by Brook Wilder
We sat in silence as he opened another beer, and I smoked the bad feelings away. Our homes weren’t far from Salta Avenue and our street led to the highway, but it wasn’t a direct drive. I glanced sidelong to the left then to the right. The stores were one street over. Why had those men loitered here?
Diego knew what I was thinking. “The young white men in the neighborhood are joining the Disciples. Jacob Emmet Scott is a dangerous man, and he’s got charisma. The recruits come down here to our homes to prove they are strong. There’s no bravery in picking on women and the elderly, but to shoot a Nation or a Cazador, there’s honor in that.”
I flicked my cigarette into the street. I should have talked to the old man first. It was no accident that first day. They had used Felicity as bait, and I showed them my tattoo. They’d had their confirmation, and now, I had mine. I stood up to shake Diego’s hand.
“Oscar.” He held my hand. “You’re a good man, but this is not a good life. No one will talk, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get caught.”
“I have to take of my mother,” I replied. “She could have died. And for what, so two punks could join a club?”
“I understand, but your cousin, Emilio, is a dangerous man. Men like that walk alone. Love is a burden to their survival.”
I nodded because I already knew. “Thanks, Diego.”
The old man let go of my hand, and I walked away.
“Oscar,” he yelled after me. “She’s a pretty girl. You won’t find that again.”
The old man knew me. He knew my weakness. The bad feeling was from not seeing her. Felicity had made a difference in my life. The MC had given me status and respect in a city that would have consumed me if I hadn’t fought back. But Felicity had given me love with no expectations in return. The only reason she needed my protection was because danger followed me. And every day, we walked hand in hand. But today, it didn’t matter. I had to know where I stood in her heart.
Chapter 20
Oscar
Felicity didn’t come to the soup kitchen so I drove to her parents’ house. The only car in the driveway was her old beater. I knew better than to go to the front door, so I parked my bike on the side of her house. I stood on the patio and sent her a text.
Felicity looked out her bedroom window, saw me, and opened it.
“Can we talk?” I asked.
She looked at me with downcast eyes and motioned toward the sliding glass door. I hesitated, but went in, making sure I scanned the room before shutting the door behind me. I wasn’t sure where her father was, and he did carry a loaded gun.
Felicity appeared at the top of the stairs. My heart picked up at the sight of her. She was so beautiful, but then I saw the faded bruise on her cheek. I tried not to think about how she’d gotten it, but I couldn’t help feel a swell of anger deep in my gut.
She motioned for me to follow her upstairs.
Her room was the girliest bedroom I had ever seen. Rose wallpaper decorated her walls, a four-post bed covered with a white lace comforter faced the door, and the three bookshelves stuffed with romance novels sat close to her bed. A second bed that was unmade sat on the other side of the first bed. Felicity sat down on it while I stood.
“I hadn’t heard from you,” I said. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”
Felicity was silent at first. Her trembling hand gripped the mattress, and she refused to look me in the eye. “I’m doing fine. And you?”
It was August, but I felt the chill in her voice. “Felicity, don’t be like that.”
“Be like what?” she demanded. “You killed two men and attacked another. How am I supposed to act?”
“I’m sorry.” My jaw tensed. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I knew better. The first time I saw you, I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“No,” she said. “I do understand but I can’t accept it. I witness two killings, and my father’s the sheriff. And I can't tell him about it.”
I hadn’t seen it from her point of view. Her conflict wasn’t as straight-forward as I had thought. I had a duty to my mother, and she also had one to her father.
The tears hung on her lashes. “I loved the man I met. The one who held my hand. The one who danced with me. Who was so kind to his mother. But this man...” She waved her hand dismissively toward me. “I cannot love.”
I was hurt but I wouldn’t give up. “We’re the same man, Felicity. You can accept both.”
“I can’t and I won’t. You don’t have to be that man.”
My fist shook in my hand, and she noticed. Felicity’s eyes watched me as if I were a predator that would pounce on her and leave nothing behind. Not even love. I took a deep breath. “They’d have killed me,” I said calmly. “And then raped you. There are worse men than me. I told you. I protect what is mine. You're mine. You told me you were. You needed my protection, and I protected you then you complain about how I did it?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Did your father find your sister’s killer? He would’ve if he didn’t have a badge to hold him back.”
As soon as I said it, I regretted it. But it was too late to take back the harsh words. I had wanted to win her heart again, but instead, all I cared about was being right. The doubts rushed back into my head and I was left in a shadowy place. My heart would leave me dead.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that," I said.
“No, it’s okay.” Her voice was stiff. “My father hasn’t found my sister’s murderer, but he’s not killing every man he meets until he finally finds the right one.”
It was too much for her to say, and she sobbed. Her sadness was too much for me to bear, so I pulled her into my arms. She was so soft and warm, and I held her as close as I could. Trembling, she clung to me, making me aware of how much I’d missed being loved. I was lonely and no one could replace her.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I don’t want to cry all the time.”
“Don’t apologize, Little Lamb. Maybe, if I could cry, I’d smoke less.”
Shed laughed and through her tears. Maybe I wasn’t the cold-hearted beast I thought I had become in prison.
Felicity sat down on her frilly bed. Her big, blue eyes pleaded with me. Her hand stroked the covers as she lay down on her back.
"I've missed you, Oscar," she whispered. "So much."
My cock twitched. Felicity was a smart woman. None of my enemies had a weapon as powerful as hers.
I pulled off my T-shirt and I plunged onto the bed next to her willing body. She grabbed for my shoulders and pressed her lips onto mine. The need to touch and hold each other overcame us as her mouth desperately moved against mine.
I slid my tongue against the part in her lips. She opened her mouth, and our tongues stroked together as I felt her need for me. Confident again, I relaxed into a leisurely pace.
Her breath was heavy, and her voice was breathless as she told me that her parents had driven to Fresno for the day.
Felicity rolled into my arms and lay across my chest. She kissed me again and again. Her hands ran over my chest, stroking my nipples, and my cock rose up stiff and hard.
I wrapped my arms around her delicate body, and I pulled her on top of me. Felicity kept pressing kisses to my lips, my chin, my neck, and then my chest.
Working her way down, she reached for my belt, and her hand opened it while her other one rubbed my cock. I bit my lip, but it felt so good I had to moan. I reached down and pulled her away so I could kiss her lips again.
“Do you have a condom?” I asked. "I wasn't planning for this."
It was her turn to explain. “Jane was staying here so I probably do.”
I chuckled as she handed me one from the bedside table. “I like Jane,” I said.
“Not too much,” she cautioned with a giggle.
Straddling my hips, she pulled her thin dress over her head. Felicity had on no bra, just a slim pink panty. We hurried as she helped me pull off the rest of my clothing. Laughing and playing,
we felt safe locked in her bedroom.
“You want to ride me, querida?”
She nodded, looking so sexy straddled across my lap with her long blonde waves spilling over her pale shoulders. But I knew she wasn’t wet enough for my cock.
So, I pulled her down and kissed her again. I fingered her lips apart and explored her. She squirmed against my length, pressing her chest into mine.
“Please, Oscar," she cooed. “Make me cum.”
My finger stroked her clit as I teased a hard nipple with my teeth and tongue. I took my time tasting her as she panted against my hair. Her hips moved quickly in a jerky rhythm and after a time, Felicity came yelling my name.
She sat up as I lay on my back. Felicity took my cock in both her hands and lifted herself up. Her soaked pussy sank down onto my hot cock. I groaned as she moved her hips slowly to meet mine. Her breath caught and she threw her head back as she held onto my waist. Whimpering and moaning, Felicity rode me up and down as I watched her luscious breasts bounce shamelessly on her chest.
Her mouth was hard to resist so I pulled her down for another kiss. I belonged to her.
I rocked her back and forth against my pelvis, watching as her body tensed with the building pressure between her legs. She came again. Panting, Felicity lay down on my chest with a dreamy look on her face.
But I wasn’t done yet. I held onto her hips and rolled our bodies over so I was on top of her. I thrust into her tight pussy. My cock went deeper with each stroke as it was surrounded by her warmth. The pleasure heated me in building waves as her fingers dug into my shoulders.
She was so tight and so warm and so soft. I melted into her body as I came, wishing I could fill her with my seed. Felicity held me as I panted against her neck. My sweat dripped onto her precious body.
I rolled off her, and we lay side by side catching our breath and cooling down. I must have dozed off because I awoke under her covers, and it was dark outside. Felicity lay nuzzled against my side, idly stroking my chest. I looked at her and her eyes held my gaze.
“Te amo," I said.
“Te amo," she whispered.
We lay there a few moments longer in silence before she spoke.
“Please leave them, Oscar. You don’t need the club.”
My body stiffened, and she sensed it. She pulled herself away from me. It took all my strength not to pull her back into my arms.
But I shook my head. “It’s not that easy, Felicity. It’s not like quitting a job. When you’re in, you’re in for life. Would you leave your family for me?”
“No,” she frowned “I can’t leave them and it’s different.”
“No, it’s the same. I can’t leave the family I’ve chosen for myself. I know you think these men have led me astray, but I’d have had a worse life without them.”
She sat up in the bed, exposing her soft breasts. I reached for her, and she leaned away, covering her body with the sheet.
“You should leave now, Oscar.”
I sat up on the edge of the bed and slowly pulled on my clothing, making the time last a little longer.
“I can’t see you again. Please don’t contact me.”
I turned my head to look at her. Felicity was curled up on the far side of her little bed with her back toward me. She stared at the wall to avoid my hard gaze. I leaned over her, inhaling her scent, and brushed her golden hair off her flushed cheek. My lips brushed her skin. Her body tensed as she cried quietly into the sheet balled up in her hands.
Without another word, I walked out of her house through the back door. I rode away, thinking all the while that this pain was worse than any I’d ever felt before.
Chapter 21
Oscar
For the past few days, I spent my time at Mama’s house with Luis repairing the damage from the shooting. We replaced the plywood with new windows, patched the holes, and painted the scorched walls. The distraction was good but as soon as I stopped, I thought about Felicity again. Marisol dropped by with takeout, and we sat on Diego’s porch to eat lunch. Marisol was careful not to flirt with Luis, but he seemed to not notice her anyway. We drank beers out of Diego’s cooler until we reached the last one.
“You want to go to the market?” I asked Luis.
Luis frowned. “You mean fetch beers like a chick?”
Marisol sucked her teeth, and Diego laughed.
“You pretty like a chick, Luis,” said the old man, and we laughed again.
“Let’s go,” I said standing up.
“We're taking the bikes?”
“It’s a block over.” I scowled at him. “Let’s walk. We can hop the fence on the alley. It’ll keep your muscles toned.”
He flexed a bicep, and Marisol giggled. Luis liked the attention of pretty women whether he wanted them or not.
As we walked, we passed a ‘Emilio for Mayor’ sign. I shook my head and Luis smirked. We had respect for the man, but he was no politician. After telling him about the things Diego had seen, Emilio decided the Cazadores should patrol our territory more often but warned us to keep a low profile. He didn’t want us brawling in the streets.
Rounding the corner, we saw a deputy’s patrol car. Maria was standing beside it on her phone. I gave Luis a sidelong glance. His brother, Carlos, and Maria had dated as kids. It didn’t end well and though I didn’t know the details, I knew Luis couldn’t stand the sight of Deputy Lopez. And it had nothing to do with her uniform.
“I’ll run inside.” Lewis barely looked at Maria as I waited by her car to greet her.
Maria didn’t notice me until she ended her call. Her eyes widened as she stuttered a greeting. I tensed, wondering if I was about to be arrested.
“Deputy Lopez,” I greeted her with confidence.
“Got to go, Oscar.” She ran toward the driver side door.
Alarmed, I asked. “What’s going on?”
She hesitated. Police business wasn’t my business, but I knew she wanted to tell me something. “We got a call. 207 in front of 8th. Someone snatched the sheriff’s daughter.”
I didn’t have a chance to ask any more questions. I stood in disbelief as her partner, Deputy Robinson, ran out of the store and they both jumped into their patrol car. They sped away with lights blazing.
Shit. I knew it was my fault.
Luis stepped outside with a six-pack of beer and gestured toward the speeding car. “What’s the commotion? The cops are usually chasing us, not running away from us.”
“Fuck,” I replied. “I need my bike.”
Without further explanation, I cut through the store, hopped the back fence, and was back on Mission running toward my bike. Luis was on my tail still carrying the six-pack. He shoved it into Marisol’s hand, and then he jumped on his bike following me down the street.
He caught up to me at a red light. “You need to tell me what happened,” he shouted over the exhaust. “I can’t follow you like I'm berserk if I don’t know what happened.”
“Felicity’s been kidnapped.”
“Do you know who?”
“No, but I have an idea.”
“So, you’re going to drive up with a loud exhaust and announce your arrival? Oscar, let’s go to the clubhouse first.”
Luis was right. We turned off Mission and headed toward the clubhouse.
Chapter 22
Felicity
They hadn’t hurt me but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t eventually. I’m too damn trusting, and my trust had led me into a deadly situation. At the soup kitchen, the homeless woman who’d been seen with the man from the Nation asked me to come outside with her. She claimed she dropped something during the fight and couldn’t access the courtyard. I didn’t entirely believe her because of the gap in the wall, but I foolishly figured she was too feeble to climb in or perhaps, didn’t want to be caught back there alone.
I made excuses for the woman rather than question her intentions. I didn’t want to offend anyone. But as soon as I stepped outside, strong hands grabbed me. They held
me so tightly, I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I looked at the woman, and she smiled at me with jagged teeth. It made me livid to realize I’d been tricked by a person I’d tried to help. One of the men holding me shouted when I bit his hand then I screamed for help. The woman stopped smiling and started cursing at me, as if I was the one assaulting them.
I screamed again.
Jane stepped outside just as they pulled me through the gap in the wall. But by the time Armando reached the courtyard, I was in the back of an old van driving away.
