6. Matty
Chapter six
Matty
I 'm practically vibrating off of the seat as we pull up to my girl's house.
Only, she doesn't know she's my girl. Yet.
After I grilled Rico about their one-on-one conversation the first time Hannah came back into my life, he caved and told me everything. I usually get the truth from people, I am a lawyer after all, and I know annoying him like a hamster on speed is the best way to get him to cave.
Hannah missed riding. I'd remembered that about her in High School. She'd often wear riding britches to school (so hot) if she had a lesson or a show afterward.
Luckily, Rico's brother Diego's wife, Lauren rides, too. Which is good so I don't have to buy her a farm and horses. That would have taken too long.
Instead, I convinced Rico and Santiago to kidnap her for a day and let her ride at Diego's.
Santiago hated the idea but fumed silently (get it?) while Rico ruminated on it for a day before deciding I'm brilliant. Just kidding. He knows I'm brilliant.
Santiago pulls the car over to the curb in front of her house and puts the vehicle in park. Rico gets out and strides up her long driveway before letting himself in the door.
I can't help but plaster my nose against the door, practically panting to see her again. It's tinted, she can't see me yet. When she gets in the car, I'll play it cool.
"Do you think he's telling her where we're going? Or he'll keep it a surprise? Do you think she'll remember me? I never really talked to her. I mean, after that night...and during High School..."
Santiago rolls his eyes at me. He's annoyed. I know. I just don't care.
After a moment, Hannah emerges with Rico following behind her. They walk to the SUV and Rico opens the back door for her. Riding in the back with me is safer for her - with the tinted windows, no one will be able to see her.
She pauses as she ducks her head in, noticing me for the first time. I slide to the other seat to give her space, before sticking my hand out in greeting.
"Hi! I'm Matty Richardson, esquire."
I can practically hear Santiago's eyes rolling.
Hannah gets in, and shakes my hand, looking at me almost perplexed.
"Matty...Matthew...Richardson." She says, letting my name roll off of her tongue. "Matty!" She says, her eyes alight.
My girl remembers me.
I try not to preen too hard.
"We went to school together!"
I nod and give her my best panty-melting grin. Hannah takes her time, dragging her eyes up and down my body. "Well, you've certainly grown up."
I was scrawny in High School, and short. I didn't get my last growth spurt until halfway through college, which is also when I started working out with some of the jocks I'd made friends with. I feel like they took pity on me and adopted the nerd. It worked out in the end, though, when I helped them get out of some legal issues as adults.
But right now, the blush on Hannah's pretty face lets me know my girl likes what she sees. I know I look good in a suit, tailored to hug my biceps and ass, but I might have to arrange to show off more. Maybe I could point her in a few directions while flexing. Yeah. Solid plan.
"Hi, Santiago! Thanks for picking me up." She says with a sweet smile and a hand on his shoulder.
"So you're a lawyer now?" She asks as he pulls out onto the highway. Diego's place is only forty-five minutes from the city.
"I am. Followed in my old man's footsteps." That was before I'd had the balls to get out from under my old man's thumb. I hated him with a passion, but when you're a kid who's been told his entire life he'll be a lawyer, you don't know that you're allowed to question those things.
But by the time I woke up and realized I could beat the old man up if I needed to, I had already passed the bar. I passed the bar and immediately applied to work for his competitor. I laugh to myself. That had been a fun phone call.
"That's very impressive."
Yes. I know.
"And you work with Rico now? "
" For Rico," Rico growls from the passenger seat. Hannah nudges my shoulder and giggles a little, conspiratorially. I smile. I like that sound.
"Yes, for Rico."
"How did you..."
"Rico hired me to defend him against some trumped-up drug trafficking charges."
She looks between Rico and me with a look like ' but he does traffic drugs '. I laugh.
"The DA got greedy, though, and instead of just charging him with drug trafficking, they tried to throw everything in the book at him, and their evidence was fake as hell, sloppy, amateur. It took me less than an afternoon to get it all thrown out of court."
I smack Rico on the shoulder. "Half of me thinks you paid the DA to do it, knowing you can't be tried twice for the same crime."
Rico remains silent.
I shrug, before turning my attention back to Hannah. I stretch my arm out across the back of the seat, my fingers itching to be closer to her.
"By that point, I'd gotten so sour at the entire system, that I asked Rico if he needed a full-time lawyer. Between contracts, real estate dealings, and digging up dirt on his competition, it's a full-time job.
Rico snorts.
"Okay, almost full-time. I also manage the club for him."
"Club?"
"Have you heard of The Vault?"
"The dance club that's in an old bank?"
"Yep! "
"Wow! Rico, you own that? And you run it?" She asks excitedly, turning her attention back to me - where it should be.
"Here, give me your phone."
Obligingly, she does.
"I'll program my number in and get yours in return. That way if you ever want to come out just shoot me a text and I'll get you a VIP pass."
Santiago glares at me through the rearview mirror.
She snorts.
"You don't like to dance?"
"Oh, I mean, I used to. It's just hard to find a sitter to watch all three kids. And I don't really have anyone to go out with."
I lean closer to her and slip a bit of her hair that's gotten loose from her bun behind her ear. "You do now."
She blushes again, so I hand her phone back, with my contact still up. She laughs out loud. I'd put my first and last name, but under Business put "Your #1 Fan".
What she doesn't know is that I saved her on mine under "Future Wife."
"You remember me from High School?" She asks.
"Of course I do."
Another deep blush. While I love being able to affect her, I don't want to spook her just yet, so I change the subject.
"Does she know where we're going?" I ask Rico.
Silence.
"He just told me to put on closed-toed shoes and to 'get in the car'. A man of few words." She grumbles.
I dance a little in my seat. "Oh good! He kept it a surprise. I'm so glad! Lauren mentioned the close-toed shoes."
Something that looks suspiciously like jealousy crosses her face before she schools it.
"Lauren is my brother's wife," Rico says from the front seat, ruining the illusion.
But I don't miss how her shoulders relax slightly.
Interesting.
Santiago drives us wordlessly through the suburbs of DC and into Maryland.
After thirty minutes of small talk, where I absorb every fascinating detail about my woman, Santiago turns down the driveway, passing between the large iron gates. The long drive is straight, flanked by mature trees that just look amazing in the fall. On the other side of the trees are paddocks lined with white vinyl fencing.
"What is this place?"
"It's Honey Acre farm. I bought it for us when my brother married an equestrian. It's got two wings, one for them, and one for us." He says as if that explains anything.
"You took me to see horses?" Her voice is high and wobbly, and Rico turns to look at her.
"Is that...not good? I thought you'd like..." He turns in his seat slightly so he can look at her.
She reaches out and grabs his hand from his lap, interlacing his fingers with hers.
"It's good...it's so good. This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
Ah, Christ, I can hear tears in her voice.
Santiago stops the SUV and puts it in park. The main section of the house is a large stone manor, built in the 1820s. Flanking each side of it are the 'wings' that contain the bedrooms and bathrooms. Each wing is compromised of mismatched portions of building, as addition after addition was added over the centuries. I've always loved it.
Diego steps out of the main front door (because of course there are three) and greets his brother with a strong hug and manly back-slapping. Santiago opens Hannah's door for her and waits patiently for her to step out, hand held out for hers.
Since Diego and Rico have already launched into a heated whispering debate, in Spanish, Santiago and I show her to the stables. He steps in front of her, stopping her forward movement. He stoops slightly, catching her eye, before signing something to her.
She gasps and beams up at him. "You started learning!"
He...smiles?...at her? I don't think I've ever seen him do that before. He nods.
Ahhh, ASL. What he doesn't tell her is that he doesn't sleep at night, and on more than one occasion I've walked by his door late at night and heard him watching ASL YouTube videos.
"And you didn't conceal yourself." She whispers, looking at his neck.
She throws her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug, burying her face in his chest. Santiago wraps his arms around her, holding her close to him, and buries his face in the crook of her neck. I've definitely never seen him do that.
I don't miss the way he turns his head towards hers slightly, and closes his eyes. Fuck, are all three of us interested? I've never seen Santiago give a second glance at a woman, let alone hug one, and sniff one?
"That makes me so happy." She says, pulling back slightly and squeezing his bicep. "You deserve a voice."
"Let me show you to the barn." I chirp, wanting her attention on me, not him. I press my hand into her lower back and direct her down the brick path and down the hill a little to where the barn is.
"Diego said Lauren was in town today for a doctor's appointment, but that you were welcome to help yourself to the barn. Lauren just doesn't want you riding, yet, until she gets here."
"Rico told them about me?"
I nod.
"But why?"
"Somehow, you've caught the eye of the ruthless head of the Columbian mafia," I say, shooting her a wink as we walk through the open barn doors. And his seconds.
Hannah gasps loudly, setting Santiago and me on high alert, but when she rushes forward to the first stall, halfway falling through the open top, we relax. She closes her eyes before taking a deep breath in, savoring the scent of hay, wood shavings and...horse shit?
Gross.
"Oh my gosh, you're just beautiful!" She squeals to a large black horse. Girl horse I think? Or boy? I don't know, I never learned anything about horses. But I'll have to start studying up if my girl likes them.
She turns to look at me and the sheer brilliance of her smile almost knocks me on my ass. Then her eyes fall behind me and she walks over to where horse brushes lay in a bucket .
"May I?" She asks, her hand resting on the stall door latch.
"Lauren said you were welcome to hang out with them, groom them, whatever you want except ride until she's gotten a chance to see where your riding's at and pick a suitable horse for you."
"I could ride ?!" She squeals again, and suddenly she's a teenager again, all energy and charisma. My girl has a magnetism around her that causes people to gravitate towards her. She can't exist without your eyes following her, and your ears straining to hear her.
I'd lost her when we went to separate colleges, but when I got out I hired a PI to find her. And he did. Only she was married with a kid already and another on the way. So I let her be, thinking she was happy.
If I had known what Rico told me after that first night I would have come for her a long time ago.
But regardless, she's here now. And I will make her happy.
I smile and nod at my brilliant woman. She lets herself into the stall, talking softly to the horse who seems just as interested in her. The horse stretches his neck out and rubs his muzzle across her belly. Fucking horse getting to touch her before I do.
Christ, am I jealous of a horse?
I nod my head towards the main house. Santiago nods.
"We've got some business to take care of with Diego, but take as long as you like down here. We'll come get you before we've got to get you back to get your kids."
The look she gives me wrenches my heart in two. It's full of so much gratitude and angst and relief and sadness. Her eyes start to water, but instead of answering us she bites her lower lip and nods, turning her face back to the horse .
I swallow stiffly before following Santiago back up the hill and to the main house.
"Et Tu, Brute?" I ask, clapping him on the shoulder with my hand.
He shrugs it loose and I laugh. Fucker's never been big on humor.
When we let ourselves in the back door of the kitchen, Diego and Rico's voices come from the study. We've been here enough times to know it well. It was supposed to be our primary home when Rico found someone to settle down with. But mostly we live out of the condo in the city.
He inherited parts of his empire from his father, and in the mafia world, would have to bear a son to take the reins eventually. But that would mean finding a woman and giving her the time of day.
Not sure he remembers how to anymore.
We follow the sound of voices to the study, where Diego sits behind the desk and Rico paces. The image is comical, because Diego's not really involved in any of the business, but he's sitting in a position of power.
Regardless, Rico respects his brother's thoughts and opinions.
"Why that warehouse?" Rico asks, in Spanish. My Spanish is mediocre but I can usually follow along and I'm not shy about asking for clarification, especially when their accents get thicker.
Diego shakes his head. "It's right next to the marina? They know they can't attack the marina directly because of all of the high profile clientele, but maybe they want to weaken our operations by attacking the warehouse?"
Rico pauses, considering. His right hand balls into a fist and he bumps his thumb against his thigh - his tell for being extremely stressed .
He nods. "That's plausible, but we have weaker points, places it would hurt a lot more if they hit us. The club, for example. I feel like the game is changing and I don't know how. I don't like it."
The Vitales run Landover and Upper Marlboro, the districts to the East of DC in Maryland. We run DC proper and Northern Virginia. But the Vitales have been making pot shots at us the last few months, and we're not exactly sure why. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or a reason behind it.
Diego and Rico volley ideas back and forth, but my mind and eyes drift to the window to Diego's left, where I can see the barn where my future bride is.
There's an uncomfortable silence that pulls my attention back to the room.
"Do you think it's a good idea, involving her?" Diego asks in English, his voice low and soft. "She's not a part of this life."
Rico waves off his brother's concern. "Just get to know her. She'll surprise you."
Diego looks like he wants to argue, but his older brother shoots him a glare that shuts him up.
Rico checks his Rolex. "Speaking of, we need to get back before she has to pick up her kids."
When we get back to the barn, Hannah's hardly out of the stall before she launches herself into Rico's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist in a koala hug. He catches her, wrapping his arms around her lower back and ass.
Jealousy flares hot in me, but when she pulls away, the look on her face douses the flames and calms me. She's so fucking happy. And Rico made that happen. Alright, so I'll let him live another day.
"Thank you. So much. You have no idea how grateful I am. I feel like a part of my heart just got put back together. It's...you're..."
He squeezes her gently before letting her down. "It's really nothing, mami. Any time you want to visit you can. We'll add the biometric scan to your car and I'll give you Diego and Lauren's numbers so you can visit whenever you want."
A shiver runs through her at his words. Fuck, my baby loves horses. I wonder how many horses I could buy her. What was the best horse in the world? I'd have to find out so I could buy it for her.
She then turns and slowly walks up to Santiago, who stiffens. Slowly, as if she's afraid of spooking a wild animal, she wraps her arms around his neck as well, and pulls him close. He hesitates a moment, but gives in, wrapping his arms around her lower back and burying his face in her neck. Jesus he looks like he's making love to her.
She pulls out before flattening a hand, bringing it to her chin, and dropping it in a sign, before raising it again and making some crazy finger motions.
And Santiago fucking beams. I swear to God rainbows shoot out of his ass and little woodland creatures surround him, frolicking. Okay, maybe not so much, but the effect is the same.
Then she spins and turns to me, no hesitation in her face. Fuck yeah! Hug time! I open my arms wide, leaning back a little and inviting her in.
She laughs and shakes her head, but comes anyway, and lays a delicious full-body hug against me. Fuck, I'm instantly hard. Her plump breasts against my chest, her soft hair in a messy bun. She smells like lilacs and horses and I've never been harder. I resist the urge to press my cock into her stomach, but I do let my hands wander a little. I slide my hand down to cup her luscious ass when I see Santiago lunge for me. Before he can do anything though, she pulls back and swats at my hand with a laugh.
"God! You're so bad!"
Sweetheart, you have no idea.
We all pile back into the car, but the vibe is off. Hannah's happy, blissed out, content, Zen. But Santiago and Rico are still stuck on the earlier conversation.
"Will you get with your hacker friend and pull all of their financials? The Don, his son, seconds, fuck their gardener, I don't care. Maybe we can find something. Some pattern...or unusual expense." Rico trails off.
Santiago shoots him a glare, like we shouldn't be taking shop in front of Hannah.
But Hannah pipes up. "Can I take a look? I took a couple accounting classes in college. Maybe I can help you decide what's a real or a fake expense?"
My chest rises. Of course my girl wants to help. I internally throw a fist in the air in triumph.
Rico looks between me and Santiago. I'm all on board little miss thang becoming a part of us. Santiago's more hesitant - his need to protect her outweighing his desire to have her close.
"Yeah, maybe," Rico says, non-committedly. But I was the one who was going to get the files, and I for sure was going to include her.
She seems to understand this and looked at me. I shoot her a smile and a wink, keeping it our little secret.