by Raven Scott
“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.”
“Wow, she really did take over your wedding. I didn’t book a ticket back. I figured I’d just leave when I got tired of this place.” This time, Lucy shot me a quizzical look and I was the one who shrugged carelessly. What else was there to say? I had no one waiting for me, no job I needed to get b
ack to, and I rented a room monthly.
My dogs were already at the door, waiting, and I rubbed the back of my neck as I went through yesterday in my head. I’d taken them out some time in the night, but Marshal refused to come with us. Sriracha was going to be a problem until they got used to each other.
Not to mention Marshal wasn’t a traveled dog, which complicated things a bit.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs.” Her lips parted, but whatever Lucy was going to say never breached before she thought better of it. Nodding, she turned down the hallway, and I gnawed on my lower lip as I scanned her. Long, golden locks the color of the sun swished, and I clenched my hands into fists by my sides. I despised that she was getting farther and farther away, even though I knew where she was going and that she’d be back. My plain, gray t-shirt on her shoulders bunched up slightly around her wide hips, but I liked long shirts- even then, the fabric barely covered her butt completely.
And then, she disappeared into a room, and I inhaled deeply as my heart started to beat again. Stuffing my fists into my jean pockets, I sucked my teeth absently as I turned on my heel to head for the elevator. Sriracha was already waiting impatiently, and I reached to rub his head and cleared my throat roughly.
“What was that about?” Of course, he couldn’t answer my question, and Sriracha gave me that big grin of his as I punched the button. “Was she gonna tell me to brush my teeth? I’ll do that when we get back.”
“Hold the elevator!” Twisting at the call, I clenched my jaw absently as a guy came jogging over, and he cast me a grateful smile even though I hadn’t done anything. The elevator wasn’t up here, yet. “Thanks. Sorry for yelling.”
“No problem. You in a hurry?”
“Not anymore. I was supposed to leave an hour ago, but I just woke up. I’m going outside to smoke. No one ever told me vacationing was so damn stressful.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that, and he reached down to pet Ketchup with an impressed grunt. “Are they from the same litter? They’re pretty hearty, huh?”
“Yeah, they are. They’re only ten months old. They’ll get bigger.” The elevator gave a shrill ping, and I gestured the guy to go first. “Do you like dogs?”
“Ah, not enough to get one myself, honestly.” The conversation fizzled, and I didn’t try to revive it as the elevator stuttered to begin its descent. Glancing down, Sriracha was giving this guy the eye, his lips puttering every so often, and Ketchup was just lavishing in his attention. This hotel had, maybe, a hundred and fifty rooms on prime beach real estate, and I couldn’t wait to get outside and breathe some fresh air.
19
Lucy
“Say ‘condiments’!” Grinning broadly as Mateo threw his head back and laughed, the deep timbre resonated against my bones, and I tilted my phone to get a better angle. He stood on the beach in his shorts, his dogs sitting on either side of him and his board stuck in the sand. It was a ridiculously cliché photo. “I like that one.”
“Come here.“ Stepping through the hot sand, I clutched my phone tightly, and Mateo wrapped his arm around me securely. He was dripping ocean water, smelled of salt, and I bristled with happiness, like a dog getting pet in just the right spot. Holding my phone up, I couldn’t stop smiling, and the device trembled slightly before Mateo reached to grab it.
I wasn’t a real fan of selfies, but Mateo took a few good ones before nodding to himself and handing me back my phone. I just wanted . . . no, I needed to immortalize the rest of this trip. I needed him and me- documentation that I wasn’t hallucinating or something. That I didn’t die in my hotel room, and this was the minutes before I was revived. Marshal came up between my legs, and I reached down to pet him as the ocean breeze caressed my back.
“Are you procrastinating because you don’t want to surf, Lucy?” Pausing, embarrassment flooded my cheeks, and Mateo squeezed my hip comfortingly as he wrapped his other arm around me. Rocking side to side, he kissed my cheek, and his breath rolled down my neck to draw a gasp from my throat. “There’s nothing to be scared of.”
“I know. I just . . . I don’t like deep water where I can’t touch the bottom.” Surprise rose his brows at my grumble, and my chest tightened when he leaned back with questions in his eyes. “Yeah, so I’d just rather . . . not . . . go that far out.”
“Okay. I can still throw you in the swell, though, right?” I nodded before I really registered the question, and Mateo tossed my phone on the blanket to hoist me into his arms. Alarm bells rang, my heart leaping into my throat, and I squawked like a dying parrot in shock. He chuckled as I grappled his shoulders, and my body tingled as he wadded back to the ocean.
Excitement did all sorts of things to me as Mateo jostled me around, and my glee burst from my lips before he really did throw me. The water reached his waist, and I held my breath as I was engulfed in the ocean’s cool embrace. Squeezing my eyes shut, I let the sensation of being underwater, with my heels digging into the sand. There was something about being totally submerged that was so comforting and peaceful, and I planted my feet on the sand before pushing myself up.
Taking a huge breath, I wiped my eyes and swept back my hair, and Mateo smiled broadly with happiness shimmering in his brown eyes. Behind him, the dogs were waddling into the ocean, but Marshal was much more wary— he’d never seen the ocean before. Walking over to me, Mateo sloshed heavily through the water, and I stood up as exhilaration flooded my veins.
I pushed him, not very hard, but in the water and not expecting it, Mateo flopped and flailed as he lost his balance. Giggling wildly as his splashes streamed against my mid-section, I started hustling back to shore, and he swam after me to grab my ankle. Squeaking as goosebumps swept up my legs, I couldn’t stop myself from flailing back, but he caught me with warm, strong palms on my shoulders.
Holding me to his chest, Mateo leaned back into the ocean, and I closed my eyes as he crawled backward slowly. Caressing my belly and neck as I sprawled atop him, his heartbeat steady against my back, and the sun streamed down to warm my face.
“So, what happened to all your party guests? They just disappeared after yesterday?” Humming softly in acknowledgment, I reached to cover his hand with mine just below the top of my two-piece, and Mateo sighed. “What about your bridal party?”
“The only person in my bridal party was Mickey, and Seth’s two sisters, but they really hate their mom. They’re both married, and I guess she tried to pull the same stuff with them, so the younger one, Jessie, who got married first, had a disaster of a time. She had a second wedding because Meredith just destroyed the first one. The older sister didn’t even let that happen. She warned everyone involved that if Meredith did anything to any arrangements, she’d sue them until they went bankrupt, and she’s also a lawyer, so . . . ” Sniffing as I fought a frown, I tilted my head up as Mateo lifted his to arch a brow quizzically. “I think Seth is only in law school because his mom made him, and now he’s in too much debt to get out. When we were in high school, all he talked about was being a wildlife photographer and seeing the world.”
“That’s very sad.” Slowly walking us back to shore, Mateo and I sat in the swell, and I leaned against his chest as I crossed my legs. High school, when Seth and I got together, seemed so long ago, and he rubbed my shoulders and neck as those memories drudged up from the very back of my mind.
“We were together for eight months when I told him I wanted to break up. I went to his house, and we sat on his porch while I worked up the courage to get to that part of the conversation. His mom was eavesdropping the whole time, so when I finally said I didn’t think it was working out, she came out and invited me in for dinner. It was, like, not even three p.m.- we just got out of school. She wouldn’t let me leave, and spent all day talking about how great Seth was.” Discomfort glued my tongue to the roof of my mouth, and I fiddled with Mateo’s leg hairs absently as I scrunched up my nose at the memory. “The next time I tried was about two years later, right at the start of my sophomore year of college. I was
commuting, and Seth needed a ride, so I told him I wanted to break up. He was all like, ‘yeah, I think this went on long enough’, and that was that. Then, Meredith found out. Seth was really upfront about it. He’d already hooked up with some girl in his program who he liked, but Meredith showed up at his dorm and made her cry, and that was the end of that.”
“Then, the third time was nine months ago. I broke up with him over the phone, and gave him back his ring the next time we saw each other by chance. His mom came to my house every night and banged on the door all night long. When I called the cops, she’d run away, but then came back. Seth was starting to miss court dates because of her shenanigans, so after two weeks, we got back together. He passed the bar a month ago, and we were going to break it off again, but lo and behold . . . ” Gesturing in the air absently, I ducked my head as a scowl darkened the sun. “It just happened so out of control. Even if Seth and I did get married here, the marriage certificate is a fake. We never applied for it. In order to get one, both people need to be present and have an ID, so it was the one thing his mom couldn’t do behind our backs.”
“What about your mom?” I made a face, and Mateo squeezed my shoulders as I smoothed the dark hairs down his calves. “You’re an only child, Lucy. You’d think she’d be invested in your happiness.”
“Ah, that’s the thing, though. Seth’s a good guy. He’s respectful and charming and all that, and my mom was always telling me I wouldn’t get better. When I was younger, I believed her. When I refused to let Seth move into my house, my mom switched to attack mode and started doing the same stuff Meredith did, which was weird because they really don’t like each other.” Honestly, it was so liberating to get this off my chest. Mikayla was my best friend, but she’d seen a lot of this firsthand and had her own opinions. I just wanted someone to sympathize with me without telling me what he or she thought. “I know how it makes me seem, but Seth was a huge part of my life for a long time. I don’t hate him, and I’m not bitter even though I hate his mom. We were engaged, but we weren’t in a relationship. It’s strange.”