by Hope Stone
“You’re Hawk?” I asked, making sure before I took a seat.
“The one and only.” He used his booted foot to push out a chair opposite his seat. I took it and sat down. “What can I do for you?”
“I hear that you are the man to see about a fake ID.”
“Some might say that,” he said non-committedly, not looking particularly interested in helping me out. “Why don’t you tell me who flapped their jaw to you?”
I assumed that he was being careful and not looking to give anyone a hard time. At least, that’s what I hoped. I’d hate to get Tammy into trouble. “Tammy Holt.”
The suspicion cleared from his eyes, and he looked more alert. “Okay, what have you got for me?”
“I need two fake identities. One for me, and one for my son.”
Hawk looked at me with a piercing gaze for almost a full minute. I couldn’t resist squirming under his scrutiny. “You and your son? That’s interesting. Let me tell you what I can do for you. I can make two kinds of fake IDs. Good or great. A good one will fool a bartender or store clerk. Basically, you’re using someone’s information - name, address, and all - and just putting your picture with it. It’s what I usually make for teenagers that want to bar hop. It works, and it’s affordable.
“But a great one is more than just an ID. It’s a whole profile. Name, social security number, birthday, all of that shit. It’s building a new life that will pass scrutiny. You can get a driver’s license and passport. I’m guessing that’s what you’re looking for. Am I right?”
“Yes,” I said, a little shaken by how quickly he deduced that.
“It won’t be cheap. And I’ll need the money upfront.”
I gulped. I was worried about that. “How much?”
“For two? Hmm,” he looked thoughtful. “I can do it for twenty-five hundred.”
My heart sank. Over two thousand dollars? I didn’t have that kind of money. I’d already gone through all the money that I’d taken from Jeff when I left him, and I was now firmly in the living paycheck-to-paycheck category.
“Okay,” I said, because I really didn’t have a choice. I needed this. “I can try to get the money to you tomorrow. Will you be here?”
“Most likely. If I’m not, one of the boys here will know how to find me.”
I had brought one valuable thing with me to La Playa. It had been tucked away in my sock drawer since the day we arrived. It looked like it was time to get it out and see exactly what I could get for it. I wouldn’t have a rainy day fund to fall back on, but we’d be able to stay and build lives here. It would be worth it.
Trainer
“I have news,” Swole said as soon as I answered my phone. Straight to the point without even a greeting. That was typical Swole.
“What is it?”
“The drug dealer you spotted at the boardwalk finally led us somewhere.”
I stood up from my couch, ready for whatever was needed of me. I tucked my gun into my pants at the small of my back and reached for my jacket.
“What’s the plan? Did you find where the bastard is cooking his shit?”
“We did. And that’s why I called you. We need to move Erica for a day or two.”
“What?” Her words didn’t make sense to me. “What did you say about Erica?”
“It’s the location. The Sergeant at Arms of Las Balas has been cooking at his baby mama’s house, in the basement. It’s the other half of Erica’s duplex.”
My stomach rolled. Erica had been living right next to that dangerous shit for weeks. With Dominic. Fuck.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Swole said, sounding impatient. “We already went in and found the lab. Moves knows a guy that had experience cleaning this shit up, and he says it’ll be safe, but I figured you’d want Erica out of there just in case the whole thing blows up or something.”
I felt a new kind of fear at those words. That could have happened already. How many times had I seen that sort of thing on the news? Too many.
I needed her with me right now. Dominic too.
“Where is she?”
“I gave her your address. I’m going to watch the dog for her since my apartment is on the ground floor. Emory has been wanting one anyway. So it’ll be a good test to see how he handles it. Anyway, Erica seemed pretty damn reluctant to just show up on your doorstep, but I told her I’d already talked to you, and you insisted.”
“Good call.” There was a soft knock at my door. “She’s here. Thanks for the head’s up and for keeping her safe.”
“Of course.” Swole hung up, and I glanced around the apartment. It was a mess, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. She was already here. There was another knock. It looked like she was going to get a glimpse of what a slob I could be. But, to be fair, I was a bachelor.
“Just a second,” I called out to her.
Removing my gun, I quickly put it in the small safe in the linen closet between the bedroom and living room. I crossed the room and pulled the door open. Erica was standing there, chewing on her bottom lip with Dominic at her side. She looked stressed out, and I wanted to make it better.
“Hey,” she said in a small voice.
“Come on in.”
They both stepped inside, and I shut the door, locking it. It was a safe building, being owned by the Outlaw Souls, but since we all lived in the same place, privacy could be an issue. It wasn’t unusual for someone to pop in just to see what I was up to. I hurried across the living room to the couch and grabbed the dirty clothes that I had haphazardly discarded there. There was also an empty pizza box on the coffee table that I managed to get to the trash can as well.
“Have a seat,” I said.
Dominic sat on the couch, but Erica stayed standing. “Listen, this is really nice of you, but I don’t want to put you out. We can stay in a hotel for a couple of days.”
“No. I want you here. I want to know you’re safe.”
“A hotel would be safe.”
“Being with me would be safer.”
I meant it. Nothing would happen to either of them if they were with me, but I did wish that I had a slightly bigger apartment. My one-bedroom set-up was a little problematic. But I would make it work. It would be nice to share a bed with Erica again. We hadn’t spent the night together since the day she told me about her husband. I got the impression that she didn’t want to make overnights a regular thing right away for Dominic’s sake.
“You’re a good man, Trainer.”
I wondered if she’d say that if she knew the things I was fantasizing about doing to her body. I was far from selfless. Then there was the fact that I wanted to beat her husband, visiting the pain he’d caused her back on his head and then some. I wanted to avenge her and stake a claim.
No, I didn’t think I was a good man, but I promised myself that I would always be good to her.
“Why don’t you put your bag in the bedroom?” I said, nodding in that direction. “Ignore the mess. It’s the maid’s week off.”
Erica giggled as she headed through the bedroom door. I turned to Dominic.
“You doing okay, buddy?”
“I guess. I didn’t have the time to grab any toys or anything.”
“Oh. Well, I might be able to help you with that.”
Going over to the entertainment center, I opened it up, exposing my game systems.
“Wow! Look at all that.” Dominic shot up off the couch and came to my side. “You have everything! Playstation, the Switch, Xbox… What’s that one?”
He was pointing to the smallest system of the bunch. “That’s the NES Classic. That’s what my original old Nintendo looked like, only it was bigger. The company released this version a few years back, and it has all kinds of games that I grew up playing on it.”
“Can we play that?”
“Of course. It happens to be one of my favorites.”
When Erica came out of the bedroom ten minutes later, looking delectable in a pair of p
ajama pants and a tank top - with no bra, I noticed - we were both seated side by side on the living room floor, trying to pick a game from the wide selection.
“I’ve always been fond of Donkey Kong,” Erica said, taking a seat on the couch behind us. I looked back at her as she smiled warmly at the two of us together. Our eyes met, and she mouthed, “Thank you.”
“Let’s play Donkey Kong,” Dominic agreed.
So that’s what we did for the next hour. I hadn’t played this game in years, and Dominic was a fast learner, so he ended up being much better than me. He found that hilarious.
Finally, it was nine o’clock, and Erica announced that it was Dominic’s bedtime. Since the only option for a bed for him was the couch, Erica and I had to go into the bedroom. I headed in there while she made the couch into a bed with my spare blankets. While in the bedroom, I picked up more dirty clothes, shoving them into the nearly full hamper.
I really needed to do some laundry.
And be more prepared for unexpected company.
I straightened out the blankets on the bed but didn’t bother making it properly. We were about to lie down anyway. When I decided the room looked passable, I pulled my shirt over my head. Just as I tossed it onto the overspilling hamper, Erica came in.
Her eyes scanned my torso, and I’d never been so happy that I worked out regularly. She looked hungry, and if Dominic wasn’t in the next room, I’d already have her under me, writhing.
“Thanks for being cool with his bedtime. I really try to stick to it as much as possible.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“I feel like such an idiot. Like I made the wrong decision for us yet again. Of all the places in La Playa that I could have rented…”
“You’re not being fair to yourself. You couldn’t have known what was going on in the other half of the duplex.”
“Yeah, but I did know that the guy was creepy. He always gave me a bad feeling.”
“But he never did anything to you, did he?” I’d kill him.
“No. Swole said he’s a part of a rival club or something?”
I nodded. Crossing the room, I took her into my arms. “Las Balas. They’re bad news. They do everything from human trafficking to this shit with the meth. Always avoid them if you can. I’m sorry that you somehow got caught up in all this.”
Erica wrapped her arms around my waist, drawing me closer.
“I have to admit, this whole thing does have some fringe benefits,” she said, trailing kisses across my chest. The light contact from her wet lips made every nerve ending in my body come to life.
“You’re killing me, sweetheart.” My voice was pleading, but I wasn’t sure if I was begging her to stop or keep going.
She stopped. “Yeah, it’s not a good idea with Dominic nearby.”
At least she looked just as disappointed as I was.
“Maybe we should go to bed,” she suggested.
I could have used a nice, cold shower, but the sound of the running water would probably keep Dominic awake, so I shucked my jeans and got under the covers with her. My bed wasn't very big, so the two of us had no choice but to get close.
We lay facing each other in the darkness, our legs twisted together. I had one hand tucked beneath my pillow, and the other was resting on her hip. The streetlights shone through the part in the curtains, giving us just enough light to make out the outline of each other’s faces.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked after a few minutes of just lying there together.
“Anything.”
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
I stilled, so surprised by her question that I didn’t answer right away. I must have been quiet for too long because when she spoke again, her words came out as nervous babble.
“Never mind. You don’t have to answer. I’m such an idiot. I’ve probably offended you so much. I just have been wondering for so long and-”
“It’s okay.” I cut her off because I had a feeling she’d just keep rambling if I didn’t. “But… what makes you ask that?”
“I don’t know. I just thought… isn’t that something that happens in motorcycle clubs?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted. I wished the light was brighter so that I could make out her expression, to see if she was horrified by the stark truth. “But not always. Personally, no, I haven’t. But I’m really no better than those that have. I’ve hurt people, Erica. I always have my reasons, but the fact is that I’ve been the bad guy in someone’s story more than once. I just haven’t crossed that line. But I would if I had to. To defend myself or my fellow club members, I would do it.”
Erica didn’t say anything in response, but she didn’t pull away from me either.
“Is that a problem for you?”
“It should be, right? That’s what I keep thinking. Wouldn’t those words make most women hesitate, or even go running for the hills? But I don’t want to do that. I won’t pretend to understand everything about the Outlaw Souls. I don’t think that’s even possible if you’re not a member, but I think I do understand you.” Reaching, she laid the palm of her hand against my cheek, caressing it. “I think you’re honorable.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but it still made me feel like a man that was worthy of her. Waves of affection seemed to emanate from the center of my chest, warming me all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes.
We didn’t say anything else after that. Even though it was early for me, I found myself so at peace and relaxed that I was starting to doze off just a few minutes later. The last thing I was aware of was Erica moving ever closer until she was nuzzling my chest. Then I was out.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of cartoonish music. Lifting my head, I blinked away the sleep from my eyes and saw that my bedroom door was open. The music must have been coming from the TV.
The light coming in from around the curtains looked gray, so I couldn’t tell what time it was. I glanced over to see that Erica was still asleep. Her hair was a tangled mess on her pillow, and I realized that she was snoring very lightly.
Adorable.
I turned to the nightstand and grabbed my phone. Unlocking it, I flinched at the bright light from the screen. It was just after eight in the morning. Knowing that Erica was a fan of sleeping in, I carefully disentangled our limbs and slipped out of the bed without shaking the bed too much. I pulled a pair of pajama pants that I rarely ever wore out of my bottom drawer and stepped into them.
When I came out into the living room, I found Dominic sitting on the floor in front of the couch, eating cereal and watching cartoons. I didn’t even know that I had a cartoon channel.
“Morning, kid,” I said, making him jump and bump into his bowl. A little milk spilled onto the hardwood. He looked up at me, with panic clearly visible on his face.
Fuck Jeff Donovan.
“Don’t worry about that,” I told him, not moving a muscle for a full minute. I’d learned my lesson with Erica. If she triggered a freakout, she just needed a moment to collect herself and remember that she was safe here. I assumed that Dominic would be the same.
Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed a rag and got it wet. I came back into the living room and knelt in front of him, wiping up the mess as he watched me with wide eyes.
“Listen carefully,” I said, meeting his eyes so he could see how serious I was. “Accidents happen. I’m not mad about it. But even if I was, you don’t ever need to fear me. Do you understand that?”
“Mom told you about my dad?”
“She did.”
“I hate him.”
“That’s understandable.” I sat on the floor beside him. “You saw some pretty bad stuff happen to your mom. It’s only natural that you’d hate the person that caused it.”
“You don’t think that makes me bad too?”
“No. It just means that you love your mom. Nothing wrong with that.”
Dominic smiled. “Are you going to stick around, Trainer?”
“Yeah. Just be nice to Mom.”
“Always.” I climbed to my feet. “Now, I’m going to go get my own bowl of that cereal. Do you mind if I watch your show with you?”
“Okay,” he agreed.
As I got myself a bowl, I also turned on the coffee pot. Erica had mentioned to me once that she couldn’t start her day without a nice big cup. I wanted her to be comfortable while staying with me. Maybe we could do this more often.
Erica
I parked my car in front of Better Pawn, a pawn shop right on the beach. Opening my purse, I pulled out the small black jewelry box. I didn’t bother looking at what was inside. It didn’t have any sentimental value to me anymore.
The pawnshop itself had metal bars on its dusty windows, and the sign overhead was missing a letter. As I stepped inside, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness inside the shop. When they finally did, I saw that the man behind the counter was watching me curiously.
The shop was filled with what I would expect from a pawn shop. Electronics like TVs and computers, jewelry in a glass case, musical instruments, and a huge collection of DVDs. I even saw a line of lawnmowers in the back of the store.
I bypassed all of this and went straight to the man that was waiting. He was tall, with wavy silver hair, and when he grinned at me, I could see that he was missing a tooth.
“What can I do for ya?” he asked.
“I want to pawn this.” I held out the jewelry box. The man, whose name tag identified him as Carl, took it from me. He pulled out a loupe magnifying glass and opened up the box to reveal my engagement and wedding rings.
They were a matching set that Jeff had designed for us, so they were one of a kind. The engagement ring had a large princess-cut diamond surrounded by twelve tiny round diamonds. The wedding ring matched, the gold band holding six more of the tiny round diamonds. It was gorgeous, but not really my style. It was too big, too flashy. I wasn’t a fan of showing off like Jeff was. Of course, he insisted that I wear it constantly. I had only taken the set off when cooking or showering. If I forgot to put them back on immediately after those activities, I was accused of being a whore and trying to attract men by posing as if I was single. It didn’t matter that I hardly ever left the house alone, and he probably had people watching me.
