Chaos stands up from his seat and slams his fist down on the table. “You want me to protect him, after everything he did to Maria? It’s not happening, Prez. Over my dead fuckin’ body.”
Reed is a good Prez, but like all of us – he’s human. “I think Chaos might not be the best choice to keep an eye out over Rafael,” I add, trying to show Chaos I understand his views. If the same had happened to Angel, I’d rip Rafael’s fuckin’ throat out and not think twice about it. “It’s a sensitive issue and you can’t blame him for feelin’ the way that he does,” I tell Reed.
I see him thinkin’ about saying something smart, but he shouldn’t. The smartest thing he can do right now is replace Chaos with someone else and not say anything that will cause emotions to run even higher.
Reed follows Chaos’ lead and stands up, eyes trained on our brother. “You want Rafael to pay for everything he did to your girl, don’t you?”
Chaos doesn’t dare reply. Honestly, that was a stupid as fuck question to ask him. Of course, he wants Rafael to pay.
“The only way for him to suffer in the horrid ways you want him to, is to make sure he doesn’t get popped. You want him to regret every decision he’s ever made? Make sure he stays alive. Make sure that he’s around long enough to feel it all.” Reed’s words are obviously resonating with Chaos. I know that when they were trying to figure out what to do with him, there was a lot of backlash for not killing him. In the grand scheme of things, this shows everyone that the Ramirez family no longer has any say of what happens in Mexico – that they’re irrelevant. Instead, the Lopez’s run Mexico now and with the change in leadership I think there will be even greater changes coming.
“I want him to suffer.”
“Then make sure that he does,” Reed tells him, “Go out to the shed and make sure he suffers a little more today. Pretty sure the pain is starting to fade from Seamus’ session with him,” Reed looks over to Seamus who keeps his expression flat. “What do you think?”
“There’s not enough pain that he can feel. Go have a few rounds on him, Chaos. It might make you feel better rememberin’ that he’s our bitch until the auction happens.”
“Yeah.” He murmurs. I can’t blame him for being pissed that Rafael is even here. “Don’t take me off his detail. I’ll make sure he doesn’t die until he’s supposed to.” What Chaos is asking of Reed is shocking… if I was in our Prez’s position, I don’t know if I’d do what he wants.
Reed nods, “I know you won’t let me down. But before we end our session, the Lopez’s are coming to town. Francisco is bringing his son, Dante, will accompany him. We need to solidify our alliance with them, make it official in a sense. Before we were simply under ‘the enemy of our enemy is our friend’ tactic.”
“Whatever we can do to help, we will.” I speak up. The dawn of a new age is coming, and with it so much change will follow.
I’m ready for the impending changes, and I’m more than prepared for our club to officially become allies to the Lopez family. It’s about damned time if you ask me.
Chapter Six
“Soon, when all is well, you’re going to look back on this period of your life and be so glad that you never gave up.”
- Anonymous
Angel
Trick got out of some meeting called ‘church’ that I still don’t really understand, and insisted we go get some grub. The club owns this bar named Bubba’s a few miles away. I’ve heard of it before, but I’ve never been in the joint. Not until just now as Trick and I walk through the front door.
From the outside it looks like some mountain hillbilly bar, but on the inside it’s something completely different. “Trick, you want firecracker chicken!?” I see a short, gorgeous girl shout from the other end of the bar. She has a cloth, wiping it against a glass.
“Sure thing, brat. Get my girl here a Tennessee burger with loaded fries, and I want one of those peanut butter brownie sundae’s you girls have been whippin’ up too.”
The girl smiles brightly, “Okay. Grab a seat. I will be back!” before she walks back into the kitchen.
I want to know who she is, why she seems to know Trick so well and why the fuck he calls her brat. He hasn’t even given me a fucking pet name and I’m his girlfriend, or ol’lady or whatever you call it. Jesus, I never thought I’d get aggravated about something like this. Especially because I didn’t even want to be with him at first. I wanted nothing to do with his old, damaged ass. But over time, I’ve seen the way he is… how his heart is as big as this entire planet, how he cares more than anyone I’ve ever known, and more importantly, how he treats me. Trick see’s my flaws and accepts them. He’s the one person that I know will never give up on me, no matter how much I fail or try to push him away. He’ll just push me back, and I’ve accepted that.
“C’mon, let’s grab a seat.” He says, grabbing ahold of my hand, he leads me towards the back of the restaurant, and we take a seat in an intimate booth.
I can’t seem to shake what plagued my mind just a few minutes ago, and after sitting in the silence, I ask. “Why did you pick me, and not one of those Russian dolls?”
Trick raises his eyebrows in surprise, before coughing into his hand and sitting up a little straighter. Oh boy, this is gonna be good. I can already tell. “I didn’t want a Russian doll. The moment I saw you, I knew that I needed you. And fuck me for sayin’ this, but you sure as hell needed me to. We didn’t have insta-love or any of that shit, Angel. But the moment I saw you I knew that we had somethin’.”
Sometimes I really feel like I’m in some romantic comedy about a man and a woman who are damaged beyond repair but end up finding happiness in one another’s arms. We end up sitting here for a bit chatting about pointless bullshit and our food comes out, and for the first time, I think we’re on a date. “Can I ask you something else?” I ask him, tossing two fries in my mouth after I’ve smothered them in ranch.
“You’re gonna ask either way. You always do this you know, ask me if you can ask a question but yet you’ve already asked one, so you might as well ask if you can ask two.” He winks at the end, causing me to roll my eyes at him. Trick’s always a smartass, even when he doesn’t have to be.
“Why haven’t you given me a pet name?”
He cocks his head back and laughs, taking a sip of the soda that the girl brought out a few minutes ago. “Damn, baby. You don’t get it, do you?”
“How could I get it? You haven’t given me one!” I grumble, crossing my arms. I’m the only one who doesn’t have a pet name. Maria is Taquita, Elena is Siren, Michelle is Princess and I know for a fact Daisy has one too. I just can’t think of it!
“Why do you need a new one when you already have one, Angel?” He wiggles his eyebrows in front of me, causing me to scoff.
“You can’t use my name as my pet name!” I argue, which just causes him to chuckle in response. Whatever. I’m not going to win this fight.
He laughs, before sliding out of the booth. I wonder what it is that he’s doing, but I see him grab a few napkins, and just as he bends down, I see his shirt shift a bit. It reveals a tattoo that I haven’t seen, but he’s never taken his shirt off in front of me before.
“When’d you get that?” I ask, pointing to his back.
He seems surprised that I’ve asked, maybe it’s because the two of us don’t know a lot about one another’s pasts. “About five years back, I got it when I was on the inside. It had been a few years since I’d been under the needle and I just needed somethin’ new.”
Wait. He said the slammer. “You were in prison? What for?” How didn’t I know this?
Trick shrugs, obviously not wanting to talk about it. I don’t give a shit, though. I want to talk about it and one way or another he’ll tell me what happened. “Why were you in prison?”
He sighs, running his hand back through his hair. “I should’ve known better than to tell you. Of course, you’d badger me for info. To sum it up, I took the fall for someone who we couldn�
�t sacrifice. It was better that I spent a few years locked up versus him. I’m replaceable, and he isn’t.”
“What? That doesn’t make any sense,” I say, grabbing my own drink, I take a sip of the grape soda.
“Prison never makes sense, but you wouldn’t understand that.”
I scoff, “Actually, I do. I’ve made my way through a couple of times, all related to drugs of course. One time I got mixed up with the nasty crowd, they paid me in heroin and told me if I sold for them that I’d get my shit for free, so of course little old me did just that. The police found me trying to work a deal and I was processed. It was my first major offense, so the judge took sympathy on me… I was lucky, I guess.”
“You’re not the type of woman I thought you were,” He murmurs lowly. I’m not really sure where he’s getting at. “But I’m not the type of man you think I am.”
For the first time since I’ve met Trick, I feel like we’re really beginning to learn who the other is.
Chapter Seven
“We are not haunted by the dead. We are haunted by the living and the graveyard of memories they leave in our heads.”
- Nikita Gill
Trick
Rain is pouring from the sky, heavier than it has in ages. For some reason I have an eerie feeling wash over my entire body, like something isn’t right. I’m not one of those people who get the heebie-jeebies, but today I sure as hell feel like I am.
Everything over the past two days has gone insanely wrong. Nothing, and I mean nothing could have prepared us for this. We had a plan and it blew up in our fuckin’ faces. You can’t be responsible for the actions of other people, though. Nothing you ever plan for can guarantee you’ll be successful in the end when third parties are involved. In this case, we’re the ones that are fucked.
Reed pulled the trigger and by God, I hope I wiped that gun clean to where they’ll only find my prints. Jesus. We were so sloppy. Mistakes happen in the heat of the moment. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s just that.
I know that there was no way we’d get back there in time to get the gun before the cops did, and I was right. There’s only one thing to do, and that’s to prepare my family for the future, I’ll most likely end up living.
I’ve just made it to my sister’s house, she and my nephews are the only remaining family I have left. Everyone else is dead or chose to stay away from the two of us. Their loss, though. We’re pretty rad people, even if they think we’re just low life outlaws.
I get to Janine’s house and place my hand on the storm door, hearing the creak the years have caused as I open it. Her front door hasn’t shut in years and the tough bitch won’t let a man do anything for her. It has to be her way or the highway. She’s got balls bigger than any man I know, and considering she’s my little sis, I let her get away with this shit.
“Anyone home?” I holler, walking into the kitchen. I saw her car parked out front, so I know she is. The boys are probably upstairs playing that new video game. What’s it called, halo? They told me they get to kill aliens. Shit, I should know. Their father isn’t around, so I’m the next best thing. I spend a lot of my time over here when I’m not at the club, being around for them as much as I can. Janine may argue with me most of the time when I want to change a light bulb or fix a leaking sink, but I’ll still end up getting the job done. It’s not that she isn’t appreciative of the help, she just doesn’t want to rely on a man – even if I am her brother.
“Janine? Cody? Josh?” I shout, wondering where in the hell they are. If they’d gone out into town, they surely would’ve taken the car.
I make my way through the entire house, going upstairs to check both of their rooms and then come back downstairs to check the living room and Janine’s. Pulling out my cell, I call her up and she doesn’t answer, but I hear her phone. I decide to go to where I hear it ringing, and head in the direction of the basement. Before I even get to the stairs, I see that there’s blood on the railing. My heart beats, heavy in my chest as I make my way closer, knowing that this eerie feeling from this morning wasn’t just a feeling – it was a warning.
I put my phone in my pocket and pull out my glock, training it in front of me. Slowly, I walk down the steps one at a time, being as cautious as I can. Janine would never leave her phone somewhere, so I know something’s up. She gives the boys enough shit about it.
I’m on the last step and that’s when I see her, blonde hair sprawled out in a pool of crimson. I set my pieceon the ground and rush over to her, flipping her body over to see her face and I already know. There’s no bringing her back. She’s alabaster, her skin clammy and cold. Yet still I press my head to her chest to see, just hoping that somehow my baby sister is still alive. We’ve lost so many people, there’s no way that I’m losing her too!
The reality of what’s happened hits me, coming through my body in full force. I’m angry, yet at the same time I want to empty the contents of my stomach all over this room. I set her body back down against the concrete and grab my glock, pulling out my cell phone I rush up the stairs and call Reed. He answers within a few rings, “Janine is dead, and I can’t find the boys. I need help, Reed. Someone did this shit!” It’s all I say before I hang up and continue to search the property.
Janine’s house backs up in the woods, so I have a fuck ton of land to search. I can only hope that they’re still alive, that they somehow got away. I glance around the landscape and see nothing out of the ordinary, everything seems to be as it always is – but it isn’t.
I go from a steady walk into a quick run, needing answers as soon as possible. Cody and Josh have a treehouse deep in the woods, one that I built them when their dad left. They were just little kids who needed an escape from the shit they had gone through, and I wanted to give them somewhere they could go. Every boy needed that, especially these two.
I come up on the treehouse and place my hand on the wooden ladder, pulling myself up one at a time. As soon as I stick my head up, I see red Nike’s, Cody’s shoe of choice and just like his mother, he’s gone. The weight of the world comes crashing in around me, not understanding who would do such a thing. I want to give up, but I can’t. Josh is still out there.
Somewhere – he’s out here somewhere!
I jump down from the treehouse and see my brothers coming from the distance. Reed is leading the group with Seamus and Kyle behind him. “What the fuck happened?” Kyle asks, and god, wouldn’t I kill to know.
I hear a shout from the distance and all our heads snap in that direction. “Who would that be?”
“The new prospect, Enzo. I brought him out to help.”
“Thank you,” I nod, darting out in the direction of him. In a little over a minute I’m where he is, seeing him stand over a third body.
Jesus Christ.
Approaching Josh, I fall to my knees and pull him into my arms. For the first time in years, tears come rolling over my face in an uncontrollable way. I’ve had many losses over the years, but this has to be the greatest loss I’ve ever faced.
My entire world has come crumbling down around me.
“We will find out who did this,” Reed promises, I look over to him with anger rushing through my veins.
“We’ll find who did this and make them pay.” I correct him, speaking in a tone that I would normally never dare to.
* * *
I jolt away from my nightmare of memories that haunt me almost every night. It’s been years and yet I can still smell the blood that coated their bodies. I can see their faces, looking as if they were filled with peace when we all know that it was anything than that. They would’ve been terrified out of their minds.
I sit up from my position on the couch, wiping my hand across my face, pulling myself out from that hell and remember the one thing that still haunts me. I was on the inside for five years and it was the anniversary of their deaths. I received an anonymous note, telling me that there was an eye for an eye, plus two more for good measure. I knew what it meant,
and I knew that the person who killed my family sent it. There was no mistaking it, not in the least.
In moments like this, I feel a touch of regret for taking the fall for Reed, wishing that I was the one who never wiped off that gun, because if I didn’t – they might still be alive.
There’s no use thinking that way, though. The past happened and there’s not a damn thing that anyone can do about it now. There’s only one thing I can do – find the bastard who did this and make them pay. Reed promised me vengeance, but he’s still failed to follow through. I know how important it is for me to be here for the club, and now for my girl, but I will find whoever did this, and I will make sure that they pay for every action they made.
Chapter Eight
“Sobriety is never owned. It’s rented, and rent is due every day.”
- PaintedPlum.com
Angel
Trick shot out the door early this morning after falling asleep on the couch last night. He seemed different than usual. I can’t really put my finger on it, but he was a bit jumpy. “I’m glad I caught you. We need to talk,” Elena, the Prez’s wife, starts to tell me.
“We do?” I reply, wondering where this sudden need to talk is coming from. We’ve chatted on occasion when the boys have been around, but never one on one.
Elena waddles her way in front of me and puts her hands on both hips. “Yep, I think it’s about time we had this chat. I’ve been givin’ you way too much slack around here and shit hasn’t been getting done. You need to start pullin’ your weight. The rest of us ol’ ladies all do.”
I’m confused. She’s never brought up the fact I need to do chores or whatever the hell she’s suggesting before. “What do you mean?”
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