Page 48 of Naughty and Nice
Pushing Socorro backward, he stumbled as I sheathed my knife and turned to Jano. “El Patrón, I’d like to pay the Cervanteses one hundred thousand dollars for my wife’s hand.”
Socorro’s expression morphed from fright to a smug smirk.
“Nick,” he said. “Socorro is wrong.”
“He is,” I agreed. “There’s no price worthy of Liliana’s hand.” I turned, meeting my wife’s teary gaze and lifted my hand to her. Slowly, she put her hand in mine. I turned back to Jano. “And Cervantes is also wrong that Liliana has no value. My wife is priceless. Please authorize the bride price.”
“Are you sure?” my father asked.
I looked him in the eye. We’d disagreed on many things of late. I wasn’t confident that he’d have my back. It was my money. His opinion was moot. “Positive,” I replied.
“El Patrón,” my father said, “I support my son’s decision.”
Jano looked at Rei. “I’ll approve the bride price if you take care of other matters in Sacramento.”
“Sí, it will be done.”
Liliana stepped forward. “What will be done?”
It was el Patrón who answered. “A soldier does not enter my home and make demands without consequences.”
Socorros’s complexion paled. A drop of blood slithered down his neck as his Adam’s apple bobbed. I took a step closer to my father-in-law. “You’ll have your money. You and your wife are dead to us even if Rei allows you to live. Never darken our lives with your presence.”
There was no doubt he had more to say; however, with el Patrón, his second-in-command, and top lieutenants in attendance, he wisely only nodded.
Chapter
Twenty
Liliana
* * *
I held my head high as Silas and a guard I didn’t recognize entered the crowded office. Mama went to my father’s side, her eyes down. As Silas guided them from the room, Mama whispered, “I’m sorry, Lily.”
El Patrón’s office remained silent until they were gone.
Nick turned to me. “Tesoro, are you all right?”
“Why would you offer him that much money?”
“You heard me.” Nick’s smile curled. “You, Señora Nick Ruiz, are priceless.”
“But you didn’t have to. El Patrón said?—”
His lips stopped mine, muting my words and tenderly kissing me. For a second, I forgot we were in el Patrón’s office, with the boss, Rei, and my father-in-law, Lieutenant Ruiz. Heat filled my cheeks as I remembered our audience and took a step back.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said to everyone. “I told Mia to let them know about the wedding. I thought they might want to…” I shrugged. “I never expected…” I took a ragged breath. “I didn’t know about Gerardo’s payment.”
“The scene is forgotten,” Jano said. “My wife, she’s worked hard for you to celebrate your wedding.”
Nick squeezed my hand. “Let’s go see the guests we want to see.”
I brushed my cheeks with my fingertips, wondering if I’d ruined the makeup artist’s hard work. “I’m probably a mess.”
“You’re gorgeous.”
I wasn’t confident about that, but I liked knowing that was the way my husband saw me. He placed his large hand in the small of my back. His touch gave me the confidence to face the other guests. Together we exited el Patrón’s office.
