Page 37 of Lorenzo & Lily

“The person involved suggested I approach you at the wedding. I wanted a simple meeting with just us, face-to-face, but I had no choice.”

“Who took away your choices? Who?”

“I can’t say. I won’t say. Even now I’m worried that if I do, I risk someone taking Lily away from me.”

His expression hardened. Who was she so afraid of?

She clutched tighter to his hands, her eyes desperate. “Please don’t take Lily away from me. Please. I’ll fight with everything I have if you or anyone else tries.”

God, had he been such a fool? How could she think he’d steal Lily away from her? “I’ll repeat what I said on the beach: I’d never hurt you and Lily. Never. That means I’d never try to seek sole custody. You’re her mother. Of course, she needs you.”

She sagged against him, her head dropping against his chest. “Then what do you want from me?”

He buried a hand in her hair –God, he’d forgotten how soft it was– and maneuvered her face up to meet his. “Will you ever tell me who acted to keep us apart?”

She shook her head immediately. “I can’t. I told you.”

“Will you tell me if they try to do that again?”

“We’re not…together anymore.”

The truth hit him harder than he thought it would. “I know, but if someone is threatening you, they’re also threatening Liliana. We can’t have that.”

“Would you…”

“What?”

“Would you protect me if that happens? Make sure they won’t take Lily from me?”

Who had inspired such fear in Lily’s eyes? It must be someone powerful for her to feel so desperate. If she wouldn’t tell him, he’d have to investigate on his own, or ask his brothers to help.

Unless it was one of his brothers who had inspired such fear. “I promise.”

“You have to mean it. You can’t back down, no matter who it is.”

He shifted his hands to cup her cheek. “I give you my word. I will do whatever I need to, in order to keep you and Lily safe.”

“Good. Good.” Her hands relaxed, leaving his shirt crumpled in its wake. She started to smooth out the fabric, but the feel of her hands rubbing his chest sent his cock twitching.

He placed his hands over hers. “It’s fine. Leave it.”

She nodded, then twisted away. Her hands reached for the coffee again. “What do you see happening now?”

He straightened and shifted slightly on the couch. “You’ll move in with me tomorrow.”

She choked on her coffee and coughed, Lorenzo rubbing her back to help. “Tomorrow? We can’t get packed in that amount of time.”

He glanced around. “Let me ask you something: do you want to take most of this with you?”

She blinked, then looked around, as if for the first time. “I’d–yes, there are several things here I’d like to take with me. And I think it would help make the adjustment easier for Lily if she saw familiar things around her.”

“Where did most of this come from? It doesn’t really match the decorating style you used to have.”

Her finger traced the lip of her mug. “I suppose you’ll find out eventually, even if I don’t tell you.” She gave him a furtive glance. “My family was never very kind to me, but they were my family. So, when I found out I was pregnant, I contacted them, as I had no one else at the time.”

She took a sip of coffee. “They basically disowned me. They were still weak socially after the embezzlement scandal, and having a pregnant, unwed daughter who wouldn’t name the father of her child would have made things worse, according to them. So, after some fruitless discussions, they threw me out of the family. No money or support of any kind. They told their society friends I was a bitch who wanted nothing to do with them, so they had no choice but to disown me.”

Fucking hell.“They made themselves into the victims.”

---