I was aware that I never spoke highly of my job because it truly wasn’t my first choice, but I knew that it felt good to bring down the bad guys that deserved to be behind bars. Now I was starting to feel differently about my place in all of this, I wondered how I would’ve reacted if it was Moves that had been arrested versus a random biker that I didn’t know. I wanted to think that I would remain neutral, that I wouldn’t pick sides even though it was my job to side with justice, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was leaning toward the latter. I worried that this case was going to change me as both a lawyer and a human being. I could already feel the increasing tension between Moves and me, and I wasn’t quite sure whether that was due to both of us trying not to ruffle the other one’s feathers, or if it was because deep down Moves had begun to feel something for me too.
I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to him, that I was starting to fall for the allure of his world and everything that came with it, but I knew I couldn’t get too close, otherwise I was going to lose everything I’d worked so hard to protect.
Nineteen
Moves
What the hell is Lacey doing sniffing around Ortega’s? If she’s looking for answers about Chalupa, she’s not going to find them by trying to scope us out. I still wonder why she’s alone on this job, and why no one else from her department has shown up to take some of the edge off. I’m starting to wonder whether she really doesn’t have much involvement in Chalupa’s case, and that she’s only here because she’s curious. Either way, I have to be smart about my interactions with her, otherwise I’m probably going to end up regretting it.
I was making my way down to Hawk’s place so we could go try to find some proof that Chalupa was innocent.
We just needed to point them in a different direction, show them that they had the wrong guy, and instead of trying to crack down on us, they should be looking for the people who actually deserved to be behind bars. I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the sweat on my forehead as the sun over La Playa was beating down on me overhead.
I felt uneasy, especially after my run-in with Lacey. I was still trying to figure out what her intentions were, and if she was trying to find out the truth alone. It was a stupid decision to have her around us all if she was trying to find evidence to prove that we were somehow involved in grand theft auto.
I couldn’t be sure, but I also knew that even after knowing that she was working at the DA’s office, and even after knowing that there was a possibility she was trying to take us all down, I couldn’t help but feel attracted to her.
Every time I was around her, all I could focus on were those beautiful eyes of hers staring up at me, the fullness of her lips, or the extraordinary curves of her body. I thought about how close I was to kissing her that night at the bar before I found out the truth about her, and I was starting to wish that I did. She was so captivating whenever she was around, and nobody in the room could keep their eyes off her, and I hated that I found myself being strangely protective of her even though I knew it wasn’t my place to act that way.
I had to separate my budding feelings from how I had to see her in order to keep working toward the truth, otherwise I was probably going to end up doing something I would regret.
I could feel the tension between us whenever we were together, and that alone told me that there was a part of her that felt the same. I wished I could explore that, but I knew I had to start focusing on getting back to thinking about Chalupa’s freedom, otherwise that distraction would be the very reason he’d end up behind bars. I’d promised him that I wasn’t going to let that happen, and I had to make sure that no harm came his way. I felt it in my gut that Las Balas had something to do with this, and even though I had to stay neutral to the rest of the Outlaw Souls to prevent any unwanted confrontation, it didn’t stop me from wanting to storm into their hideout and find out the truth for myself.
I sighed, realizing that I was going to have to wait because Hawk and I were going to head back to the street where Chalupa had been arrested, hoping to find something that would bring us closer to this all finally being over.
“Hey, Moves. You ready to head out?” Hawk asked, opening up his front door. I could tell that he appeared a lot more chipper, like things were going well between him and Lacey’s best friend, but I still had to do my part and warn him to be careful around her. It was quite possible that Mona would be reporting back to Lacey about their little dates, and I had to make sure that there was no incriminating information being shared among them.
“Well, don’t you look happy. I take it you had the chance to talk to Mona?”
“We’re playing it by ear, but right now we need to find something that’s going to keep Chalupa out of prison.” I wondered if he was trying to avoid the subject on purpose.
“You’re right. Let’s go.” We both hopped onto our bikes, revving our engines before we took off, heading into the heart of La Playa to find the exact spot where Chalupa had been arrested. I could tell that Hawk and I both were a little afraid to be there, because if we were spotted by police, there was the possibility we wouldn’t be able to get away in time.
I had to remind myself to stay alert, to not let any of the distractions swimming around my mind find their way back in, otherwise it could’ve potentially caused more problems that we certainly weren’t equipped to handle.
I glanced over at Hawk as we pulled our bikes into an alleyway not far from the area where Chalupa was arrested. We looked out, checking that the coast was clear. It was strange that anyone would’ve even been able to tip the police off knowing that cars didn’t usually get stolen around these parts. It was mostly a commercial area, and there were eyes everywhere, so I wondered how many people they had been able to convince to be an eye-witness to Chalupa stealing the car, because that was the only logical explanation.
We looked around, recognizing all of the familiar places we used to spend time in before we moved out closer to the Blue Dog. It was a nice reminder that things were quiet and calm in the past, but the longer we ran, the more trouble we seemed to find ourselves in even if we didn’t go looking for it. It dawned on me that we would never truly escape that kind of trouble, because there were always going to be people coming after us, hoping to take us down in order to take our places.
It felt like ages, while Hawk and I searched every corner, going through trash, canvassing the entire area to make sure that we didn’t miss anything. Everything seemed to be rather normal until I made my way to the front of the convenience store, reaching down and picking up something that someone had to have unknowingly left behind.
“Hawk, I think you need to come see this. I believe I found something.”
Twenty
Lacey
I could feel the warmth of his fingertips brush against my bare skin, reaching over the curve of my breasts, while he worked his way down my body. Something about it felt dangerous, spontaneous, and unlike anything I’d ever done before, but I lay there under him, biting my lip in anticipation of what he was going to do next. He stared down at me, his eyes lowering to my lips, pressing into mine while his tongue reached into my mouth playfully. I was bursting with the idea of what we were about to do, but before the fun could finally begin, I woke up.
I jumped up in bed, clutching my covers as I realized that I’d just had a wet dream about Moves, and that was only going to make things that much more complicated. I couldn’t understand why this was all starting to hit me now, and I could only hope that I wouldn’t have to run into him for a long time, at least until I could get this out of my system.
I sat there in bed with the strong feeling washing over me that Ortega’s was clean, and that it was never a chop shop to begin with. I couldn’t put that gut feeling into words, but I knew it wasn’t going to be enough to convince any of the people who were working on this case with me. They were all back at the station waiting for the DA to give the go-ahead to start making arrests, and I knew they all just wanted an excuse to put those bikers behind bars even if they didn’t have any part in what was going on. I was starting to question whether I should even trust my gut, or if I only felt that way because I had the hots for an Outlaw Soul. I wanted to tap into my lawyer instincts, but it was much easier said than done these days.
My focus had shifted entirely from trying to find the truth about Ortega’s, which at the time sounded like a much easier task, than now wondering whether Moves and the rest of the Outlaw Souls had any involvement in criminal activity at all.
I wondered what I would do if I did in fact find out that they were engaging in illegal work, because I wouldn’t be able to crack down on them myself, but I wasn’t sure I even wanted to. My newfound feelings for Moves were starting to cloud my judgment in ways I hadn’t expected them to, and I didn’t want to spend the entire time distracted by what the thought of his touch was going to be like.
I had to find a way to re-center myself, to think about why the DA had given me the case in the first place, but it was Richard that had told me I needed to get creative with my approaches, and that had only landed me in more trouble.
