I go on to explain to him about how voting works at the club, it’s ‘majority rules’, and there are seven of us. Tipo and Walrus follow El Jefe with whatever he feels is best, they’re his guys. But Tank, Slim, and Pretty Boy, if I asked them to,they’d follow my vote. So even if El Jefe votes one way, I have the power to swing the vote the other way.
“That’s a lot of responsibility for you,” Miguel says, taking a drink.
“Yeah, it is.”
“And this time, whichever way the vote goes, neither ends well. You’re either backed into a corner by another club, who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, or you have to get your hands dirty with them.”
“Exactly,” I say.
He mulls over what I’ve said so far, swirling the amber liquid around his glass.
“What else did Frank have to say?”
“The usual stuff I’ve been hearing all my life, the club comes first, nothing is better than the open road, the brotherhood, you have to put that above all else no matter what.”
“Hmm.” He nods and thinks for a moment. “What happened next?”
“That was it,” I say, “I left and came to see both of you.”
“Yes, but what happened to Frank next?”
“What do you mean?”
He chuckles. “It’s not a trick question; I mean it literally. What happened to Frank next?”
I shrug. “I dunno, a guard came and took him back to his cell.”
“Exactly.”
I look at him confused, no idea what point he’s trying to make…
He sighs. “Frank is talking about the club and the open road, how they’re the most important things, but he spends twenty-three hours a day in a cell, and he’s never getting out. He’s never going to ride again, the only road he’ll see is from a prisontransport vehicle.”
He pauses for a moment, studying my face.
“If the club gets back into criminal activity, that’s where you’ll end up too, is that what you want? Because if it is, then go ahead. Vote, you know your guys will follow you, and that can be your life. Or, you step out from behind your father, and you make your own path.”
I shake my head. “It’s not that simple.”
“I never said it would be simple, especially if the rest of your club wants to get back into criminal activity too.”
“No… That’s not what I meant. I don’t think any of us want to get involved in the illegal stuff again.”
“So vote that way, and focus on finding a solution to solve the problem with the other club.”
“I can’t vote that way,” I say, even I can hear the heaviness in my voice.
“Why not?” he asks.
Shit… I’ve never told anyone this…
“When Frank went to prison, I made a deal with him.” I look at Miguel and see the realization cross his face as he puts two and two together. “If I follow his lead on club business and stay loyal to him, he’ll leave Mom and Donovan alone. And now he’s added Elizabeth into that deal too. If I go against him, they could all be in trouble.”
Miguel starts to say something, but he’s interrupted by my mom shouting across the kitchen.
“You what?”
“Mamá,” I say, standing and moving towards her, I hadn’t even heard her come back downstairs.
