Chapter 3

Three

Lobo

It's been way too long since a woman has taken my breath away.

Initially, I was annoyed when Coca asked me to walk over to the bakery to pick up an order she'd placed. There were quite a few other people that could do it instead. Of course, I knew everyone was busy trying to make sure we had everything we needed to have the compound move-in ready, but what's the point of being the vice president of an MC if I have to do all the grunt work, like picking up food?

I didn't want to seem like a bitch about it, so I grumbled and walked out of the large space toward the small bakery that I'd been in a million times before. Magda was almost like one of the family.

Her bakery had been in town ever since I was a little boy. It's a staple.

If I'm being honest, it’ll feel good to finally be able to taste one of her arepas or some of her coffee again.

What I wasn't expecting was to see this obviously skittish yet undeniably beautiful woman standing behind the counter with her.

Magda has always worked alone. Except for the few times she's tried to take on a little help, I could count on one hand the number of times I've come here and seen anyone besides her behind that counter.

She's not from here. There's no way I'd have missed her if she was from town. Sure, we've been gone for a few years, but the people in this area very rarely moved away or had any new people move in.

"?Hola! Qué bueno verte. " Magda walks out from behind the counter to kiss my cheeks and wrap her arm around me in a hug. I accept the affection, but I don't have much to say in return. I'm too busy staring at the other woman, and she's too busy staring at me. I'm pretty sure if a stiff wind blew through the bakery, she'd fall over.

I tilt my head slightly and smile at her. It's enough to break her from her trance, and she quickly rushes into the back.

"She's new," Magda says in a thick accent, and I nod my head.

When Magda begins pulling me in the opposite direction, I shake the thoughts of the woman out of my head. Of course, I'd like to know more about her, but I don't have the time or the patience to deal with someone who stares at me like I'm about to rip her head off. No, I've got a club to build back up and a crew of men who need me to be on my best game.

Magda gives me the heaping mound of food for the club, and I slide a few extra dollars in the bill for her. She deserves everything, and I only hope the few extra dollars will help her in some way.

I turn my head to scan for the woman I'd just seen, but either she disappeared or she's off hiding somewhere. Good for her. At least she knows to stay out of trouble.

Magda smiles as I walk to the front door and back out into the blazing heat.

I shouldn't be concerned with the woman, but something inside is basically screaming that I go back to her. Something dangerous that I can't afford to listen to.

After all, what's the point of caring about something else when it will more than likely just be taken away from me?

I've lost too much already. I'm not about to set myself up for another loss.

***

The heat makes the walk back to the clubhouse slower than usual. I've spent so much time away from my home that it's taking me a little longer to readjust. By the time I get back to the construction site, I'm already sweating.

"What's wrong with you?" Az walks up to me with his daughter in his arms. She's sleeping peacefully on his chest as he rocks her from side to side.

The little girl has a permanent place in my heart. She may not be mine, but I love her as if she were.

When AZ told all of us that he was going to be a father, I remember being worried, mostly because the man is a cold-hearted killer. Yet every time he gets around his daughter, it’s almost as if a whole different man emerges. It’s a sight to see.

“Nothing,” I huff and walk over to the foldable table Coca set up to hold the food she is bringing in. She wants us to celebrate with a little taste of all the foods we’ve been missing since we’ve been away.

Coca is definitely the mother hen of the group; she does whatever she can to make sure we’re okay both physically and spiritually.

“What are you talking about, nothing? You look like you just had a handful of shit shoved under your nose.” AZ chuckles, and I wince, looking at his daughter, who is still sleeping on him.

“I’m hot, tired, and ready to just get into bed. I don’t want to be around here playing errand boy.”

AZ’s eyebrows hitch upward, and he frowns just slightly. It’s not like me to complain about shit, but that’s exactly what I’m doing. “Really, AZ, I’m straight. I’m just ready for all of this to be over.”

“If you say so.” He shrugs and walks away, giving me one final look.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s suspicious of what I’ve said. It’s just his way. He may be a changed man when it comes to his wife Cari?a and their daughter, but with everyone else, he is the same old Azriel.

Just having Vado here cracking the whip, it seems like the workers are moving even faster than before. The final wall that needs to be paneled is already underway.

Swerving my way through the crowd of people, I get to the back where the majority of the club girls are busy chatting about how they are going to decorate both the clubhouse and Seda, our club massage parlor, when we finally get the establishment back up.

The asshole in me wants to remind them that they don’t have any say in the decoration of the clubhouse; in fact, the old ladies, Cari?a and Joanna, have more say than they do. But I also don’t want to start a fight if I don’t have to.

I poke my head around the corner to get Coca’s attention.

“The stuff is out on the table.” I should’ve known she wouldn’t be talking with the other girls about decorations.

Not when she had blessings and cleansings to take care of.

Coca is holding a wrapped bunch of sage; the very top of it is singed, and the smoke wafts around the room she’s in. She’s muttering a prayer, and I stand off to the side while she continues to walk through the room.

My mother was a huge believer in the spirits and angels, so I have a deeper respect than some of the other members of the crew.

Finally, just as she finishes, her gaze catches mine, and she walks over to me.

Her eyes are hard when she makes it to me, “ La viste ?”

With a deep groan, I let my head fall back before she smacks a hand on my chest to get my attention.

"Yeah, Coca, I saw her. Is that what you sent me over there for?" I should've known there was some ulterior motive behind her being so adamant that I go pick up the pastries.

"? Claro que sí! Didn't you see her? I mean, it's obvious she doesn't belong here. She's either running from someone or running toward someone. I'm guessing it's the latter."

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at her. "What's that got to do with me? Why is it my business what her issue is? I'm pretty sure there are a number of people in town that have problems. It’s not our job to take on all of them." I shake my head and clench my jaw.

Coca's face softens, and she places a hand on my bicep, giving it a slight squeeze.

"No, not for everyone, but for those who can't fight for themselves, yes. That used to be our problem. I hope all the bullshit that's happened over the past few years hasn't changed who we are as a club. I don't know if I can deal with that."

I see the disappointment in her eyes, and I hate it. Coca was never anyone's old lady, but she's been with us too long for us to just think of her as a club girl. If there was anyone I didn't want to disappoint, aside from my club brothers, it was her.

She's right about one thing, though. Before all this mess went down with us having to leave Puerto Rico and then the hell we went through with the Wings of Diablo club, this chapter of the RBMC was known for taking care of our little island. Nothing came through or happened here in Puerto Rico without us knowing about it. It's going to be hard to build that level of trust back up with the locals again.

“Did she specifically ask you for help, Coca?”

Coca sighs and flips her hand up. “No, but she was so scared I’m not sure she could form full sentences. Can you imagine how she feels right now? In a foreign place, all alone and scared, with no one to watch out for her? It’s not like she’s on the other side of the island; she’s right here in our backyard. We take care of home, remember?”

With that, Coca walks off, leaving me with my thoughts.

Of course, I could go to Vado with this, but he's already got so much on his plate making sure his wife and son are safe and getting the club back in order. AZ never really had the personal touch when it came to outsiders. Garro and Digger will probably just try to have sex with the woman. As much as I don't want to admit it, that only leaves me to find out what's really going on with her.

“ ?Cono! ” I curse and turn on my heel to go back out into the heat toward the bakery.

I don't want to do this, but I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight if I don't.

Thankfully, by the time I get back outside, the sun has already set, and it's starting to cool down. I'm in no real rush to get to the bakery. I'm pretty sure they're closed already. I'll make a show of it, though, and then when I get back to the clubhouse, I can tell Coca that the girl already left. Maybe she'll forget about it by tomorrow.

I doubt it, but I can hope.

Sure enough, when I turn the corner that leads to the dirt road going toward the bakery, I can already see that the shutters are down. There is one single light on upstairs where I know Magda lives, but besides that, I don't see any evidence that the mysterious woman who works with her is still on the premises.

I take a few more steps, getting close enough to see the lock on the gate.

“There. I checked,” I mutter to myself before I turn to go back to the compound. I'm sure everyone is going to be either eating or getting ready to go back to the hotel for the night.

I could've kept walking. Could've ignored the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, but that's never been my way.

There's a soft scuffle in the area that leads away from the bakery, and I silently make my way in that direction.

I'm shocked to see not an animal but the same woman I came here looking for, walking along a secluded path that leads away from the bakery.

There's nothing in that direction, but maybe she doesn't realize this isn't the best time to go exploring.

When we still had a place in this little village, I'd have said it was one of the safest places to be on the island, but it's been a long while. I'm sure there must be more crime going on nowadays that we're going to have to get a handle on.

The last time I saw her she looked like she was about to jump out of her skin. I’m sure if she saw me now she’d have the same reaction. Still I can’t let her wander off in the brush on her own. I’ll just follow her to make sure she gets home okay.

I move slowly. She’s shorter than I am so for every two of her steps is one of mine. When I watch her making her way toward the old cement factory a deep dread settles in my gut.

This can’t be where she’s going? Is she here to buy drugs?

The second I watch her pull back a thin blue tarp I know what I’m looking at. She lives out here. The dread I was feeling moments ago expands in my midsection and I can’t stay quiet any longer.

“Oye!” I yell out to get her attention.

She spins around, her face goes ghost white and once again she surprises me. She takes off running at full speed in the opposite direction. I race after her, jumping over disgarded tools and lumber.

My foot slips out from under me and I land with a thud onto the ground. “Damn it!” I yell as I push myself back up to my feet and give chase once again.

“Stop!” I yell but she’s not listening to me. In fact she is running deeper and deeper into the abandoned factory. Somewhere I’m sure she’s never bothered to check out because she’d know there was a huge sink hole coming up in the direction she’s running.

“Fucking stop!” I scream out again just as I hear her yelp.

“Help!” She screams. The terror in her voice is enough to push me to move faster. Sliding to a stop right at the edge of the broken in floor I lean over and see her hanging off a piece of rebar. The fall itself wouldn’t kill her but it’d be impossible for her to climb back out not to mention the filth and stagnant water that is pooled up underneath her.

“Give me your hand.” I reach forward.

Even in this fucked up position I still see the distrust in her eyes. She doens’t know me from adam and it’s clear she wants nothing to do with me.

After a moment she finally gives me her hand and I pull her back up onto solid ground. Her toes are not on the ground for more than a second before she pushes me away and crawls away.

“Leave me alone. Please leave me alone.” She cries.

Her tears slice at my aggitation. I don’t know what this woman has gone through but it’s clear that she’s been through something.

I take a few steps back and lift my hands so she can see that I’m not a threat. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you.”

“You’re a liar. He sent you didn’t he? Why are you following me?” Her hazel eyes lock onto me as she watches every breath I take. I’m sure she’s ready to run again at any given moment.

I groan when I realize what she said. ‘He sent you…’ That means Coca was right. Something bad is going on with this woman.

“No one sent me… well that’s not true. Coca sent me. She said she met you earlier today. She just wanted me to come check on you.”

Her eyes flit from side to side and her eyebrows cinch together. “I’m fine.”

“Bullshit. What are you doing back here?” I ask taking a step forward. She flinches but doesn’t run away.

“I don’t… I wasn’t doing anything.” She replies.

It’s killing me to see her still huddled up like that in the corner. Taking a deep breath I kneel down so I’m at her level. “Can you please come out from there. I know what I look like and I know you must be scared out of your mind but I promise you I’m not here to hurt you.” It feels more like I’m talking to an animal than to a woman.

She stares at me for a few moments before she slowly gets to her feet. Still she doesn’t move any closer to me.

“What’s your name?” I ask standing on my feet as well.

“Angela.” She answers quickly.

“I’m Lobo. Now what the hell are you doing out here?”

She looks down. Even in the darkening night I can see her face turning bright red with embarassment. “I sleep here.”

The anger I was trying so hard to hide from her burst forth and I growl hard before I put my hand out for her to take.

When I left out the clubhouse earlier I had no intention on taking on another mission but I’ll be damned if I let this beautiful stranger sleep in this mess either.

I don’t know what demons she’s got on her tail but I’m about to find out.