I listened, looking for the right clues, but came up empty.
Angel downed the entire drink in one swallow and slammed the glass down. “It was never about a deal.” He looked right at Lily. “It was about the truth.”
Chapter 26
Lily
The way Angel stared at me sent shivers down my spine, but not in a good way. The truth? What truth? I should have been afraid of the man who wanted me so badly my own father faked my death, but I wasn’t. As long as Jacob was with me I wasn’t afraid.
Everything this man said was confusing, like he spoke in riddles, wanting me to figure shit out on my own. Another game, I concluded. I was so sick of games. Fine. I’ll try to play along. But only for a minute.
The truth. Everything was over the truth. Did Garcia lie to him? Was Garcia covering up the truth? Or was Garcia blackmailing Angel over knowing the truth about something? Ugh. I gave up. I wasn’t playing anymore. “What did Garcia lie about that was so bad he was willing to have his wife and daughter kidnapped? Why did he have to fake my death?”
Angel smiled sadly. “Good questions. The answer? Because you aren’t his daughter.”
What? There is no way I heard him correctly. “Could you repeat that?”
“He could kill you off because you aren’t his.” Angel poured another drink and held it out for me. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”
Hell, I wasn’t sure about anything. I took the glass and sniffed it. It smelled horribly strong. I handed it back. “No thanks.”
He took the glass and drank it like a shot, all in one gulp. It had to burn. I cringed for him. “I don’t understand. If I’m not his daughter, then who’s my father?”
Angel sat back down and leaned forward placing his head in his hands, wiping his face. I wasn’t sure he was going to tell me anything, but his voice cracked. “Rachael and I were in love a long time ago.” He smiled fondly when he said her name. My heart fluttered, scared at what I was about to hear. “I loved that woman more than life itself. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have done for her.” His wistful gaze left us and his mind was somewhere else. “I knew about you, about the pregnancy before I left. I had a business trip.”
Angel shook his head and looked at me. His eyes, his very blue eyes. I gulped. “Garcia always wanted her. She was gorgeous. She was exactly the right kind of trophy wife. So while I was gone he manipulated her. He told her I was dead. Told her that was the price she paid for loving me and not him. She grieved and told him he was lying, but he was very persuasive.” His jaw clenched and his fists tightened. “He told her he would kill you. He would kill the baby she carried. The last thing she would have of mine, if she didn’t marry him.”
“Angel,” I whispered, hating the words he spoke, but needing to hear them just the same. My heart squeezed in agony for him.
“When I returned, they were already married. At first I was furious. I thought she had betrayed me. I’m sure you could imagine how I felt,” he asked Jacob.
Jacob nodded and squeezed my hand. “There are no words.”
“Mmhm. He’s right. Nothing can describe what I felt. By the time I learned the truth of what happened, Garcia wouldn’t let me get close enough to tell her I was alive. To come for you. So I waited. And finally about five years ago fate intervened for me.” He chuckled. “I keep to myself so I can get closer without anyone knowing who I really am. And it worked. I was in the same room as Garcia. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to put my hands around his neck and take his last breath, but I couldn’t because he held you and your mother over me. I had to make sure you were safe first.”
He stood and carved his hands through his nearly black hair. “I told him I would go public, reveal everything. I’ve spent your entire lifetime collecting dirt on him. Every breadcrumb trail he left, I found. I have more proof than I need to convict him and put him away for thirty lifetimes. He thought he had everything covered up, but he didn’t. I paid a hell of a lot more to the same people. I wasn’t as stingy with my money. So I had it set. I would reveal everything and Rachael could finally be free. I could have my family.”
He choked back a sob and slammed his fist down on the bar, shaking the glass. “But then he pulled that fucking stunt and told me he killed you. He even had a death certificate drawn up. My heart couldn’t take it. I thought I had killed you. And if I didn’t play along, he would kill Rachael too.” He leaned forward, bracing himself on the bar. “I thought I killed you,” he repeated.
I shook. My nerves were shot. I didn’t know whether I should believe him or not. His story was so convincing, and it was no secret my mother hated my father. But… Why was he doing this?
Angel straightened and wiped at his face. “News travels fast in this world. So when I heard about you, I came back to Nevada as fast as I could, but I was too late. Again. Knox had you on a plane. By the time I found out it was you, I was inconsolable. I had Jose call Jacob. I didn’t know what else to do. I deal with drugs, I’m not in the same circle for trafficking. I didn’t know who else to call. My only hope was that he would find you. Like I said, my men were ready to go find you, but we wouldn’t have made it in time. But it didn’t mean I would have stopped looking for you. Or hiring someone who could find you.”
I felt like screaming. It had to be all lies. “I don’t believe you.”
“Lily, please.” He looked desperate. A spark lit his eyes. “Her dad. Before I left, I had asked for her hand in marriage. I don’t know if he knew about the pregnancy then, but he would remember me. Hell, Rachael practically left him overnight with no explanation to marry Garcia. He had to have known something was wrong. He knew how much I loved her.” Red rimmed his eyes. “I loved her so fucking much. I still do. If only she would have trusted me enough to know I wasn’t dead. I was coming for her. My men would have told her about me, not fucking Garcia!”
Seeing him break down was hard, but I wasn’t ready to console anyone. I turned to Jacob seeking my own comfort. Words evaded me. I didn’t know what to believe. I just knew Jacob was there and everything would be okay. Tears welled in my eyes, flowing over onto my cheeks. “Jacob,” I whispered, unsure what to say.
He pulled me in for a hug, but I could feel him shaking. “So,” he was talking to Angel, not me, “Red worked for Garcia.”
He’d figured it out and I wanted to throw up. He continued. “Garcia had Red take her and do those things to her all because he didn’t want the fucking world to know who she was.” He wasn’t asking anymore. He was spewing the truth like venom.
Angel’s tears faded and his face clenched into a fierce glare. “What did Red do to you? He will pay. I promise he will pay.”
Jacob held me closer as I freely let the tears fall. He sneered at Angel. “He already has.”
I sobbed into Jacob’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter now.” I sniffed back the tears and sat up straight.
“Cardosa, your family has been in the circle for longer than most. Tell Lily. Tell her how Garcia would never have been the one to tell Rachael I was dead.” He pleaded with Jacob as if this held all the truth keys in one fact.
“She already knows.” Jacob lifted my chin to peer deeply into my soul. “But just in case. Lily, if anything ever happens to me, it would only ever be one of my men who tells you. You don’t believe anyone else. Ever. Do you understand?”
I nodded and finished wiping my eyes dry and watched Angel. Could this man be my actual father? “I want to believe you, it’s just so much to take in right now.”
Angel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. “Why do you think Garcia came so fast to Mexico? Why didn’t he come back with you?”
“At first he was hell bent on taking Lily back with him, but when he found out that she wasn’t going anywhere without me, he got pissed.” I knew Jacob was thinking back to the things Garcia said about me. I could feel his anger seep through his fingers, but I held on, knowing we both needed to touch.
“I left the bastard a trail. Making him think I was down there.” He gestured to Jacob’s arm. “Sorry about that by the way. Like I said, I had men ready to help as back up. They found you in the park but it was too late. You were surrounded by Leman’s men. I heard you were hit in the crossfire. My men were sent to help if you needed it, but your men,” he let out a whistle. “Your men are fucking good. They never left even a slight chance for anyone to get close to Lily.”
I held my head higher, completely proud of my “brothers”. They really did take good care of me while Jacob was held hostage.
Angel chuckled and smiled at me. “I also heard you are not one to mess with if you have a gun, my dear.”
Okay, so I was a little smug at that compliment. So far my gun had saved Jacob and killed Knox.
“Anyway, I knew you would be bringing her back here, so I waited.” He shook his head and grimaced. “You didn’t have to take her out to bait me though. I knew you were here when you landed. But I waited because she deserved a night out on the town after everything she’s been through.”
“So what do you want?” Jacob asked, a little more relaxed.
“I’m afraid it might be too late to have a relationship with my daughter. I want Garcia to pay. He took everything from me. It’s only fair to return his kindness.”
I gasped. “You want him dead?” I couldn’t agree to that. Garcia had raised me. He was my father, I think. What if Angel was only telling me these things so I sided with him to kill Garcia? I didn’t know what was a lie and what was the truth.
“Of course I want him dead. He killed your mother. He took you away. Kidnapped you. Sold you! He would have killed you or worse too!” Angel released a long breath. “But I won’t. For you.”
“Fuck that,” Jacob shook in anger. “If he truly isn’t her father, and I find out you’re telling the truth, there won’t be anything left of that man.” He stood and began to pace.
I went to him. “Jacob. We don’t know anything yet.”
He touched my cheek softly. “Lily, we know enough.”
Chapter 27
Jacob
I knew I should have killed Garcia a long time ago. My heart clenched watching Lily. I wanted nothing more than to take it all away for her. This was some fucked up shit that she didn’t deserve.
I walked to the bar and poured a drink. It wasn’t often I drank, but right now, I’d say it was justified. I barely let the amber liquid breathe before tipping it back. It burned going down, soothing the fury building in my chest.
“Take another one, I find it helps.” Angel gestured to the carafe.
Lily took the glass from me and poured a swallow. She pressed the glass to her lips and took a sip. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the burn. Her head tipped back slightly, giving me the perfect view of her slender neck. Fuck me. Even furious, she had a way of turning me on. But we were with Angel, in his room, and it would have been angry sex. Hard, deep, heated sex.
I took the glass from her, unable to watch her drink more. I tossed the liquid back, coating my throat. Now I needed it to quench not only my rage but the possessive desire to claim her.
Angel stood, walking to us. “Now you know the truth.”
“Yeah,” I snapped. I knew enough to kill Garcia.
Angel started to reach out to touch Lily but drew his hand back. Good thing, because the mood I was in, I would break his arm if he touched her without her wanting him to. “Maybe some rest will help. We can talk again tomorrow.” He dipped his head so Lily could see him clearly. “You look like your mother. I miss her so much. I missed you.”
Lily faked a smile. “I don’t have her eyes though.”
Angel shook his head. “No, my darling. You have mine.” The corner of his mouth twisted up as he looked at her. “Now go get some sleep. We have lots of time to decide how the rest of this will go.”
I knew how it was gonna go. Garcia would die.
She reached out and touched his arm. “This is hard for me. I’ve been through a lot. Like a lot. Give me some time, okay?”
He patted her hand. “You can have all the time you need, my dear. I’m not going anywhere.”
I touched her lower back and held my other hand out for Angel. “Let me just make it clear, Lily is the most important thing. This, whatever this might be between you and her, will all be on her terms. Okay?”
He shook my hand. “Agreed.”
Diesel met us at the elevator. “I didn’t like leaving you there alone.”
I chuckled, leading Lily into the lift. “I didn’t think you would.”
“So? We good? Is Angel taken care of?” Diesel pressed the button for my floor.
“Hardly,” Lily drawled. “I’m still trying to wrap my brain around everything he said, but I don’t think he’s going to kill me.”
Diesel looked right at me. “What the fuck happened in there?”
“A lot.” I found Lily’s hand and squeezed it. “Get everyone together. We have a lot to discuss.”
A ding echoed in the tiny space and the doors opened. Diesel let Lily out first. “They’re all in your room. I’m the only one out here.”
I nodded and used the card key to open the door to the suite. I almost laughed at the men. I’d never seen a bunch of worried suckers. Flapjack’s shoulders relaxed and Jax released a breath.
“Boss, that was a long time. We were ready to storm the room. I can’t believe you took Lily in there.” Flapjack crossed the room and enveloped her in a big hug. “Shit. You guys can’t do that to us.”
Lily laughed and then Bear took Flapjack’s place. Her squeals of laughter filled the room and made my heart feel lighter.
It didn’t matter how much Lily wanted them to treat her like one of the guys, she would never be equal. She was so much more. I knew it and they knew it. Damn, I felt sorry for anyone who actually hurt her from here on out. Looking at my family, I knew she was well protected. Good luck getting through this group of menacing men.
I smirked. “Alright guys, let her breathe.”
“One more,” Doc blubbered coming up for his hug and I wondered if what Angel said was true, and if so, why didn’t Doc say anything?
I shook my head and grinned at Jax, waiting in line. These men were impossible. And they thought I was whipped. It was good for her though. Every woman needed brothers like this.
“I’m fine, you guys. Really. You think Jacob would let anything happen to me?” She playfully pushed Jax away.
“They better not,” I said, clamping a hand on Diesel’s shoulder as I passed him to take a seat in one of the oversized chairs.
Fox sat on the edge of the sofa and bounced his knee.
“You okay, kid?” I watched his knee stop and his fingers tap the side of his leg.
He nodded. “Yeah, the whole things had me wound up. Ya know? I mean, knowing Lily could be… I just didn’t like it.”
There was something more to his nerves. “You know, we haven’t really talked about you. Things have been a bit crazy around here.” I leaned forward and laced my fingers together. “What makes a kid like you want to be with a group of men like us?”
He stilled and sat up straighter. “I’m not a kid. I told you, I’m nineteen.”
Lily came and I moved back so she could sit on my lap. I loved how easily she curled up with me.
“Okay,” I started, “but you realize you’re the kid of this family, right?”
He smirked, “Yeah, I guess so. I am kinda young for this job, but I won’t fail you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“No. I know you won’t.” I thought back to when he killed Red, helping me save Lily. “Rodriguez said you’d been in the system. Troubled teen shit. That true?”
He nodded. “Look, I’ll tell you everything, but don’t think I’m a bad person, ‘cause I’m not.”
We all laughed, even Diesel. “Hell, Fox. There ain’t a fucking man in this room who could judge you.”
“I was in foster care after my mo
m sold my sister for drugs. I was in the system because I went after the man who bought her.” He held his breath and watched me expectantly.
Holy shit. This kid had way more to him than I expected. “Fox, did you find him?”
He nodded and I didn’t need to know what happened after that. If it were my sister, he’d be dead. “What about your sister?”
His head dropped with his shoulders. “No. I don’t know where she is.”
Shit. “Well, I know why you took the job. You want help.”
His head snapped up, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Will you help me?”
“Fox, you’re family now. We already talked about this. This is more than a job. If your sister is out there, we’ll find her.” Damn. Fox had earned my respect and earned a place with me after he killed Red. I would do what I could to find his sister, although after that many years, I wasn’t expecting much. But maybe I could help him find closure.
“Thank you,” he breathed. He got up and held his hand out for me. “Thank you, Jacob.”
I took his hand but shook my head. “Family protects family. It’s what we do.”
He gazed at Lily. “I can see that.”
“Speaking of protecting family,” Diesel pressed, taking a seat on the arm of the sofa. “What the hell happened with Angel?”
Lily sighed, a slight groan murmured in her throat.
Diesel chuckled. “That good, huh?”
I gently rubbed a hand up and down Lily’s back. “Well, it isn’t what we thought.” I looked over my shoulder at Doc. “Actually, I think you can help us make sense of some it.”
Doc cocked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure how I can help. I wasn’t there.”
Lily sat up straighter and her eyes followed him. “Do you know Angel?”
He jerked and stopped to look at her. “What do you mean? How would I know him?”
Branding & Saving Lily Box Set: Books 1 & 2 (Jacob and Lily's Duet) Page 27
