Page 70 of Privilege

Lucia came back to reality with a harshness that felt like a slap to her face. Renzo’s mother came down the hallway with a sneer already affixed to her face, and it only became worse when Lucia met the woman’s gaze. At least, she thought, Carmen Zulla looked a hell of a lot better than the last time Lucia laid eyes on the woman. She didn’t look so goddamn close to death.

Shame, really.

In that moment, death might be preferable to Carmen than the way Renzo was glaring at her like he was seriously considering killing her right where she stood.

“Shut your mouth,” Renzo snapped. Then, to Lucia, he tried to smile, but it didn’t come out as true. “You should head out, baby. I’ve … got some work to do today, anyway. I’m sure someone is wondering where you are and all.”

“Baby?” Carmen’s screech and high-pitched laugh felt like nails raking down a chalkboard. “Please tell me you’re not throwing money or something at that, Renzo. You won’t even give me anything and—”

“Because you deserve fuck all,” Renzo said, hate coloring his words. “Lucia, please …”

He trailed off with a wave toward the door. The last thing Lucia wanted to do was leave him there with his awful fucking mother to battle her alone, and deal with the aftermath when Diego finally woke up, but she could tell he also didn’t want her there, either. She didn’t think he was trying to protect her from seeing the awful parts of his life, though.

Maybe … he was just trying to protect her from the vileness of one woman in his life.

“Number’s in your phone,” Renzo said as Lucia passed him by, his hand coming up to snag her wrist in his tight grasp. “Call me, Lucia.”

She nodded, and gave him a quick kiss. That only served to have his mother ranting again. This time, though, Carmen’s words didn’t bother Lucia all that much. She barely even heard the insults the woman hurled at her back.

They weren’t worth it.

Neither was Carmen.

“I’ll call,” Lucia promised.

“You better.”

• • •

Lucia saw her father leaning against her car long before she even stepped foot on the shelter’s parking lot. She really hadn’t thought much about what she was going to say or do to explain where she had gone missing to for an entire evening and night. She’d stopped even looking at her father’s messages, and didn’t bother to pick up any of his calls.

Besides, he said it himself, didn’t he? He had people watching her. Surely, Lucian knew exactly where Lucia had been the night before if his people were any good at doing their job. Or, if they hadn’t lost her again.

“Morning,” Lucia greeted, hitting the unlock button on the fob for her car. “You—this—couldn’t wait until I got home, Daddy? At least let me get some food into me before you go on another rant about who I can or can’t spend my time with. Makes your hypocrisy a little easier to swallow, maybe.”

Lucian made a thick noise in the back of his throat. She could tell—without a doubt—her careless attitude bothered him more than anything else ever would. “Lucia.”

She gave him a look from the side. “Yes?”

“Do you know how fucking worried I was about you last night?”

“Because I went to a gallery in Brooklyn, and then stayed the night with someone? Why would you be worried—”

“I told you—that young man is bad news!” Her father’s shout echoed over the quiet parking lot. Lucia was unmoved. “You know nothing about that boy, Lucia. Not how he grew up, or the things he’s seen. All you know is the fact he looks half decent, and is paying you a bit of attention. That’s it. And what about when something bad happens, huh? What are you going to do then? Go on and tell me. I’ve apparently got time to stay up all night getting updates on where you are, worrying myself fucking sick over you, and then make my way over here this morning instead of waking your mother up like I do every morning. So yeah, go and tell me, I will wait.”

Lucia blinked. “Daddy, stop.”

“You don’t know anything—”

“You keep saying that like you know it’s true. But I bet I know a hell of a lot more about him than you do. Or, I actually made the effort to learn things about him while you only got to see what you could pull on him. Deny it.”

Lucian didn’t.

Lucia wondered …

“You know I’m not Liliana, right?”

Her father’s jaw stiffened at that question. She bet he was clenching his teeth so hard, his molars were aching. Years ago, her oldest sister had gotten involved with a man who nearly killed her when he beat her up in the back of a limo. At the time, Lucia had been way too young to really understand the kind of impact that must have had on her sister, and even her father … Lucian was so close to his children, but especially his daughters. She didn’t think that was easy on her dad. Not at all.