Disclaimer: Still don't own this! I'm not making money, so don't sue.

Author's Note: No Beta so I apologize for any errors. Reviews please my soul. *Nudge Nudge Wink Wink*

Chapter Three: Lirio de los Valles

I walk into the bathroom and silently search for Teresa. I find her, sitting on the toilet. I don't move closer, but she feel me looking at her.

"I'm trying to pee." She says, like I couldn't see that.

I don't acknowledge her statement. "I want to show you something."

We head toward the room where deliveries are packaged. The tell the girl to hand over a bottle of 'cooking oil' to Teresa so she can see how we hide our packages. She stares at it confused and the girl is annoyed, but opens the bottle at the cut midway down it and shows the brick of coke inside. She starts prepping Teresa's delivery. I remain silent during the exchange.

"It's your first delivery alone." I pause to let that the reality sink in, but she apparently isn't a morning person, because she just continues to look confused. "You're moving up in the world."

We grab her bag and head to her 'new' car. I start texting on my phone to send her the addresses for the two deliveries.

I hear the whoosh from her phone stating she got the message I sent. I grab her phone from her. That gets her attention.

"Here's where you're going. I've texted you both deliveries. These are the addresses. The first one is Sandra. She's expecting you."

And she stopped paying attention.

"You deliver; you bring the money back to Camila's club." I point to an address on the phone. "It's this one."

She turns back to the phone

"Okay?"

She takes the phone back so I assume she understands.

"You do not stop on your journey. That's how you get robbed or killed. I don't care if you hit something" We reach her car. A red, well mostly red Honda. One panel on the driver's side is grey. "A cat, a dog, a priest. You do not stop. Is that clear?"

She doesn't talk or nod, but I assume she hears me since she glares at me.

I hand her a screwdriver and open the door. "Here's the key. You might have to pump the gas a few times to start it." Shutting the door, I give my final warning to her as she buckles her seatbelt. "If you get busted, you say nothing. You just give them this card. It's a lawyer. You don't say anything."

She responds for the first time since I walking in on her trying to take a piss. "I think I've proven that already."

"Yeah, and it's been proven to me that people need reminding." People have short term memory loss when it comes to protecting themselves. I lean down to look at her with my arms on the open window track. "So, remember what I've been telling you. You've been given a job to do. So be smart, and don't even think about running. I guarantee you that shit will not work." My phone starts ringing. It's Camila. I tap my hand on the window track as a way to tell her she is good to go, before walking away to answer the phone. "Yeah. She's leaving now."

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I enter Camila's office at the club and she is sitting at her desk while on the phone.

"If you gave me more information, maybe I could help?" She asks the caller.

I am confused for a moment before I realize it must be Epifanio or Batman.

I don't hear the response on the other end. Then my cell phone rings.

It's Teresa.

"Yeah?"

"James? It's Teresa." She sounds worried.

"What's wrong?" This was a simple delivery.

The next voice I hear isn't a lovely soft Mexican voice, but Sandra's confident one. "Hey, James. This is Sandra. Yeah, we got some issues over here. Your girl's okay. They tried to hang us. But the rope broke."

"What's the damage?" I ask in my normal tone of voice, but inside I'm annoyed. Damn it!

"One dead asshole, one 'bout-to-be-dead asshole. But you need to get over here now."

I turn to Camila to get her attention and she is still on the phone. "Hold on." She tells the voice. "What's happening?"

"I'm on my way." I tell Sandra before hanging up to address Camila. "We've got a problem." I exit her office and head toward my SUV. I know Camila will follow me, but I don't wait.

I hop into my car and speed over to Sandra's.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

My tires screech as I pull up to a stop in front of Sandra's place.

I enter the house with my gun in my hand and Sandra is holding a revolver in her hand leaning against the counter. I eye her warily. Don't fuck with Sandra. I see the 'dead asshole on her side of the table in the middle of the kitchen. On the other side is the ''bout to be dead asshole. "This one alive, Sandy?" I ask her as I place my weapon back in the waistband of my jeans.

"He was a minute ago." She states simply meaning she did what is expected and didn't touch him before we have a chance to talk to him.

I give him a good kick to the mouth with my right boot. Blood sputters from his mouth and he groans. "Yeah, still alive."

Camila enters the quaint little house looking so out of place as she surveys the damage. Her eyes then fall to Teresa. "Are you hurt?"

Teresa is leaning against the other counter arms crossed trying to appear tough as she shakes her head in the negative.

I move out of Camila's way so she squat down before the 'still alive asshole.' "Who gave you the confidence to do this?" She asks with no emotion present. If I didn't know Camila, I would definitely be nervous right now.

"No one." She coughs out.

"You're bleeding so bad, you cannot even lie properly." She scoffs at his lie. "Is it Eric from Jimenez cartel? The Bird Man? Was it him?"

Oh fuck! I bet it was the idiot Bird Man. I really want to eliminate that douche.

The guy coughs again.

"It's okay." She says as she stands up. Her black and red dress smoothing out over her body. "We'll get that sorted out."

Finally, she is giving me permission to take him out. I gather Teresa's bag and hand it to her. The sooner I get Teresa moving, the sooner we can discuss taking out Bird Man. "You got another drop-off."

But of course, Camila is still obsessed with Teresa. "No. Send someone else. She's had enough for today."

I nod my acknowledgement to Camila like a good soldier.

"You go back to the club now." She tells Teresa.

I take Teresa's bag and place it on the counter.

"Sandra, turn on the stove." Camila states calmly with one final look at the idiot laying on the floor coughing blood.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I stand in a dirt clearing as Camila approaches me. Now she really does look out of place. She really doesn't need to be here, but since she is, I ask her opinion of the spot we are in. "So, what do you think? Good?"

"Desolate."

Yes, it is. That's why I picked here.

"This place is as good as any." She gives me the okay. So, I give the signal to unload the two bodies so they can be truly disposed of.

I walk toward the front of the SUV. My job here is done.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

I lean over Camila's desk, staring intently at the surveillance footage. "I'll find her." I state simply. I can't lose her. For many reasons. One, Camila likes her. Two, I can't have her training go to waste. Three, I like her spunk.

Camila is too relaxed. "You don't need to."

I stare at her. She doesn't want me to find her prized pet.

"I know where she'll be. He's taking her to Culiacan, to my husband."

She should still be worried. If Epifanio gets ahold of her, Camila loses this war, but… "There's only one highway to get back to Mexico."

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

We are sitting in the Camila's office above the club. Music is pulsing in the background. I hear Teresa groan. She is awake.

"I've seen a lot of girls in my time who are trouble." I say around the cigarette between my lips. "And you…" I remove the cig to exhale a stream of smoke. I lean closer to her. "are trouble."

She shrugs her shoulders uncomfortable with my observations.

So, I change the subject slightly. "Did you see what he hit you with?" It is a serious question. Whatever he used is good. Camila's troopers woke her up at the stop about 90 minutes from Mexico and it isn't a short journey back to the club. She slept the whole journey they said.

She shakes her head to answer my question.

"Got to get me one of those." I say half joking before taking another drag of my cigarette.

"You know, you were lucky today. If Camila didn't have a few state troopers on her payroll…" I let my thought trail off, hoping she understands the seriousness behind my statements.

"What is she gonna do with Batman?" She asks. Why does she care? He tazzed and kidnapped her for the man who is obsessed with her for a reason he won't share with the rest of the class.

"That's between them." And it is. Camila has a plan. I don't need to know it to play my part. I have been trying to explain to her that the less you are involved the easier it is to escape, but that doesn't seem like an option anymore, so instead I decide to play on that big heart she has for others. I roll my cigarette between my fingers. "Between us, I've got a plan for a future, and it doesn't include getting killed by crossfire meant for you." I recline back into my seat. "Don't expect to get lucky again."

She straightens her posture a bit after my last statement; it must have sunk in a little bit. "Where can I get ice? Or not.

"Ice machine's down the hall." I turn the chair away from her slightly. She is stubborn, hard headed, and hopeless.

She stares me down for a few seconds, which I ignore, before going to grab her ice.

I move to sit on the back of a couch overlooking the club, lost in thought.

A few moments pass and Teresa returns with the ice in a rag. She sits with her legs crossed staring into space when Camila enters the room.

"You can go now." She dismisses her.

"You saved my life."

I look over to the women.

"Thank you."

Camila acknowledges her with a small nod.

"Why?" Good question. I wait with my arms crossed for Camila's answer.

"I have my reasons."

Teresa deflates at the non-answer she just received.

"Go get some rest." The second dismissal.

This one Teresa seems to understand. Why does she listen to Camila and not me?

"I still think it's a mistake." I say as Camila grabs her stuff of the desk. She turns to me, waiting to hear what I have to say. I stand up to face her uncrossing my arms. "We should've given her back to Epifanio in the first place." As much I like her spunk, she is dangerous to our organization. If Epifanio is truly this enamored by her there is definitely more to the story.

"Not all cards are meant to be played at once. She has a purpose. Her time will come."

Sometimes, I wonder why I bother to talk when no one listens. I am Camila's second for a reason, and yet my suggestions mean nothing. So, I change the subject. "And Batman?" I move closer to her. "I mean, do you really think you can trust him?" He is Epifanio's second. He's just like me.

"I don't know. But I'll be ready if it turns out I can't." She says quietly before exiting the office.

I pause and let that statement sink in before following Camila. I don't need to know the plan to be effective, it just helps.