by Jayna King
"You're looking at this all wrong. What's mine is yours, baby. I was lucky enough to have a windfall, and you're going to benefit from it, too. I wish I had my parents instead of the inheritance, but I don't. I want to take care of you. You and the baby."
"But you don't know what it feels like to not have any control in a relationship, Luke. You don't know what it feels like to be a second class citizen -- having to beg for scraps."
"How can you even say that? I've never made you feel that way."
Krystal sat up. "Think about it this way. Would you like to be completely dependent on me for money? Would you like to have to ask my permission before you bought a new pair of jeans or went to the grocery store?"
I thought for a moment. "I guess not. I guess I wouldn't like that."
"Now, I realize that I can't earn very much money right now. I'm not through with school yet, and soon after I am, I'll have a newborn. I'll agree to quit the Taphouse, but in exchange, I want your support when I do go back to work, when I start a career."
I leaned over and kissed her. "Deal. I promise to support whatever you choose to do when you're ready to go back to work."
"Good. Then let's go to bed. I want you to make love to me at least one more time before the baby and I go to sleep."
I stood up and gave my wife-to-be a hand up. I pulled her hips toward mine. "Krystal, I love you, and I'm glad we're having a baby." I kissed her hard and took her to bed.
***
Saturday, October 19, 2013
When I woke up the next morning, Krystal was still sound asleep, and since I figured she needed all the rest she could get, I slipped out of the bedroom as quietly as I could. I made coffee and took it out to sit on the back deck. It was chilly, but the clear sky promised to warm up quickly in the bright sunshine. I did love Colorado. The vibration of my cell phone startled me, and I looked down to see that it was Sable calling.
"Good morning," I greeted her.
"Yes, it is," she agreed. "You have a minute?"
"I do, but I have something I want to tell you before you start."
"Shoot."
"Krystal and I are going to have a baby."
Sable laughed. "So she got up the courage to tell you."
"What? You knew?"
"Only since yesterday. She was a little worried about how you'd take it, so she asked for some advice. I told her that you'd be thrilled. Hope you didn't make a liar of me."
"Of course not. I am thrilled. And she told me about your offer of the house for a December wedding. I want to thank you. It means a lot. To us both."
"You mean all three of you, don't you?" she asked, and I realized just how much my life was going to change in the very near future.
"I guess you're right. It's kind of hard to wrap my head around, to tell you the truth."
"I'm sure it is, but Luke, I believe in you. You'll make a wonderful father, and I want you to know something. You know that I haven't always been Krystal's biggest fan, but I've changed my mind about her. I think she's really gotten her shit together, and I think you're a lucky man to have her. You'll be great parents, and I think that you have a shot at being happy together."
"A shot? How optimistic."
Sable laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "My husband's in jail. He fucked and killed a little girl. I'm a little sour on the whole notion of marriage at the moment."
I wasn't sure what to say, so I didn't say anything.
"But anyway, that's not what I called about. We're gonna have a beast on our hands."
"What are you talking about?"
"The weed. Nate and I harvested our first bud last night, and not only is it fucking enormous, but it's the most potent thing I've ever smoked. It was harsh as hell, but I think it'll mellow out great if we cure it for a couple of months."
"That's great news. We're still going to be fucked for inventory before that stuff's ready. The DEA is sitting on our stuff, and I don't think they make deliveries."
"I meant to tell you -- I heard from Ellomere a couple of days ago. She has a bunch of good stuff she's willing to sell. The guy that Joker leaned on had threatened her if she sold to us, and since he's backed off, we're in business again."
"With what she's got, we might just be able to make it, then. When you order the edibles, make sure you get the fastest shipping, even if it costs more. I think we'll see a real market -- even from people out of state -- in that stuff."
"Got it. I'm starting to think this may all come together."
"Well, it wouldn't have happened without you. You're the green thumb among us."
"And it was your idea and your backing. Luke, do you think the guys at the MC appreciate all you've done? I know that club business isn't any of mine, but I don't think Nate's really over the mess with Joker. I think he wants you out, and he's not staying quiet about it."
I sighed. It was like Krystal and Sable were ganging up on me. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made for them to be in cahoots. "I don't know for sure, Sable. And I know that Nate's still pissed. There's not much I can do about that other than leave the MC, and that's not an option."
"One more thing, and then I'll drop it. These guys are planning to get a cut of the business, but from what I can see, other that Nate, not a one of them has lifted a finger. They'll take your money if you give it to them, but I think they should have to work for it. That's all I have to say."
"Duly noted." I respected Sable's opinion, but I wasn't about to let her boss me around. I wasn't going to argue, but I was going to do what I wanted to.
"What are you and Krystal up to today?"
"She's sleeping in, and I think I'm going to head in to the shop later and take a look at the new display cabinets that were delivered yesterday. It's a shame that we had to replace the broken ones, but I think these new ones will be better anyway."
"Well, if the two of you want to stop by for dinner, just let me know."
"Thanks. I'll talk to Krystal when she gets up and we'll give you a call."
I was working on some of the paperwork for the dispensary when Krystal finally wandered out of the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and gorgeous.
"Mornin'’" she said, heading for the coffee.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Like I got fucked by a horse," she answered with a laugh. "I know it hadn't been that long, but whew! You were amazing last night."
I couldn't help but laugh with her. "I hope you don't talk like that in front of the baby."
"Fuck, no," she said with another laugh. "Just you."
"Hey, I need to run into the dispensary and see if they got the new display cabinets in the right spot. You want to come with me?"
"No. I really do need to get this paper written and study for a test. You mind if I stay home?"
"Of course not. Hey, by the way, Sable called. I told her the good news."
Krystal looked a little embarrassed. "Did she tell you that she already knew?"
"Yup. She invited us over for dinner if you're interested."
"Doesn't matter to me. I'm happy to go to Sable's, or I'm happy to stay in with you."
"Goddamn, do I love you," I said with a smile. "I'll see how long it takes me at the shop, and I'll check in with you later. That sound okay?"
"Sounds good to me. Now get out of here so I can get some work done, sexy man."
I kissed her and headed out the door, actually looking forward to seeing how the shop was shaping up.
Chapter 19
Krystal
I looked at my cell phone on the counter and thought about calling Maria after I'd showered and put on clean,comfy clothes. I knew that my archaeology paper wasn't going to write itself, though, so I promised myself that I would write at least half the paper before I called to check in on her. The research on marriage customs across a number of cultures had been really interesting, and before I knew it, I had finished the first draft of the paper. I figured I'd take a break, call Maria, and then get back to wor
k.
"Hello." Maria's voice sounded uncertain when she answered my call before the second ring. I figured she'd answered in English since she'd seen a number form the U.S.
"Maria, It's Krystal. From Colorado. My fiancé, Luke, and I talked to you a few weeks ago. I just wanted to see how you're doing."
There was silence.
"Maria?" I asked, wondering if we'd gotten disconnected. I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked, and the call was still active. "Maria?"
"I remember you, of course," she finally said.
"Are you doing okay?"
"Not really. What happened up in Colorado? Luis and his men left here days ago, and no one has seen or heard from them since. Don Roberto hasn't been in to Lupita's, so no one knows what's going on. The Don is supposed to show up tonight. Everyone is on edge, but it has been a welcome break to have Luis gone."
I wasn't sure how much to tell her. I didn't think for a second that she'd do anything to help Don Roberto, but I certainly didn't want to be responsible for her slipping and giving things away. "Are you alone?"
"Si. I am packing."
"Packing? Why?"
"Luis wasn't a nice man, but he gave me money each month to pay my rent. He's gone, and I can't afford it. I'm going to stay with my friend Gabriela until I can find another job."
"You're looking for work? That's great!" I said, thinking that she must be relieved that she wouldn't have to work as a prostitute any longer.
Maria was silent again for a moment. "It may be different for you than it is for me. I'm too old to be a good prostitute, and since I've worked for Don Roberto, no one else will hire me. Gabriela is being very kind, but I won't be able to take advantage of her forever. I don't know what I will do, to tell you the truth. And every day, I'm terrified that Luis will walk through the door and come after me because of what I told you and your Luke."
"Maria, I'm so sorry to hear that you're having a hard time, but one thing I can assure you -- Luis won't be back. He's in jail, and he won't be getting out any time soon."
"Are you sure? Oh, no!" The horror in her voice was shocking.
"Maria, what's wrong?"
"That must be why Don Roberto, himself, is coming to Lupita's. He said that he wants everyone assembled. He will probably try to find out who knows something. If he offers a reward or threatens those who don't share what they know, then I will be a dead woman. Too many people know that Moses spent a little time here, and it would be far too easy for someone to have seen you and Luke here. The Don has eyes everywhere. Someone will take the Don's money, tell him what he wants to know, and he will have me killed. Or worse."
"But you don't know for sure why Don Roberto wants to meet with everyone, do you? Maybe it's something else."
"He has never done this before. It has to be about Luis, and unless he has someone inside your country telling him what's going on, he'll be looking for answers."
"You can't go to that meeting, Maria. I wasn't going to tell you this, because it's not set in stone, but Luke is making arrangements to get you into the U.S. legally -- if you want to come, of course."
"Of course I want to come, but everyone at Lupita's will know where to find me. They know Gabriela."
"Then you have to find somewhere else to hide. Just for a few days until we can get someone in there to bring you across the border."
"Can I just show up at the border and get across on my own?"
I was frustrated. Luke had had all of the discussions, and I really didn't know how they were planning to get Maria out of Mexico. "I really don't know. I'll tell you what -- I can make a phone call and see if I can get some more information, and I'll call you back. But you need to get out of your apartment and go somewhere safe right away. Maybe a church or another friend, someone Don Roberto won't be able to find, but you can't just sit around and wait for them to come for you."
"I will find someplace to go. You will call soon?"
Maria sounded frightened, but not out of her mind. I thought that she'd manage okay, but I knew that I needed to get her help as quickly as possible. "Absolutely. I'll make a call as soon as we hang up, and I'll call you right back. You be careful. And remember that you're not alone. We will help you, whatever it takes."
I hung up with Maria and called Luke's cell, only to hear it ring from the living room sofa.
"Fucking great," I said, as I picked up the phone from the couch. It must have fallen out of his pocket. Mind racing, I thought about calling Sable, but realized that she couldn't actually do anything more than I could. The only person I thought of who could actually get something done was Kate Tanner. I fished through my purse and pulled out her business card and dialed the number without a second thought.
"Tanner," she answered.
"Kate, it's Krystal Shaw. I need your help."
"What's wrong?" The alarm was apparent in her voice.
"I'm fine, but it's Maria Alvarez, the woman that Luke told you about in Juarez -- the one you agreed to help get out of Mexico?"
Kate sighed over the phone. "I told Luke that I'd do my best, but I didn't make any promises."
"It has to happen, and it has to happen now. Don Roberto has called a meeting of all of the people who worked at Lupita's, his place in Juarez. Maria said that no one knows where Luis and his men are, and she thinks that the Don will be looking for information. She thinks that it's certain that someone will report her having met with us, and she's afraid of what Don Roberto will do to her. Kate, he'll kill her. And if it weren't for her, you wouldn't have Joker. You have to help her."
The tone in Kate's voice was hard when she finally answered. "Krystal, you have to calm down. I've told Luke that we're going to do our best, but this isn't what I do. I don't work for the INS. I don't think that Luke realizes that he's asking for something that's nearly impossible."
"It sounds to me like you're trying to back out of your promise to Luke. Have you told him that it's nearly impossible, or are you going to wait until you've gotten all the information you need from him?"
"Hold on a minute, Krystal. That's not fair. I've been completely..." Her voice trailed off.
"Completely what?" I asked, furious. "Completely open and honest? Kate, that's bullshit, and we both know it. You used me to pressure Luke when he was in jail, and you're using him now."
"How did you--" She didn't finish her question. She didn't need to.
"You know, you may think that I'm a stupid skank that hangs around with outlaw bikers, but you'd only be partly right. If you think I didn't know that you were using me, then you're the fool. I did put pressure on Luke, but it wasn't because I didn't see right through you. Kate, things aren't always black and white. There's more gray than you realize, and I'll tell you one thing. If you don't get Maria Alvarez out of Juarez, then Don Roberto will kill her, and that will be on your conscience. You may not think much of a woman who worked as a prostitute, but she has suffered more than nearly anyone I've ever met. She's a good woman, and she deserves, for once, to have someone take care of her. Either you promise me that you'll take care of her, or we'll find some way to do it ourselves."
I was out of breath by the time I finished talking, and even though Kate didn't say a word for a long while, I knew she was still on the line.
"What's it going to be?" I asked after I'd given her a little time to think.
"Do you have a photograph of her?" Kate asked.
"I do. It's probably thirteen years old, but it still looks like her."
"I'm going to make some calls, and I'll need that picture."
"Luke and I can meet you, but I'll want it back. Maria should have it."
"That's fine. I'll just need to scan it so that I can send it out to the folks who'll go get her."
We made arrangements to meet later that day, and by the time I hung up the phone, I felt absolutely triumphant. I knew that Kate looked down on me -- that she saw me as a pitiful, beaten down nobody who she could use to get what she wanted. I'd learned that
sometimes it was better to let people underestimate you, but I was also learning that sometimes you had to make people respect you. I looked at Luke's phone, frustrated that I couldn't get hold of him and let him know what was going on, but I figured that it would just have to wait. If he wasn't home by the time I needed to meet Kate, I'd just handle it myself. I made a quick call to Maria to let her know what was going on, and I decided to get back to work.
I felt like I could handle pretty much anything, and it felt good.
I forced myself to get back to my schoolwork while I anxiously watched the clock and waited for Luke to return. I'd called Maria back and told her that help would be on the way soon, and she'd given me the name and address of the person she'd convinced to take her in. All I needed now was to get Maria's picture and cell number in Kate's hands, and I'd feel better. I knew that I wouldn't be completely at ease until I knew Maria was safe, but I was doing everything I could.
By mid-afternoon, I couldn't wait for Luke any longer. I wrote him a note that explained that I'd left to meet Kate and get her more information about Maria. I figured I'd explain the entire situation to him when I got home, rather than trying to figure out how to say it all in a note. I left the note sitting next to his cell phone, and I headed out the door.
When I got to the federal building, Kate was standing in the parking lot, leaning against her car. I parked near her car and got out.
"Thanks for meeting me here," she said. "I know it's not convenient, but I need to scan and send that picture securely, and I can't do that from anywhere but here."
"I'm happy to do it."
She led me inside, and we ended up in her office. She waved me toward a chair and I took out the picture of Maria holding Nadia that she'd decided to include with the letters that Moses had written her.
"This is Maria and Nadia. I'm sure you understand why I want it back."
Kate looked at the photograph. "Of course. She was beautiful. And it's such a shame what happened to her daughter."
