Page 12 of Blackbeard (Blackjacks MC #2)

I knew I couldn’t keep my marriage under the radar where my family was concerned.

My abuela had been practically begging me to get married for years.

I wasn’t looking forward to explaining that my bride was virtually a stranger.

My marriage was club business, not a family affair, which would be confusing and disappointing for them.

Grabbing my clothes, I dressed as quickly as possible and headed for my bike. Big G emerged from the kitchen as I passed.

“Whoa, where’s the fire? Slow down, grab some breakfast. Fresh coffee is in the kitchen. I brought donuts.”

“Can’t stay,” I tossed over my shoulder, shoving the clubhouse door open. “My family just met Leigh. I need to run damage control.”

Big G winced with sympathy and lifted his mug in a salute.

“Good luck, brother. Sounds like a shit show."

I sped through town, keeping an eye out for cops so I didn’t get pulled over for a ticket. Veering into my driveway, I barely parked my bike before I was striding up the sidewalk and into the house.

A flurry of voices emanated from the kitchen, talking over each other as always. My stomach clenched.

Under normal circumstances, that sound brought me nothing but joy. The kitchen was the heart of my home, where I spent countless hours with my family, cooking and sharing meals together.

But my home wasn’t safe while I was married to Leigh.

Rounding the corner, I entered the kitchen to find my abuela, Esperanza, and two of my nieces—Claudia and Luisa—gathered at the counter and the stove, cooking.

Claudia and Luisa had to stand on chairs to reach the counter, since they were only six and eight years old. Their arms, hands, and faces were dusted with a layer of flour as they giggled at each other.

Esperanza attempted to teach them how to roll out tortillas, but they kept getting distracted, amused by the sticky dough on their fingers.

Abuela manned the stove, monitoring fresh, hot tortillas in a pan. Her long gray braid swayed down her back with her movements, brushing her tailbone.

Leigh sat at the island with a cup of coffee.

Her hair was twisted up and pinned off her neck with a clip.

The silky purple robe she wore slipped off one shoulder, revealing the barely-there strap of a black camisole top.

She’d probably been ambushed by my family before she was dressed and ready for the day.

My gaze settled on her smooth, exposed skin for a split second, remembering the tangy salt of her skin on my tongue when I bit the curve of her neck in the foyer.

I scolded myself for looking, for letting myself get distracted so easily.

“Tío Diego!”

Claudia and Luisa jumped off their chairs when they spotted me. They raced across the kitchen, flung their arms around my legs, and hugged me with a koala-like grip. Babbling in rapid-fire Spanish.

In our family, children were raised to speak Spanish and English equally. But you could always tell which youngsters had spent more time hanging around Abuela, because she bribed them with sweet treats and grandmotherly affection into using Spanish until their English was nearly non-existent.

Claudia and Luisa must have been glued to her apron strings lately.

“It’s about time you showed up,” Abuela said, waving her spatula at me. “How could you neglect your wife like this? You’re newlyweds! Look at her. She’s starving, while you’re off at that clubhouse with your boys.”

Leigh smirked at me, plucking a warm tortilla from the plate in front of her, filling it with guacamole, beans, and cheese, then taking a bite. My mouth salivated with jealousy. Abuela knew fresh, homemade tortillas were my weakness.

“Trust me, Abuela, she can fend for herself,” I said.

“Of course she can,” Abuela retorted. “But that’s not the point.

As her husband, it’s your responsibility to provide for her and protect her.

Can’t believe I have to beat this into your thick skull at your big age,” she muttered, waving me off as she returned her attention to the stove. “You’re old enough to know better.”

Esperanza snickered and shoved a plate of tortillas into my hands, pulling up a chair next to Leigh. She patted the seat.

“Sit, brother. Eat.”

I huffed.

“You’re enjoying my suffering, aren’t you? Watching Abuela scold me for being a bad husband.”

She shrugged.

“You’re her favorite. She always lets you get away with murder. It’s about time she chews you out for something.”

I groaned. Clearly there would be no help from her to plead my case in this situation.

When I started to move toward my chair, Claudia and Luisa tightened their grip on my legs, clinging to me even harder. They tipped their heads up to look at me, dark brown eyes gleaming with delight.

My heart squeezed at their precious smiling faces.

Having Leigh in my house brought the Forsaken into my personal life. For years, I had fought so hard to keep my family out of club business, to keep them safe.

I did allow them to visit the clubhouse once in a while. But only when I was absolutely certain there wouldn’t be any trouble while they were there.

Now, my grandmother, my sister, and my nieces were sharing a kitchen with the wife I had obtained strictly for the purposes of peace between the Blackjacks and the Forsaken.

“Leigh was just telling us how the two of you met,” Abuela said.

I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Leigh. She propped her chin in her hand, gazing at me with exaggerated, sappy adoration. How long did she practice that look in the mirror?

“It was love at first sight,” she said. “You couldn’t resist me. Right, honey?”

I gritted my teeth. Sliding my plate onto the counter, I scooped Claudia and Luisa into my arms. They squealed with laughter, wrapping their little arms around my neck.

“That’s not how I remember it,” I replied. “You wore me down. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Abuela hummed with approval.

“Then she knows a good man when she sees one and she goes after what she wants.”

“With your fear of commitment,” Esperanza put in. “You would never pop the question. A woman would have to lock you down and never let you go.”

I huffed at the irony of that statement, since that’s exactly what happened. Using my foot to nudge my chair away from Leigh, I sat and settled my nieces on my lap. They wiggled with excitement, grabbing a tortilla for themselves off my plate.

“Is there a baby on the way yet?” Abuela chirped.

Leigh choked, coughing until her face turned beet red. I chuckled at her discomfort.

“Now look who’s in the hot seat,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Shut up,” she shot back.

“I got pregnant on my wedding night,” Abuela declared, matter-of-fact. “It’s impossible to keep your hands to yourself when you’re in love.”

Leigh wheezed. I attempted to cover Claudia’s and Luisa’s ears with my palms.

“Jesus, Abuela, not in front of the kids.”

She waved me off.

“What? There’s nothing to be ashamed of! You’re handsome, she’s pretty. I’m almost ninety years old, Diego, I know how these things work. And you’re the only grandchild who hasn’t given me great-grandbabies.”

I stifled a groan. From the corner of my eye, I saw Leigh smother a smile in her coffee.

“Abuela,” she called, and I bristled at her brazen familiarity. “Maybe you can twist Diego’s arm and get him to buy me a proper engagement ring. He skipped that part and jumped straight to the wedding.”

Abuela whirled and her face lit up.

Damn it.

I scowled at Leigh. She beamed and extended her hand, wiggling her bare ring finger.

“Don’t skimp on it either, husband. I want a big, expensive rock.”

Maintaining my distance in this marriage, protecting my family, would only continue to get more and more complicated if Leigh kept ingratiating herself into every aspect of my life like this.