Suspicious Minds (Fate #3)
Read Suspicious Minds (Fate #3) Online
Authors: Elizabeth Reyes
Moreno Brothers
Series
Tangled—A
Moreno Brothers novella
5
th
Street Series
Fate Series
Desert Heat Series
Suspicious Minds
(Fate #3)
Elizabeth Reyes
Suspicious Minds
(Fate #3)
Copyright © 2015 Elizabeth Reyes
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This e-book is licensed for your
personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other
people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please
purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book
and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please
go to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the hard work of this author.
Edited by Theresa Wegand
Cover by Amanda Simpson of Pixel Mischief Design
To my Papas
Forget what hurt you, but never forget what it taught
you.
It had to be a mistake. It was the only thing Lorenzo
Moreno could think of that made sense. His fiancée, Linda, was out of town for
the weekend, more than two hours away. She wasn’t due back until Sunday night.
He’d just talked to her less than an hour ago, and she’d reiterated the fact
that she wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night.
“It
is
her, man,” Daniel said a bit too seriously. “I
double-checked and she’s in bad shape.”
Lorenzo squeezed the steering wheel as his stomach took a total
nosedive. Nikki, Linda’s adorable three-year-old, suddenly came to mind. He
didn’t even want to think it, but Daniel said the wreck Linda had been in was a
bad one. There’d been a fatality. He pressed down on the accelerator, refusing
to think that negatively.
The second he turned his car off in the emergency room parking
lot he jumped out. The terror had been squeezing at his throat the entire time.
His buddy Daniel, who worked as an emergency room attendant, had just been getting
off work when Linda was rushed in. If it weren’t for his friend, Lorenzo might have
been out tonight throwing a few back without a clue that Linda had been in a
wreck.
He nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw his brother, Vincent,
standing at the emergency room entrance, but then Lorenzo kept walking,
speeding up with added concern. His sister-in-law, Vince’s wife Rose, was
pregnant with their first child, and because of a medical condition, she was
considered high risk.
“Something wrong?” he asked as soon as he was close enough. “Is
Rosie okay?”
“She’s fine,” Vince said immediately. “She’s home. I’m not here
for her.”
“Why are you here then?”
“Daniel called me,” he said, stepping in front of Lorenzo and
blocking him from going into the emergency room.
The grave expression on his brother’s face was even more
alarming. It made his already thumping heart double in speed. “He called
you
about Linda? Why?”
Lorenzo looked past Vincent, feeling the chill in his spine. Had
Daniel called Vince to be here for him because it was
that
bad? Without
waiting for an answer, Lorenzo tried to get around his brother, but Vincent
stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.
His eyes darted immediately down to Vince’s hand on his chest. “What
the—?”
“She’s gonna be fine, Enzo.” Vince tilted his head to the side. “She’s
pretty banged up, but they don’t think it’s anything life-threatening, so
relax.”
Confused, Lorenzo reached down for Vincent’s hand still flat
against his chest. “So why—?”
“Who’s Patrick?” Vincent asked.
Lorenzo peered at Vincent, even more confused. “Patrick?”
Then it hit him. Nikki’s dad—Linda’s ex.
“Yeah,” Vincent stared at him cautiously. “You know of any
Patrick?”
“Nikki’s dad is the only Patrick I know of. Why?”
“He’s here,” Vincent explained but was clearly waiting for
Lorenzo’s reaction.
That only spiked his already angst-ridden heart. He nearly pushed
Vincent out of the way, but to his surprise, his brother stood his ground and
used both hands to hold him back now.
“What the fuck, Vince? Is it Nikki? Did something happen to
Nikki?”
“Nikki wasn’t with them,” Vince said, pulling him off to the side
so they wouldn’t be blocking or making a scene at the entrance. “It was just
the two of them in the car—his car.”
Lorenzo jerked his head back as it instantly became clear why
Daniel had called Vince. His brother wasn’t asked to come to console Lorenzo.
He was there to calm him down—keep things under control. “And?”
“And he’s telling the staff she’s his girl.”
“
What?
”
Seeing red, Lorenzo attempted to push past Vincent again, but
this time Vince grabbed the front of his shirt. “Calm your ass, okay? This is a
hospital. You can’t just rush in there and attack the guy. Did you know she was
with him tonight?”
Lorenzo swallowed hard, shaking his head, but he knew there had
to be a valid explanation. Then he remembered the conversation they’d had on
the phone earlier. She’d already been gone one night, and she told him she
wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night. Had she even gone to her mother’s?
Once again he attempted to get past Vince, but his adamant
brother wouldn’t budge.
“Damn it, Vince, I need to talk to her!”
“You need to calm down,” Vince said firmly as he stared him down.
“She’s probably still out of it. Daniel said they loaded her with pain meds.”
“What about him?” Lorenzo asked as the strange buzz in his ears
started up. “Patrick?”
“He’s in there,” Vince continued to watch Lorenzo vigilantly. “But
he won’t be admitted like she was. His injuries were minor. And they let him in
to see
his
girl just a few minutes ago.”
This time Lorenzo got past Vince and rushed into the emergency
room with his brother right behind him. “Be cool, Enzo,” Vincent urged as he
caught up and hurried alongside him. “Don’t get your ass arrested. Where did
she tell you she’d be tonight?”
Lorenzo swallowed back the anger that Vince’s question gave him.
His brother was already implying she’d lied to him.
“Which way to her room?” Lorenzo asked through his teeth,
ignoring the accusatory question.
“Enzo, he’s gonna be in there with her.” Vince raised his voice
now too and stepped in front of Lorenzo, forcing him to stop. “You need to calm
yourself and think about this. He’s in there calling her his girl, and she was
obviously out with him tonight and didn’t tell you about it. Is it really worth
going after him—getting arrested? Because it’s what’s gonna happen.”
“Get out of my way, Vince,” Lorenzo demanded, refraining from
getting too loud.
“No,” Vince said, standing tall and firm. “Answer the question.
Is there even a remote chance this is explainable, or are you about to lose
your shit over a chick who’s been lying to you?”
“She’s my
fiancée.
” Lorenzo shoved Vince in the chest, but
he didn’t budge.
“And he’s calling her
his
girl,” Vince said the words
right in his face. “Now before you go barging in there and getting yourself in
a world of trouble, think about it. Is it even worth it?”
Lorenzo could think of nothing more satisfying at that moment
than to storm in there and tear Patrick apart. “You’re damn right it is!”
“Really?” Vince asked without a flinch. “Where the fuck was she
supposed to be tonight, Enzo?”
Lorenzo brought his hands to his head and turned around. He knew
his brother was right. He knew this looked bad, but he had to talk to her.
There
had
to be some kind of explanation.
“She said she was at her mom’s, okay? Two hours away.” Vince
started to say something, but Lorenzo lifted his hand in the air. “Look. I know
it looks bad. But I still have to talk to her. I won’t . . .” He took a deep
breath in an attempt to sound convincing. “I won’t
lose my shit
. I won’t
even say anything to him.”
Vince stared at him, clearly unimpressed with Lorenzo’s promise
of not saying anything to Patrick and especially about him not losing his shit.
His brother pulled his phone from its holster and hit a few buttons on the
screen but brought his eyes back up to Lorenzo. “Daniel,” he said almost as
soon as he brought the phone to his ear. “He wants to talk to her, but I don’t
think he should be in the same room with that guy. Any chance he can get in
there for moment with her alone, and is she even able to talk?”
Lorenzo watched him silently, the waiting killing him with every
moment that passed. “Let’s go,” Vince said as soon as he hung up. “His ass
nearly passed out, so they took him away to check for a possible concussion or
something.”
The disappointment Lorenzo felt that he wouldn’t get a chance to
give that fucker a concussion himself confirmed that, as usual, Vince knew him
too well. He’d been right on the money about him being in the same room with
Patrick being a
bad
idea.
Regardless, if Linda had lied and, in fact, had spent last night
and was planning on spending the rest of the weekend with her ex, Lorenzo would
still love nothing more than to knock the guy the fuck out. Already, he could
feel his adrenaline picking up again.
They made a few turns down some long-ass corridors; then Vince
stopped and turned around, unsure.
“C’mon man!” Lorenzo said, feeling completely exasperated.
“Hey, I don’t work here!” Vince retorted. “This way.”
They went off in the other direction, and by the time they’d gone
up in the elevator and stalked down some other long-ass corridors, Lorenzo felt
ready to explode. They were finally at her door, but Vince motioned for him to
wait. He took a peek inside then nodded at Lorenzo. “I’ll be right outside,” he
said. “Don’t lose it, man.”
Lorenzo’s face soured. “I wouldn’t do anything to
her
!”
“I mean no loud arguing or anything,” Vince clarified. “Remember
where you’re at.”
Obviously Vince’s expectation that there might still be a
reasonable explanation for this was zero. Lorenzo ground his teeth as he walked
past his brother and into the room.
The male nurse checking the machines around Linda’s bed studied
him a bit oddly when he explained who he was—her fiancé. Once again, Lorenzo
clenched his jaw, knowing full well, if this was as bad as it looked, everyone
would be thinking he was a clueless idiot. Still he was determined to keep an
open mind. He had to. The alternative was to believe she’d been with Patrick
all this time she said she had to be at her mom’s for the weekend. Something he’d
believed so blindly. It never once crossed his mind she might be lying. Why
would it? Things had been perfect, and while in the past he’d been with plenty
of girls in relationships who’d gladly jump in bed with him despite their
relationship status, Linda wasn’t
anything
like those girls.
She was a good girl.
“How is she?” he asked the nurse as he stared at his beautiful
Linda’s bruised and bandaged face.
“She was in a lot of pain, so they had to check for internal
injuries,” the nurse explained. “She had none, but she was hysterical with pain,
so they had to sedate her. She’s in and out.”
While the thought of Linda in hysterical pain nearly ripped his
heart out, thoughts of her and Patrick were far more grueling. Lorenzo managed
to focus on something that should be more important. “So why is she in so much
pain?”
“Broken collar bone, broken nose.” The guy frowned, glancing back
at Linda sympathetically. “She also has a few badly bruised ribs and some deep
gashes, but aside from that, I think she’s gonna be okay.”
Lorenzo stared at her, his adrenaline still pumping madly. Then
he remembered and turned to the nurse again. “Who died?”
“The guy in the other car that T-boned the car she was in.” The
nurse shook his head. “Cops were chasing him and he ran a red light. No seat
belt. He was ejected from his car and died instantly.”
“No shit.” Lorenzo swallowed hard but didn’t feel the least bit
of sympathy for the irresponsible idiot running from the law who could’ve
killed Linda.
The nurse nodded then excused himself and walked out. Lorenzo
took the few steps to get closer to the side of her bed. As mad as he wanted to
be at her, he couldn’t help reaching for her hand. His aching and hopeful heart
begged for there to be a simple explanation. There
had
to be.
She scrunched up her face a little and moaned. Immediately, he
started to take his hand back, but she squeezed it. “I’m here, baby,” he
whispered as if even his voice might hurt her. “You’re gonna be okay.”
Linda moaned again softly, her eyes still closed tightly. Then
her face scrunched up, and the tears ran down the side of her face. “Shh,” he
said, feeling panicked as the ache continued to pummel his already agonized
heart. “You need more pain killers?” She shook her head. “Okay,” he whispered. “Don’t
move, baby. It’s only gonna make the pain worse.”
She took a long breath then seemed to calm. Lorenzo stood there
holding his breath. How the fuck was he supposed to ask her about Patrick in
her condition?
He waited for what felt like an eternity, and finally Linda tried
to speak again, but Lorenzo couldn’t make out what she was saying. “What?” he
whispered, leaning in.
“Patrick,” she said, and Lorenzo pulled back, not sure how to
respond to that but instinctively dropped her hand. “Patrick,” she said again.
“No.” Lorenzo finally spoke up. “It’s me, Lorenzo.” The anger
overwhelmed him suddenly, but he was mindful of Vince’s warning.
Remember
where you’re at.
Still he clenched his jaw and couldn’t help adding “Your
fiancé.”
Her brows pinched again, and she shook her head, confused. Then
her eyes went wide as if, through all the pain and confusion, it just dawned on
her. She stared at him without saying a word, and the second Lorenzo saw the
tears fill her eyes he knew.
As painful as that moment was, it was the strangest phenomenon.
Any love he’d felt for her up until that moment was snuffed out of him in an
instant, and all he felt now was anger, disgust—
hate
.
“Is that who’ve you’ve been with all weekend?”
She stared at him blankly, blinking a few times. “We have to
talk,” she finally whispered.
Lorenzo stared at her, remembering their conversation no less
than an hour ago. She had said she and Nikki were at her mom’s and that her mom,
who was just out of surgery, needed her there until at least tomorrow maybe
longer.
Blatant fucking lies.
“Have you been with him all weekend?”
“Yes, but—”
“Did you sleep with him?” Lorenzo asked, his heart spiking
despite the fact that he already knew the answer to that.
