CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Blue—
It’s a short ride across town. Before the three of us can shut our bikes off, Carmen’s father is out in his drive with his damn shotgun again.
“Get off my property.”
Bandit grins and looks at me, not bothering to climb off his bike. “This is all you, bro.”
Mauler chuckles. “Call us if you need us.”
They stay astride their seats, and I approach the porch.
“I’m not lookin’ to cause you any trouble, sir. Just want to speak with Carmen.”
“You’re not getting anywhere near my daughter. I know about your damn gang. We don’t want anything to do with you.”
Carmen pushes out of the screen door. “It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll talk to him.”
“The hell you will. You stay right where you are,” the man snaps when she starts forward.
I hold up my hands. “Fine. We’ll do it right here. Carmen, I found the test in the trash.”
Her eyes widen.
“What test?” her father asks, then his head swivels to his daughter as the meaning of my words hit him. “Not you…”
“No, Daddy. Not me. Daddy, go inside. Please. I swear I’m not going anywhere with him.”
Finally, the shotgun that’s been aimed at my chest lowers. “You got two minutes. And I’m watchin’ from the window.”
He goes through the door, but true to his word, he peers out the front window.
Carmen turns back to me.
“Is it true?” I bite out.
She nods.
I pace and drag a hand through my hair. “She won’t take my calls, and she won’t respond to my texts. Did she block me?”
“I don’t think Luisa would have blocked you, but her cousin, Alba, might have gotten a hold of her phone and done it. Or maybe Ramona.”
I pause and stare at her. “The night of the fire, she said she had something to tell me, but then I saw the ring on her finger.”
“She was going to tell you.”
“I don’t get it. Why did she run that night? Why is she blowing me off? Does she love Mateo?”
Carmen shakes her head, and tears form in her eyes. “No. It’s you she loves.”
“Then why the fuck is she doing this? Why would she marry Mateo?”
“Because you never told her you loved her.”
Her words suck the anger right out of me. “Look, I may not have said it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel it.”
“How is she supposed to know that?”
“I never thought this arranged marriage thing was real.”
“It’s real.”
“Why would she go through with it?”
“Because she has a baby to think about, and she doesn’t think you’re looking for a life that includes a wife and kid.”
“She didn’t even give me a chance to find that out. Maybe I am.”
Carmen throws her hip out and folds her arms. “Are you?”
“Look, I need to talk to her. That baby is mine.”
“Well, at least you admit that much.” There’s an edge to her voice like I’m the enemy and she’s #teamluisa.
I figure I’ve gotten as much info as she’s going to share.
“Would you do one thing for me?”
“Depends on what it is.” She lifts a brow.
“Ask her to call me. Please.”
Carmen stares out at the horizon. “I can’t promise she’ll listen.”
Her father comes out. “Times up. I gave you your two minutes, now you need to go.”
My eyes shift back to Carmen. “Thanks.”
She nods and turns to head inside.
“Wait.” Digging in my cut, I pull out a pen and a Saint’s Outlaws card. I scribble my number on the back and hold it out to Carmen.
She takes it, meets my eyes, then goes inside.
I return to the bikes, and we pull out without a word. My brothers follow me back to the clubhouse. When we walk inside, I move straight to the bar and motion the prospect over.
My brothers leave me alone to drown my sorrows, and I do just that, drinking all night until I can barely stumble to my room and pass out.
It’s late in the afternoon before I crawl out of bed, my head pounding.
Steaming water in the shower pours over my body, reviving me a bit.
I don’t want to think. I want to escape.
Pressing my head to the shower wall, I consider going to the bar and starting in on another bottle of booze, but I know that’s not the answer.
Shutting off the water, I towel off and dress. When I walk out into the main room, some of the originals are there—the five of us who came out here to start this chapter with Rio.
They’re at the bar.
Bandit swivels on his bar stool when he hears me enter.
I head to the door.
“Where you goin’?” he asks.
“Outside to have a smoke.” Moving through the door, I dip my head and light one up, then exhale toward the sky. It’s a pretty day, but my eyes squint against the brightness.
The door opens behind me, and Bandit joins me.
I pull my phone out and text Luisa.
ME: I love you, baby. Please call me. We need to talk.
She doesn’t reply, and after I finish my second smoke, I realize she probably isn’t going to and that I’m waiting for nothing. I think about going to the Sanchez place and demanding to see her.
“You want to take a ride?” Bandit asks. “It’s a nice day for it.”
I shake my head.
My phone rings, but I don’t recognize the number, but I’m desperate for a call from Luisa, so I answer it.
“Yeah?”
“It’s Carmen.”
“Did you talk to her?” I ask immediately. It’s the only thing I want to know.
“There’s something you need to know. I can’t talk long. I snuck off to make this call.”
I press the phone tighter to my ear. “Snuck off from where? What is it?”
“The wedding is today. Luisa and Mateo.”
“What? How can that be possible?”
“It’s true.”
“Where? What time?”
“The Basilica. 4pm. I’ve got to go.”
“Carmen!”
The line goes dead.
I squat down, my head in my hands, feeling like the ground just shifted beneath my boots. I feel a hole in the pit of my stomach. “Jesus Christ.”
“What’s wrong, brother?” Bandit asks.
“She’s getting married. Today at four.”
“Holy shit.” He glances at his phone. “That’s in less than an hour. What are you gonna do?”
“I love her.” Even as I say the words, I know they don’t hold a candle to the way I feel.
It’s gone far beyond love. I’m obsessed with her.
She’s the definition of a good girl. Sweet, gentle, soft-spoken.
But underneath it all, there’s a wild side to her I’ve awoken.
Underneath is a fire that burns scorching hot just for me.
I should stay away.
I should keep my distance.
But I can’t.
“Blue?” Bandit waves a hand in front of me.
“She doesn’t love him. I know she doesn’t. She can’t, because it would break me,” I whisper.
“Then you better do something real quick to stop it, brother.”
“I won’t let anything or anyone come between us. There’s no way in hell I’m letting her walk down that aisle and give herself to another man.”
“How you gonna stop it? It’s not like you can swoop in and carry her out of there. And even if you think that’s exactly what you’re gonna do, you better think a minute, cause taking her would bring consequences.
“I don’t give a damn.” All I want to do is corrupt her and make her mine. Consequences be damned.
In my head, I see me waiting out front of the church on my bike. All she has to do is run out on her wedding and hop on the back with me.
If she’s brave enough.
“Sounds like we have a wedding to stop,” Bandit mutters then walks to the door, pulls it open and whistles.
A minute later my brothers come outside and join Bandit and me. Mauler, Zig, Bagger, and Rio. Rio’s old lady is here too. She squats down in front of me.
“What’s wrong, Blue?”
“His girl’s having his baby and marrying another man at four o’clock. We’re goin’ to stop the wedding. Who’s with us?” Bandit asks.
“That true, Blue?” Rio snaps.
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s go.”
Shelby puts a hand on my shoulder. “Wait. If you’re going to do this, you have to do this right.” She pulls off her ring and holds it to me. “You’ll need a ring. Use this until she picks out one of her own.”
“No way,” Rio barks. “Put that back on.” He hauls me to my feet. “You serious about this girl?”
“Yes.”
“Then we make a stop at the jewelry store in town, and you’ll get her a ring.”
“Are we really stopping the wedding of Sanchez’s daughter?” Zig asks Rio. “You’ll be on his shit list for sure.”
“She’s gonna have your brother’s baby, Zig. That’s more important, don’t you think?” Rio doesn’t wait for an answer. “Mount up, boys. Let’s go get Blue’s baby mama.”
We roar out of the lot and race into town, backing our bikes to the curb in front of Melton’s Jewelry. When I come through the door, my brothers with me, the saleslady behind the counter backs up with fear in her eyes.
“Please don’t hurt me.”
“Doll, calm down. I’m here to buy a ring, not take one,” I say, holding my palms in the air.
Shelby pushes through to the front. “Don’t let these brutes scare you. We just want to get an engagement ring.”
The woman still looks nervous, but she gestures toward a glass case on her left. “Engagement rings are over here.”
I move to the case, and don’t have a clue what to pick. I glance at Shelby. “Help me out, will you, honey?”
She leans over the case, studying them all, and points. “That one. Do you know her ring size?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
She glances at the saleslady. “Can he exchange it if the size is wrong?”
“Of course. Most average rings we sell are either a six or seven. Does she have small hands?”
I shrug. “I guess.”
“Better get him a seven just to make sure she can get it on her finger,” Shelby suggests.
The woman looks at Blue. “That one is three thousand.”
Bandit whistles. “Damn.”
“I’ll take it.” I dig out a credit card and drop it on the counter.
In three minutes, I’m out the door with a little velvet box in my pocket.