They sat down in a booth right near the bathroom, but I couldn’t get a close enough look at them to see their faces, in case they come around the next time I was visiting Ortega’s for more clues.
I finished up my meal as quickly as I could, rolling the heel of my shoe while I tried to convince myself that I was making the right decision, but I had to make a move. I stood up to leave, throwing enough cash on the table to cover the bill, and headed to the back where the bikers were huddled over their menus. I played the part expertly, rolling my heel again, tripping just enough to grab ahold of their table, startling them.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. This stupid shoe,” I said, tucking the loose strands of my hair behind my ear while they all looked up at me and smiled. The man sitting directly across from where I stood nodded at me kindly.
“It’s not a problem at all,” he said, and I walked off into the bathroom, making sure I remembered each and every one of their faces.
I turned on the tap, trying to waste some time before heading back out, but for some reason, my heart was pounding in my chest. I couldn’t understand why, and I couldn’t put the feeling in the pit of my stomach into words, but I had a bad feeling that they were connected to all of this somehow.
Get yourself together, Lacey. You have to see this through, no matter what it takes. This is your job. If the DA thinks you can pull this off, then you’re going to have to get a whole lot better at playing the part.
I dried my hands and left, smiling at them as I passed and headed out into the scorching heat to get back into my car and return to the office.
I hated that I was going to show up without a sliver of evidence or anything pointing to any criminal activity happening anywhere near Ortega’s Autos, but I knew I still had a lot of digging to do if I was going to be sure. As I drove back, I started plotting my next move, debating how I was going to get close enough to start asking questions without anyone suspecting me. I had a feeling I would be seeing a lot more of those bikers the next time I headed back to Ortega’s, and I knew I had to play this smart.
Don’t let them catch on. You have to play the part.
Nine
Moves
I needed to clear my head, so I decided to take a solo ride out to Vegas to blow off a little steam and start thinking about how we were going to take care of the situation at hand without getting anyone else hurt. I could feel the fear settle into my bones, the worry that we were about to face something much bigger than just a petty theft, and I wasn’t going to stand by and watch the Outlaw Souls get taken out.
I promised myself that once things were settled with Chalupa, I was going to make sure Hawk and I had the time we needed to start looking into what really happened the day Chalupa got picked up. I truly believed that there had to be a slip-up somewhere, a clue that would point us in the right direction of the person responsible for trying to get the police on our tail. The drive gave me the time I needed to think, to reminisce about how far we’d all come since Padre had died.
I realized that I was going to have to start thinking about other options when it came to finding an attorney that would be willing to represent Chalupa, especially knowing the reputation we had around La Playa.
I’d been estranged from my family for years, barely even remembering a family other than the Outlaw Souls, because over time, I tried my best to block out the memories and the pain that came with it all. I knew that I would have to face them all at some point, and now I was starting to think it was time I got in touch with my brother, who was working as a criminal defense attorney. I could only hope that he would be willing to help.
I knew I was going to have to live through the spiel of him telling me that I should’ve stayed in touch, that I should’ve been a better brother, but I’d tried my best to leave that part of my life behind and move on to better things. I found a home and people to care about when I joined the Outlaw Souls, and I never had any reason to look back. However, now one of our own was in trouble, and I truly believed that my brother could point me in the right direction of someone who would be willing to represent Chalupa.
I hated how I felt whenever the memories of my past life came flooding back in, remembering what it was like to be raised in an abusive home alongside my brother, Keith. It was the kind of pain that would stick with me for the rest of my life, making sure that I never acted that way out of anger or duress, no matter how tempting it might be to give in to that anger. I thought about how scared we had been as boys, how hard it was for us both to get away from that life and look to a brighter future.
I wasn’t even sure that Keith was going to talk to me, but I had no choice other than to find out for myself. I was surprised that he was still hanging around Vegas, but I supposed that was where he had built a home for himself, as I had in La Playa. I worried that he wasn’t going to want to hear me out, brushing me off the same way I did to him when I decided to leave all of it behind, but I had to convince him that it was something important. He had an inkling of what I’d been up to, but I tried to keep the details to a minimum because I knew where he stood with the law, and it only made things more complicated between us.
I arrived at his home, or the place where I’d last seen him, and got off my bike, taking a deep breath before walking up the few steps to ring the doorbell. I watched the door open behind the screen, and there he was, looking older and more exhausted than when I’d seen him last, but he didn’t seem too happy to see me. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he decided to slam the door in my face for how I’d behaved last time we spoke, but instead, I watched his eyes soften, realizing that he could already tell that I was there on business.
He came out into the front yard with me, and I heard the soft murmurs of who I believed to be his family as he shut the door. I already felt like he didn’t want me there, but to see him doing so well for himself, knowing that he didn’t need me anymore, made me feel a little hurt, even if I didn’t want it to. We stood there in silence for a moment.
“What are you doing here, Michael?”
“I didn’t mean to drop in here unannounced, Keith, but I need help.” I could tell that he was trying to read the expression on my face to see how bad it really was.
“I don’t know why you would need my help when you have an entire army of bikers at your disposal.” I didn’t take it to heart, because I felt like I deserved it after the way I treated him.
“It’s not something they can help with, Keith. One of them has gotten into some trouble with the law and he needs representation. I’m here to ask if you can point me in the direction of someone who could help.” I could tell that he wasn’t having any of it.
“Criminals go to jail for their crimes, Michael. That’s just the way it is, and whatever your little biker friend did to get picked up by the police, I’m sure he deserves it,” said Keith.
“He doesn’t deserve it, Keith because he didn’t do anything. He’s being wrongfully accused. I never would’ve come here if I thought that Chalupa was guilty. Please, Keith, I’m begging you. I’m running out of options, and if I don’t get him representation soon, then the LPPD are going to be sending an innocent man to prison. I know even you wouldn’t want something like that.”
“Fine. I’m going to give you the name of a guy I know in La Playa. Tell him I sent you and he’ll get you the help you need. You better be telling the truth, Michael. I can’t take any more lies.”
“It’s the truth, brother. He needs help, and I promised that I was going to get him out of this mess.”
“You should be in good hands, Michael.” I knew he was trying to get me to leave before his family had a chance to ask any questions, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting our relationship get as bad as it was.
I wondered if there was ever going to be a time when we reconnected, when we would be able to get past the trauma we’d both experienced as children, and finally be able to live as brothers once more. I knew that was probably wishful thinking, especially seeing as how involved he was with his job, how much he valued the justice system, and my involvement with the Outlaw Souls.
