Page 27 of Veiled Amor

Smiling to himself, he imagined her having fun with Poppy’s goat. “Get some sleep, Lucia.”

More shuffling, and then she settled. “Capone?”

“Sí?”

“It’s great to see you. Goodnight.”

It’s good to see you too, mi corazón. I’ve missed you.

As stated, Capone slept little. But he didn’t mind. Not when he was watching over a girl who held real estate in his once empty chest.

TEN

“You know what they say about making plans…” – Lucia

Miracles existed because Capone caught some sleep before dawn but found himself wrenched awake after dreaming about green eyes and hungry hands all over him.

With his heart slamming up against his constricted ribcage, Capone groaned as he tried to unfold his pretzel body from the chair.

Groaning again, he was too damn old for sex dreams.

His gaze traveled over to the bed to find it disarrayed and empty.

It was only early, but he wanted a shower, food in his belly, and to call Shark to see if they found anything in the car.

“Lucia? You finished in the bathroom?”

Silence.

It only lasted a second when he heard a scream and then “CAPONE!”

The cramped pain in his legs and fatigue was forgotten as he shot out of the chair, almost wrenching the door off its hinges.

What he saw on the ground floor pushed an inferno of anger through his skin and made him move faster than he’d ever moved before. In only his socked feet, Capone grabbed hold of either side of the metal staircase railing and cleared all but two of them in one gigantic leap. His intent was to get to Lucia at the other end of the motel complex, where a guy was holding her by the wrist and barricading her against the office doorway. There was no recollection of getting there in a few fast seconds, only that he made it.

The guy didn’t notice him.

Nor Lucia, until he pushed the guy into the doorframe, making him stagger and drop the hold he had on her, and her big round eyes came at him like a bullet of relief. He held onto that look even when he stared down the motherfucker.

“Do you know this guy, Lucia?” He grated, never taking his eyes from the struggling man as Capone pinned him against the doorframe.

“N-no.” she stammered but gained a stronger tone when she moved behind him. “I came to get towels, and he grabbed me and said I have to go home to…”

Yeah, not happening. Capone growled.

“And did you want him to touch you?”

“No.”

“You hear that,pendejo? She doesn’t know you and doesn’t want you to touch her, yet you put your hands on her, didn’t you?” Capone pushed his clawed fingers into the guy’s chest. There was no pretending he had a handle on his anger. It fueled through him like a raging chemical spill.

“I was only—” Whatever explanation the thug had ready, Capone slapped it out of him, a hand pressed hard over his mouth. That was when he turned his gaze on Lucia and found her watching him. Not with fear. Relief and gratitude were shining in her eyes.

There had been no one to fight her corner and stand in the way of her father.

He was no fucking knight, but he’d put himself in that position now and would see it to the end. Knowing she understood him and hoped the guy didn’t, he switched to Spanish and told her. “Run back to the room,nena, pack your stuff, get ready to leave, okay?”

She nodded but asked in English, her eyes on the guy. “What about…?”