Chapter fifteen #2
“What?” I look from both sisters in disbelief. This can’t be true. Why has no one said anything? I’ve only been around Snake. Aponi wouldn’t say anything out of loyalty and probably a healthy amount of fear. But Snake? At anytime he could have told the truth. If it is the truth.
Any thought of food flees at the possibility all of this could have been a huge mistake.
My phone vibrates.
Lourdes: Hey, I’m OMW to you, bestie.
Relief swamps me as I tell the twins I have a client coming by the shop. I don’t feel an ounce of guilt in lying to the Novice.
“Hope we see each other again, Saban.” Peace stands to give me a hug, which in some ways makes it feel like coming home despite the fact I just lied to her and I’m running away from the revelation the twins’ words bring.
I don’t even bother looking in Padre and Rocco’s direction, knowing el Diablo code forbids anyone from speaking about the club’s business in front of civilians.
That’s what I am now — well, actually, always have been.
I only was allowed into their trust because of Snake.
I don’t foresee either of them sharing anything with me if the narrative going around the community is I betrayed the club’s Primo.
Knowing my former guardian, he told them to stay out of it. To let him handle this situation as he saw fit, evidenced by his holding me in the room in his mansion. I’m his responsibility in the club’s eyes, and no one is going to go against him.
Getting on my bike, I grapple with the possibility of being wrong all the way to my shop.
Like what the fuck? I know what I saw. Remember the fear those girls had after Snake, Angel and Ulysses left.
I remember their stories. Those stories are why I stayed strong and never broke down to call him.
Never once. My tummy is in knots by the time I unlock the door.
I rush to the bathroom thinking I’m going to be sick, but it only takes a couple of deep breaths and splashes of cold water on my face to calm my stomach.
I swallow a couple anti-nausea pills, thinking all that labor and the heavy meal didn’t sit in my tummy well.
Lourdes is already standing at the front door when I make it to the front of the shop. Her head is tilted at a little jaunty angle trying to see if I’m here yet.
“Hey, bestie.” Waving as I approach, she looks like her brother, only her skin is darker and her eyes are hazel gray. Tall and curvy with wavy hair cascading down to her hips, she could be a model, but of all things, she chose to help others, like Angel’s dad, becoming a physician.
“Hey, girl.” I barely get the words out. Tears choke off the words. I’m blubbering like an infant who dropped her icy cup as she wraps me in her arms.
“It’s okay you made it through, hunnie,” she whispers.
“Ah, mi amore, you were so brave. I’m so dang mad at Angel and Snake.
Told them they could go about this all another way.
Went back to the cottage after I heard he had brought you back.
I could tell no one was there. I didn’t even know where his secret place, like Angel built for us, is located.
I promise I would have stormed it if I had known where he had you hidden. ”
“I believe you. Come in before one of these nosy people says we’re going together.” Pulling her inside, I add, “Though at this point I wished I liked girls just a little-bit because this liking men shit is for the birds.”
“Trust me, they ain’t much better.” She waves me away.
“Wait what? Since when?” I ask.
“What? — Me liking girls? Umm, since forever, but I like both. Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open.” Giving me a sassy wink, she does a little twirl, making the ruffle mini skirt she has on flare up enough to show her boy shorts that match her plaid top.
“Where are you headed?” she doesn’t look like she’s about to head back to Angel or go babysit Dr. Mimi’s son, Mateo.
“You mean, we.” Holding up a bag for me, she grins. “I brought you a welcome home slash get over your loser guardian-boyfriend by going to the shack to celebrate me getting my first pick for my match!”
“Oh my goodness, you did?” I squee right along with her. We jump around like we did when we were twelve and she was accepted into an accelerated program at the elite Shelby Academy. My bestie is a genius and never hesitates telling me I am too when it comes to art.
“Your gift is God-given, Sabine. Never doubt it,” she would tell me, always using my real name and not the one everyone came to use because it was easier.
“Okay, I have to shower first.” I tell her. There is no way I’m not going to celebrate with her when she’s gotten this great news.
This is lovely, she breathes when she sees the accommodations of the loft.
“I know.” I say, taking in all the work Snake did to make it feel like mine. “At first I thought it was your decoration, you know, like you did at Angel’s place —”
“Yeah, no. I’m not even on speaking terms with anyone but Easy at this point.
” Shrugging, she makes a little mou of her lips.
“Okay, go get ready. We can chat after you shower because you’re a little tangy right now, and you know how I am with smells.
” Scrunching her nose up, she steps back when I raise my arm at her before heading to the shower.
“You look cute and sexy. Dang, do I have good taste.” Chuffed, she lifts her head-up in pride.
“Not gone lie. You did good.” I twirl, making the asymmetrical skirt lift. The ruffled boy short bodysuit underneath can be seen as the material flutters in the air.
“That’s the point. When you line dance or two-step, you want to give the guys and gals a little peek.” Saban huffs as we climb into her truck — a graduation gift from her big brother.
“Since when did you get so fast?” Side-eyeing her, I watch her grin. As I hand her the journal I promised Easy, I’d keep safe.
“I mean… Well, Imma tell you a secret. I have a friend. After you left, I was messed up. I started talking to this guy online, and he’s been—”
“Wait, wait. How do you know this is even a guy? How do you know you’re not being catfished or being lured in by a serial killer?” I frown at my way more sheltered than me, bestie.
“Oh, girl, I’ve seen his face. He’s Nebraska Soaring-Hawk’s brother, Alex.” Her laugh is infectious. “You know I know better than not to check him out. He used to live here and then went to Stanford. Now, he’s an international business attorney.”
“Well, as long as you had him checked out.” I tell her, relieved.
My bestie’s lived a somewhat insulated life at her brother’s hidden-away mansion, and even though she’s graduated medical school, she’s never been too far afield from the shelter of her brother’s protection.
I don’t doubt Angel saw the need in the community for the medical center here and built it at cost for Shelby-Love, but my hunch is the reason behind that was to keep his kid sister close.
“You didn’t say where you matched?” I ask, a slight suspicion forming in my mind.
“Oh, here, silly. The Leon Spencer Women’s and Children’s Medical Center.
You know they are building a veterans’ center here too?
And expanding? This is going to be a premier medical institution now that the Takedas, the Carringtons, and the Loves are on board.
” Watching her squeeze the wheel, there’s no denying how infectious her excitement is.
It’s amazing to see how the tech plant revitalized the community.
Now, folks aren’t reliant on agriculture to make a living.
“Wow, that’s great.” Still, I know even if she wasn’t hard to convince to stay local if her brother had no intention of letting his beloved sister go too far.
We pull up at The Shack to see the parking lot full from front to back with every type of vehicle imaginable.
There are el Diablo and Panthers Outcasts choppers present.
The MCs are cordial, but the mix can be dangerous if anyone gets out of hand, though it’s less likely with Rudy’s crew out of commission for good.
There’s even a tractor — which is not unheard of.
Folks like to come out when they get done for the day, and that could mean stopping here before heading to the next county, which may be a dry one — meaning no alcohol is sold within the city limits.
making Shelby-Love the only place they can get spirits.
“Behave.” Seeing Lourdes get a little too excited about the evening ahead, I give her the warning with a stern look.
“Hanging out with your elders has made you a little of a fuddy-duddy,” she snickers, nudging me. “You know old men give you worms.”
“Eww.” That’s awful, but I can’t help but be grossed out and laugh at the same time.
“I know, which is why you need to find somebody young and tender in here with no worms.” She pulls the door open and pushes me into the darkened interior.
The inside of the club is much the same as I encountered the one other time I came here and was promptly turned around because I was underage and everyone knew who my guardian was just as they know he’s no longer my guardian anymore and I’m under Angel’s protection and using Ezekiel-Jane’s property for my tattoo shop.
Still, the bouncer, who looks to be at least seven feet tall, grumbles just short of fee-fi-fo-fum, demanding, “I.D.”
“Oh, come on, Brant.” Lourdes rolls her eyes, pulling out her driver’s license to Ms. Queen’s youngest son.
“Shack policy.” Comes a rumble so deep it seems as though it’s from the deep depths of the earth.
“Not in the mood to argue.” I say, holding mine out for him to inspect.
“Good, cause we don’t need you causing even more trouble ‘round here, now do we?” he side-eyes me.
“Ohh, mean.” Lourdes hisses at him, pulling me behind her with a toss of her hair.
“Let’s get a drink.” Heading over to the bar, I can’t lie and say I don’t feel self-conscious in the bastion of the Loves, who all probably blame me for the problems the town has because I ran away with Easy.