Page 107 of Veiled Amor

Kate:Fancy meeting up for lunch today? I’m bored.

Lucia:Sure! I’m with Capone this morning, but I can let you know when I’m free.

Kate:Sounds great, I can’t wait to live vicariously through your relationship stories!

Lucia chuckled. The woman had no filter when it came to pumping her for relationship goodies. Lucia was private and didn’t want to share the unfolding perfectness with anyone. The boys were holding a birthday party for Capone soon, and she’d been unsure if she could invite her new friend, not knowing how the MC rules went about who could go to the club. Maybe next time, when she felt more at ease around that place. For now, she was happy the other old ladies had asked her to come around.

“Try this one, tell me what you think?”

Yet another morsel was thrust in front of her. Lucia’s stomach was threatening to burst open at the seams. They’d only been at the shop for an hour, and already, Levi, a twenty-something sandwich artist, as he’d introduced himself, made her sit at the counter and taste his creations.

She was stuffed, but every tiny square sample he put in front of her was delicious.

“What’s this one again?”

“Bocadillo de calamares.”

She loved how half of the menu was Spanish-themed sandwiches mixed in with Levi’s creations, and some were Capone’s personal favorites.

“It’s good.Jibaritois still my favorite, though. I could eat that one all day long.” She declared. She loved the sweetness of the plantains used instead of bread.

“Hey, boss.” Called out Levi. “Maybe you wanna call it Lucia’sJibarito.” She laughed at his joke but then gasped when Capone replied, “change it on the menu.”

Aww. And he said he wasn’t romantic. She beamed at him and licked a bit of pesto mayo from her thumb. Seeing how his broody eyes flared with lust.

He stalked over and not caring that Levi, the sandwich whisperer, was nearby, he grabbed her around the throat and caught her mouth in a kiss so scorching it burned clean down to her curling toes. Damn, he had the patent on passionate kisses. She was breathlessly clutching to his shirt front when they parted. Capone smirked. “Love you, huh?”

“Love you forever,” she whispered back.

Finally, the luck of fate was on their side, it was a long time coming, and Lucia felt ready to shed the last of the secrets between them. Oh, not here. It could wait until tonight at home, but she was ready.

Noticing how Capone glanced over the top of her head, she switched her gaze to the window to see Texas pulling up in front of the store on his Harley, and a big black Escalade came alongside him a second later.

“Hey, Levi, go grab a break,” Capone called out.

“Sure thing, boss. Be back in an hour.”

“Make it two.”

She watched Levi slap hands and bro-shoulder hug with Texas outside, the pair talking like friends. Capone had introduced her to the sandwich maker on the first day as Tiny’s younger brother. She knew of Tiny, one of the fallen bikers, his name was on a plaque in the clubhouse. She’d thought it was extra lovely of Capone to hire his friend’s brother and give the younger man a chance at a career.

“Do you need me to make myself scarce too?” She asked, assuming the boys were here for a biker meeting. He leaned in, pressed his lips to her forehead. “No, Lucia. Listen, I have to talk to you about something.”

“Oh? Something serious?”

“That guy out there with Texas is his twin brother, Malachai Hunt. He’s a former ATF, now FED.” Color her surprised. The bikers didn’t like cops, that much she knew.

Did they have an FBI friend?

Was he a crooked cop the club used?

“Why is he here?”

“He’s not a friend, Lucia, we won’t be inviting him for dinner,sí? But I’ve asked for his help. With your father.”

Oh.

That took the wind from her sails.