Victoria huffed out another sigh for the fifth time this morning as she searched through the mansion-like Galindo compound for her cell phone. The Miller woman had looked inside of the conference room, the guest bedroom, the bathroom, the living room, and the kitchen for her cell phone but she wasn't having any luck in finding the device.
Thankfully, though, as Victoria walked through the dining room, she noticed her iPhone lying at the edge of the corner of the wooden table. Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes at the sight of her device as she had totally forgotten that this was the last place that she had been at with cell phone when she and Nestor had shared a bottle of bourbon since she couldn't fall asleep at around two in the morning.
Victoria pulled out one of the many chairs around the Italian and expensive dining table as her body was still so exhausted from last night's events before she turned on her cell phone. The Miller woman's hazel irises instantly widened when she noticed that she had a lot of missed calls and text messages from Angel, a few from Ezekiel, and a check-up type text message from Happy.
"Shit," Victoria swore underneath her breath as she knew this wasn't good if she planned on keeping what happened last night a secret. The brunette woman just hoped that neither Reyes brother had stopped by her house and noticed that she wasn't there or she would have to lie and Victoria absolutely hated lying to the Reyes men. Victoria just didn't want either of the men to worry about her or even know that she went to dinner with the leader of the Galindo cartel since she knew how protective that they can get.
The Miller woman figured that she would listen to the voicemails and check her text messages that she hadn't opened yet before she would start freaking out about what she was going to tell the Reyes men. However, though, before Victoria could even click on one of the many voicemails that Angel had left her - which confused Victoria a lot since it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours since the kidnapping and he couldn't have possibly heard what happened yet - Victoria was soon interrupted when she noticed that the older Reyes was calling her once again.
The Miller woman took a deep breath as she stared at the photo of her and Angel making silly faces at the camera before she finally slid her finger across the screen and accepted the call. Victoria, however, didn't even get the chance to greet the Mayan before Angel hurriedly asked the pediatric nurse, "hey, are you okay?" Angel paced the outside of the clubhouse as he continued to ask in a worried voice, "I didn't hear from you last night and I stopped by the house and the hospital, too. They haven't seen you either. Are you in trouble?"
Victoria pulled the cell phone from her face when Angel wanted to know where she was before she took another deep breath and prepared for what she was about to do. The brunette woman knew that she couldn't tell Angel the truth about what happened last night since she knew he would want to see her right away and he'd probably end up confronting the Galindo cartel out of anger and would probably end up dead if he saw her injuries right now.
Besides, Victoria wanted to be here for her old friend during a difficult time, so the Miller woman figured lying to Angel was her best option right now. Victoria took another deep breath to calm her nerves before she brought her cell phone back to her face - where Angel was still asking questions about her location. "I'm sorry," Victoria uttered as she cut off the Mayan's interrogation before she told him her master lie, "I totally spaced out yesterday and forgot I had a medical conference in Oa- Stanford."
Victoria mentally scolded herself for almost screwing up her plan already by saying that she was in Oakland. The brunette woman knew that would have been one major mistake since she knew Angel would have called Marcus or one of the other Mayans from the Oakland charter to check up on her. Victoria figured Stanford was her safest answer since it was far enough away from Oakland and Charming, so Angel couldn't call either Oakland charter or any of their friends at the SAMCRO clubhouse.
"I left late last night," Victoria continued with her lie as she covered up her mistake. "I'm just now finished getting settled into the hotel that the hospital placed me in for the conference that I completely forgot to give you call to let you know I wasn't in S'Padre," the Miller woman explained to Angel.
The Reyes man couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped his mouth as soon as heard Victoria's calm and smooth voice as he had been worried for hours. "You almost gave me a heart attack, mi princesa," Angel muttered in his rough voice as he ran his fingers through his thick and dark hair. Angel took a deep breath to remind himself that the Miller woman was okay before he curiously wondered and added in a mumble, "do you know when you'll be back home? I miss you."
The Miller woman tried to silent the laugh that was bubbling up in her sore chest as she heard the needy biker's clingy voice that she was quite used to from over the years. "I should be home by tomorrow morning," Victoria stated once she could breathe again from hiding her laughter. Victoria didn't think it would be a good idea for Angel to see her tomorrow because of injuries but she knew if she would have told him that she was going to be up at Stanford for a few days then he would just end up showing up to place that she was not located in and it would make this situation so much worse.
"Alright," the Reyes man mumbled with a quiet sigh as he leaned his body against the side of the Mayans clubhouse. Angel wasn't really pleased that he wound have to wait another day to see his best friend and best girl but he knew there was no other option right now when the club was constantly busy and it wasn't a necessity to see Victoria right away.
The line between the pediatric nurse and the Mayan member was silent for a few moments as they just enjoyed the calmness before Angel spoke up again. "You do miss me, right?" Angel inquired with a playful tone to his voice.
This time, Victoria actually released her laughter as she amusingly chuckled at the needy biker. The Miller woman took a second to collect herself after laughing at the Mayan before she softly murmured, "yeah, I do." The pediatric nurse immediately bit down on her bottom lip as soon as the words escaped her mouth as she was suddenly riddled with this large amount of guilt. "Listen, Ange," Victoria began as she took a deep breath before she furthered her lie, "I really need to start getting ready for the first conference today." The Miller woman knew if she didn't hang up now, then she would just end up spilling everything to Angel.
Angel released a small sigh as he didn't want the conversation to stop before he mumbled, "yeah, I know." The Mayan, no matter how selfish he wanted to be, wasn't going to hold Victoria back since he knew how important her job was to her. "Give me a call when you get back to the hotel," Angel requested as he wanted to make sure that Victoria was being careful without any club members watching out for her. It was a protective thing that Angel had been doing ever since he was eighteen and Victoria was seventeen. He just always liked to have a club member keeping an eye on Victoria to make sure that no enemy of the Mayans or SAMCRO could harm her.
"I will," Victoria automatically promised since she was used to this routine with the older Reyes brother whenever she would leave Santo Padre. It was the deal that she had with Angel along with uncle Chibby out in Charming.
The Miller woman briefly closed her hazel eyes and took a deep breath when their conversation grew silent as she remembered that she was currently lying to one of the most important people in her life. Victoria absolutely despised lying to Angel, so the brunette woman quickly made an excuse, "I-I gotta get going, Ange."
Angel knew that he was holding the brunette woman from his stalling so he mumbled out, "alright." The Mayan member stood up from his position against the clubhouse and headed towards the stairs as he said his goodbye, "I love you, mi princesa, and be careful today."
"Love you too," Victoria mumbled back before she quickly ended the call before she or Angel could say anymore to make her feel even more guilty for lying to him. The Miller woman immediately released a heavy sigh as she tossed her cell phone onto the dining table before she glanced down to her injured arm with a deep frown embedded on her face.
Victoria's mind was absolutely jumbled right now from everything that has happened in less than twenty-four hours. The Miller woman was worried about how she was supposed to handle the Angel situation tomorrow morning when the older Reyes would most likely show up at her house to check on her - where he would see her broken limb and the bruises covering her body.
Victoria knew it would go either one of two ways. Angel was going to get furious and want to kill someone or he was going to go into protective mode and not let her out of his sight. The Miller woman would settle for the second option every single time since this had to deal with the Galindo cartel and Victoria didn't want Angel's cute face to be ruined with a bullet.
The pediatric nurse was so lost in her thoughts of what would be waiting for her tomorrow morning as she sat at the dining room table in the Galindo compound that she didn't even hear anyone walk into the room until she heard the Oceteva man gently ask her as he stood a few feet away from her, "everything alright?"
The Miller woman immediately looked up from her injured arm with a surprise look on her face at the new voice in the room when she had thought she was completely alone. Victoria relaxed, though, when she saw it was Nestor before she shot him a shy smile. The brunette woman lightly shrugged her good arm as she answered his question, "just a worried Angel."
Nestor silently nodded his head in understanding as he hummed, "ah." The Oceteva man joined the brunette woman at the dining table as he took at seat directly beside Victoria before he curiously wondered, "are you planning on telling him what happened last night?" Nestor knew that Miguel was going to involve the Mayans in search for the youngest Galindo but he wanted to know what Victoria thought.
Victoria instantly shook her head as she released a small chuckle. The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes when she noticed Nestor's puzzled expression before she explained why that wasn't a good idea, "Angel has a temper, so I don't think telling him would help anyone. It would just cause Angel to get a bullet in his head by my best friend's husband."
Nestor twitched his head to the side as he stared across at the brunette woman with curiousness shining throughout his brown irises. "And why do you think he would go after Miguel?" The Oceteva man questioned before he stated, even though he did know it was Miguel's choice of business for the reason why the car accident and the kidnapping took place, "he didn't cause what happened last night."
The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes as she stated, "Angel doesn't even know I've been around the Galindo cartel lately, so he'll definitely blame it on Miguel if I explained what happened." Victoria lightly shrugged her good shoulder before she added to prove her point, "besides, you've met Angel and seen how he is. He shoots first and asks questions later." Victoria couldn't even count anymore how many times Coco had called and ranted to her to get Angel's head on straight over the years.
"Ah, yes," the Oceteva man murmured to himself as he nodded his head before he told the Miller woman with a hint of amusement shining throughout his voice, "the kid has quite the temper." Nestor was usually silent during the meetings with the Mayans but he could remember a handful of times that he had seen Angel Reyes getting scolded or a slap on the back of his head by the president of the motorcycle club.
Victoria immediately gasped at what the cartel assassin had said before she lightly slapped Nestor's arm with her good hand like they were the best of friends. "He's not a kid," the Miller woman defended the older Reyes in a mumble.
"He sure acts like one," Nestor teased as he released an amusement chuckle. The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman a teasing smirk before he wondered, "why are you seeing him again?" Nestor honestly didn't see why Victoria was settling for someone like the older Reyes brother when she was so smart and kind and also so much of a mystery.
The Miller woman couldn't help the beet red blush that rose onto her tan cheeks at the Oceteva man's question. Victoria avoided Nestor's playful gaze as she looked around the dining room before she muttered, "I am so not having this conversation with you." The pediatric nurse didn't know what it was but she just felt too awkward to talk with Nestor about her relationship with Angel.
"Alright, alright," the Oceteva man uttered with an amused and hearty chuckle as he raised his hands up in the air in innocence. Nestor stared across at the brunette woman for a silent moment with a tiny smile playing on his lips as he always enjoyed their time together before his dark eyes slowly focused onto Victoria's injures. "How's the arm doing?" The Oceteva man inquired as he knew Victoria had to be still in pain - especially during the first day after the incident.
"It's fine," the Miller woman stated with a small shrug as she glanced down to the white arm sling covering part of her chest and shoulder. Victoria glanced up to Nestor as she gave him a thankful smile for what he did to help fix her up before she added in a bitter tone, "it's just a little sore - nothing I'm not used to." Victoria may have not gotten injured since she was a young teenager but her injures were nothing compared to what she had experienced back then.
The Oceteva man couldn't help but to immediately frown at Victoria's words as he knew no normal person should have experienced these type of injures to be so casual about it. This was just another thing that made Nestor so curious about the mysterious woman. "What do you mean by that?" The Oceteva man wondered as he wanted to find out about all of Victoria's secrets like this one.
Victoria's hazel eyes instantly widened when she realized that she had uttered those words out loud. The Miller woman had thought she had said that sentence in her head - something that had to deal with her childhood trauma from her father, something that she never wanted to talk about ever again. Victoria knew that she needed to quickly fix her mistake before she said something worse, so the brunette woman hurriedly sputtered out, "I-I mean..."
However, thankfully for Victoria and sadly for Nestor, the Miller woman was soon interrupted before she could make an excuse by Miguel Galindo suddenly walking into the room before he asked his fellow associate and best friend while he stared down at his cell phone, "where are we? Has anyone found anything?" The leader of the Galindo cartel growled out before Nestor could even say anything as he angrily muttered, "we don't even fucking know what car they are driving."
Victoria, who had been anxious sitting in her seat at the dining room table when she heard Miguel's fierce and devil-like voice, shakily raised her good hand in the air before she nervously and cautiously uttered to the angry cartel leader, "um... If I may... I think I can be of some help with that." The Miller woman had planned on helping in any way that she could but she was anxious about speaking to Miguel since she didn't know if he would end up killing her if she said something that would upset him.
The Galindo man swiftly looked up from his cell phone as he hadn't realized that Nestor was with someone until he noticed his wife's old friend seated right next to his head of security. The aforementioned Oceteva man immediately straightened out his body when Miguel took notice of Victoria before he asked the brunette woman before Miguel could jump down her throat, "what do you know?" Nestor had planned on asking Victoria about last night's events but he wanted to let her rest first - something that was very unlike him.
The Miller woman nervously glanced between the two men before she stared solely at the man with the missing son as she recalled what she remembered from last night, "it was an old station wagon." Victoria briefly closed her hazel eyes as she tried to remember the details of the vehicle before she stated with a look of certainty in her sparkling irises, "it was yellow and it might have a few bullet holes in it."
Miguel and Nestor both immediately raised their eyebrows at Victoria's surprising statement. "Yours?" The Galindo man curiously wondered about his wife's old friend and someone is actively involved the Mayans motorcycle club.
Victoria nodded her head before she explained, "I'm always packing for protection." The Miller woman was quite used to dealing with weapons throughout her years of being around motorcycle clubs. She had handled guns ever since she was seventeen when she would go over to Charming - even though the Sons have always kept her pretty protected on their own. So Victoria was quite familiar with using a weapon - even though it had been years since she had to use one.
The Galindo man nodded his head once as he gave the brunette woman a look of appreciation for going that extra yard that his wife's security guard couldn't. "Thank you for protecting Emily," the cartel leader stated as he uttered his praise for what Victoria did for his family.
"Of course," the Miller woman murmured as she gave the Galindo man a soft smile. "I would do it again if I could," Victoria added her true feelings about what happened last night. It was true, too, as Victoria would always protect the blonde woman like her own sister. It didn't matter that they have spent years apart from one another, Victoria would always be there for Emily.
"I appreciate it," Miguel told the brunette woman with a tiny half smile as he showed his praise once more. The Galindo man then swiftly moved his fierce dark eyes over to his head of security to get back to business. "Come," Miguel commanded as he nodded his head back towards his office before he stated, "let's go talk about what your men have gathered."
However, though, before the Oceteva man could stand up from seat at the dining room table, the Miller woman, once again, nervously muttered, "if I may..." Victoria lightly cleared her throat when two pairs of brown eyes were locked on her before she told the leader of the Galindo cartel, "I would like to know what's going on." The brunette woman quickly added with she noticed the change of emotions on Miguel's face as she uttered, "I... I'd like to offer my help."
The Galindo man raised one of his eyebrows in amusement at the brunette woman. "Really?" Miguel curiously wondered before he questioned as he crossed his arms over his designer gray suit jacket, "and why should I want your help and what could you do for me?"
"Emily has always been family to me," the Miller woman explained, "so that makes you and Cristobal my family as well and if there's anything I can to help, then I want to do it." Victoria had always been someone that liked to help people in need and when it comes to someone close to her, the brunette woman would do everything in her power to help.
Miguel stared across at the Miller woman for a few tense moments as he tried to get a read on Victoria but when he couldn't find any ill intentions within Victoria's soft and kind hazel eyes, Miguel looked over to his best friend and head of security. "Nestor," the Galindo man simply called out as he silently asked the assassin for his opinion on the brunette woman.
Nestor wasn't really a fan of Victoria getting involved with cartel issues - for some reason that he couldn't understand but docked it down for just simply caring for the brunette woman under the few weeks that they have gotten to know each other. However, the Oceteva man also liked the idea of being able to keep an eye on Victoria instead of her being around the bikers and them carelessly putting her in even more danger than she already is.
"She could have seen something important that we haven't caught yet," the head of security of the Galindo cartel told his boss after a moment of making his decision to let Victoria join in on their conversation and allowing her to get involved.
Miguel completely trusted the Oceteva man's judgement, so he released a silent sigh along with muttering, "alright." The Galindo man silently took a seat at the dining table across from Nestor and Victoria before he asked the brunette woman in his very serious voice that he always used when it came down to the family business, "did you see who these people were that took mi mijo?"
Victoria released a small breath of relief when the leader of the Galindo cartel was going to allow her to be involved with the issue of Cristobal's kidnapping and what happened last night. It pleased the brunette woman because if he didn't, she would have just went behind his back and did her own research to help Emily find her son since Victoria basically owed her life to the blonde from everything that she did for her during their childhood.
"They were Los Olvidados," the Miller woman told Miguel with complete confidence in her voice. Victoria, even though she didn't know much about the rebels, knew enough from what she had seen on the local TV news stations like the creepy masks that they had been wearing last night.
Miguel twitched his head to the side with his fingers resting underneath his chin as he listened to the brunette woman's words. "How do you know about them?" The Galindo man curiously interrogated the pediatric nurse about one of the Galindo cartel's current enemies.
"Angel and the club," the Miller woman answered Miguel's question with an obvious response. "He always tries to make sure I'm protected so he tells me a little bit about what the club does and their business," Victoria explained about how she knew about the rebels when Miguel gave her a puzzled look.
The Galindo man slowly nodded his head as he accepted the brunette woman's answer before he questioned as he got back on topic to what took place last night, "and you are sure that it was them?"
Victoria immediately moved her head up and down. "It was two large men and a small child all dressed in creepy masks," the Miller woman described what she had seen. Victoria slowly moved her hazel irises down to her injured arm before she added bitterly, "the angry one with the long hair definitely knew what he was doing." The brunette woman glanced over to the tense Nestor as she uttered, "I think he had military training or he grew up into a rough life."
Victoria twitched her head to the side as she thought about her words before she looked back over to the cartel leader. "It makes sense, though," the Miller woman commented before she continued with her thought process, "if they are apart of the 'Forgotten Ones' because of whatever bad experience it may be from something you, the cartel, had done, of course they would want to retaliate."
The Galindo man couldn't help the wide smirk that lifted onto his lips at the fact that Victoria wasn't scared of what she said to him and that she wasn't hiding anything. "So, you are very much informed?" Miguel questioned with a teasing tone in his voice.
Victoria released an awkward chuckle as she nodded her head. "It's part of the deal with getting involved with the MC," the brunette woman explained with a small shrug of her shoulders before she added, "Angel doesn't tell me much but the news are a big help along with my own research." Victoria never liked being in the dark when it came to club business but Angel wasn't like Jax or Chibs with letting her know everything, so Victoria usually did a little bit of research just to be careful and cautious around certain people.
The dining room table in the Galindo compound grew silent after Victoria's explanation of her knowledge of the rebels before the Oceteva man opened his mouth and continued with their conversation. "Tell us more about the people that hit the car," Nestor requested as he stared over at the brunette woman.
Victoria moved her hazel irises over to Nestor before she nodded her head as she focused back onto why she was speaking with the leader of the Galindo cartel. "I'm not exactly sure what year or model the car was but I know it was an old yellow station wagon - maybe late eighties," the Miller woman explained. Victoria shook her head as she added to her description, "and it wasn't bright yellow. It was more like a fading mustard type color. It also had four doors."
The Miller woman thought back to what she could remember about the vehicle that took off with the youngest Galindo before Victoria commented, "honestly, they might not even be driving it anymore since I got in a few bullets but then again, I'm not sure if they landed or not." Victoria released a small sigh as she stared at the man with the missing son before she mumbled, "I wish I could be more of help."
"It's okay," the Oceteva man immediately assured Victoria as he lightly placed his warm and rough hand onto her exposed knee, that was peaking from the silk pajama bottoms that Victoria had gotten from Emily last night, from underneath the dining table and gave it a small squeeze. "It's a lot more than we knew earlier," Nestor told the brunette woman as he assured her that she had been helpful to them. The Oceteva man wasn't exactly sure why he felt like he needed to make sure that Victoria's spirits weren't lowered but he would do whatever it took to see that sweet smile on her face again.
"Nestor's right," the Galindo man told the pediatric nurse as he nodded his head. "I appreciate the help, Victoria," the cartel leader uttered his praise for the information that the brunette gave them. The dining room at the Galindo compound grew silent for a moment as Miguel stared across at Victoria before he quietly muttered as he silently gave the brunette woman a request, "and if you could keep my wife busy today, I would very much appreciate that as well."
Victoria immediately knew that the Galindo man wasn't really asking her but telling her to do it. However, the Miller woman didn't mind since it probably had to deal with the brutal parts of the cartel to get their son back, so Victoria shot Miguel a small smile as she uttered in agreement, "of course." The pediatric nurse slowly pushed her chair away from the dining table and cautiously moved to stand up from the table as she told Miguel, "let me know if I can help you in any way."
However, the Miller woman didn't put in the fact that her body was still slowly healing as her felt herself lose her balance for a second. That second was just enough time for the cartel assassin to see it before Nestor was quickly standing up from the dining room table. "You alright?" The Oceteva man worriedly asked as he steadily wrapped his large hand around Victoria's elbow to help hold her up.
Victoria lightly waved her hand - which caused Nestor to let her go - before she told him with a small chuckle, "I'm good." The Miller woman shot the Oceteva man a grateful smile as she softly murmured, "thank you." Victoria appreciated everything that the cartel assassin had done for her since last night. Nestor had been nothing but kind and gentle with her when he fixed up her cuts and bruises along with making sure that she was comfortable in bed when she had finally went to sleep at around four in the morning.
The Miller woman shot the two men of Nestor and Miguel one last smile before she promised the leader of the Galindo cartel, "I'll make sure Emily is okay while you handle your business." Victoria watched at Miguel gave her a small nod and Nestor shot her a soft smile before she silently walked out of the room.
Victoria sluggishly made her way out of the dining room and the kitchen before she walked up to the patio door as she could see the familiar blonde woman sitting outside with Miguel's mother, who Victoria had met last night, while Nestor and Miguel took their exit out of the Galindo compound. The Miller woman just stood outside the double glass doors for a moment as she prepared herself to be there for her old friend - even though the leader of the Galindo cartel had asked to her to do just that. Victoria was going to that anyways but she knew that she needed to make sure that Emily didn't start asking about her husband's whereabouts.
The Miller woman took one last deep breath once she was ready before Victoria silently pushed one of the two glass doors open and made her presence known as the brunette woman walked out onto the large patio - which immediately caused Dita to quickly look up while Emily kept her gaze locked on her son's favorite stuffed animal in her hands.
"Good morning," the older Galindo woman, Dita, greeted the pediatric nurse with a friendly and polite smile shining across her lips despite their current circumstances of her missing grandson.
"Good morning," Victoria greeted the older woman back as she shot Dita a small smile before she took a seat across from the two Galindo women. The Miller woman stared at her old friend with her brows furrowed in sadness for what the blonde was going through before she softly asked, "how are you holding up, Emmie?"
The blonde Galindo woman lightly shrugged her shoulders as she kept her teary eyes locked on the stuffed lion toy that Cristobal loved to sleep with. "I want my son back," Emily finally mumbled after a moment in a broken and shaky voice.
The Miller woman's heart immediately broke at the sight of the Galindo woman. Victoria hated that Emily had to go through this but she was going to do whatever that she could to help Emily cope while Nestor and Miguel tried to track down the rebels that stole the youngest Galindo.
"I know," Victoria softly uttered before she placed her good hand on top of the Galindo woman's shaking one. The pediatric nurse waited until Emily looked up to her for the first time this morning before she asked, "have you eaten yet?" Victoria shot the blonde woman a playful smile before she uttered, "I could whip up some of my famous french toast for you."
The blonde Galindo woman let a small half smile lift up onto her lips as she instantly recalled the memories of Victoria making french toast during their childhood. There was absolutely nothing famous about the Miller woman's french toast but they always said it was because it was the only thing either girl could make when they were younger. "That sounds perfect," Emily told the pediatric nurse as she could really use some type of comfort right now.
A wide grin immediately lifted onto Victoria's face as she was glad that she had seen the tiniest of smiles lift up onto the saddened blonde's lips like she had wanted. The Miller woman gave her old friend's hand a small squeeze before she looked over to the other Galindo woman. "Would you like to join us, Dita?" The pediatric nurse politely asked as she didn't want to be rude or disrespectful by leaving the older woman out.
Dita shot the Miller woman a small smile as she nodded her head. "Of course," the older Galindo woman uttered as she accepted Victoria's invitation to breakfast.
Victoria gave the older woman another smile as she was pleased to have mama cartel join her and Emily before the injured woman slowly stood up from her seat. The pediatric nurse waited until Emily shakily stood up as well before she linked her good arm with the blonde woman's. The three women then silently headed back to the Galindo compound, where Victoria placed Emily at the island bar, before the Miller woman headed into the kitchen to get the correct ingredients for her famous french toast.
"So, how did you two meet?" Dita inquired from her spot beside her daughter in law as she watched at the Miller woman grabbed a couple of eggs with her one good arm. The Galindo woman had heard a little bit about Victoria from when Emily gushed to her about running into her childhood friend the other day but Dita didn't know all that much about the Miller woman.
"We've known each other practically our whole lives," Victoria began as she shot the blonde woman a quick grin. "We met in kindergarten, I believe," the Miller woman told Dita as she started to crack eggs inside of a glass bowl, "and we never could separate after that." Victoria couldn't really remember a time during their childhood when she and Emily weren't attached by the hip. She figured it was because they both didn't have the best home lives growing up so they grew closer that way.
"It's not like she gave me much of a choice," Emily joked as she shot her old friend a teasing but tiny smile.
Victoria playfully rolled her hazel eyes at the blonde woman before she pointed towards Miguel's mother. "Don't let her fool you, Ms. Galindo," the pediatric nurse told Dita before she uttered in a singing voice, "she loves me."
The older Galindo woman smiled as she watched the two women act like they never lost touch before she focused her dark eyes on the brunette. "Please, call me Dita like I've told you to do," the older woman told Victoria with a small chuckle as she had told Victoria to do so over four times since they met last night.
"Sorry," the Miller woman apologized sheepishly as she grabbed a loaf of bread from the kitchen island. "It's a force of habit," Victoria explained, "I'm used to talking to parents all day long." The Miller woman spoke mostly to emotional parents and other nurses or doctors, so Victoria was used to being polite and kind as a pediatric nurse.
"Ah, yes," Dita murmured as she remembered hearing about Victoria's career before she commented, "Miguel mentioned that you were a children's nurse." The older Galindo woman stared at Victoria with interest shining throughout her dark eyes before she curiously wondered, "how are you liking it?"
A soft but wide smile immediately pulled onto Victoria's face before she gushed as she prepared the first piece of french toast, "oh, I love it." The Miller woman made sure that the piece of bread wasn't going to burn before she looked up to Dita and continued, "it's so rewarding to take care of sick children and see them get better."
However, before Victoria could further talk about her job as a pediatric nurse, the Miller woman quickly took notice of Emily's crestfallen face from the mention of children, so Victoria quickly decided to change the direction of the conversation to keep Emily's mood in good spirits. "But, yeah," Victoria muttered as she lightly waved her hand before she told Dita as she flipped over the piece of french toast, "Emmie and I have always been attached at the hip."
The Miller woman added another piece of french toast to the pan as she stated, "we lost touch right after graduation but I'm so glad I ran into her the other week." Victoria looked up and shot her old best friend a small smile to show Emily that she truly meant that before the brunette woman softly murmured, "Emmie's a special girl."
The blonde Galindo woman couldn't help the small smile that played across her slightly chapped lips. It meant a lot to Emily, despite how she was currently feeling and everything that she was dealing with, to know that Victoria felt the same way that she did. "Thank you, V," the blonde woman softly murmured as she showed her praise for her childhood best friend.
"Of course. Anything for you," Victoria softly murmured back as she stared across at the blonde woman, "you know that." The Miller woman basically owed Emily her life from the blonde being there for her during her younger years. Victoria didn't know how she could have survived if she hadn't had Emily to help get her mind off of her troubles at home.
The Miller woman continued to stare across at her old friend with a soft gaze before she cleared her emotional throat and glanced away as she could feel her hazel irises begin to cloud like they always did when she thought about her past. "Alright," Victoria muttered as she shook her head and shook away those bad thoughts before she told the two women, "breakfast is served."
The pediatric nurse began to grab the plates but she could only use one arm at the moment so she only grabbed one of the three plates before she made her way towards the kitchen island. "Oh," the older Galindo woman gaped when she noticed Victoria struggling before she moved to stand as she uttered, "let me help you."
"No, please," Victoria quickly exclaimed before Dita could fully stand up as she stopped the older woman in her tracks. "I need to learn how to deal with this," the Miller woman explained as she glanced down to injured arm that was resting inside of a tight sling. Victoria glanced back up to the two Galindo women with a small smile before she continued, "besides, I'm a guest. Let me serve you guys."
The Miller woman wasn't going to take no for an answer so she didn't wait for Dita to agree or disagree as she placed one of the plates in front Emily before she made a couple of trips to grab the last two plates along with a cup of freshly chopped strawberries and a pitcher of warm syrup. It took at least five minutes of Victoria walking back and forth from the kitchen to the island before she finally took her seat beside the two Galindo women and uttered with a grin, "eat up."
The three women then immediately began to dig into their comforting breakfast that was made by the pediatric nurse with only the sound of Dita and Victoria getting to know one another ringing throughout the compound before the older Galindo woman volunteered to wash up the dishes once they had finished eating. Victoria didn't want to seem disrespectful, so the brunette woman silently agreed.
The Miller woman knew that she still had her duties of taking care of Emily and making sure she was doing okay, so while Dita got started on the dishes, Victoria silently grabbed ahold of the blonde woman's hand before she guided her up the staircase. "Let's get you into some fresh clothes," the pediatric nurse told her old friend as she knew getting dressed could help Emily's mood even if it was just by a little bit.
The blonde Galindo woman emotionlessly allowed Victoria to pull her all the way up the stairs before she silently slumped down onto hers and Miguel's king sized bed with fresh tears clouding her blue eyes as her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of her sweet boy. "I miss him," Emily finally mumbled her first sentence ever since they had started eating breakfast.
Victoria's heart instantly broke at the sight of her old friend. She hated that this happened to Emily so she wanted the blonde to know that everything was going to okay. The Miller woman slowly bent down until she was eye level with Emily before she gave the Galindo woman's hand a tight squeeze as she promised, "we're going to find him." Victoria gave her childhood friend an assuring smile before she added to give Emily the confidence that she needed to make it through the day, "and I'm going to help in anyway I can, too."
The Miller woman waited until Emily silently nodded her head before Victoria gave the blonde woman's hand another squeeze. "Alright," Victoria murmured as she slowly pulled her injured self up into a standing position before she stated with a small grin playing on her lips, "let's get you into something cute."
The saddened Galindo woman released a loud puff of air at that request before she mumbled with a deep pout embedded on her face, "what's the point?" Emily honestly didn't see why she should even get out of bed when her son was currently missing. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to get all dolled up.
"Because," Victoria began in a singing voice before she explained as she prayed that it would give Emily the hope that she needed to believe that everything was going to work out, "you will want to look your best when you get to see your sunshine again." The Miller woman knew that getting dressed up when Emily's child was missing sounded like a stupid idea but it was the small things that would keep Emily in a high spirited mood and that was exactly what Emily needed right now during a difficult time.
Emily couldn't help but shake her head with an amused but tiny smile playing on her lips as she stared across at her old friend. "What happened to tomboy Victoria, who never gave a crap about dressing up?" The Galindo woman curiously wondered as she recalled that during their childhood, the brunette woman absolutely hated wearing dresses and skirts - except for when they would go to parties or when they had that dream of being ballerinas.
"She grew up," the Miller woman mumbled, mostly to herself, as she instantly remembered why she didn't dress up as a kid. It was another one of her bad childhood memories. Victoria didn't dress up when she was in her early teen years because of her father's associates that were always around and made her uncomfortable by sexualizing her.
"I didn't start dressing up until I got into college," the Miller woman quickly told Emily as she, once again, pushed away her childhood memories like she had been doing a lot lately. "It took me one trip to LA for me to realize that I love dresses," Victoria jokingly told the Galindo woman - which was partly true since it took her to go on a shopping spree, a birthday gift from Angel, for her to realize that she loved dressing up instead of always wearing tank tops and jeans all the time.
"Me too," Emily commented with a small chuckle as she remembered that she and Victoria were practically identical when it came to how they dressed when they were younger. "I think it was once I met Miguel that I wanted to start dressing up all the time," the Galindo woman explained to her old friend with a soft smile playing on her lips as she thought back to her college years and when she met the love of her life.
Victoria silently nodded her head to show that she was listening to the blonde woman as she grabbed a cute pink and black blouse along with a pair of black slacks from Emily's closet. The Miller woman walked back to her friend once she had the outfit ready before she jokingly told Emily, "I'm sure it had something to do with all that money he had."
The Galindo woman released a small chuckle before she lightly shrugged her shoulders and joked right back, "that's partly true."
The two women immediately fell into laughter together - even though they both were just joking around since Emily didn't care about Miguel's money and Victoria could see the love that the married couple shared with one another. It took a few minutes for the two women to calm down as it was something that the emotional blonde needed at the moment before Victoria exclaimed as she handed her friend her new outfit, "alright, let's get you showered and changed."
Emily couldn't help the loud groan that instantly slipped through her lips at the Miller woman's command. "Ugh, do I have to?" The Galindo woman complained as she honestly didn't feel like doing anything today. She just didn't feel like herself without her sunshine's giggles ringing throughout the compound.
"Yes, ma'am, you do," Victoria told her old friend as she pulled Emily up from the large and probably comfortable bed with her one good arm. "I'm taking care of you and you know the rules, you have to do what I say," the Miller woman reminded Emily of the promise that they made when they were kids. It had been like a game for them whenever Victoria had gotten a round of bruises from her father and his associates or Emily felt abandoned by her parents never being home. If either of them was sad, the other would do everything in their power to make each other feel better and the other couldn't disagree with any of it.
The Galindo woman released another loud groan as she recalled the rules of their childhood game. "Fine," Emily mumbled as she knew that she couldn't argue with the Miller woman or the punishment was a week's worth of laundry - but Emily wasn't sure if that rule still applied and she didn't want to find out. The blonde pointed her finger at the pediatric nurse before she exclaimed as she compromised, "but I want ice cream."
"A deal is a deal," the Miller woman exclaimed with a wide grin shining across face as she watched in amusement as Emily stomped her way into the master bedroom's bathroom. Victoria stood like that until she heard the shower start up before she took a seat on the king sized bed with a heavy sigh and instantly lost her smile. The Miller woman felt relieved that she could drop her strong act for a few minutes.
Victoria was absolutely exhausted - thanks to her lovely injures from the rebels - but she had kept up this strong front so she could be there for Emily as her friend as Victoria knew that the blonde needed someone in her corner right now while Miguel was trying to find their son. The Miller woman would rather suffer herself, though, instead of Emily, so she was willing to suck it up while she helped the Galindo woman feel better during a difficult time. It's just how she always has been for the people who she cared about.
It took about twenty minutes of Victoria resting on the comfortable king sized bed before the Galindo woman walked out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of fresh clothes. The Miller woman kept her promise to Miguel as she took care of Emily and made sure that she was okay like how Emily used to do for her when she would show up at the Thomas house covered in bruises after a session with her father and his associates.
Victoria made sure that the Galindo woman was never alone or lost too much into her thoughts. Victoria also made sure that Emily ate throughout the day and went outside every now and again for some fresh air so she wasn't anxious by being stuck in the house all day. The Miller woman, in addition, kept to her promise about getting Emily ice cream by asking one of Miguel's personal bodyguards to run to their childhood ice cream parlor to get them a pint of chocolate chip. Victoria thought it had been a very successful day with the Galindo woman only have cried three separate times.
The two old friends were now settled in the living room of the Galindo compound with a bottle of red wine settled between them as they watched a classic comedy movie - The Hangover - to round out the day. However, the calmness and the laughter between the two women was soon interrupted about half way into the movie when the front door of the compound was pushed open and two pairs of dress shoes loudly clanked against the marble flooring.
The Miller woman and the Galindo woman immediately turned around on the couch at the sound of someone's arrival before they spotted Miguel and Nestor finally arriving back at the compound after being gone all day. Emily was the first one to move as the four of them basically had a stare off as she swiftly jumped up from the couch and hurriedly asked her husband, "did you find anything? Do you know where Cristobal is? Have you found him?"
However, Emily didn't get the answers that she had been hoping for. Instead, Miguel stared into his wife's erratic blue irises for a moment before he placed a loving kiss onto Emily's forehead. "Let's go to bed," the Galindo man murmured against his wife's temple.
"No!" Emily immediately shouted as she pushed as hard as she could against her husband's chest. "I want to know where my son is!" The Galindo woman shouted as she was tired of being out of the loop when all she wanted was her son back in her arms.
"Emily," the Galindo man uttered in a warning tone before he commanded, "you need to calm down right now." Miguel couldn't handle his wife's yelling tonight. He was extremely exhausted from his day of dealing with the Mayans and still not anywhere near to finding about his son's whereabouts. Miguel just wanted to have his wife in his arms while he prayed that Cristobal would be with him tomorrow.
However, Miguel didn't get his wish, though, for a relaxing night with his wife as Emily just continued to yell and shout about all of her hidden emotions. The Galindo man was quite frustrated as well, so Miguel didn't hold back like he usually would when it came to his wife. The married couple went back and forth between one another as they both said equally hurtful things as they tried to cope with the lost of their missing son.
The Oceteva man had immediately noticed the tension in Miguel's back and knew that there was going to be a screaming match from his experience with the Galindo couple from over the years. Nestor knew his best friend liked to solve his family matters in private, so he walked up to Victoria and lightly grabbed ahold of her good arm. "Come on," Nestor murmured into the brunette woman's ear before he stated, "I'll give you a ride home."
The Miller woman looked up at Nestor with a deep frown as she didn't want to leave Emily like this encase the blonde would need her. "But I want to help," Victoria argued in a mumble.
"I know you do," Nestor softly murmured as he gently pulled the brunette woman with him as he headed to the front door of the Galindo compound. "But there's not much that you can do for the rest of the night," the Oceteva man continued to explain why it was a good idea for them to leave before Nestor added to his point, "besides, Miguel and Emily probably need to talk."
Victoria released a small sigh as she nodded her head in agreement before she mumbled, "okay." The brunette woman knew Nestor was right by the look of things between the married couple by how tense the atmosphere is. Victoria may not be married but she knew that Miguel and Emily needed to talk since they haven't even done so since their son was taken by the rebels.
The Oceteva man and the Miller woman silently walked together towards Nestor's black vehicle with their hands locked together - which happened subconsciously as they walked side by side. Nestor then helped Victoria into his car and made sure that she was buckled up before he quickly rounded the vehicle and they rode away from the Galindo compound.
The black SUV was silent for about ten minutes in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere as the Oceteva man drove through Santo Padre before the tranquility was interrupted when Victoria's turned her hazel irises onto the cartel assassin. "Did I help any today?" The Miller woman curiously wondered as she had hoped that the information that she gave Miguel had helped in someway in finding his son.
Nestor nodded his head as he kept his brown irises locked onto the busy street in front of him before he informed the pediatric nurse, "we found the station wagon on the highway, abandoned, this afternoon." The Oceteva man released a small chuckle before he continued as he stated, "actually, the Stanford kid found it."
The Miller woman couldn't help but release her own chuckle as she shook her head in amusement. "Of course he did," Victoria muttered with a small smile playing on her lips. The pediatric nurse wouldn't expect anything less from Ezekiel. He had always been that smart and curious person all their lives, so she didn't find it surprising by how well Ezekiel fitted with the Mayans.
"Well," Victoria began as she lightly turned her body to the side so she was staring at Nestor's relaxed face. "What did you find in the car?" The Miller woman wondered as she focused back onto the main topic of what happened today and how she had helped the Galindo cartel.
"No rebels," Nestor stated before he shrugged his shoulders and added, "but that was to be expected." The Oceteva man silently turned off Main street as he continued towards the pediatric nurse's home before Nestor stated, "but we did end up getting a lead for some dog shelter."
"Wonderland," Victoria immediately commented as she knew exactly what place that the Oceteva man was talking about. The brunette woman had been there quite a lot. Victoria couldn't even count on her two hands how many times during her childhood that she overhead her father's phone calls from her mother's fellow associates at the strip club that she was at the dog shelter recovering from an overdose.
"Yeah, that's right," the Oceteva man uttered as he nodded his head. "We didn't find much, though," Nestor commented with a small shrug of shoulders as he decided to not mention the dirty work that he did for Miguel while at the dog shelter. Nestor didn't feel it was necessary to tell the pediatric nurse about that or because Nestor just didn't want to ruin this friendship that he had with Victoria and he didn't want to scare her off with what he does for Miguel.
The Oceteva man took a quick glance away from the road as he shot the Miller woman an amused smirk before he focused on his driving. "But," Nestor began before he stated, "I did get a punch in the face by your boy." The cartel assassin couldn't even try to hide his amusement of what happened at the animal shelter. Nestor found it absolutely hilarious how fast the older Reyes could get annoyed.
Victoria's hazel eyes immediately widened at Nestor's words as she gaped in surprise. "Angel?" The Miller woman questioned before she quickly apologized when Nestor nodded his head, "Jesus Christ. I'm really sorry about that, Nestor." The pediatric nurse couldn't help but to furrow her brows as she wondered, "what even happened?" Yeah, Victoria knew that Angel could have quite a temper but she didn't think he would just punch someone in the face.
"It was just a small misunderstanding," Nestor explained with a small shrug of his shoulders. It wasn't a total lie, either. There had been a misunderstanding at the animal shelter that got out of hand between the Mayans and the Galindo cartel. But Nestor decided to not mention that he had mentioned her name to the older Reyes which resulted in a very pissed off and jealous Angel.
"Still," the Miller woman mumbled with a slight pout to her face before she apologized, once again, "I'm sorry about him." Victoria shook her head with a small chuckle before she joked, "I don't think you guys and I will ever be having dinner together." The brunette woman knew from the start of this new friendship with Nestor, that he and Angel would never become buddy-buddy with each other but she knew that was definitely out the window now after they literally got physical with one another.
The Oceteva man released a heavy and amused laughter - something he used to only do around Miguel but now Victoria was added to it since he felt so comfortable with the brunette woman like he could be himself. "I don't think he'd like that very much," Nestor commented after a moment as he shook his head in amusement.
"And why do you say that?" Victoria wondered as she stared at the side of Nestor's calm and relaxed face. The Miller woman wasn't stupid or oblivious when it came to the beef between the Mayans and the Galindo cartel so she knew it was obvious why Nestor and Angel would never be friends but she just wanted to know what Nestor thought about the older Reyes brother.
"He seems like the jealous type," Nestor uttered his opinion on the Mayan as he took a quick glance into the brunette woman's hazel irises. The Oceteva man shot Victoria a small smile before he focused back onto the road he murmured with a small smirk playing on his lips, "besides, I don't think he'd like it very much if he knew I've been taking up his girl's time."
The Miller woman couldn't help to immediately blush at Nestor's words. Victoria avoided the Oceteva man's gaze like she always did when she would turn red before she quietly mumbled, "you're probably right." Victoria completely knew Nestor was right, though. She had experienced protective Angel basically all her life. However, the brunette woman wasn't sure why she blushed. She was used to people calling her 'Angel's girl' ever since they started their relationship, so she didn't know why it affected her when Nestor said it.
I'm too exhausted to psychoanalyze my relationships right now, Victoria thought as she mentally shook her head and rested the right side of her body against the cool car door of Nestor's black SUV. The Miller woman didn't know how many times since she had met that Nestor that she had thought about her seemingly normal relationship with Angel. The pediatric nurse found it annoying that she kept doing that. Victoria guessed it was because another man was showing interest in her life...
A wide smirk was proudly placed across the head of security for the Galindo cartel's face as he watched the hue of red brighten up Victoria's tan cheeks along with the different emotions showing across her figure. Nestor just found it so amusing by how red he could get the Miller woman to turn. However, Nestor decided to not tease Victoria about it right now as he knew that she had a long day.
Instead, the Oceteva man and the Miller woman sat together in a comfortable silence as they drove through Santo Padre for a few minutes before Nestor slowly pulled in front of Victoria's driveway. "Here we are," Nestor murmured as he parked his black SUV and slightly turned his body so he was now looking at the brunette woman.
The Miller woman's hazel irises immediately widened in surprise when she looked out the window and saw her familiar home. Victoria found herself having a lot of these moments where she would just lose track of time whenever she was around Nestor. She just found his presence so relaxing from her crazy life with taking care of ill children and her night job of taking care of the Mayans. Nestor was like that middle, the in between, in her life and Victoria couldn't help but cherish every moment that she had with the braided man.
"Thank you," the Miller woman softly told Nestor as she glanced over to him with a shy and embarrassed smile as she knew he had caught her moment of surprise - like he always does. Victoria released an awkward chuckle when Nestor only smirked at her before she quickly faced the door and opened it with her good arm so she could get out of this embarrassing moment.
Victoria was expecting a few things for what Nestor would do like drive away or say goodbye but what she definitely wasn't expecting was for the cartel assassin to meet her around the black SUV with a soft smile shining across his usually hard face.
The Oceteva man stood only a few inches away from Victoria as he stared deeply into her hazel irises for a few moments of tranquility before he brought his rough hand up and gently placed it onto the brunette woman's smooth cheek. Nestor rubbed the pad of his thumb gently against the Miller woman's skin before he softly whispered, "be safe."
Nestor barely even got the words out of his mouth before he swiftly forced his hand away from the Miller woman's cheek and walked back into his black SUV. The Oceteva man didn't even spare Victoria another look before he was pulling out of the driveway and heading back to the Galindo compound. Nestor didn't know why but he felt like he had to protect Victoria. He didn't know if it was because she was someone special to Emily, his best friend's wife, or because he enjoyed her company - but Nestor swore as he tightened his hands around the leather steering wheel that he was going to make sure nothing like last night happened ever again to the brunette woman.
Victoria couldn't help but to bite down on her bottom lip as she watched the black SUV speed away from her. The Miller woman didn't know how she felt about Nestor's soft words. It was only two words but it still had a lot of meaning behind them. Victoria didn't know much about Nestor but she did know those two words held worry or care for her. Victoria couldn't help but to smile a tiny grin at the fact that Nestor cared for her because she could feel herself feeling the same way during the short time that they had talked.
However, though, the thought of who Nestor was caused for a frown to pull onto Victoria's face. The Miller woman knew this was just another can of worms since Nestor worked for the Galindo cartel and she's involved with someone in the Mayans. Victoria knew Angel would never be okay with this friendship. He doesn't own you, Victoria reminded herself with a sigh as she walked up to her front door. Victoria couldn't help but release a heavy groan as she knew that she was playing with fire right now.
The Miller woman felt like everything was just piling up on each other in such short amount of time and Victoria absolutely hated that she was lying to her best friend. Victoria was keeping all these secrets from Angel like where she has been, the dinner with the Galindo cartel, and, of course, her injuries. Victoria was never one to lie to her loved ones so it was killing her to do so. However, Victoria knew it would just cause more problems and she knew Angel didn't need that right now with how stressful he always sounded when he spoke about the club. I'm protecting him, Victoria told herself as she tried to find a reason to why she was lying to Angel.
"Ugh," Victoria groaned as she could feel a splitting headache coming on from all of these running thoughts. The Miller woman shook her head as she closed the front door behind her before she placed her body against the large wooden door with a heavy and exhausted sigh. Victoria knew this was just only the beginning.
Victoria hated that she putting herself in the middle of all the cartel and Mayan business but she swore that she would help Emily. The Miller woman was going to help in anyway that she could in finding the Galindo prince - even though she knew it was completely dangerous along with the fact that it would be another lie to Angel.
"Fuck," Victoria swore as she closed her hazel irises and leaned her head back against the front door as she felt her headache getting worse. The Miller woman shook her head as she released another sigh as her mind was running a mile a minute. "I need sleep for a few hours... or a few days," Victoria mumbled to herself before she zombie walked to her bedroom to get some much needed rest from everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours.
The next chapter will focus back on our favorite Reyes! 3
xoxo