Page 56 of Veiled Amor

“The bitch got me up, if you know what I mean.”

Capone knew who they were cackling over, and he wanted to smash their faces in.

Strolling through the Louisiana clubhouse, he’d been unable to sleep once Lucia flew out of their room, so he’d been assisting Shark for the last hour.

His steps slowed, cutting his gaze out of the window everyone was gawking out of. He saw Lucia bending over, touching her toes, then she lifted her leg to her butt, stretching her thigh muscles. She had her back to the window, so she didn’t know she had a perverted audience.

Noisily, he hooked a chair with his boot, bringing their attention to him when the scraping noise went through the room. He yanked it out and plopped himself down, throwing stares around like he was giving them away for free.

“Yo, Cap. How’s it going, man?”

“Bueno.” He answered coolly, a snake-like smile on his face as he met their gazes. “I don’t wanna have to repeat myself,hermanos, so I’ll say this now. Make one more remark about Lucia, and I’ll put you through the fucking window one at a time, understand?”

When he smiled, he knew his eyes were filled with warning.

He didn’t have personal connections to these men other than they were from the same club, but he’d always held loyalty for them. Listening to the catcalls meant that loyalty was dead. Far as he was concerned, he’d kill them slowly.

One laughed. And then the rest followed. “Easy there, stud. We heard she was single, and you’re playing bodyguard, is all. We don’t get ‘em looking like her around here often. You gotta let us look.”

“Far as you’re concerned,” he bit out, “she doesn’t exist. You keep the fuck away from her.”

One man sobered and glared back. He was higher ranked than Capone, and Capone couldn’t give a fuck. He’d kill him too. “Now listen here, Capone.”

“No. You listen. She’s off-limits.”

“You claiming her?”

Was he?

He couldn’t.

His logical side knew why he couldn’t, but fuck if his body would listen. He was all but bristling and pissing a circle around her so no one else would get a shot athisperfect girl.

“Sí,” he grated through his teeth, and an understanding went around the table as each man threw him a grin. Capone relaxed his muscles and sat with his legs kicked out in front of him and his arms folded across his chest.

Luckily, he didn’t throw anyone through a window because Lucia strolled in thirty seconds later. She cut her gaze over instantly, and Capone’s chest flamed. Remembering how soft and wet she felt under his fingers only a few hours ago. One kiss made him lose his head, and he’d taken it too far.

Where Lucia Cole was concerned, he’d always had a war going on inside him. His brother had beaten him to the punch before Capone could make a move. She’d been too young for him, but he’d wanted her all the same. Now she’d put it in his head about missing something, and he couldn’t figure what.

Would it matter?

He’d still fucked up. He couldn’t erase their fuck, could he? Wouldn’t want to. It was that memory keeping him going, even if he couldn’t claim her as his old lady.

He’d have to be dead in the ground before he let these assholes put the moves on her in front of him.

Lucia’s glance was stony cold as she walked by him to sit with Jacie.

“Doesn’t look like the girlie wants claiming, brother.” One of the men cackled, shaking his shoulder. Capone’s eyes were eating her up. “Don’t know ‘bout you, brothers, but seems fair game to me.” He dared add.

They were fucking with him. It would be something he’d do at home, when he met the chucklers head-on, he stared. “Try it and see what happens.”

Amid the laughter, he pushed himself to his feet and strode across the room. Lucia’s head rose to watch. She was mad at him, that much he could tell, but she also liked what she saw, and her eyelids dropped to half-mast when he was almost on top of her.

“Hey, Capone.” Jacie greeted. He spared her a half-grin, then turned to the woman who had a claw hold of his guts.

“Tip your head back,amor, and kiss me.” He announced.

Jacie chuckled. “Oh, wow.”