Stefan (The Marquette Family Book Three)

by Lockwood, Tressie

  “Funny enough, my dad recalled what it meant to be a father. He went up to the school to talk to the principal, and he even started getting off work earlier so he could walk us home. That was nice.”

  “I have the feeling it didn’t end there.”

  “No.”

  “I got boobs, and a bit of ass. Then my dad died.”

  “Huh?”

  She laughed because she’d said it vague like that on purpose. His confused look was worth it. “What’s your body have to do with it?”

  Talicia drew her knees to her chest. “Where I come from the minute a girl starts looking more like a girl, the boys start pulling on her, thinking they can touch whenever they get ready.”

  “Licia.” His voice grew so tight she realized her mistake and whirled to face him.

  “Calm down, Stefan. It’s not what you think. I was never forced into anything.”

  “You’re not lying to me?”

  “No. It’s the truth. I said grabbed like a smack on the butt, a pinch in the wrong place. Plus I was never dumb enough to walk anywhere alone. When my dad died, we were unprotected again because my mother had to work twice as hard to take care of Tyjon and me. That’s when I knew it was up to me.”

  “What did you do?”

  Talicia lost her nerve. She didn’t want to tell him. In a way, it could have been much worse than it was, but she couldn’t be sure of Stefan’s reaction. Would he look at her differently or think less of her?

  Someone knocked on the door, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Who is it?”

  “Mr. Stefan, Mrs. Talicia,” came the lilt of a Hispanic woman’s voice, “breakfast is served.”

  Talicia frowned in confusion at Stefan. “I thought they didn’t have a maid.”

  “They do, but she doesn’t cook at all.” Stefan grinned. “Not unless she wants to incur Shada’s wrath.

  “Ahh.” Talicia started to tell Stefan to go down without her that she wasn’t hungry. He took her hand when he slid to the edge of the bed to guide her to her feet. A rush of love washed over her, and she didn’t want to let him go just yet.

  The two of them dressed, and Talicia peeked into the mirror at her hair. Without gel, the short spikes stood straight up. At least they were permed, so it wasn’t a big dry fuzz ball. She ran a hand over them but to no avail. Behind her, Stefan watched her. She followed the line of his sight and found the man staring at her boobs.

  “Don’t you have a bra?” he asked. “There a lot of men in the house.

  She bit her lip to hide a grin. So Mr. Stefan was jealous after all. Hah, even skinny she had a little something. At least she did in her husband’s eyes. “Not with me. They’re small. It’s fine. No one will notice.”

  “They’re men.” He pulled open a drawer where she had dumped her clothes last night when she was exhausted. “Here, wear this.”

  Talicia took the shirt from his hands and stuffed it back into the drawer then grabbed his hand. “Come on. I’m hungry.”

  The walked together down into the lion’s den.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Conversation flowed around Stefan, but he focused on his wife. He couldn’t take his eyes off her long enough to pay attention to what was said at the table. When he found Talicia crying, his heart splintered. He’d never seen her so broken, but he had known it was coming. She was on edge and hurting. He saw it in her eyes and did everything he could to be there for her.

  Curiosity made Stefan wonder what she had to share with him about her past, but he also knew it didn’t matter. Not the innocent type to hang on his words? Well, he didn’t need her to hang on his words, but in a way, Talicia’s heart was as innocent as they came. No one saw it, and he didn’t believe it was just wishful thinking on his part.

  Talicia. He spoke her name in his head, and a startling truth came through with amazing clarity. Why didn’t he see it before? His sweet Talicia, his wife, she needed him. Stefan was sure of it, however, far more than that, he loved her. For the first time, he realized it. Lust wasn’t what he felt in that shower when he came across her naked and crying. What he felt was an intense need to protect her, to take her in his arms and never let anyone near her again. No one who could do her harm.

  “Stefan, what are staring at?” she whispered, leaning close to him. “If it’s my boobs, I told you no one noticed.”

  She was wrong. One of the guards had looked, and a flash of anger came over Stefan like he had never experienced. Jerome, always anticipating him, had shuffled the guy out of sight. Since then, Stefan found reasons to lean in front of her and block the view. She’d tossed him looks that said she knew what he was doing and was amused. The woman had no idea how cute she was, so tiny a man felt the need to shelter her.

  “Stefan,” Creed snapped. “Are you in on this conversation? It does have to do with your wife.”

  “What about my wife?” he asked, focusing at last.

  “We were thinking of sending her and her brother—”

  “No.”

  Creed’s eyebrows rose at Stefan’s tone. Stefan cleared his throat. Duke crowed, and Damen laughed. Under the table, Stefan took Talicia’s hand in his. Down the table a couple seats, Tyjon made eyes at one of the guards. The man blushed, apparently not put off by Talicia’s brother.

  Stefan focused on his own brother’s angry face. “Licia stays with me. There’s no discussion about that.”

  Creed grumbled. “You have to think about what’s best for this family.”

  “I’m thinking about what’s best for my family. My immediate one, and that’s Talicia. You can’t tell me you would send Shada away if she was in danger.”

  “I would if it meant she would be more protected and…damn it, this isn’t about me and Shada.” He wasn’t able to finish the lie, and Shada had looked at him like he had gone crazy. Everyone knew his brother was nuts about his fiancée, and Stefan had hoped one day to have a similar feeling about the woman he married. He couldn’t have known it would happen so soon.

  At his side, Talicia squeezed his hand. “If it will mean Stefan is safe, I don’t mind going away. In fact, I think it’s a good idea. Tyjon and I can just pick somewhere. I have a little money in the bank, so I can take care of us. Not a big deal.”

  All around the table, Stefan’s family was agreeing with her. Even Tyjon reluctantly came on board with the suggestion. “I’ll miss the lap of luxury y’all live in. Imma tell you the truth!” Tyjon pouted and gazed around the dining room as if he worked to commit it all to memory. “My sis being safe is more important, and I think it’s time for me to look out for her for once. Don’t you worry about us, boo boo. We will be just fine.”

  Discussion broke out, suggestions flew around the room of where Talicia and Tyjon should go and how the operation should be handled to have them transported without anyone in New Orleans knowing about it.

  Stefan raised his fork without considering what he ate. He chewed, swallowed, and wiped his mouth. When he was done, he excused himself from the table. In the hall, he had a brief conversation with Jerome and then headed up to the bedroom. Some moments later, Talicia entered the room, and Stefan pulled her into his arms for a kiss.

  When he let her up for a breath of air, she rested her hands on his chest. “Stefan, you know us going is for the best, right? Everyone seemed like they ganged up on you, and I didn’t make it any better, but this is my fault, and I have to make it right.”

  “Tell me how it’s your fault?” he said, even though they had had this conversation.

  “Because I tricked Colby.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I pretended to give in to his threats, but I as soon as the drugs were delivered, I took them.”

  His eyes widened. “You did what?”

  “I took them, and I turned them in to the police. I thought it was going to be some small time stuff, like individual buyers. He was trading with resellers. That fool thought my club was going to be Grand Central.”

  “Lic
ia.”

  “What?”

  He drew her closer. “Honey, you probably lost him millions.”

  Her mouth hung open.

  “If the police had been able to do a sting, they could have gotten him and the drugs with evidence that would stand up in court.”

  “How do you know?”

  He shrugged. “TV, talking to the guys.”

  What Stefan didn’t say was that he had discussed it Jerome, who knew more about that world. He’d come from it before he decided to go straight with his life. Jerome had speculated on why Colby would keep coming after Talicia and destroy the club he had wanted to do business in. Likely, there was someone above him looking for their money. Now that Colby knew Talicia had ties with the Marquettes, he expected the man to try to get his hands on her and demand ransom. Stefan had no intention of letting that happen.

  “Stefan, what’s with the bags? This one is yours.”

  “I know.”

  She stared at him. “You’re not planning on coming with us, are you?”

  “I am.”

  “Stefan, you can’t. Please, it’s too dangerous. Plus, the arrangements haven’t been made yet. We were talking tomorrow.”

  “Honey, do you think I agreed with my brother downstairs? I chose not to argue with him or the others. You aren’t leaving my side. End of discussion. I’m taking a leave of absence from the restaurant starting today, and we are flying to Costa Rica.”

  “Costa what? Stefan!”

  “Licia, I’d much rather you shout my name when I’m making love to you. Not when you think I will change my mind. I’ve made my decision.”

  “I can’t believe you’re acting like this. It’s not your decision. You’re not going.”

  “You’re my wife, and we go together.”

  “Don’t pull that.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t care how stubborn you think you are, I’m more so, and I say your ass is staying here.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cuss at you. Look, Stefan. I lo—care about you. It’s killing me that I’m risking your life. I know you love your family, and I don’t want to hurt them either and cause you heartache.”

  “What about the heartache I’ll feel losing my wife?”

  She went silent for a minute. “D-don’t joke.”

  He wasn’t ready to confess his love since he had just discovered it for himself. She might not feel the same, but he would do everything in his power to change that fact. Helping Talicia to fall in love with him would be his primary objective after the danger had passed.

  “Licia, I will follow you if you try to leave me. Which course of action do you think will work better for us, going together, or me risking exposing myself to find you?”

  “You’re playing dirty.”

  “I’ll get into the mud to keep you.”

  “You’re infuriating, you know that? Your bothers have no clue how manipulative you are. I should go right downstairs and tell them.”

  He chuckled. “Feel free.”

  She grumbled, but he pulled her to him and spun her around so he could trap her in his arms. His little wife wiggled so satisfyingly against his thigh, and he hefted her off her feet to enjoy spooning her ass. She stopped fighting when she felt his hard-on. Too late for that. He was going to have her under him before they left.

  “Costa Rica,” he whispered in her ear to settle her some, “warm all year around, monkeys.”

  She laughed. “Wait, that’s your selling point?”

  “To get a laugh. It worked.”

  He heard her sigh and relaxed a bit himself. For too long, she’d been wound tight. Even at the club, he sensed it. While Stefan hated what happened back there, he saw it as a positive as well. Talicia needed to unhook from all the responsibility and to begin to believe she was free to do whatever she wanted. He planned to show her a life where she could breathe easier and stop being afraid.

  Stefan carried Talicia to the bed and laid her gently down. He stretched out beside her and ran a finger along her face. His heart swelled again as he thought about how he felt for her. He had to duck his head to keep her from seeing the emotion in his eyes. She would guess his feelings, and it might scare her even more.

  “Stefan?”

  He kissed her belly through her clothes and then snaked a hand under her shirt. “Hmm?”

  She rested a hand over his to still him. “I want to tell you the rest before we do anything.”

  “I’d rather talk later and make love to you now.”

  “Please?”

  He sat up. “Okay. Come here, and let me hold you.”

  “Um, can I pace? I feel agitated.”

  He let her go, and the space beside him seemed like a barren wasteland. Stefan watched her stride back and forth, bottom lip caught between her teeth, hands clenched into fists. Always warring, he thought.

  “We were small like I said, and neither one of us knew how to fight. I don’t know how many times I was thrown aside when they were going after Tyjon, or pinned when some idiot wanted to cop a feel. Don’t get me wrong, I’d kneed a few and put them on the ground, but I wanted more defense.”

  He nodded his understanding, encouraging her to continue. She twisted her hands together.

  “There was this one boy.”

  “How old were you?”

  She winced. “Thirteen.”

  “Go on.”

  “He was huge, really huge, but he was our age. Most of the kids were smaller than he was, and he thought that equaled him bullying all the smaller kids.”

  “That always seems to be the way.”

  “Yeah, immaturity does that. He used to mess with Tyjon too, but I noticed something.”

  “What?” Stefan wouldn’t have been surprised if she told him the bully picked on Tyjon because he liked him. Kids tended to show their feelings in the worst way, like hurting their crush.

  “He never actually beat up Tyjon. He just pushed him around and called him names.”

  Stefan made a noise of understanding, knowing where this was going.

  “But I would catch him looking at me a lot when he thought I didn’t see him.”

  “Oh.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean, oh? He couldn’t like me?”

  “I thought you were going to say he was gay.”

  She laughed. “Okay, that makes sense, but no such luck. Anyway, if he liked me, then maybe I could use him. You have to understand I was desperate an—”

  “You don’t have to justify your actions, Licia. I’m starting to get the picture about how hard life was for you. I thought my brothers and I had a hard time growing up. In a way, we did, but it doesn’t lessen anyone else’s challenges for them. I’m not judging you, honey, no matter what you tell me.”

  He was glad he said it because she drifted back to him and climbed onto the bed to let him hold her.

  “Ah, that’s better, where you belong.”

  She smacked his arm but settled closer. “I got him alone and told him I’d be his girlfriend if he’d teach me to fight and help me to get strong.”

  Stefan got why she hesitated to explain. Talicia had in essence sold her body to protect her brother and herself. He meant what he said about not judging her, but it pierced his heart to think there were no adults who could have made sure she never had to go that far.

  “It’s not as tragic as it sounds.” She gave a wry laugh. “That fool was thirteen after all. We held hands, kissed a little, and did a bit of stroking here and there. Turned out he was the stereotypical bully, a coward at heart. He never mustered the courage to go all the way for two years.”

  Stefan ground his teeth. He didn’t want to hear about her having sex with anyone else. Still, he kept his mouth shut.

  “In the meantime, I learned to throw a punch, and lifting weights with him meant I grew stronger. Much later, I started taking classes in self-defense and boxing. Now, not many men can beat me, and I’ve taken d
own some really big guys.”

  “You must be proud.”

  “No, not really.” She sat up and drew her knees to her chest. “To be honest, Stefan, I wish I could go back and it all was different. I like myself. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I stood on my own two feet, and I probably will never fully give in to letting anyone else take care of me.”

  Stefan didn’t miss the way she cut her eyes at him when she said it. Wanna bet?

  “But on some levels, I… oh, wow, I’m so embarrassed to say this.” She smacked a hand over her eyes and ducked her head. “I wish I was more girly. There I said it.”

  “You don’t have to wish. Just do it.”

  She looked at him. “Everyone would think—”

  “Does it matter what they think?”

  “What about you?” She lowered her gaze and picked at the sheet under them. “You went for me when I was all tough and angry. My hair is so short, I look like a boy. I’m rail thin, and the curves I do have wouldn’t show unless I have a skintight outfit on, which I don’t wear. In fact, I’m surprised you noticed I was a woman that first night we met. I mean except for my tone of voice and my name.”

  “If you’re hinting that I’m gay…”

  Her mouth dropped open and eyes went wide. “Never! Oh wow, I didn’t realize that’s how it sounded. No, Stefan, you’re all hetero. I’m sorry if I gave the impression I was saying that about you. I don’t think that way.”

  He grinned. “I was teasing you. The one thing I know about myself is I’m not easily offended. People can say and think what they want. I already know how you see me. You’re much more feminine than you think, or anyone who doesn’t know you well. You know what, Licia?”

  She blushed. “What?”

  “The night I met you, I saw your eyes first. Deep brown, wide, and innocent.”

  She pursed her lips. “I’m so not innocent.”

  “You are because you don’t realize your womanliness. It’s as if you haven’t discovered the deepest parts of yourself.”

  “Maybe you’re imagining things.”

  “Am I? You said you wish you were more feminine. What does that make you?”

  She hesitated. “It makes me a woman. All woman.”