Page 17 of Lured By the Cartel

"You must be Lucas' parents,"he stated smoothly, extending a hand towards Dad first, then Mom."Marco Rossi. A pleasure to meet you both."

They hesitated briefly before accepting his greeting stiffly, barely concealing the discomfort evident in their expressions.Yeah, they weren't exactly thrilled seeing him here. Not that I blamed them; after all, they hadn't known what hit them.

"Rossi,"Dad repeated thoughtfully, stroking his chin."Any relation to a certain cartel family?"

Direct as ever. Leave it to Dad to cut straight to the chase without mincing words. It was surprising he knew about the cartel family, but we both didn't say anything about that. Better to stay quiet for now. I had no idea how much my dad knew.

I stifled a sigh, knowing full well this wouldn't end well otherwise.

"The same,"Marco confirmed, unfazed by directness. Good. At least someone remained composed amidst escalating awkwardness.

Mom gasped audibly, horrified shock flashing across her features."Lucas!"She turned towards me accusingly."What on earth-"

"It's complicated,"I interrupted, holding up a hand defensively."But yes, he's the reason why I've been MIA lately. And no, he isn't just 'some guy'. He's... important to me."

She knew exactly what that meant. She knew that I thought he was my fated mate.

Silence stretched thick between us, heavy, uncomfortable. Tension hung palpable in the air, threatening to suffocate us all. Eventually, Dad broke it, clearing his throat gruffly.

"So,"he began, voice steadier than earlier,"you're together then. Seriously."

I nodded firmly, meeting their gazes."Yes. We are."

More silence ensued, this time heavy with disbelief, disapproval, and maybe even disgust. God, I hated putting them through this. Hated making things difficult when they only wanted the best for me. But I loved Marco too. Loved him fiercely, passionately, irrevocably. And I refused to compromise on that love any longer.

Finally, Mom spoke up, breaking the tense stand-off."Well,"she said softly, looking directly at Marco now,"we should get to know each other properly then. After all, Lucas seems quite fond of you."

Fond? More like deeply, hopelessly in love. But hey, baby steps, right?

Marco smiled widely, showing teeth gleaming white against tanned skin. Fuck, he looked gorgeous when smiling genuinely like that. No wonder people crumbled under his charm. Even my parents seemed taken aback momentarily before regaining composure.

"We'd appreciate that,"he replied graciously, bowing slightly at the waist. Charm offensive activated, clearly. Time would tell if it worked wonders or not.

Later, during the tense dinner that felt more like an interrogation than a familial gathering, Mom leaned in suddenly, whispering low into my ear.I already knew what she was going to say.

"We need to talk. Alone."Her gaze flicked pointedly towards Marco, who sat unperturbed, sipping wine leisurely while observing our exchange closely. Too closely.

Nodding reluctantly, I rose from my seat, following her lead as she guided me out of the dining room, away from prying ears. Dad joined us shortly afterward, closing the door securely behind himself once inside the study.

"Sit down,"Mom ordered, gesturing towards the plush armchairs arranged around the fireplace. I complied silently, sinking into the cushions. This wasn't going to be fun, I knew.

"What do you think you're doing?"Dad barked right away, pacing back and forth agitatedly."Running off with some criminal, throwing your life away for god knows what reason! What about your career?"

"Dad..."I started weakly, only to falter under his heated glare.

"No,"he snapped sharply, slicing a hand through the air."You don't get to speak until we're done here. Understood?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded miserably, settling deeper into my seat. Guess this was happening whether I liked it or not. It was always like this with my parents.

"You know who he is, right?"Mom chimed in softer yet no less firm."The kind of man involved in things way beyond your comprehension. He's dangerous, violent, and unpredictable..."

"I'm aware,"I interjected, earning another glare from Dad. Right, shut up mode engaged.

"And yet, you chose to involve yourself willingly,"she continued, shaking her head sadly."Why, Lucas? Why would you throw everything away for someone like him?"

Because I love him,I thought right away, but bit my tongue before speaking aloud. They wouldn't understand, not really. Not unless they experienced firsthand what being claimed by an alpha truly felt like. How could I explain something so profound, so life-altering, using mere words?

"He's not safe,"Dad added forcefully, stopping mid-pace to face me squarely."Not for you. Not ever."

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