“Hey man, I don’t know how to thank you,” he said the minute he laid eyes on me.
“This is far from over, Chalupa. Let’s get you out of here,” I said, leading him out to my truck, watching him take in the fresh air, realizing that he was probably just glad to be out of that awful cell.
“I’m going to drive you out to Hacienda, and get to the bottom of what’s going on, but I need you to stay out of trouble while I do that. Okay?” I said, and he nodded at me. He looked scared, like he knew that they probably had more to go on than he was letting on, but I couldn’t question him until we were well out of earshot of anyone that could use that information against us. It wasn’t long before we pulled up outside his home, where he lived with his elderly mother, a sweet woman who had no idea that he was involved with the Outlaw Souls. It was probably best that it stayed that way because it was the perfect place for him to go when something like this happened, and I needed him safe so I could consult with everyone else to figure out what we were going to do.
“What’s going to happen if I have to go to jail?”
“That depends on what you did, Chalupa. You need to tell me what they brought you in for in the first place.”
“They picked me up when they thought I was the one that stole a car with the intent of chopping it. They must’ve followed me, gotten me on security footage somewhere. Man, I don’t know where they got that information from, but I was out minding my own business and then next thing I know, I was being handcuffed.”
“Goddamn it, Chalupa. You have to get better at covering your tracks, man. I don’t know how much trouble you’re in right now, but we’re gonna get you out of this mess. I need you to lay low for a little while. No trying to run any jobs while you’re here. You wouldn’t want your mother finding out about what you’re truly doing out there. You don’t wanna break her fragile heart, do you, Chalupa?”
“Not at all. I’ll lay low, I promise. Though, Moves, I need to tell you, I didn’t steal the car. I don’t know what kind of case they’re trying to build down at the LPPD, but they got it wrong. I didn’t think anyone would believe me,” he said.
“This is worse than I thought. If you’re being framed then we really have our work cut out for us. Lay low, I’ll be in touch soon enough,” I said, starting up my bike and taking off before he could say anything else. I worried that this was going to end up being bad for the entire club, because if anyone got close enough, they’d be able to start making connections about who we were and what we were involved in.I just have to make sure I don’t let that happen.
I didn’t understand who could be behind this, wondering what they’d get out of having the Outlaw Souls framed. I thought for a moment that it had to be one of our rival gangs, trying to take us out once and for all, but until I knew more I had to be smart about this. I couldn’t let Chalupa walk into another trap, and I had to make sure that everyone had what they needed to protect themselves.
If we really do have a threat on our hands, it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to take a swing at one of us again.
Four
Lacey
It felt good to be home again, especially after being in the office late every night for the last few weeks. I sat for a moment, peering over my coffee table at the cases I was working on, wondering if Richard was right about my life. I was so consumed with work that I had forgotten what it was like to let loose and enjoy myself every once in a while. I knew his heart was in the right place, but there was no way I’d ever consider going out with someone that he lined up for me. Judging from the people he spent his downtime with, I knew they wouldn’t be the right fit for me.
I truly believed that I didn’t have any time for such things, that my life was far too complicated, and I had to stay focused on my career if I wanted to get anywhere. It was the kind of lifestyle that left me exhausted, but utterly fulfilled. I wasn’t sure there was a place for romance in my life, but I was starting to warm up to the idea of at least giving it a try.
I ventured off into my small kitchen to put the kettle on the stove for another cup of tea to get me through the next round of paperwork I had to deal with, but right as I filled it up and set it down, I heard a knock on my door. I looked through the peephole to see my next-door neighbors waving, waiting for me to open up the door.
“Hello, Lacey! It’s nice to see you home for once!” said Lily, my delightful neighbor. I didn’t get to see much of them with my job being so demanding.
“It’s nice to see you too, Lily and Bailey. What brings you both around?” I asked.
“Well, we’re having a little birthday celebration tonight over at our place, and we’d like for you to join us,” Bailey said, with a big, beaming grin on her face. “I know that you’ve been crazy busy, and to be quite honest I didn’t even know if you were going to be home today, but since you are, we’d both love it if you joined us.”
“I don’t know, I have a lot of work I need to get through, and I don’t have nearly enough time,” I said, even though I was really contemplating joining them.
“Well, if you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to come by. Our door is always open,” Lily said, and I smiled at her. It was kind of them to open their door to me, and at that moment, I was trying to convince myself that I needed to focus on work, but then I remembered the conversation I’d had with both Richard and Mona earlier. They both wanted me to branch out, and I was starting to think that it was maybe something I needed to do.
“Thank you both very much,” I said, watching them walk away while I shut my front door. I stood behind it for a moment, knowing that it wouldn’t hurt to step away from work for the night just to have a little fun. I remember how my mother would tell me that I had no social life, and that going through the motions every day would start to get rather boring if I didn’t do something exciting every once in a while. I started rummaging through my closet for something to wear, having absolutely no idea how to dress for the occasion, or any occasion for that matter.
It had been such a long time since I’d worn anything apart from my comfortable blazers and straight-legged pleated pants. I wanted to throw on a pair of jeans, pull my hair back, and get out of my comfort zone for a little while. So I took a hot shower, organized all of the case files on my coffee table before slipping into my outfit of choice. The light-blue denim hugged my hips comfortably while I slipped into a black lace-trimmed camisole. I took one look in the mirror and I truly didn’t recognize myself. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d dressed up with a place to go, and I couldn’t help but bask in the moment.
Evening approached when I finally made it out the door, watching the cars pull up outside of Lily and Bailey’s home. For a moment, I staggered back, wondering if I should turn around and head back inside my house because it dawned on me that I didn’t know anyone. I barely knew Lily and Bailey as it was, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy meeting all these new people, especially after not having much of a social life for more months than I could count. I decided to swallow my fear, lock my front door, and head over to their house, where I rang the doorbell, and was greeted by a smiling Lily.
“You came! Oh my goodness, I’m so glad,” she said as she came in for an embrace. I hugged her back politely while she dragged me inside, and I took in how beautifully decorated her home was. Everything was in its perfect place, with eclectic vases on the bookshelves, different variations of plants lining the windowsills, and sheer curtains that would let a lovely amount of sunlight into each room. It was such a step up from my home, which was a bunch of furniture that I bought in an estate sale because I was too busy to make it to any furniture showrooms. I took whatever I could find, getting the basics down so I could focus on work.
The worry still settled in the back of my mind that I was losing precious time by being here, but I wanted to enjoy myself, and I knew that I would probably be better off if I did so. Everyone had already been laughing, drinking, and enjoying themselves to the fullest when I arrived, but I realized just how much I wanted in on the action. I felt the adrenaline course through me as Bailey came over and handed me a drink in a red Solo cup. I downed the thick liquid that burned into my throat, finishing it with a smile.
“Well, there is certainly more where that came from,” Bailey said, taking my empty cup away so she could bring me another even after I told her I was good.
“Would you like something to eat, Lacey? Please, help yourself to whatever you’d like. I want you to meet a few of my friends and my incessant brother,” Lily said, shooting a look at one of the guys that was leaning on the fireplace, acknowledging my presence with a little tilt of his head.
“This is Ryder, Bailey and my brother, and that’s Paige, our sister,” she said, pointing everyone out while they waved back at me.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is Lacey,” I said, feeling rather intimidated by all of them. They all looked like they had quite the bond, and for a moment I began to wonder what I was really doing there. I couldn’t help but notice how nice everyone was, and how great it felt to strike up a conversation or two with them. Paige was the first to fully introduce herself, sitting me down while Bailey brought in another round of drinks, so we could all get to know each other a little better.
