Read Online Filthy Marcellos: Legacy: A Legacy Prequel by Bethany-Kris - Free Book Online
Authors: Bethany-Kris
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Andino was sure he’d been alone.
Apparently not.
The woman, in her baggy tank and jogging shorts, stood at the mouth of a connecting trail. Her blonde hair, streaked with waves of teal and purple, was pulled into a loose ponytail. She had the lean, toned body of a runner and Andino found himself staring at all the curves of her body, from her hips to her waist, and up to her breasts. She was fit, tall, and by the expression she wore as he kept staring at her, fiery and feisty, too.
Andino liked that in a woman.
The woman put a fist to her jutted hip.
“Do you stare often?” she asked.
Andino smirked, amused at her candor. “I do when something deserves my attention.”
The woman grinned. “That’s what you got?”
Andino just shrugged.
What the hell else could he do?
“I only speak the truth,” he said.
The woman looked him up and down. “Do you often wear a suit when you walk your dog on running trails?”
“Sometimes.”
“Huh.”
Andino cocked a brow. “Do you often question random people on the trails?”
“Sometimes. Is that a problem?”
A smartass.
Fantastic.
Chapter Thirteen
LUCIA
“ Principessa ,” Lucian said, placing a kiss to the top of his daughter’s head.
“Hey, Daddy,” Lucia greeted.
She went back to the binder of information that she needed to study. Apparently volunteering for a women’s and children’s shelter for the summer wasn’t as easy as simply signing up for the job. Lucia had policies to memorize, schedules, and a bunch more.
It was worth it. She wanted to help.
“Where is your mother?”
“Reading in her room.”
Lucian pulled out a chair at the table and sat down beside Lucia. “I was thinking …”
Sighing, Lucia closed her binder and gave her father the attention he wanted. Lucia, being the youngest child out of her four siblings, had always been the baby. Her parents seemed to think she needed more attention and care than her older siblings simply because there was such a difference in age. Maybe they figured she felt left out. Lucia never had.
Being the family baby at only seventeen, almost eighteen, meant being babied like one. She needed some breathing room, some time away from her family and room to grow. She knew they didn’t understand, and that they would be hurt by her wanting to leave, so she chose her actions in quieter ways. Like volunteering at a woman’s shelter for the summer.
With her father’s past, she knew Lucian wouldn’t put the brakes on Lucia spending eight hours a day, five days a week at a shelter to help. He was more likely to donate a bunch of money, which he already did, and buy her a car to get to and from the location every day. She wanted to volunteer, too, but it was a small step away from her family and their smothering.
“Thinking what?” she asked her father.
“About college in the fall,” Lucian answered. “Couldn’t you pick Columbia instead of a college out of state? It’s a great school, Lucia, and it has all the programs you want for social development.”
Lucia dropped her father’s gaze. If he could see her eyes, he could see her lies. “But I fell in love with that campus when we visited.”
Lucian made a sad noise under his breath. “I know, bella ragazza .”
“I’ll come back, Dad. Holidays, vacation, and some weekends.”
“You’re not making it better, Lucia.”
She smiled. “I’m sorry.”
“I worry about you being alone.”
“Don’t. I’m an adult. I can handle college.”
“Graduating high school and being almost eighteen does not make you an adult, Lucia.”
“But—”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I can’t help but worry. I know you want to grow up, but I’m not sure we’re ready for you to.”
Lucia dropped her hands to the table with a smack and stood from her seat quickly. “That’s the whole problem.”
Lucian glanced up at her with surprise deepening the lines in his face. “I don’t understand.”
“ You’re not ready to let me
Apparently not.
The woman, in her baggy tank and jogging shorts, stood at the mouth of a connecting trail. Her blonde hair, streaked with waves of teal and purple, was pulled into a loose ponytail. She had the lean, toned body of a runner and Andino found himself staring at all the curves of her body, from her hips to her waist, and up to her breasts. She was fit, tall, and by the expression she wore as he kept staring at her, fiery and feisty, too.
Andino liked that in a woman.
The woman put a fist to her jutted hip.
“Do you stare often?” she asked.
Andino smirked, amused at her candor. “I do when something deserves my attention.”
The woman grinned. “That’s what you got?”
Andino just shrugged.
What the hell else could he do?
“I only speak the truth,” he said.
The woman looked him up and down. “Do you often wear a suit when you walk your dog on running trails?”
“Sometimes.”
“Huh.”
Andino cocked a brow. “Do you often question random people on the trails?”
“Sometimes. Is that a problem?”
A smartass.
Fantastic.
Chapter Thirteen
LUCIA
“ Principessa ,” Lucian said, placing a kiss to the top of his daughter’s head.
“Hey, Daddy,” Lucia greeted.
She went back to the binder of information that she needed to study. Apparently volunteering for a women’s and children’s shelter for the summer wasn’t as easy as simply signing up for the job. Lucia had policies to memorize, schedules, and a bunch more.
It was worth it. She wanted to help.
“Where is your mother?”
“Reading in her room.”
Lucian pulled out a chair at the table and sat down beside Lucia. “I was thinking …”
Sighing, Lucia closed her binder and gave her father the attention he wanted. Lucia, being the youngest child out of her four siblings, had always been the baby. Her parents seemed to think she needed more attention and care than her older siblings simply because there was such a difference in age. Maybe they figured she felt left out. Lucia never had.
Being the family baby at only seventeen, almost eighteen, meant being babied like one. She needed some breathing room, some time away from her family and room to grow. She knew they didn’t understand, and that they would be hurt by her wanting to leave, so she chose her actions in quieter ways. Like volunteering at a woman’s shelter for the summer.
With her father’s past, she knew Lucian wouldn’t put the brakes on Lucia spending eight hours a day, five days a week at a shelter to help. He was more likely to donate a bunch of money, which he already did, and buy her a car to get to and from the location every day. She wanted to volunteer, too, but it was a small step away from her family and their smothering.
“Thinking what?” she asked her father.
“About college in the fall,” Lucian answered. “Couldn’t you pick Columbia instead of a college out of state? It’s a great school, Lucia, and it has all the programs you want for social development.”
Lucia dropped her father’s gaze. If he could see her eyes, he could see her lies. “But I fell in love with that campus when we visited.”
Lucian made a sad noise under his breath. “I know, bella ragazza .”
“I’ll come back, Dad. Holidays, vacation, and some weekends.”
“You’re not making it better, Lucia.”
She smiled. “I’m sorry.”
“I worry about you being alone.”
“Don’t. I’m an adult. I can handle college.”
“Graduating high school and being almost eighteen does not make you an adult, Lucia.”
“But—”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I can’t help but worry. I know you want to grow up, but I’m not sure we’re ready for you to.”
Lucia dropped her hands to the table with a smack and stood from her seat quickly. “That’s the whole problem.”
Lucian glanced up at her with surprise deepening the lines in his face. “I don’t understand.”
“ You’re not ready to let me
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