Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Liliana
Celeste and Reina sprinted to my office as soon as Nick left the building. “Are you truly as happy as you look?” Reina asked.
I nodded, my smile growing larger. “I’m happier than I ever imagined I could be.”
Celeste feigned a frown. “I should have made a play for him sooner.”
“You missed a good one,” I replied, sitting in my desk chair. “I think I gave up on the idea of ever being loved.”
Reina sat in the chair near my desk while Celeste leaned against the wall. “Liliana, you’ve been loved,” Reina said. “All the residents adore you. Obviously so does Mia and damn, girl, el Patrón walked you down the freakin’ aisle.”
“He did.” I recalled how he gave me a last chance to back out of the marriage.
“Did that piss off your father?” she asked.
My thoughts went to my parents, hampering my joy. “I no longer have a father or mother.”
Celeste tilted her head. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to get into it.” I inhaled, sitting taller. “I’d rather think about Nick.”
Celeste’s eyes shone with understanding. “Your wedding was beautiful. The terrace, sunset, lights…it was magical.”
“It was as perfect as it could be.” I met their gazes. “Thank you for coming.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Reina said.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t the one to invite you. Everything happened at once.” I remembered the rumor the day after the apartments were attacked. “Have you heard anything else about Cabez?n’s men. Were some captured?”
Celeste went to my office door and peeked her head out. Quietly, she closed the door. “I would think you’d know all about it.”
I shook my head. “Oh, if you mean because of Nick, we stayed off the radar all weekend.”
Reina’s eyebrows danced. “Off the radar. Hmm, sounds good to me.”
“Well,” Celeste said, “Saturday night, two of Cabez?n’s soldiers came into the club asking questions.”
“There’s a room downstairs in the basement of Wanderland,” Reina said, speaking as if she was divulging cartel secrets. “Those who heard them said they were trying to find out where the cartel would take their men for questioning.”
“Did they cause problems?” I asked.
“Lieutenant Ruiz, Nick’s father, was overseeing the club. Once he heard they were on the premises, he had them removed.”
“How would they learn about the interrogation room?” I asked.
Celeste shrugged. “Mia came by here on Sunday. All the women swear they haven’t told a soul.”
“She believed you. Right?”
Reina nodded. “I think Nick’s father thought blaming the whores was the way to go.”
“I’m so glad,” Celeste said, “we have Mia.” She looked at me. “And you and Izzy.”
A knock interrupted our gossip.
Celeste went to the door, turning the knob. Her smile grew. “Speak of the devil.” She opened the door wider, revealing Em and Isabella. “We’ll get back to the front office.”
Reina and Celeste exited as Em and Isabella entered.
“Welcome back,” Izzy said with a grin. “Look at you.”
“Tell me to kick Nick’s ass,” Em said, “and I will.”
My laugh bubbled from my throat. “Please don’t.”
“Damn,” Em replied, “I guess I’ll have to find someone else to kill today.”
Izzy playfully pushed against his muscular arm. “Stop it. You’re not as deadly as you pretend.”
“Oh, I’m deadly, just not around my beautiful na?ve wife.”
“I’m not na?ve.”
Em kissed her cheek. “Horace will be here soon. I’ll see you tonight at home.”
After Em left, I asked, “Is Sofia still at your house?”
“She’s going back north today.”
“Oh,” I said disappointedly. “I wish I would have been able to see her for longer.”
Izzy’s blue eyes widened. “I’m sure she understood that you and Nick had more important things to do.”
Warmth filled my cheeks. “It must seem so weird to look at our relationship from the outside, but even though I’ve known Nick for years, I feel like we’re getting to know one another all over again. He talks.”
“Yes, I’ve heard him do that.”
“No,” I said with a scoff. “He talks and listens. We talked about so many things. Gerardo…he didn’t share.”
“Maybe it’s generational. Em talks and listens.” She shrugged. “I think Andrés does too. I’m not sure my father does.”
“I feel at ease with Nick, not like I’m constantly walking on eggshells.”
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be. I think I fell in love with Em in Mia’s office. He was showing me Mia’s programs, but he wasn’t all bossy and mansplaining. He actually listened when I spoke. My father never did.”
“It sounds like we got two of the good ones.”
“Are you going to Rei and Jasmine’s for the feast of seven fishes?”
I giggled. “I looked that up over the weekend.”
“Oh, you had time?” Her eyebrows danced. “I assumed you were constantly on your back?”
“No,” I said, the heat coming back to my cheeks. “Sometimes I was standing or bent over.” The heat radiated down my neck. “Once, I was even on top.”
Izzy’s laugh filled my office. “Good for you. And you still had time to research the feast of seven fishes and learn that it’s an ancient Catholic tradition.
My family, the Lucianos, always celebrated it.
We used to go to my aunt and uncle’s house in the Ozarks.
Then after Dario married Catalina, the celebration moved to his home.
The big question is if Aunt Arianna will go to Sacramento. ”
“She’s Mia’s mother, right?”
“Right, and Dario and Dante’s.”
“Why wouldn’t she come?” I asked.
“She’s never approved of Jasmine.”
My mouth went slack. “I didn’t know that.”
“Jasmine moved in with Dario when she was really young. I honestly don’t remember a time when she wasn’t there.
” Izzy’s smile dimmed. “We were horrible to her on the few occasions we saw her. She and her sister, Josie, lived with Dario. Uncle Vincent and Aunt Arianna didn’t approve, so none of us did, even Mia. ”
“Mia? She and Jasmine seemed fine. They were talking at the wedding.”
“They’ve come a long way. I’ve apologized to Jasmine. I asked her at your wedding if she invited Aunt Arianna, and she said she did. All I can say is Jasmine is a better person than my aunt ever was.”
“But you don’t think your aunt will come?”
“I think if she does, it’s because Dario made her.”
“Her son.”
Izzy sat taller. “Her capo dei capi.”
“Oh, poor Jasmine.”
“Are you going?” Izzy asked.
“Now, I want to go to be there for Jasmine.”
“Yeah, I feel the same way.”