. I’ll carry her out of that goddamn house if I have to.
I put my head in my hands and close my eyes. I miss her so much I swear I can even smell her damn perfume. I figure I must be dreaming when I feel her soft fingers in my hair.
“Hey,” she whispers and now I know for sure I’ve fallen asleep and I must be dreaming. But I look up and she’s standing right there. Right in front of me.
“Lucia?” I blink at her, still not sure that she’s not a figment of my imagination.
“I’m sorry I let you leave without me,” she whispers, a fat tear rolling down her face.
I spring from my chair and wrap her in my arms, pressing her soft body against mine. Fuck! She is real.
“I’m sorry I left you, baby,” I whisper in her ear. “It will never happen again. I promise.”
“I should never have doubted you, Jax. I know that you would never betray me like that.”
I close my eyes and squeeze her tighter as the relief washes over me. When I finally release her from my embrace, she’s smiling up at me. Suddenly the reality of her being here with me instead of safe in her father’s mansion hits me.
I frown at her. “Did you come here alone?”
She rolls her eyes and despite where we are, it makes me want to spank her ass. “No. I had my own personal security detail.” She indicates her head toward the door. Alejandro is standing there with a sleeping Matthias in his arms.
“Now that you’re with Jax, I’m going to get this guy to bed. Okay,mija?”
“Yes, Papi. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
“In the morning,” he replies with a nod of his head.
“All?” I say to her as he walks out of the room.
“My mom and the twins came too. As well as Hugo, Raoul and another eight of his men. It’s like a whole family trip,” she says as she bites on her lip. “I’m sorry. I did ask Molly and she said it would be okay for them to stay at the house.”