Page 29 of Blackbeard
“Tío Diego!”
Claudia and Luisa jumped off their chairs when they spotted me. They raced across the kitchen, flung their arms around my legs, and hugged me with a koala-like grip. Babbling in rapid-fire Spanish.
In our family, children were raised to speak Spanish and English equally. But you could always tell which youngsters had spent more time hanging around Abuela, because she bribed them with sweet treats and grandmotherly affection into using Spanish until their English was nearly non-existent.
Claudia and Luisa must have been glued to her apron strings lately.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Abuela said, waving her spatula at me. “How could you neglect your wife like this? You’re newlyweds! Look at her. She’s starving, while you’re off at that clubhouse with your boys.”
Leigh smirked at me, plucking a warm tortilla from the plate in front of her, filling it with guacamole, beans, and cheese, then taking a bite. My mouth salivated with jealousy. Abuela knew fresh, homemade tortillas were my weakness.
“Trust me, Abuela, she can fend for herself,” I said.
“Of course she can,” Abuela retorted. “But that’s not the point. As her husband, it’s your responsibility to provide for her and protect her. Can’t believe I have to beat this into yourthick skull at your big age,” she muttered, waving me off as she returned her attention to the stove. “You’re old enough to know better.”
Esperanza snickered and shoved a plate of tortillas into my hands, pulling up a chair next to Leigh. She patted the seat.
“Sit, brother. Eat.”
I huffed.
“You’re enjoying my suffering, aren’t you? Watching Abuela scold me for being a bad husband.”
She shrugged.
“You’re her favorite. She always lets you get away with murder. It’s about time she chews you out for something.”
I groaned. Clearly there would be no help from her to plead my case in this situation.
When I started to move toward my chair, Claudia and Luisa tightened their grip on my legs, clinging to me even harder. They tipped their heads up to look at me, dark brown eyes gleaming with delight.
My heart squeezed at their precious smiling faces.
Having Leigh in my house brought the Forsaken into my personal life. For years, I had fought so hard to keep my family out of club business, to keep them safe.
I did allow them to visit the clubhouse once in a while. But only when I was absolutely certain there wouldn’t be any trouble while they were there.
Now, my grandmother, my sister, and my nieces were sharing a kitchen with the wife I had obtained strictly for the purposes of peace between the Blackjacks and the Forsaken.
“Leigh was just telling us how the two of you met,” Abuela said.
I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Leigh. She propped her chin in her hand, gazing at me with exaggerated, sappy adoration. How long did she practice that look in the mirror?
“It was love at first sight,” she said. “You couldn’t resist me. Right, honey?”
I gritted my teeth. Sliding my plate onto the counter, I scooped Claudia and Luisa into my arms. They squealed with laughter, wrapping their little arms around my neck.
“That’s not how I remember it,” I replied. “You wore me down. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Abuela hummed with approval.
“Then she knows a good man when she sees one and she goes after what she wants.”
“With your fear of commitment,” Esperanza put in. “You would never pop the question. A woman would have to lock you down and never let you go.”
I huffed at the irony of that statement, since that’s exactly what happened. Using my foot to nudge my chair away from Leigh, I sat and settled my nieces on my lap. They wiggled with excitement, grabbing a tortilla for themselves off my plate.
“Is there a baby on the way yet?” Abuela chirped.
