“I have my sources, confidential of course. So, what do you usually do for your birthday?”
“Nothing much, usually just hang out at the club,” he says, but I can tell he wants to say more.
“And is that what you want to do this year?”
“Um… I was thinking about doing something different.” He looks at me nervously. “Hopefully something with you?”
I don’t bother trying to hide the smile on my face.
“I would love to spend your birthday with you. What did you have in mind? You want me to arrange something?”
“Nah, I’ve got it covered, I was just building up to asking you.”
“But it’s your birthday, I should be treating you.”
“Yeah but, I had an idea of what I want to do so I arranged it. I just want you with me, Elizabeth.”
I don’t know how to respond to that, so I lean over and kiss him, until Brian coughs loudly in our direction through the kitchen hatch.
“Fucking pendejo,” Angel whispers.
“Shh,” I giggle, before moving away from the counter and going back to sorting cutlery.
It wasn’t obvious from the parking lot, but as soon as we get within a few feet of my front door it’s clear it’s been kicked in. Splintered wood surrounds the lock and pieces of the frame stick out at odd angles.
“Get behind me,” Angel says, putting his arm out in front of me.
“It’s fine…” I try to brush it off, embarrassed that he’s seeing this. “I’m sure they’ve left, come on.”
Stepping around him, I try to reach for the door, but he grabs my wrist.
“Elizabeth, are you crazy?”
I turn, ready to take charge; this isn’t the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last, but the worried look on his face stops me. Instead, I gesture to the door and fall in behind him. He pushes it open with one hand and shines the flashlight from his phone into the doorway, as the light moves around the room, it’s clearly empty of people. He steps inside and switches on the main light.
“Shit,” he says under his breath.
“Can I come in now?” I ask, just wanting to get on and deal with the fallout.
“Yeah, they’ve gone. They’ve messed up all your stuff though, I’m sorry.”
I sigh. “I know, this happens sometimes, when they see there’s nothing valuable, they leave.”
“What?” he says, “Are you telling me this has happened before?”
“Yeah, that’s why I used to go and stay with Donovan sometimes, until my door could get fixed.”
His expression is one of pure fury and he’s clearly lost for words. I don’t know what else to say, so I pick up the suitcase, giving it a quick check over before roughly folding my clothes and placing them inside. I purposely don’t look at him while he paces around the space, but out of the corner of my eye I see him clenching and unclenching his fists.
“Elizabeth,” his voice is firm as he comes to a stop.
“What?” I ask, I’ve never seen him this angry before and it’s kind of scary.
He pauses, as though rethinking what he was going to say, before sighing, “We can’t take the suitcase on my bike, so fit what you can in your backpack, and I’ll come back for the rest of your stuff tomorrow.”
“The door should be fixed tomorrow, so I only need stuff for a day.”
“No fucking way. There is no way you’re ever coming back here again. Tomorrow, we’re getting you out of your contract and you’re moving into the clubhouse.”
