Page 142 of Veiled Amor

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A look into the future

Mateo Mercado looked every inch the relaxed man as he smoked the last of his joint and stubbed it out, knocking the woman’s hand from his arm as he stood to his height. The clubhouse was always busy and overrun with women at the weekends, but especially this one, seeing as it was Dax’s old man’s birthday. Grinder was a legend.

Swear to God, there was always something for their club family to get together. If it were any other bunch of people that Mateo didn’t give a fuck about, he’d say they were dysfunctional, co-dependent. But he’d do anything for his club and his family, so he always rocked up carrying a bottle of whatever, for whatever party it was.

Tonight was different, and he was ready to get out of there.

On his way out, he caught his twin’s eyes across the room.

Diego was sprawled on a couch, legs out in front of him, laughing with their friends. A chick on his lap, another cuddled up to his side. Good-looking fucker always got the women. They both had from an early age, but only Mateo would know Diego wasn’t screwing with any of them currently. He wouldn’t blab. The brothers had an unspoken rule, they took each other’s backs no matter what, even if they hated each other that day. It was something their dad drummed into them from birth. Diego lifted his chin to Mateo, a slight smirk on his face. Mateo mirrored the move, raising his hand to let his brother know he was taking off for the night.

Only Diego knew where he was going.

They’d meet for breakfast tomorrow, as always.

“You’re not leaving, are you, baby? The night has only started.” A groupie intercepted his escape, winding her bare arms around his waist. Mateo detangled himself from the woman and her overpowering perfume, giving her a crooked grin. “Sorry, places to go.”

“Looks like you disappointed her,” a deep voice said behind him as he sent the woman off. Mateo stopped in his tracks. Again. This time to face someone he liked.

“Hey,papá. I’m sure she’ll get over it.”

Capone half-smirked and clapped Mateo on the shoulder. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, I already talked to the birthday boy.”

“Grinder does like a party. Where you headed to, Son?”

“Got somewhere to be. You and Ma hanging around?”

“For a while, sí. She hasn’t tried the cake yet.”

Both men grinned. There wasn’t a cake Lucia Mercado didn’t like. And it was the easiest way to bribe her. All the Mercado men knew this.

“Give her a hug from me.”

“You could give her that hug yourself.”

“I’m on the way out if people would quit stopping me.”

Capone arched his brow in that knowing way of his. Sometimes Mateo suspected their dad could see into their brains and knew all the shit the twins got up to. He sure as hell had known all the crap they did in their teen years, but borrowing cars and fighting were long behind Diego and Mateo.

“You’ve been disappearing a lot lately. You in trouble, Son?”

“I hardly disappear,papá. I got places to be is all.”

“Who is she?”

Mateo relaxed his shoulders and flashed a grin. “Go enjoy your night with Ma.”

Capone smirked, and they went in for a hug. “You too.”

He wasn’t five steps outside, nearly to his Harley, when someone called his name. Jesus fucking Christ. He spun around to face Knox. “What is it, Alpha?”

“What’s the hurry?”

“Fuck’s sake, why is everyone up my ass tonight?”