“Sorry, we are about to close,”Easy calls stepping out of the row stopping short when she sees me standing the foyer of the Shelby-Love Library.
“Oh hey, Saban,” Her wave is hesitant and her gaze little wary. We haven’t seen each other since the night of the celebration of Angel defeating Rudy.
Stepping closer, she stops, her eyes raking over my face. Slowly she draws closer, concern and questions etched on her face.
“We have to leave here.” Biting my bottom lip to stop the onslaught of emotion threatening to break free, I manage to get out the words but barely.
Grabbing me, she pulls me close. “Shh,” hugging me she whispers. “Whatever it is. We can fix it. Angel and Snake will make it right.” Her promise breaks my heart all over again — for us both.
“No.” Snatching back I dash the tears away. “C’mon, we need to get out of here before they come looking for us. Kandie is waiting for us. Lock up.” My words are clipped. I can hear the mental clock ticking. The desperation in my voice is apparent in the harshness of my tone.
Easy, bless her heart, hurries to lock the library doors.
Together we rush to the back of the building, where I parked my bike. There is little chance people didn’t see me and will probably report back to Snake, but once we are on Love land, we will be safe.
Handing her a helmet, I get on front, and she takes the back seat.
In seconds we are eating up the asphalt down the road to Mimi’s house, where Kandie agreed for us to meet.
She said the shed behind Mimi’s house was their clubhouse when they were little girls. They hung out there until they went off to college.
Kandie says it’s mostly deserted now that no one has a new generation to take over yet. Still, it’s clean and well maintained when we arrive, looking at the lightly faded exterior. I care only that Snake knows nothing about it.
The door flies open before Kandy pulls us in and looks around outside anxiously.
“Did anyone see y’all?” she quizzes me.
“Probably,” I shrug. “It’s pointless anyway. Angel de la Muerta runs these two towns and most of the southeast, letalone the state. How do you think to stop him or get us out?” The words are bitter, drowning in hurt and fear, even to my own ears. Easy’s shocked gaze races between me and Kandie. “Wait. What’s going on?”
“You didn’t tell her?” Kandie asks, sounding both tired and accusatory.
“No time. Look, I know Angel is your husband. Hell, he was like a brother to me…”
Heaving a deep breath, I feel myself getting emotional, “I never would have thought—” I feel sick to even say it, choking on the words, I clamp my mouth shut. Afraid if I say anything else I’ll dry heave.
“Those motherfuckers dirty.” Unscrewing her flask, Kandie takes a fortifying swig before waving her arms in a large arc. “All of them. Angel, Snake, Rocco, that tall fine young’un, Pastor?—”
“Padre,” Easy corrects looking like she is about to be sick too.
“Yeah, him and old funky ass Ulysses holier-than-swiss-cheese-ugly-ass Shelby,” she spits than man’s name out with venom only love betrayed can breed. I can’t say I don’t feel the same.
“They brought kids here, Ezekiel-Jane. Kids. Some of them like three or four. For nasty motherfuckers to fuck on.” Kandie tells her bluntly.
“Woah,” Easy raises her hands, shaking her head in denial.“No way. Angel told me to my face he’s never dealt in kids because of what happened to him.”
“That’s what I thought too, Easy.” Cringing, I press on with the truth. “Snake and I had a big fight the night of the celebration. He’s been acting all fucked up after what happened with Rudy. I don’t know.” I shrug, confusion giving way to realization. He’s probably gaslighting me. “Like it was my fault.” Another shrug, this time stiff and angry, as I continue saying my piece. “Anyway, I saw him leave and found him out ata warehouse in the middle of nowhere. You know they have scattered all over the place out here. When I got there. I saw Kandie. We waited until they left, and then we snuck in. We talked to some of the older girls. They told us everything. They said el Presidente of the el Diablos ordered their resettlement. That’s what they called it. One of the coyotes had already raped one of the girls and beat her up to test her out.”
Shaking my head, I try to erase the hollow look in the girl’s eyes. Looking as broken as I feel.
I see the moment disgust replaces doubt and rage ripples through Easy.
I can tell she trusts our words and takes every bit of it as truth.
“So what’s next?” She looks at us both, still looking stricken.
“I called the feds.” Kandie says, “You know we are always told to put our own work in as Loves, but there were over three dozen kids there. They are raiding their asses as we speak.”
On cue, Easy’s phone chimes. We crowd around as she looks down. It’s Angel.
