I couldn't talk to him straight away, there were too many of the guys hanging around. We ate dinner together in the club house, with the exception of Coco, who was still out with Letty, and Riz and Creeper, who were still out doing stuff for the club. After that I watched Angel and Gilly play a game of pool, before heading over to Izzy, who was sitting by herself.
"Hey best friend," I said softly, knowing she was still mad at me.
"Oh, you wanna talk to me now?" She hissed, "Is Angel busy?" I held my hands out in mock surrender, letting her know I had no intention of arguing with her.
"I guess I deserved that," I admitted, and she raised her eyebrows. "Come outside with me?" I was aware the guys were listening in. She nodded and we headed outside.
"It's been a crazy couple of days, huh?" I said, as we walked in the direction of the cage. I was surprised when she linked her arm through mine, and I knew I was forgiven.
"you're telling me," she replied, as we sat down against the wall of the cage together.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Iz," I told her earnestly, "It's been a crazy day."
"Nah, it's ok, I was being harsh," she replied, "I'm just afraid of losing you Hope."
"I'm not going anywhere," I told her firmly, and she shook her head.
"No but you're getting deeper into this club," she accused me. "with Angel."
"It's no different to you having breakfast with Gilly," I reminded her sagely. She stared at me, biting her lip and I knew she was debating whether to say what she was thinking.
"Just say it," I told her. If we couldn't be honest with each other, we were both fucked.
"I know the guys lied about what happened to you, today," She sighed.
"What do you want me to say to that?" I asked her after a minute of awkward silence.
"That's just it, I don't want to know," She said, shaking her head. "I know that you're learning things about them, and as you get closer to Angel, you're gonna get closer in the circle. But me? I don't want that. I just came to help you find your brother. Yeah, I like Gilly. But I'm content to be fucking ignorant of the whole situation."
"And that's cool Izzy. But then you can't get mad when I don't tell you stuff, or when sometimes I need to talk to Angel instead of you," I told her, turning to face her. She looked down at her hands.
"I know… I'm just scared to lose you, Hope. You're my best friend and it's always been us against the world," she explained.
"And it still is," I told her. "Hell, you flew half way around the world with me, Iz. You're like my sister. But Angel… he's important. I trust him, whether you like the club or not."
"It's not I don't like them," she explained. "They seem like good guys… and I really like Gilly. I'm just scared something is going to happen to you. Or me."
"It won't," I shook my head. "They'll take care of us." I knew deep down that it was the truth. Angel would take a bullet for me if he had to. It was crazy how quickly we had come to that point.
"Do you love him?" She whispered to me.
"I could," I told her honestly, "I've never met anyone like him."
"Nor me with Gilly," she admitted, laughing at herself. "But I'm not ready to be… 'in' on everything."
"It's cool," I told her, putting an arm around her. "If Gilly turns out to be the one, that is something you can work out together. Maybe he'd be happy to have a partner who is separate from the club."
"But that's not you, is it?" She asked, "You couldn't be with Angel and be kept in the dark."
I shook my head. She knew me so well.
"I can't deal with lies, or secrets. He's the one, Izzy, I can feel it. I'm just scared to tell him that just yet. But when I do… there can't be any secrets between us. I'm going to be all in," I told her, admitting out loud for the first time something I knew to be true. Angel and I were meant to be.
"And I've got your back with that, always," she smiled at me. "I like Angel, and it's so obvious he's into you." I blushed.
"You think so?" I asked her, not being able to help myself. She rolled her eyes at me.
"Dude, he's been checking you out all week. You two may think you're sneaky and coy about it, but the chemistry between you is so obvious," she laughed and I laughed with her. "Seriously though, I know I'm not ready to know it all, but I'm still here if you need to talk to anyone."
"I know that babe," I smiled at her and stuck my fist out, "me and you?"
"Against the world," she finished, fist bumping me before we both cracked up.
"It's cold out here," she grumbled, rubbing her arms. "Never thought I'd say that. I think I'm gonna go and find Gilly, see if he will warm me up." She giggled and winked.
"Get out of here, you filthy cow," I teased, watching her walk back inside.
I stayed outside, drinking in the fresh air and enjoying the peace and quiet for a few minutes. Though I was looking up at the stars, I knew the exact moment Angel stepped into the cage with me. I smiled, closing my eyes as he sat down next to me. I inhaled, his cologne filling my senses. He smelt like home.
"Are you ok?" He asked quietly, and I smiled again. My eyes still closed, I leant against him, feeling his fingers interlace with mine.
"Perfect," I whispered, as he leant his head on the top of mine.
"Yeah, this is pretty nice," he admitted. "You worried me today. Thought I might lose you." I opened my eyes and looked up at him.
"You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere," I told him firmly and he smiled.
"Sure hope not, hermosa," he said before catching my lips in a searing kiss. I smiled when we pulled apart.
"I really hate to ruin the mood, but I need to talk to you about something," I spoke and he raised his eyebrows.
"Okay?" He asked, waiting for the rest of it. I was about to tell him what I overheard in the bathroom when I heard EZ calling for Angel across the lot.
"Do you trust EZ?" I asked suddenly, and Angel frowned.
"Course I do, he's my brother," he answered, "what kind of question is that?"
"Who's Adelita?" I asked and he froze, right as EZ walked over to us.
"Sorry… am I interrupting?" He asked, looking questioningly between me and Angel.
"Where did you hear that name?" Angel asked me instead of responding to EZ, and I looked at EZ, unsure if I should say anything in front of him. "It's ok, you can say whatever it is in front of him." I nodded.
"Earlier, when I went to the bathroom, I overheard Bishop and Hank asking Chucky who the girl was that Coco was with today," I told them both.
"So?" Angel asked, still confused.
"They sounded like they thought Coco was hiding something from them. They then asked Chucky if Letty's name was Adelita," I shrugged, suddenly thinking maybe I'd misinterpreted the whole conversation. But Angel's eyes went wide and EZ swore under his breath.
"What?" I asked, looking between them both. EZ entered the cage and knelt next to Angel.
"Bishop thinks Coco is the fucking mole," he told him urgently and recognition dawned in Angel's eyes.
"Shit, that's why he's been separating us," he answered him, nodding. "Where's Coco now?"
"He's still out with Letty," EZ responded, and then they both seemed to remember I was there. EZ looked at Angel, clearly waiting for a signal on how to respond.
"It's cool, brother. I got this," Angel told him, and EZ nodded, walking back towards his trailer.
"You got what?" I asked, "what's going on Angel?" He didn't answer at first, lighting up a cigarette and taking a deep drag. I pulled my legs up to my chest, hugging myself, suddenly nervous to hear what he had to say.
"Does the name Gallindo mean anything to you?" He asked and I shook my head, confused at the turn of the conversation. I thought we were talking about Coco.
" Miguel Gallindo is the leader of the Gallindo cartel, one of the biggest cartels in Mexico," Angel explained and I exhaled.
"Shit, this is going to be bad," I sighed. I had watched enough Narcos documentaries back home to know that nothing he was going to say next could be good. He nodded.
"There is a group of rebels working against Gallindo, called Los Olvidados. It means the forgotten. It's made up of all the orphans whose parents were killed by Gallindo and his men. Adelita heads the rebels," he explained, looking up at the sky as he spoke.
"Ok… so why would Bishop thinks Coco has anything to do with her? And why would he be pissed if he did?" I asked, trying to piece it all together. Angel sighed, rubbing his hands over his hair in frustration.
"If I tell you this, there's no going back," he said, looking at me intently. "Do you get that?" I met his stare levelly.
"There's already no going back," I told him. "I made that choice the second I got in that car with EZ this morning." We stared at each other in silence for a few minutes, Angel looking for any shred of doubt in my gaze. When he didn't find any, he sighed again.
"Bishop would be pissed because we work with Gallindo," he muttered, and I knew without looking at him that he was worried about what my reaction was going to be.
"You run coke for the Gallindo cartel?" I asked, trying to keep my face blank of all emotions. The Mayans were in so much deeper than I ever imagined they were. Angel nodded and I let out a deep breath.
"That's not all," he told me and I raised my eyebrows. How could there possibly be more? I wondered.
"What is it?" I asked, and he took my hand, running his fingers along the back of it.
"A few weeks ago we were on a run for Gallindo, when we got jumped by the rebels. The coke was jacked and Bishop suspects one of us is working with the rebels behind the club's back," he explained, and suddenly the conversation I had overheard made perfect sense.
"Bishop thinks Coco is the mole?" I asked and Angel nodded, running his hands through his hair again. It must be one of his nervous habits, I noted. "But Letty isn't Adelita… so who's the mole?" Angel looked at me and I suddenly got a horrible feeling in my stomach. "You?" I asked him in disbelief.
"It's not like what you think," he said hurriedly. "Gallindo is an asshole who kills mercilessly. The rebels will win and when they do, I want my club to be on the right side of it. I'm in this for the future of the Mayans MC, and because everything Gallindo does is fucking wrong."
"But if Bishop finds out, they'll see you as a traitor," I whispered and he nodded.
"That's why no one can know we're having this conversation. Not even Izzy," he told me and I nodded. He didn't have to worry about that. "It's not just me. Coco, Gilly and EZ are in on it too. We're doing this for our club, not in spite of it." I nodded, trying to wrap my head around the whole thing.
"Thank you for telling me," I whispered, as we sat there in the silence.
"Now how the fuck do I get Bishop off Coco's back?" Angel asked himself, still staring at the stars. Watching Angel's internal conflict, I had a sudden longing for his touch. I reached out for him, taking his hand and, when he didn't resist, I made my way onto his lap. His arms snaked around me automatically, pulling me close.
"Angel, look at me," I told him, and he struggled for a moment before his brown eyes met mine. "It's going to be ok," I comforted him, kissing him deeply when he reached for me.
"I didn't want to drag you into this mess," he told me, leaning his forehead on mine.
"This isn't a mess, this is you doing what you think is right," I corrected him, my hands weaving through his hair. "Don't ever think that's something you need to apologise for."
"God damn, how did I do this before you? I need you," he confessed, pulling me in for another scorching kiss.
"Then take me," I told him, wrapping my legs around his waist and grinding against him. He groaned into my mouth, shaking his head gently.
"You have no idea how tempting you are, Hope. Don't tease me like that," he warned and I put my hands on his cheeks.
"I'm not teasing," I whispered, my mouth a breath away from his. "I'm yours." He nodded, kissing me so intensely that I felt it in my soul.
"Yeah, you are," he whispered back. "And our first time isn't gonna be in the fucking cage." I laughed at his words, and was happy to see him smile back.
"Then take me to bed," I whispered, before biting his neck gently.
"Fuck," he hissed, his hands going in my long dark hair, tugging me back so he could look at me. I could see the lust in his eyes, and I knew my eyes were reflecting the same need.
Without a word, he stood up and offered his hand out to me. I knew the gesture was far more than asking me to spend the night with him. I didn't hesitate in reaching for him.
We both walked through the clubhouse, Angel directing us straight to my dorm. I barely locked the door before I was in his arms, pushed roughly against the back of the door as he kissed me. His hands were everywhere, running up my arms, in my hair, before he pulled my top over my head and unclipped my bra. I moaned as his mouth latched on to one of my nipples, teasing the other one with his fingers. I run my fingers through his hair, intoxicated by the feel of his touch on my skin.
Getting impatient, I pulled his head back up to mine, kissing him as we walk towards the bed. I pushed him down, straddling his lap as I unbuttoned his shirt and pulled both the shirt and his kutte from his back. Angel smiled as I moved off his lap to hang his kutte carefully on the back of the door. The second I was back within reach, he had me pinned to the bed, hovering over me. He took his time pulling my jeans and panties off, kissing down my stomach and teasing me by rubbing a single finger against my folds.
"Fuck!" I moaned, as he buried his finger deep inside me. He kissed me roughly, one hand at the back of my neck holding me to him, as his fingers worked me over. I writhed under his touch, arching my back off the bed as I got closer to the edge.
"Show me you want me, Hermosa," he whispered in my ear and, unable to hold on any longer, I found my release, moaning his name hard. Catching his lips in a fierce kiss, I hurriedly removed his belt from his jeans, sliding his bottoms off in one tug. It was Angel's turn to moan as I stroked his member, acclimating myself with how he felt before taking his tip in my mouth. I slid my mouth down his length to the hilt, sucking gently as I worked him over with my mouth and tongue. His hands went to my hair, guiding me up and down as he thrust into my mouth. As I hollowed my cheeks and swirled my tongue around his tip, he pulled out.
"Babe you need to stop or I won't last," he told me, pulling me close. "I don't wanna cum like that."
"Then show me what you do want," I whispered in his ear before biting on his earlobe. In an instant he threw me on the bed, hovering over me with his dick in his hand. He teased my folds with his tip, making me arch off the bed to get closer to him.
"Please, Angel," I whimper, before gasping as he buried himself inside me. He moved at a steady pace, sucking on the nape of my neck as he thrust in and out of me. I grabbed his hair, tugging at it in pleasure as he bit me, knowing I'd have a mark in the morning.
"Fuck Angel, don't stop," I begged, as he hit my sweet spot. Knowing I was close, he ground into me harder.
"Cum for me, Hermosa. Show me who you belong to," he grunted, rubbing my clit with his hand, making me see stars.
"I'm yours, baby, always yours!" I moaned, as I came hard, feeling him shoot his seed into me a second later. As we came down from our high, we lay there panting, his forehead buried in my neck.
"Hell yeah, you are," he told me, kissing my shoulder as he pulled out of me. I laughed, pleased when he lay next to me and pulled me into his arms. I lay my head on his chest, enjoying the feeling of his skin against mine, listening to his steady heart-beat. He ran his fingers leisurely through my hair as I traced his chest tattoos with my finger.
"You know you're stuck with me now, right?" I said quietly, trying to sound nonchalant, but secretly panicking he would change his mind. His hand came to rest on my chin, pulling my eyes up to meet his. He looked beautiful laying there, his brown eyes gentle.
"I'm blessed to be with you. Ain't nothing bad about that," he told me, and I could hear the firmness in his voice. "I told you, you're mine." I went back to tracing his tattoos with my finger.
"So if I'm yours… does that make you mine?" I asked quietly, afraid to hear the answer. I knew that bikers weren't always faithful to their partners. He pushed me on my back, hovering over me.
"I'm only yours," he confirmed, stroking my cheek, "and if you keep touching me like that, I'm gonna have to show you all over again."
"Is that a promise?" I grinned. He responded by kissing me deeply, his strong arms pulling me flush against his chest as every movement he made showed me that he belonged to me. I moaned as I felt him get hard against me once more.
"Angel!" I heard someone yell down the corridor. "Put the gringa down and get your ass in here, Prez needs you!"
"Fuck," Angel swore, making me giggle. "Sorry, princesa," he apologised.
"No baby, club calls," I told him, kissing him gently before pushing him away. I watched him get dressed, thoroughly enjoying the view.
"You see something you like?" He smirked, and I poked my tongue out at him.
"I only see what's mine," I retorted and he smiled, tugging his kutte back on.
"You coming?" He asked and I shook my head.
"I'll take a shower whilst you talk to Bishop," I told him, wanting him to know I understood he needed the space. He nodded, kissing my forehead before leaving the room.