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“No.” He shakes his head, anger darkening his features. “I forbid you to have anything to do with him.”
“What?” I frown at him. “You can’t forbid me to see anyone. This is not 1920.”
He glances down to the car keys in my hand and I can almost hear what he’s thinking. He bought me that car. He owns my apartment too. I plan on getting a place of my own as soon as I save enough from my paychecks. I’m not used to being so looked after and it took me a long time to accept that he and my mom would pay for things like that for me. I know that most people aren’t as lucky as I am, but it was him who persuaded me to swallow my pride. It would have been hard for me to get my degree and work part-time while being a single mom too, so I accepted their generosity. As he told me time and time again, that is what parents do for their children. I suppose I spent so much of my life without a decent parent that I forgot what that looked like.
I wonder now if he’s going to make me regret my decision and use any of that against me. I know he must want to. He is a man who gets what he wants by any means necessary and he’s used to being the one in control of every situation he finds himself in.
It makes my heart almost burst with love and respect for him when he doesn’t. He chooses another tactic instead though. “The gates are locked. Nobody is getting through them until the morning,” he snaps.
“Fine!” I pop my keys into my purse. “I’ll walk.”
“Over my dead body,” he snarls.
“Dad,” I shout and the word seems to stop him mid-rant. I have never once called him dad before. The twins call him dad or daddy, but not me. I always call him Papi and even though it means the same thing, somehow this word feels more.
Tears fill his eyes and I wonder if he is going to relent. But he is Alejandro Montoya—backing down is not in his DNA. “You are not leaving this house,” he snarls.
I suck in a breath and hold my head high, just like he taught me to. “I am. I know that you’re upset, but this is my life. Be mad at me all you want to but it’s not going to change how I feel about Jax.”
He scowls at the mention of Jax’s name.
“I love you, Papi, but I love him too and he’s the man I want to be with.”
“He’s taking advantage of you, mija.”
“You really think that? The man who you trust more than any other person in the world?”
He glares at me. He has no real comeback for that. “He’s so very wrong for you,” he finally snaps.
“He’s completely right for me.”
“You are not leaving this house,” he insists.
I sigh in frustration but then suddenly my mom appears out of nowhere—the only person in the world he will bend for. “Alex.” She places a hand on his arm. “Lucia is a grown woman. As her parents, we allow her to make her own choices, even if we don’t agree with them,” she says softly, reminding him of what he told her when I decided to join the family business.
I see the moment he gives in. The slightest drop in his shoulders is the only outward sign as he continues to glare at me, but how can he argue with his own words? My mom steps closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Go to bed and I’ll join you shortly,” she says before pressing a soft kiss on his cheek.
He looks between us both now then rolls his eyes. He kisses my mom and she releases him from her embrace. Then as I think he’s about to walk away, he wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Goodnight, mija,” he says softly before planting a kiss on the top of my head.
“Night, Dad,” I whisper.
I watch him walk away, cursing under his breath in Spanish as he does.
“I’m sorry I made him so mad, Mom,” I say quietly.
“I told you he’s not angry with you, sweetheart. He’s mad at Jax.”
“I wish he wouldn’t be. It’s not like that is all Jax’s fault and I had no part in it,” I say, shaking my head in exasperation.
“I know that. He just needs some time is all.”
“I hope so,” I say because the thought of him always being mad at Jax breaks my heart. I would never forgive myself if I came between the two of them.
“I know so. And in the meantime, I’m always here. No matter what. Okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper and she pulls me into a fierce hug.
