Chapter 2

We landed in San Diego and immediately hired a car, heading south to Santo Padre. My solicitor had managed to obtain an address of a building owned by a Mr Obispo Losa, so that was our first stop. It was a drive in a blistering heat that we were not used to.

"I've changed my mind," Izzy declared, through the blast of the air conditioning, "you can do this by yourself. Take me back to the airport before I melt!"

"but I thought you wanted a cali tan?" I joked as she glared at me.

"I don't want to look like a lobster before we even get there," She complained.

"You won't have to wait long," I replied, looking at the sat nav, "I think we're nearly there." We both looked out the windows as we pulled up outside what looked like a scrap yard. I could see huge piles of scrap metal and there was a large sign labelled 'Romero Brothers scrap'.

We left our luggage in the are and hesitantly stepped out of the vehicle. The yard was vast, full of scrap metal and abandoned vehicles. To the one side there was an old trailer and a large green building with decking towards the back of the yard.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Izzy asked, and all I could do was shrug. Her guess was as good as mine at this point.

"Should we knock at the building or the caravan?" Izzy asked, whispering without realising she was doing it. I was saved from answering her, as the door to the building opened and a man walked out, carrying a box. I noticed with a jolt that his fingers weren't real. He smiled when he noticed us and walked over, with an almost spring in his step.

"Can I help you ladies?" he asked, setting the box on the floor.

"We are looking for a Mr Obispo Losa?" I asked quietly.

"Oh Obispo!" He said, and it was a relief that he seemed to recognise who we were looking for. "I can tell him someone's looking for him," He smiled, nodding. "He should be back soon. You can wait in here."

He walked back towards the building, gesturing for us to follow. Izzy and I exchanged a glance before shrugging at each other and following him.

"Ladies," he bowed, holding the door open for us, making me chuckle.

I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. The room was large and open, with a bar on one side and a pool table at the back. The guy hurried behind the bar and grinned at us.

"Can I get you anything…?" He trailed off, and I realised we hadn't introduced ourselves.

"Hope," I explained, "and this is Izzy." She winked at him, laughing when he grinned and blushed.

"Chucky," he introduced himself. "You ladies drink beer?"

"Anything that's cold, Chucky," Izzy declared and plopped herself on a bar stool. I followed suit and watched as Chucky popped the top from two chilled bottles and handed them to us.

"I'll make that call now," he told us. "Can I ask why you're looking for him?"

"Um," I twisted my fingers together nervously, "I'm looking for my brother. I think Mr Losa might know where he is."

"I understand," he nodded seriously. "Family is important."

I was saved from having to explain my weird story by the door banging open, making both me and Izzy jump.

"Yo, chucky! Fetch us some beers," A guy called as he walked in, flanked by three other men. They were all attractive in their own way, but the guy leading the pack was the one who caught my eye He was tall, with slicked back dark hair and deep brown eyes. They all stopped when they saw us and I noticed they were all wearing leather kuttes.

Oh shit, I thought. We've walked into a gang lair.

"What have we got her?" The guy in the front asked, looking from us to Chucky. I stayed quiet and squeezed Izzy's hand, hoping she'd take the hint. By some miracle, she did.

"This is Hope and Izzy," Chucky explained cheerfully. "They're looking for Bishop. I was just about to give him a call."

"Que quieres con pres?" A smaller guy spoke, but it just sounded like gibberish to me. I looked uneasily at Izzy, who looked as nervous as I felt.

"Cat got your tongue?" The third, stockier guy, asked. "Te hizo una pregunta."

Before I had time to respond, the fourth guy stepped forward. The leather on his back looked different, plainer, and he had kind eyes.

"We're not gonna hurt you," he said softly. "hablas espanol?" Something about his softness helped me find my voice.

"I know about 4 words in Spanish. One of them being espanol," I shrugged sheepishly, and smiled when the guy before me grinned.

"My bad!" The smaller guy said and the guys laughed.

"English it is," The kind guy laughed. "I'm EZ," he introduced himself.

"Are you?" I asked before thinking, relaxing when he laughed again.

"Ezekiel," he clarified.

"Hope," I returned and he nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Hope. They want to know why you're looking for Bishop," he explained and I frowned for a minute.

"Mr Losa?" I asked and he nodded. "I'm looking for my brother. I've been told he knows him."

"You sound a long way from home," The tall guy spoke again and, if I wasn't mistaken, he sounded defensive. "What makes you think Bishop knows your brother?"

"Um, honestly, I don't have much to go on. I only found about my brother a few days ago. My mum was trying to find him, but the only thing she found was Mr Losa has connections to him," I explained, embarrassed.

"Ah, same dad?" The tall guy asked, trying to piece things together. I nodded. "What's his name?"

"Um Tom," I told them and they all pulled a blank expression. "Tom Lowman?" I expanded, and that got a reaction.

"Holy shit, gringa," the smaller guy whistled.

"Happy?" The stocky guy asked and they all exchanged a look.

"Call Bish," The tall guy spoke after a moment, before looking back at us. "We're might know who you're looking for. Didn't know he had a sister. I'm Angel," he introduced, suddenly friendlier than before. "This is Coco and Gilly." I smiled and nodded.

"I have a horrible feeling he may not know either," I admitted, watching as Gilly stepped away, phone in hand.

"No shit," Angel said. "That's crazy." Gilly came back a moment later and nodded.

"Bish is on his way," He told us. As he leaned forward to get a drink from behind the bar, I noticed a gun in his kutte. By the way Izzy stiffened at my side, she must've seen it too.

"We can wait outside until he's here," I answered quickly, and we both scrambled to our feet. "We didn't mean to intrude."

"It's cool, you don't need to run off," he frowned. "He shouldn't be long."

"I need some fresh air. We've been travelling all day. Come with me Hope?" Izzy spoke quickly, practically running out the door. I went to go after her, stopping when Coco blocked the door, a cigarette in his hand.

"Let me go," I said quietly, trying to remain calm.

"You need to wait for Bishop," he answered.

"I just wanted to wait with m friend," I explained. "This is a lot to take in. We don't know you."

"We're not gonna hurt you," Ez spoke.

"Right," I answered sarcastically, thinking about the gun.

"Whoa, what's happening here?" Angel asked, looking confused. "We scared you? How?" I looked in his eyes, who seemed like his question was genuine.

"The gun," I whispered, looking over at Gilly. "We saw your firearm."

"So?" Angel responded, still seeming confused.

"They're British, Angel," Ez answered, before I could say anything. "Guns are illegal there. Probably never seen one before."

"Oh….OH," he seemed to understand. "We ain't gonna hurt you, Chica Bonita. Look," he reached in his kutte and pulled up his gun, laying it gently on the bar and stepping away from it.

"Sorry, this is a lot. Can I go outside please?" I asked quietly. I felt relieved when Coco moved out the way.

"Don't leave the lot," Angel explained. "Sorry but we need to clear it with Bishop. You're not in danger though. Ez will go with you." He nodded and I quickly exited the building.

Izzy was pacing up and down and threw her arms around me the second she saw me.

"I was so worried," she whispered. "What are we gonna do?"

"We're going to wait and talk to… Bishop," I told her and she looked at me like I was mad.

"Are you crazy? They could kill us!" She exclaimed. I noticed EZ tactfully pretending not to hear us.

"They're not going to hurt us," I told her firmly, surprised that I believed what I was saying. "They just need to verify our story. Make sure we're telling the truth."

"Why would anyone lie about something like this?" she hissed.

"We're not in Kent anyone, Hun. I think life's a bit… rougher round the edges here," I sighed, sitting on the steps with her.

"I love you H, and I've got your back always," she said, clasping by my hand. "But what if… your brother is one of them? Part of a gang?"

"Club," EZ corrected, confirming my suspicion he'd been listening the whole time. "We're not a gang. It's a club. And if Happy is your brother, he's not one of ours." He didn't say anymore and I didn't ask. I was too distracted by the row of bikes in the yard.

"Wow," I couldn't help but say.

"You ride?" EZ asked and I shook my head.

"One of them yours?" I asked and he nodded, pointing to the one closest to us. Both Izzy and I looked at them appreciatively.

"Nice," She commented, "but what the hell is that noise?" We could both hear a rumbling, getting progressively louder.

"That's who you're waiting for," EZ explained, as four more bikes came into the lot.

"Maybe she should wait inside," I suggested, suddenly nervous.

"Good idea," Izzy agreed quickly and we went back into the clubhouse, where Angel, Coco and Gilly were waiting. We watched as the other guy walked in. They all embraced each other and Angel had a brief, quiet discussion with whom I assumed was Bishop, before pointing at us.

He walked over to us and pulled up a chair. He had a calm aura about him and I didn't feel threatened.

"I'm Bishop," he introduced, holding his hand out. "Heard you were looking for me?"

"Hope," I confirmed, shaking his hand. "This is Izzy. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've been told you may know my brother, Tom Lowman."

"Happy?" He looked surprised. "Never heard him called Tom before. Who says I know him?" He asked suspiciously. I shrugged my shoulders helplessly.

"Like I told the others, I don't have much information. My mum told me I have a brother, gave me his name and said she couldn't find him, but whoever was digging found that you may have connections with him," I told him, knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

"And you didn't think to ask her for any more information?" A guy with long hair behind Bishop asked. I stared at him coolly.

"She's dead," I answered him shortly.

"Asshole," Izzy muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Bishop told me, and he seemed sincere. "when did you find out about your brother?"

"5 days ago," I confessed. "My mum passed away 12 days ago. She left it in a letter."

"Jesus," Angel hissed. "Man, that's rough."

"It was always just the two of us," I admitted. "I never knew my father. I guess my mum didn't want me to be alone," I was embarrassed to find my eyes filled with tears as I said this. Izzy didn't hesitate to put her arms around me.

"You're not alone," She insisted. "Not ever."

"Thanks," I told her, embarrassed. "Sorry," I directed at Bishop.

"You don't need to apologise. You've been through a lot. Do you know anything about your father? Something I could verify with Happy?" I was embarrassed all over again.

"Uh… the only thing I know is that he's in prison for life, no parole," I cringed, thinking I'd be judged on my father's crimes.

Surprisingly, the only reaction I got was a snort from the guy standing behind Bishop.

"Figures," he said. "Como padre como hijo. Crees que puede verificarlo?"

"English, Taza. Let's not be rude," Bishop snapped, causing the guy to scowl. Turning back to me, he added, "I'm going to make a call to the guy we think could be your brother. I'm sorry for all the questions. Round here it's not safe to just give out people's information. I'm sure you understand," he smiled when I nodded "You mind waiting?" It was so much nicer to be asked than told.

"We don't have anywhere else to be," I laughed, winking at Izzy, who grinned. Bishop nodded and went into another room, followed by Taza.

"I think our chances of being murdered have reduced slightly," Izzy whispered in my ear and I laughed.

"Stop," I giggled.

"What are you two giggling about?" Angel asked, taking a seat next to me. I could smell his cologne and his proximity made me nervous.

"Nothing," I laughed. Chucky handed us all a beer, grinning when I thanked him.

"You're welcome!" He declared and walked over to serve Coco and Gilly.

"He's a weird dude," I muttered and Angel snorted.

"Yeah he is. We won him in a card game," he told us. I looked up to see if he was joking but his brown eyes were deadly serious.

"I'm not even gonna ask," I told him and he shrugged.

"Probably for the best," he said, taking a swig of beer. The conversation ended there as Bishop came back into the room.

"Son's say Happy is away for a few days on a run. Should be back in a week and then he'll ride down. Until then, he's requested you stay here. I've told them you can," he informed us.

"What are the sons?" I asked, at the same time Izzy asked, "what kind of run?"

There was an awkward silence where nobody responded.

"If Happy is your Brother he'll decide what he wants you to know," Bishop finally said. "Until then, don't ask questions." He wasn't unfriendly but, for the first time, I heard the authority in his voice. I nodded in understanding.

"The guys will show you the dorms. Kitchen is out back. Make yourselves at home."

"Thanks Bishop," I told him sincerely. "I'm sorry we've been kinda dumped on you." He smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. The sons have got our backs and we've got theirs. If you are Happy's sister… that practically makes your familia," He told me and I couldn't help but smile.

"Can we go sightseeing?" Izzy asked, and they all looked at us confused. "We've never been to the states before. We've got all week, right? Practically a holiday." Bishop seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding.

"I don't see why not. But don't leave the compound alone," he warned us. "Take a patch with you." We must have looked confused as to what a patch was, as Angel, Coco and Gilly all pointed to their leather. I nodded in understanding, blushing.

"Where's your stuff?" Coco asked, looking around.

"Probably frying in the heat," Izzy quipped and Gilly laughed.

"Our hire car is outside," I explained. "Our stuff is in the boot."

"I'll get it," Ez said, "You got the keys? I'll bring it into the lot." I handed him my keys without a second thought.

"Let's get you princesas settled in, shall we?" Angel said, leading the way to the dorms. Gilly opened the first door on the left, holding it open to Izzy. She smiled and I was surprised to see her blush. Interesting.

I carried on following Angel to the end of the corridor, where he opened the door for me.

"Thank you," I told him, as he showed me the room. It was pretty basic, with a bed, a wardrobe and a door leading to what I guessed was a bathroom. But it was clean and welcoming.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about earlier," Angel said to me, making me smile.

"It's ok. I can see we stirred things up a bit by coming here," I shrugged. "I'm sure you were just being protective of your club." He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling.

"I'm guessing you don't come from a neighbourhood like this," he said, rubbing his fingers down his cheeks. "We don't strap because we want to start something. We do it to protect ourselves. Our families." He sat on the bed and, after a moment, I joined him.

"Are we in danger here?" I asked him quietly.

"No," he answered bluntly. "You're with us now. The club's got your back."

"And if this Happy guy is my brother… is he in the club?" I asked. Angel let out a breath.

"Nah," he laughed to himself. "He's in a motorcycle club like us, but not this club. You really don't know anything about him?"

"No, I really don't," I shook my head.

"That shit is fucked up. I'm sorry about your mum," he said and I looked up in surprise. "Ez and I lost our mum 8 years ago. It still eats him up." Without thinking about it, I put my hand over his.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. Guess we're all a bit fucked up, huh?" I tried to make a joke to lighten the mood. He didn't respond, staring deeply at me.

"I don't think you're fucked up," he said quietly. "Creo que eres hermosa." My heart thudded in my chest as he linked our fingers together and leant towards me. I wanted so badly to kiss him. My eyes closed as I let his cologne wash over me, until the door banged open, making us both jump.

"Oh, my bad!" Coco said, as we sprang apart. "Bish wants us in Templo to plan the run."

Angel nodded and stood up, looking back at me as he got to the door.

"Settle in, make yourself comfortable," he said, looking nervous. "Maybe later I can take you girls for something to eat?"

"I'd like that," I smiled, and he left.

Maybe these biker boys weren't so bad, after all.