"My smile is beamin', my skin is gleamin'
The way it shine, I know you've seen it "
7 Rings – Ariana Grande
The club was crowded. He stood in the background, taking in the scene. It was loud. It was sweaty. It was obnoxious. On his own, he'd never find himself in a place like this. It didn't matter any issues he was currently working through. This wasn't his idea of a stress reliever. He breathed in, focusing his concentration. He had one job.
With delayed steps, he walked around the outside perimeter. He needed a full sense of the activities happening around him. The ring was in the center of the room. Men were pushed up against the chain-link fence, slamming their opened palms against it. They cheered. They booed. The sound echoed into the pandemonium.
All his senses were on high alert. A perk from being in the Navy. Some things learned never go away. He stopped at the bar, dropping down a ten and indicating which beer he wanted. He turned, leaning against the bar and looking back into the crowd. He noticed that the only women in the establishment were bartenders and waitresses. Everyone else was male. It wasn't a very telling observation. It was fairly typical for this type of place.
A beer slid into his hand and he thanked the woman behind the bar, leaving all his change for her. He pushed off the bar and continued straight. He happened to find an open spot at a standing table. It was a prime location for scoping out his competition. He took a long swig from his bottle and placed it down on the table.
He stared forward, the ring in his eyesight, but the competitors still blocked from his view. He scanned the environment and found fistfuls of money. Men were waving their bets into the air, shouting out who they were supporting. Coins were flung with abandon. Hitting the floor with a muted clank.
He lifted his beer to his mouth when a drunkard stumbled into him. The liquid from the bottle spilled over and down his chin. He closed his eyes, a harsh breath escaping through his nose. He took a moment to compose himself. With impatience he dropped the bottle down onto the table and with his other hand, he wiped down the front of his face.
The glassy eyes of the man who bumped him were barely open as he attempted to apologize. He waved his hand at the man, dismissing him. The inebriated man staggered away from him, patting down his pockets. Obviously searching for another bill to waste on more alcohol.
Turning back to the fight, he rolled his neck. A small opening in the crowd opened up and he found himself staring directly into the ring. If he was a different man, his mouth would've hung open. What he saw – he wasn't expecting.
Her chocolate brown hair was in three thick braids against her head. The rest of her hair was cascading down her back, but out of her face. It ran down to the tip of her ass. He watched as it whipped around her as she dodged attack after attack. She faked to the left, catching her opponent with a hard right hook into the side. Taking advantage of her winded she charged, landing two more body shots.
She was fast. Her dodges were near perfect. Her blocks were resilient. Her opponent was useless against her. She was seasoned. A pro. He wondered why they had her in the ring against someone who was way below her caliber. Even if it was for the money, she had talent. There was no way they needed to resort to rigged games to make their money.
She ripped off her gloves, dropping them and springing at the fence. She climbed it all the way to the top. With her abdomen keeping her steady, she waved her arms into the air, hollering her victory. The club erupted with her. She worked the crowd. Everyone responding to her. She pumped one fist into the air, a huge grin on her face and then pushed back. She dropped down into the ring, landing on one knee and two fists. The ref handed her her gloves and she flung them over her shoulder.
She stepped down the steps of the ring and cracked her neck. Her smile firmly in place she winked at a few of her die-hard fans. He couldn't help but crack a minuscule grin at that. She was confident. Maybe even cocky. She took advantage of the opening in the crowd and ducked away, heading in his direction.
She hopped up the three steps into the bar area and stopped as she noticed him standing off to her right. Her eyes were a deep brown. They held an electricity he'd never seen. It was palpable. He watched as her gaze dropped to his feet and inched its way up his legs, thighs, midsection, his shoulders and then landing on his face.
Her eyes locked with his. He kept his face straight. His resting expression. She arched an eyebrow, her smirk showing again. Without losing eye contract he lifted his half-empty bottle to his lips and took a sip. Her smirk turned into a full-blown smile. She winked at him and stepped forward. Her shoulder knocked lightly into his, as she approached. A deliberate show of her attraction.
"You're new." She murmured, only loud enough for the two of them to hear.
She stayed standing against him, both their heads inclined towards each other. He gazed down at her. She was a little less than a head shorter than him. Both her eyebrows were raised in anticipation. Her eyes flicked between his gaze and his mouth and back again. He rolled his lips together and nodded. She gave him a crooked grin.
"Stick around, handsome." She quipped as she brushed forward, "I wouldn't mind getting to know you."
He turned around to follow her retreating back. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure that he was watching her exit. He couldn't help the smile that grew as he chuckled to himself. She caught the expression and laughed, blowing a kiss over her shoulder. He admired her self-assurance. She was riding the high of winning her fight, but he enjoyed how coy and bold she was.
He continued to stare as she disappeared in the direction of the main entrance. He found himself hoping he'd see her again. He may be here on an assignment, but that didn't mean he couldn't ease a little tension. A hand dropped down onto his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. He turned to see who was brave enough to lay a hand on him.
A greasy gangster stood next to him, a slimy smile on his mouth as his eyes were focused in the same direction that the mystery woman had gone. The gangster nodded and patted him on the shoulder. Nestor glared at his hand, but the gangster didn't notice.
"I see you've met Val." He said. "She's our best fighter. Undefeated."
Nestor stared at the man. Val. Her name. He'd have to remember that for next time. It wouldn't be long before their paths crossed again.
"You're Oceteva?" The man asked.
Nestor nodded.
"Great. I'm Jose." He introduced himself. "Follow me. The boss wants to meet you."
Nestor finished off his drink, left the bottle on the table and fell into step with Jose. He steadied his breathing. He knew what his orders were. Stick to the assignment. Meeting the head of Los Lobos didn't change a thing.
~(MMC)~
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I reclined in my seat. I had my feet propped up on the window pane and a joint hanging between my fingers. I brought the joint to my mouth, inhaling and closing my eyes. I soaked up the last few rays as the sun disappeared on the horizon.
I heard the faint ping from my phone, notifying me of an incoming text. I opened one eye and glanced around, trying to recall where I put my phone. The second notification came through and I exhaled while shifting to the side and searching blindly for my phone. I eventually found it stashed away in the driver's side door. I pulled it back towards me and swiped right to open the text.
I'm stopping by to visit Pops. The trailer's all yours.
Sometimes EZ was a godsend. Not that I didn't love my little car but using my passenger seat as my designated bed could cause a crick in the neck far too often. Soon after setting up shop in the yard, EZ started trying to offer his trailer to me. I downright refused because then where would he sleep? He couldn't fight me because with his logic he'd offer to sleep in the car, which was what I was doing. We ended up arguing in circles and frustrating each other.
He caught on to my game and eventually changed his tune. Now every time he spent the night at his Pop's house, or was going to be out all night, he'd fire off a text to let me know it was mine if I wanted it. He never forced me into taking it. All he did was leave the option open, letting me know that it would be empty anyway. I figured out his ploy immediately, but I wasn't going to give up a free night in a bed if I could get it.
I rest the joint between my lips and with both hands texted him an 'I'll do what I want' message and chuckled to myself. I tucked my phone down into the back pocket of my shorts and flicked the remaining ash from my smoke out the window. I snuffed out the tip, tucking the rest behind my ear to finish off later and grabbed my backpack full of clothes from the back seat. Pushing the door open, I decided tonight would be a good night to take a long shower and use up all of EZ's water.
Sharing EZ's bathroom wasn't a new development. He let me use it whenever I needed it, but I was always quick with my bathing. I didn't like overstaying my welcome, knowing that the trailer was his home. I didn't want to be hanging around more than needed. Tonight, that didn't matter. He wouldn't be here, and I could take as long as I wanted.
When I finally got out, there was steam everywhere in the trailer. I chuckled to myself and wrapped a towel around my body. I rummaged through my back for something to wear only to discover I left all my shirts in the car. Groaning I began opening all the doors hoping to find some spare clothes somewhere. I finally came across a bunch of shirts folded and grabbed the first one off the top. It was an old ratty blue plaid button up. I shrugged, it would have to do. I buttoned it up and pulled on some clean underwear and then my grey dolphin shorts.
I yawned while spinning the dial on the decrepit radio. It was as if this old machine could only get the oldie stations. I found a local station that wasn't playing strictly mariachi music. It was playing a song I actually knew so I turned up the volume to blasting and bopped my head to the beat.
Whisper singing the words to myself, I flipped my head over, running my fingers through my wet hair to detangle. I began spinning the stands together and wrapped it up into a high chignon. I swiped my black clip off the counter and tucked it underneath the bun, hoping to force it all to stay in place.
I danced away from my spot to get my toothbrush and toothpaste. While brushing my teeth, I wiggled my hips to and fro. I whipped out my toothbrush, spat and then spun around, belting out the lyrics of the song. Whipping my head from side to side resulted in my top bun starting to fall out and my hair fly everywhere. I continued off in my own little world, failing to hear the creak of the trailer door opening.
I bounced down, popping my ass as I came back up when I heard a deep laugh sound from behind me. I spun around with a scream. I pointed my toothbrush at the intruder, earning an even louder laugh. When my eyes landed on him, I recognized who it was immediately. He was standing near the dining table, his shoulders slouched as he was half an inch too tall to stand up fully inside here.
"Mierda, Angel." I cursed, "You scared the shit outta me."
He smirked, his laugh silent, "I can see that."
His hand reached out and he nudged my wrist, raising his eyebrows at my weapon of choice. I glanced down at the toothbrush before bringing up my other hand to flip him off.
"What're you doing here, anyway?" I turned to the sink, cupping some water and rinsing out my mouth.
"Looking for EZ," His face darkened, "He back there?"
I licked my lips, my smile broad, "Jealous of tu hermanito?
"No." He answered indignantly.
I rolled my eyes, "He's not here. Went to visit your Pops."
Angel nodded, and then took a seat at the small table. He pulled out his phone and began texting who I assumed was his brother. I disappeared into the back to pack my toiletries away. When I turned back around, Angel was hovering in the doorway. I startled again, unsure as to how a man of his size could be so quiet in a metal house.
"Nice shirt," He commented, his fingers hooking under the short sleeves.
I shrugged, "I forgot half of my clothes in my car, and I wasn't about to run out of here naked after my shower. I'm sure EZ won't mind."
Angel nodded, "Maybe not, but I might."
I furrowed my brows, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"This is my shirt." His voice dropped an octave, his fingers tracing along the side seam.
His light touch sent my heart into palpitations, but I would never let him know. In an effort to keep up the charade, I looked down at it and nodded. This was more Angel's style, now that I was looking at it.
"Want it back?" I asked, moving my hands to the buttons, poised and ready to start undoing.
"Depends," He countered, "Wearing anything under it?"
I smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know."
Angel reached out, hooking his arm around my waist and tugged me forward, "Don't tease, mama."
I laughed, opening my mouth to make a witty quip but was quickly silenced by the unguarded heat in Angel's expression. My breath escaped me at that moment, and I struggled to breathe in. Angel's free hand crept up my bare arm, sending shivers down the entire length of it. His hand stopped as it wrapped around the side of my neck, holding me tight. I tilted my head up, gazing straight into his eyes.
He dipped his head down, closing the distance between us. I lifted my hands and placed them square on his chest. I could feel the muscle mass under his shirt, and I contracted my fingers, gripped the fabric of his clothing. His mouth descended towards mine when a phone trilling rang into the moment. Angel stopped and laid his forehead against mine. I sighed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered.
I didn't listen to the conversation. I wasn't interested. I closed my eyes, listening to the reverb of Angel's voice. Angel hung up the phone, slipped his hand behind my head and tilted his mouth up so that he was kissing my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut harder. That's definitely not where either of us wanted his lips.
"I gotta go." He mumbled.
I nodded, opening my eyes and stepping backward. He turned and made his way back to the front door while I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the wall. He stepped down and out of the trailer, but before he was completely out, he glanced back at me.
"I'll be coming back to claim what's mine." He grinned. I blinked, shocked at his comment before he continued, "Y'know, the shirt."
I bit down on my lip and rolled my eyes. Of course.
I laughed out loud before flicking my hands at him shooing him away, "Get out of here, Reyes."
His booming laughter followed him as the metal door of the trailer slammed closed in his wake.
~(MMC)~
Nestor stretched his fingers, hearing the small cracks that popped as he moved them. This was his second time in the ring, and he could honestly say he was enjoying it. The constant feeling of pain and strain were cathartic. He sat on a small stool in the corner of the gym. One of the other guys was sparring in the ring while he took a scheduled break.
Nestor unwrapped the white bandages from his hands and rolled them up, placing them neatly on the table. He grabbed at his water bottle, leaned his head back and sprayed the liquid into his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw as the front door swung open, the early afternoon sun piercing into the dingy lighting of the gym.
He swallowed as he tipped his head back into a natural position. Everything about her body language called to him. She was confident and it showed. Her hips swung as she loudly announced herself. He didn't catch what she said, but the two men in the ring were now leaning over the ropes and laughing with her.
He watched the comradery a slight tinge of jealousy growing. He ground his teeth together. He'd only met her once. He had no right to be feeling any kind of way about her and who she was friends with. As he fought internally with himself, Martin – the cartel boss himself – exited his office.
"Jefe!" She greeted, a bright smile lighting up her face.
Martin reciprocated, opening his arms to her and capturing her into a tight embrace. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear. She cackled at whatever comment he made and then they parted. It was clear they had a solid relationship and that bothered Nestor more than he cared to admit.
He kept his eyes trained on her, watching as she bounced away from the other men towards the changerooms. From where he was positioned, he could still see her shadow around the opening and noticed as she tossed her bag into an opened locker. Realizing the intimate advantage, he had over her, he averted his eyes. He turned his head and resumed watching the other men as they picked up on their fight.
However, as his gaze slid back to those in the ring, he briefly met the cold eyes of Martin. Martin raised his eyebrows at him, a sly smirk on his mouth. Nestor kept himself level. He'd be damned if he gave any hint of a weakness. He was here on a mission. That meant keeping himself in the clear. He needed his head in the game.
Martin kept the smirk on his face as he turned away and Nestor forced himself to ignore it. He wasn't sure how his staring was going to be interpreted but he figured it'd be obvious what Martin was thinking. At the back of his mind, Nestor wondered if Martin and she were a thing, but he quickly put that thought process to bed. It was neither here nor there. It wasn't for him to worry about. He was here for Galindo. Nothing else mattered.
A/N: Lemme know your thoughts in the reviews *hearts*
Shout out to these beautiful souls for taking the time to beta these chapters for me thegirlwhowritesfics , chaosinourbones , and thats-so-rhyan