“Nothing is wrong with it.” Letty touched my arm and smiled. “I like you.”
“Thank you.”
I could tell Yoli wanted to strangle me, but I didn’t know what I had done to make her angry. I wouldn’t stop until she told me.
“I don’t get you, Yoli. I stood up for you when Jefe was going to slap you. I had your back, and you can’t be straight with me?”
“Lady, I don’t need you standing up for me to Jefe. He was mine before he picked up your sorry ass on the side of the road.”
I exhaled a slow breath.She’s baiting you. Don’t fall for it.
“You know what would be good for everyone?” she asked.
“What?”
“If you left and never came back.”
“Yoli,” Quino hissed in the doorway. “Blanca needs help in the supply closet.” He nudged his head for her to leave.
“Excuse me, Chiquita.” She left, swinging her wide hips like a pendulum.
I went over to Quino, whom I hadn’t seen all day. “What’s going on around here? It’s like everyone is preparing for something. I’d like to know what it is and offer my help.”
“We’ve got it covered.”
“Got what covered? Are you having a party or something?”
He growled in his throat. “No.”
“Come on, Quino. I know Jefe asked you to watch over me. Can’t you also keep me in the loop of stuff?” I refrained from whining, but it wasn’t easy. “Please give me a job. I need to be useful.”
He huffed and turned his head up toward the ceiling like he was silently asking God why He brought me into the lives of the club. To be fair, I wondered about the same thing every so often. God had a plan for all of us. Some masterful plan we couldn’t imagine. He made lives intertwine and cross throughout our lives. How He brought some of us together was mind-blowing, like with Andy and me.
“I’ll do anything. Pick vegetables and fruit. Feed the chickens. Do laundry.” Although, washing dirty, smelly clothes was my least favorite thing to do, I would happily do it right now.
“I have nothing for you to do.”
“God! Why is everyone treating me this way? What have I done to make you not like me?” I stormed off and ran to Andy’s room.
Hot tears streamed down my face as I kicked the door shut, then launched myself on the bed. I inhaled his scent on the pillow and promptly soaked it with my tears.
I was going to go crazy waiting for him to return. If this was how it was going to be when he went on a run, I didn’t know if I could be with him.
But the thought of not being with him made me cry harder.
Call me, Andy. Please, I need to hear from you.
16
El Jefe
Four more hours, then we’d be back in San Diablo. My crew and I were fucking exhausted. We stopped in Tacoma, Washington to catch a few hours of sleep.
Yes, I could have driven straight through on no sleep because my woman’s life and my club were in danger.
I had a fire inside me fueling my determination. No way would I sleep knowing Miguel was coming for me, or so I assumed. Either way, he was searching for Silvia and wouldn’t stop until he had her in his possession.
But my crew didn’t have the same drive as me. It was fine, sort of. The club meant everything to them. Silvia hadn’t grown on them as she had with me. They were cautious because of Miguel, and I understood.
