"If I catch you staring at the boy scout one more time, I might have to shoot him." Coco leaned against the office door frame.
"It doesn't make sense. They don't let cop killers walk free." Luna didn't move her stare from the muscular prospect that was washing and waxing the bikes. From everything Angel told her about his brother, it didn't make sense for him to want to join a gang. She could see if he got out when he was an old man like he was supposed to. But, he was still young. He could go to college and make something of himself. Instead, he was here, being a bitch worker for an MC.
"You're still on this. I thought you agreed to be happy for your Angelfish. He got his brother and his dad back. He's happy." He snickered like he always did when he said her pet name for Angel.
"I can't shake my suspicion, Coco Puff. There's something that ain't right about his story." She had to fight the grin when she saw from her peripheral vision the glare he was giving her for calling him by that nickname.
"God, you're going to be spittin this shit even when he gets his patch aren't you?" He took a seat on the chair across from her.
Her head whips around to him. "The guys like him that much that you're already sure he'll get patch in."
"He opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he is impressive with that photographic memory." He shrugs like it was no big deal.
She rolled her eyes, she was tired of hearing about his photographic memory. It wasn't like he had to work for it, he was born with it. "They don't prefer him over Angel, do they?" She said in a small voice. She didn't think Angel would be able to take that if they did.
"Is that what you're worried about? That the boy scout is going to push out Angel." He scoffed like it was impossible.
"I'm worried that he's going to make Angel feel less than like he has all his life." She crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. She knew what it was like to live in your sibling's shadow, to watch your parents push and nurture your sibling because they believe they were meant for greatness, while they didn't expect anything from you.
"We'll see what he's made of, he's coming with us on the run to Vegas." He told her.
She let out a thoughtful hum at hearing that. This would have been his first run. This was a big test for the boy scout. "When are you going to bring me home one of these pretty dresses?" She let out a bratty whine.
"What the fuck would you need that for?" He wasn't about to take her to a high-class place.
"You don't want to take me to prom?" She pouts.
"Nah, but I'll fuck you in a cheap motel. It is the best part of prom from what I heard." He licks his lips as he looks his old lady over. They have been together for a decade now. At 32, she would whine when she looked in the mirror about aging. He would be lying if he said he didn't see it. He didn't give a shit, she was still hot, just a different type of hot. She used to look like a hot coed ready to go wild, now she looks like a hot secretary that could turn you out. Especially, when she had the books in front of her with glasses on and hair up in a bun.
"As long as I get to dress up, I don't care." She shrugs with a smile. One of Coco's biggest secrets was that his favorite feature of her was her smile. Gilly said it reminded him of Julia Roberts's smile, the way it made her look alluring, vibrate, and so carefree. He would take that secret to the grave. He didn't need his brother making fun of him or her using it against him when she wanted something.
"I'll see what I can do." He got up to go around the desk and kiss her. "We should be back tomorrow morning, if not I'll text you."
"Okay. Be safe." She nods her head, already knowing the drill.
"Behave yourself." He tapped her nose. She slapped his ass when he walked away. "Hey, watch it." He yells as he walks out the door.
"Hey, Luna." She looks up from the computer.
"Yes, Chucky." She smiles warmly at him. She likes having him around. He would tell her stories of her mother and the rest of her family. It helps her soul to know that there were good times among the carnage they went through.
"The guys aren't back yet. Is everything okay?" He asks.
"They ran into a bit of trouble, so they have to meet with the big boss. Creeper has to see the doctor on the other side." She repeated what CoCo told her this morning. She had a mini panic attack when her burner phone rang.
"Is he alright?" Chucky was such a sweetheart.
"Yeah, he was hit in the shoulder. They stop the bleeding." She told him.
"That's great." He smiled as he walks out of the office to help with the labor outside since they were down workers with the guys being gone. She look down at the books, needing to finish them earlier than usual so that she could get ready for Alvarez's arrival.
She was behind the bar when Tranq came in with Alvarez. She poured a shot of tequila for the man. He came over when he was done with his greetings. "Hello, Luna."
"Hello, Alv...Marcus." She switched up when he gave her a look that said they were better than that.
"It's still odd seeing you behind the bar. I remember you as a little girl hiding behind your mom." He smiles.
"Isn't it funny that I had all those bikers to hide behind, but I choose her?" She laughs.
"She was a lot scarier than most of those bikers." He took the shot. "So, where is your old man?" He put the glass down.
She looked over at Bishop for that information. Even though she knew it was always safer to seem clueless. It made CoCo appear to be more loyal to the club than her and kept her off the blame list if anything went wrong. "They're across taking care of Creeper. They'll be back soon." Bishop told him. The guys talked about meaningless things like bikes and sports while they waited. She kept the drinks flowing.
"Padrino." Angel walks in with CoCo and Ez.
"Angel." Alvarez got up to give him a bro hug, followed by CoCo.
"Hey, babe." He leaned across the bar to kiss her.
"Where's Gilly?" Bishop asked when Angel sat down next to him.
"Stayed on the other side. Sticking around till Creeper's out of the woods." He told them.
Tranq put a hand on Ez's shoulder. "El Hermano menor. The new prospect."
"Ez." He walked up to Alvarez and offered his hand. Luna shook her head at the prospect. If Ez, thought the guys here treated him like shit then he had no idea how lucky he was. Bishop treated him like a person. Alvarez was old school, where you treat the prospect like a machine that you have to kick to get going.
"Gas it up and detail. I don't want to see a speck of dust, huh? And my guys too." He put his keys into his hand.
"Yes, sir." He nods before going outside.
"What do you think of him, Luna?" Alvarez's question caught everyone off guard.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Being a good judge of character runs in your blood. So, what do you think of him?" He turned to her. Coco looked at her with wide eyes, not sure of what her answer would be.
"He's smart, I don't have to explain or tell him anything twice. He knows how to work smart, and not hard, but can work hard if you need him to. Has a chip on his shoulder, but that ain't nothing you can't brush off. He has great potential, just needs to learn the rope of this world." She wasn't so biased that she couldn't see how he could benefit the club. It was still up in the air if he could be trusted. Like her mother, she didn't fully give that to anyone right off the bat.
Alvarez nods his head. He gets up and walks towards the temple. Everyone in the room, but Luna follows him inside. "I'm surprised you said all that, I was under the impression that you didn't like me." She looks over to see Ez in the doorway.
"It's not about liking or not liking. It's about trust." She grabbed a rag to wipe down the bar.
"You don't trust me." He walked over to the bar.
"No, but I don't trust anyone right away. I didn't tell Coco anything personal for the first six months." She told him.
"How do you have a relationship for six months and not get personal?" He squinted at her.
"It is quite easy, you talk about basic things like music, tv, sports. You let them talk about themselves. And well, great sex." She chuckles. He laughs with her. "Look, I want to trust you, I even want to love you like a brother, because of the love I have for your brother. But, that love is the same thing that makes me extra cautious. I don't want to see him hurt. As your older brother and sponsor, if you fuck up it falls back on him. Do you understand?" She put down her rag to put her hands flat on the bar in front of him.
"I do," He nods.
"Good, you better get to work on those bikes. If you're not finished with at least a few of them before Temple is over, I'm going to look like an ass." She threw a clean rag at him. He caught it and walked out to get to work.
Through her childhood and adolescence, Luna never understood why her mom would stress clean through the night when her brother and father would have to do their business. Through her youthful eyes, she saw the Sons as superheroes. She thought they were untouchable. As she got older, she realized that those leather vests weren't capes. They were very much touchable. It made nights like this one stressful. Nights that her boys go to see the rebels were the most stressful for her. She knew if the club found out they were as good as dead. It didn't matter that they were doing it for the good of the club. To get them out from under the thumb of the cartel.
Luna sighs as she gets up from the ground. She was covered in gunk from cleaning the stove. She grabbed two towels from the closet and went into the shower. She went over the lessons her mother gave her about being an old lady. From a decade of being an old lady, she realized that half of those lessons were bullshit.
Her mom would say an old lady had two options to know everything or nothing. Her advice was that you need to know everything to survive, but that wasn't true. The truth is that it doesn't matter. Both her and Tara knew everything and they died. Then there were old ladies like Donna who knew nothing and died also. It didn't matter what you knew, when it's your time, it's your time. When you live a dangerous lifestyle, that time normally comes sooner than later.
The decision for Luna knowing everything came easy. She needed to know what was going on to stop her active imagination from giving her anxiety when he goes on runs. He needs someone to confess all his worries and fears too. The things that he doesn't want to tell his brothers, because he doesn't want them thinking he would ever stray from the club.
Slowly she became the walking diary for Angel and Gilly too. Angel started talking to her about club stuff after nine months of living together. Gilly only after they started dealing with the rebels. She felt honored that they trust her enough not to tell anyone, not even Coco. Hell, she doesn't think he wanted to know his brother's fear, even though most of the time they share the same ones.
In her opinion, being a good old lady was about blind faith and being obedient, two things her mom was terrible at. Trying to control or sway the club in any way is pointless. It was arrogant, considering it wasn't her life on the front line.
She got out of the shower and dried off. She changed into a pair of panties and an oversized shirt. She turns on the TV to watch Love After Lockup, a reality tv show that was filled with pity drama that always took her mind off of her worries.