Chapter 15 Isabella
The neon sign outside the NOLA Inn flickers, casting an eerie red glow through the thin curtains. I sit perched on the edge of Ice’s bed, my heart pounding. The room feels too quiet without his imposing presence. He left for a club meeting almost an hour ago, and I hate being alone. But he told me not to worry. There are prospects stationed outside the door to protect me. Still, it’s nothing like having Ice by my side.
My phone buzzes, Maria’s name flashing on the screen. I hesitate before answering the call.
“Isabella, what’s going on?” Maria’s voice is frantic, edged with worry. “Juan is furious. He’s saying you left the family. What happened?”
I take a deep breath. “It’s complicated, Maria. I just couldn’t take working for Juan, so I did something… risky.”
“Risky how?” she demands.
“I entered amateur night at Velvet,” I confess. “And I won.”
There’s a long pause. I can picture Maria’s shocked expression.
“You what?” she finally sputters. “Bella, that’s impressive, but why didn’t you tell me?”
I twist a strand of hair around my finger, guilt eating away at me. “I wanted to, but I was scared Juan would find out. You know how he is.”
“I can’t believe you kept this from me.”
The hurt evident in her voice twists my heart into a knot. She’s my only real friend and I feel like I have betrayed her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Things spiraled out of control so fast. Last night, Juan sent someone to follow me after my shift at the factory. I had to run.”
My mind flashes to the terrifying moment I realized I was being followed, the black SUV emerging from the shadows, and my desperate attempt to flee through winding alleys. I shudder.
“Ice helped me,” I continue. “He got me to safety.”
“Who’s Ice?”
“He’s the Vice President of Underground Vengeance MC.”
“A biker! Isn’t that the MC trying to destroy the cartel? Isabella, what have you gotten yourself into?” she demands.
“I don’t know,” I admit. I glance around the sparse motel room, wondering the same thing myself. “But I couldn’t live in Juan’s world a second longer. I just couldn’t.”
The weight of everything I’ve left behind presses down on me. The minute I stepped into Velvet, everything changed. I started down a path I couldn’t turn back from. But I don’t ever want to go back to that life. As scared as I am, a small part of me feels free. I’ve never felt that way before, and I like it.
“What are you going to do now?” Maria asks softly.
I wish I had an answer for her. Instead, I say, “I’m not sure yet. But I’ll figure it out.”
“You can’t go home.” Maria’s voice drops to an urgent whisper. “Juan’s threatening to kill you.”
I suspected he might want me dead, but finding out that I was right makes my blood run cold. As much as I hate what he does with the cartel, Juan’s the only family I have left. I knew this would happen, but it still cuts deep.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“Juan came to our house before Pedro left for work. He interrogated Pedro about your whereabouts, but Pedro didn’t know anything.”
“Is Pedro okay?”
“He’s furious,” Maria says. “His integrity is being questioned, and you know how much that means to him. But Isabella…” Her voice softens. “He hopes you’re safe. He’s always liked you, you know.”
A lump forms in my throat. I never meant to drag Pedro and Maria into this mess.
“I’m going to disappear,” I tell her, my resolve strengthening with each word. “Juan will never find me. But first, I need to rescue the children.”
“Children?” Her confusion is palpable. “What children?”
“The ones working in the cartel’s textile factory,” I explain. “The women in the drug cutting warehouse were separated from their kids shortly after they were smuggled into the country. I have to reunite them and get them away from the cartel.”
There’s a long pause on the other end of the line. When Maria speaks again, her voice trembles with horror and rage. “Juan has kids working for the cartel? Dios mío , Isabella… I had no idea.”
“I know,” I say. “It’s worse than we ever imagined.”
“I’ve tried not to pay any attention to my husband’s work with the cartel, but this is too much. Pedro is a good man. There’s no way he knew about this.”
“Even if he did, he couldn’t do anything about it.” I’m not sure how much Pedro knows, but he could be exactly like his wife, turning a blind eye to everything associated with the cartel’s other operations. I grip the phone tighter, my heart racing. “Maria, do you know anything about where the other factories might be?”
There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “I… I think I might,” she says hesitantly. “Pedro took me to one a few times. I wasn’t allowed inside, but I remember where it was.”
“Is Pedro with you right now? Does he know the address?”
“No. He went to work right after Juan left.”
“Can you tell me how to get to the warehouse?” My pulse quickens.
“It’s on the outskirts of town, near the abandoned railroad tracks.” Her voice drops even lower. “There’s a dilapidated warehouse with faded blue paint. It looks abandoned from the outside.”
I close my eyes, picturing it. “What else do you remember?”
“There were guards,” she continues, her words rushed now. “Two at the main gate, others patrolling the perimeter. And… there were bars on the windows.”
My stomach churns. “Anything else?”
“Delivery trucks. They came and went at odd hours. And once, I swear I heard…” She pauses, her voice breaking. “I heard children crying.”
Anger burns through me as I clench my fist. “ Gracias. This helps more than you know.”
“Isabella,” Maria’s voice is urgent now, thick with worry. “Be careful. If Juan finds out I told you this…”
“I know,” I cut her off. “Your life could be in danger. I won’t let that happen.”
There’s a moment of silence, then Maria speaks, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re my best friend. I’ve been blind for too long, turning away from what’s happening. But I can’t anymore. Pedro and I… we want out. We just don’t know how to get away from the cartel.”
“I might be able to help. I’ll talk to Ice, see if the MC can get you out. They have connections, ways to set people up with new lives.”
“Like witness protection?” Maria asks, a hint of hope in her voice.
“Something like that,” I confirm. “You and Pedro could start over somewhere new, do something good instead of…”
“Instead of helping evil,” she finishes. “Is that really possible?”
“It’s possible,” I assure her. “Ice can make it happen.”
“So, tell me about this man. Ice.” Her voice softens, taking on a conspiratorial tone. “What’s he really like?”
My cheeks flush as warmth spreads through my body. “He’s incredible. Kind and protective, but with this intensity that just draws you in. And God, he’s sexy as hell.”
A knowing chuckle comes through the phone. “Bella, are you in love with him?”
My heart skips a beat at the question. I close my eyes, picturing Ice’s piercing silver-blue gaze, the way his platinum hair falls across his forehead. “I… I think I might be falling for him,” I admit. “But everything’s so chaotic right now. I don’t even know if he feels the same way.”
“Oh, honey,” she says, her tone warm and reassuring. “I’m sure he’s just as infatuated with you.”
Tears fill my eyes. “Thank you, Maria. For everything. You’re such a good friend.”
After we say our goodbyes, I sit on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. The door opens, and Ice strides in, his presence immediately filling the room. My breath catches as I take in his tall frame, and the way his leather cut hugs his broad shoulders. I want to strip it off him and pull him back into bed, and away from all the chaos outside this room.
“How did it go?” I ask.
Ice runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the set of his jaw. “Fang’s been digging, but we can’t find a damn thing on any warehouses owned by the cartel.”
“I might have something,” I say, my voice tinged with excitement. “My best friend Maria just called. Her husband, Pedro, runs the drug cutting warehouse where I was working. I told Maria everything and asked her if she’d ever been to another warehouse. She gave me directions to one. She and Pedro went there several times, but she never went inside. We can’t be certain it’s the textile factory, but it’s a lead.”
“Tell me what she told you.”
As I relay the details, Ice’s fingers fly across the screen on his phone. “I’m texting Fang. Let’s see what he can dig up.”
We wait in tense silence, the air thick with anticipation. When Ice’s phone chimes, I nearly jump out of my skin.
“Well?” I ask, leaning in to read over his shoulder.
A smile tugs at the corner of Ice’s mouth. “Fang used the map app’s street view option to find the building. He’s got an address, and he says the business is a textile company.”
My heart soars. “That’s it! It has to be!” I exclaim, grabbing Ice’s arm in my excitement. The feel of his solid muscle beneath my fingers sends a jolt through me, and I quickly let go.
“Hold on, Isabella.” His expression hardens. “We can’t rush into this.”
“What? Why not?” I demand, frustration bubbling up inside me. “We finally have a lead!”
“Because this could be a trap. Think about it—Maria’s call was a little too convenient.”
I shake my head vehemently. “No, I trust her. She wouldn’t betray us.”
“I’m not saying she would do it willingly. But what if Juan had a gun to her head? What if the whole call was staged?”
The possibility sends a chill down my spine. Was the entire conversation one big lie? Maria sounded genuinely concerned, and she hasn’t lied to me before. Also, if Juan was there, she wouldn’t have asked about leaving the cartel. He’d kill her for even considering it.
“No,” I insist. “It wasn’t like that. I know Maria. She was telling the truth.”
Ice sighs, running a hand through his platinum hair. “Maybe. But we can’t take that chance. We need to be smart about this.”
I bite my lip, knowing he’s right but hating the delay. Every second we waste is another second those children are suffering.
“So what do we do?” I ask, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.
“I’ll gather some of the guys. We’ll go check it out. If it looks legit, then we can plan our next move.”
My heart races as Ice turns to leave. Without thinking, I rush forward, grabbing his arm. “Wait, I’m coming with you.”
He looks down at me and pulls me into his arms. “You’re staying here. This is club business now, and it’s not safe for you to leave the inn.”
“I know it’s dangerous,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “But I can’t just sit here while you’re out there risking everything. Let me come with you.”
“If anything happened to you…” He swallows and hugs me tightly against his body. Pressing his mouth to the crown of my head, he murmurs, “I won’t be long.”
The heat radiating from his body does little to calm me. The desire to stay by his side is overwhelming. I understand what he’s trying to do. He wants to protect me, but I can’t let him go. I’m afraid of what might happen. If this is a trap and Juan ambushes Ice, I could lose him forever.
“Please take me with you. I can handle myself.” I tilt my head back and look up into his eyes.
He shakes his head, his platinum hair catching the dim light of the room. “This isn’t like anything you’ve faced before. The cartel won’t hesitate to kill you if they catch you snooping around.”
I know he’s right, but the thought of being left behind, helpless and waiting, is unbearable. Still, I see the tenacity in his eyes and know I won’t win this argument.
Sighing, I lean in and press my lips to his. The kiss is brief but intense, filled with all the words I can’t bring myself to say. When I pull back, I whisper, “Be careful.”
His expression softens for a moment. “I always am.”
As he turns to leave again, I fight the urge to call him back, to tell him how much he means to me, and to confess how scared I am of losing him. But I hold my tongue as I watch him go. He needs to focus on the mission, not worry about my feelings.
When the door closes behind him, I silently pray that this lead will pan out. I can only hope that he’ll return to me safely because without him, I’ll have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Juan will hunt me down and kill me. There’s no doubt in my mind that Ice and the MC are my only hope of getting out of this mess alive.