Easter's Lilly by Judy Serrano

tomorrow and tell him we are not sleeping together.” He stroked my bruise with his fingers. “But after tomorrow, we will be sleeping together.” I reached out and touched his bare chest. “We need each other,” he said. I knew he was right. We both knew Olivia was right.
    “ Does Jorge beat Olivia?” I asked.
    “ Sometimes,” he answered. “Usually if he has too much to drink or… something else.”
    “ What does Hector do?” I asked.
    “ As soon as we get involved, we open up an area of flying bullets. We have to be sure neither one of you gets hurt. He’s stopped Jorge from killing her before, as I did for you the night I found you at John’s house. But when we get involved in the bedroom, that confirms our involvement with you.”
    “ You’re saying if he rapes me in our bedroom, you can’t help me?” I asked.
    “ After I get done with him tomorrow, he won’t.” He seemed pretty certain. “I’ll have a substance abuse conversation with him again.” He put his cheek against mine. “He can’t eat up the profits… that kind of thing.”
    “ So, no love?” I asked.
    He smiled. “You can spend the night here,” he answered. “He’ll probably crash hard and come back in the afternoon.”
    “ I can sleep with you?” I was really excited.
    “ You are so cute,” he answered. “Yes, baby girl, you can spend the night in daddy’s arms.” And I did. It was the best night I had ever had. He was right, Diego did not come home in the morning and we took a shower and ate breakfast together before we heard the angry bear slam open the door screaming my name like a crazy person. I gasped and Max put me behind him as he often did and pulled out his gun.
    “ Where is she Max?” Then he saw me and reached for me but Max cocked his revolver.
    “ I have no problem killing you right now,” Max said. “You raped her and beat her, you bastard!” For a minute, I really thought he was going to shoot him. There was a small part of me that was hoping he would. “We’re not together,” Max said. “I’m in love with her, but she won’t have me.” I couldn’t believe he said that.
    “ What?” Diego asked. “Are you serious?”
    “ She’s in love with you, Diego, or she was until last night.” I was shocked, confused and sick to my stomach. Diego calmed right down after that. He backed up and sat at the table in the kitchen.
    “ How stupid do you think I am?” he asked. “She’s not in love with me.”
    “ You have to cut this out, Diego. Stop beating her up. If you’re angry take it out on me. I can take it. She’s a little girl.”
    Diego appeared to think about it for a minute. “Lilly, I’m so sorry,” he said. Max put the gun down and stepped aside. He put his head in his hands and said, “I’m so sorry.”
    “ No more eating the profits,” Max said. “You know you can’t use and sell, Diego.”
    “ Come here, Lilly.” He put his hand out for me and Max gave me an approving nod. He put me on his lap and kissed me. Then he looked at my bruise and kissed it. “Forgive me, please.”
    “ I already have,” I lied with tears in my eyes. He hugged me and then pushed me up so that he could get up out of the chair. “I have to go to work today, Max.” He started to walk away. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll be back in a few hours.” As he walked off I opened my mouth to scream at him but he shushed me. Then I whispered, “In love with him? Are you crazy?”
    “ I had to defuse this,” he said. “He gave in way too soon. He’s up to something.”
    We waited about fifteen minutes after he left and he did not come back. We made idle chatter and had some coffee while we waited for the call from the guard confirming Diego had officially left the property. The call finally came in. Max’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Lilly?” He did not have to say another word. I knew what was on his mind. “If you feel up to it…” He paused and smiled at me. “Say