Free A Bride for the Billionaire Bad Boy (The Romero Brothers, Book 2) by Shadonna Richards Page A

Antonio.”
    “I’m not telling you.”
    “She’s staying at the Fairmont Hotel.” Toni hobbled
into the study with his cane.
    “Grandfather!” Antonio spat.
    “But Toni’s right, Lucas,” the senior Toni continued,
acknowledging Antonio with a nod but not addressing him further. “Don’t do
anything rash that would cause a scene, or Lord help us, a headline in the
news.”
    “I won’t,” Lucas assured dryly.
    “That’s the same thing that got you in trouble at
school, Lucas. Always standing up for anyone who was getting their butt kicked. Always fighting for the little guy and getting suspended.”
    Lucas growled. “This is not school, Antonio. Far different. Don’t even compare.”
    “But you don’t have all the facts. Shouldn’t you just
leave it to the police? I know you’ve made an inquiry to a contact to likely interfere
with the investigation, Lucas. Don’t go there.”
    “I’m not going anywhere, except to see if a friend in
need could use a little help. I don’t back away when someone needs help.”
    “Oh, and I do?”
    “Boys, boys. Please! Let’s not argue over such nonsense,”
Toni interjected.
    Lucas walked over to the counter by the door of the
study and grabbed his keys off the top. “I’m heading into town, Gramps. My
phone is charged so you can reach me if you need me.”
    Lucas thought he saw his grandfather grin but Antonio
scowled. Lucas could see Antonio’s point but wasn’t really interfering. Yeah,
it was his big cousin Antonio who had to help him out while in senior high when
he would fight off bullies for his friends or stick up for someone who was
being harassed by the authorities, only to get suspended in the process and take
the rap for “stirring up trouble.”
    But as far as he was concerned, Maxine was practically family . She was a close friend of the family and they
had business dealings together. Whoever attacked her, attacked him. He took
what happened to her home personally. Very personally.

 
    “Thank you,” Maxine told the counter clerk as he
handed her the key card for her room. She changed her mind about staying at the
Fairmont Hotel. The clerk at the Fairmont could see her hesitation, and when
she told him she was looking for something less expensive, he was kind enough
to suggest the Hopeton Travel Lodge down the street. She
just couldn’t afford the nightly fee at the Fairmont even though it would
probably have been more secure. But what was she to do? She had no idea how
long it would be before she could return home.
    Her stomach squeezed when she thought about her
personal possessions being violated by some stranger. She almost felt violently
ill as if she was going to throw up. Old photos of her mother when she was young and precious priceless family keepsakes were
vandalized with spray paint and nail polish. Who would do such a thing? And why her?
    “Enjoy your stay, ma’am.” The clerk smiled at her.
    Maxine smiled weakly before turning to face the
elevator. The ambiance at the motel was dim and soft. It was a travel lodge
more than anything else. Still, it was better than staying alone in her ravaged
apartment. Darn that security system in the building. It was virtually useless.
Apparently someone else had their home broken into before and the security
camera image came out too grainy to make any positive identification on the
culprit who entered their building from the lobby. So much
for that.
    Maxine turned around to look both directions before
swiping her card in the door slot. She was beginning to feel more paranoid than
ever.
    What had her life come to? This was not really one of
those moments she wanted to have a reflection on where she was going in her
life but she was forced to. When she got inside she slumped down in the chair and tossed   her backpack to the floor. She held her head in her hands and let out a good cry.
    After a while of sobbing, she went to reach for the
phone only to realize that it was two o’clock in