I pause outside the kitchen door and listen.
“He’s adorable!” Lucretia squeals. “Look how he follows me around.”
“He’s already smitten,” Carter says. “I don’t know how I’m going to get him to come home with me after this.”
I push open the door just enough so I can peek inside.
Lucretia walks backwards past the island, and then I catch movement near her feet. An iguana is stalking toward her, its thick body moving quickly.
“Oh my goodness, George.” She sinks to the floor and holds her hands out to it. “You’re such a good boy.”
It crawls onto her hand, then up her arm.
Lito creeps up beside me and peeks in.
She laughs. “That tickles.”
When the beast gets to her shoulder, it perches there like a green gargoyle and nudges her cheek.
“He’s definitely taken with you. He doesn’t do that to me unless he knows I have treats for him, though he usually greets me at the door when I come home.”
“I love him. He’s so cute.”
I don’t think I’d use the word ‘cute’ to describe the lizard, but I’ve quickly learned that Lucretia sees the world differently than I do. And maybe that’s a good thing.
“Gross,” Lito whispers.
I close the door softly and turn back toward my office.
“Hey, can we talk?” Lito asks.
“About you going back to LA?”
He rolls his eyes. “Oh my god, you love me, shut up.”
I smirk and let him lead me into one of the back bedrooms. “What is it?” I lean against the four-poster bed.
“Lucretia.” He laces his fingers together.
“Yes?”
“What are your plans?”
“What are my plans with my wife? I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
He makes an exasperated sound. “Do you love her?”
“I don’t have time for—”
He blocks the door.
“Seriously?” I’ve beaten his ass plenty of times when we were young, though he used to give as good as he got. I didn’t realize he still had that scrappy streak in him. But, then again, he is my brother.
“Look, I know she was part of your grand plan—which you left me out of, by the way.” He looks down. “They were my parents, too, Mateo.”
That hits me like a gut punch, even though I know it shouldn’t. I intentionally left him out of my plans so he wouldn’t get hurt. He’s too good-hearted to do the things that I do on the daily. And a small part of me envies that about him. But more than that, I want it to stay that way. The good in him is part of my mother, a part I never want to tarnish.
“I know they were, Lito.” I grip his shoulder. “And I know you deserve revenge as much as I do. I’d just rather deal it out and let you know when it’s done.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t want revenge on people who had nothing to do with what happened to Mom and Dad. Like Lucretia. She’s innocent. No matter who her parents are or what her last name is—she was like me. She was out, for the most part, starting a life in the world beyond the families. But her shitty parents dragged her back in after her brother died.” He cocks his head to the side. “Do we know who did it?”
“Her brother? No. I heard about it when it happened—mainly because he was on my list, too—but no one has said a word.”
“Isn’t that fucking odd, though?” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You take a shit, and it’s front page news on the families’ iPhones, but a firstborn son gets offed and no one makes a peep?”
“It’s definitely not normal. I put some feelers out about it, but never got any bites. Why? Where are you going with this?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. But it’s weird, is all. And Lucretia may be more caught up in it than you know. Maybe she’s a piece in a much bigger game.”
“If that’s true—and I’m not saying it is—then who’s running the game? Who’s pulling the strings?”
“No clue, but something about it doesn’t add up.”
“You a private detective now?”
“Just because I’m smarter than you doesn’t mean I’m a detective.” He grins.
“Delusional.” I motion at the door. “Will you move now?”
“No. You still didn’t answer my question.”
“Which one?” I stall.
“You know which one.”
Love. That’s not something I’m ready to face, and would I even recognize it? I’ve been on a dark path for so long that I wouldn’t know love if I saw it.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.” Lito’s eyes narrow. “To yourself, most of all.”
“You got your answer. Can you move now?” I step to him. “Or do you need an ass kicking like old times?”
“I work out three times a week, big brother.” He puffs out his bird chest. “You’d better watch your fucking tone with me.”
I try not to laugh, but a chuckle escapes anyway.
“Asshole!” He shoves me then opens the door and stomps away down the hall.