GTO: Soldiers Of Hades MC, #3

An hour later, Luisa stood at the window, looking out into the darkness outside.

The men were all sitting there discussing the situation and she didn’t want to listen to their plans anymore. This was all about tearing her family down. She knew something was wrong with her family but she couldn’t deliberately wish them dead.

She loved her family… if only they weren’t dealing drugs. Christ, they were the Drug Kings. She’d known it for years and had to live with it. She’d been born into it. She used to sit and dream of being anyone else. Someone in a US city with a job, like even as a waitress, anything that was far removed from her reality. She was aware the drugs were out there, she even knew some of the people who used them, but she didn’t have to like the fact that her family was making their living from it. Off the souls of weaker people.

She was twenty four years old and this was the first time in her entire life she’d been free of her family. Free, as in not being within the compound her family all lived in where roving armed guards watched over them. Free as in not being under armed guards watching over her safety while she shopped, or visited with her brothers on this side of the border.

She wasn’t so much afraid of death but she didn’t want any of these men to die for her or because of her presence here. If Arturo knew where she was, he would come here and kill everyone. She’d known this fact from the moment these men had taken her from his own backyard.

When Arturo had struck her, she knew then he was losing the battle and sliding into insanity. He always wanted to be the boss but clearly, he couldn’t handle the pressure of being the boss. That was why her father always put Javier with him. Javier usually could ground Arturo. But she wasn’t sure he could do that anymore.

GTO walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. When she didn’t brush them off, he took it as a good sign. “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“I was thinking about my brother Arturo, if you must know.”

“What about him?”

“He isn’t going to go down easy, you know it, and so do I.” She continued to gaze out the window.

“But you know he has to go down, right?”

She nodded. “I just wish it was over and somehow, my family could just move on but…”

“But what?” He frowned.

She shook her head. “They can’t and won’t move on, I’m afraid. They will take their stand and die rather than pick up their lives and move on.” She turned to look at him. “Arturo knows I’m missing by now and he’s probably called our mother to tell her I’m as good as dead. I know that by this time, I am as good as dead to my family and that there are people out there looking for me. He’s probably put a price on my head by now.”

GTO wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. “He won’t get close to you.”

She shook her head. “You cannot keep it from happening. I am grateful for your words, but…there’s so much I never got to experience…so much I never even worried about because I always thought I’d have time. Time that I might not have now.”

“Such as?” He frowned at her.

“I’ve always wanted to know what it was like to go out to a mall and be free to just move around, go where I wanted to go, where no one was watching me. To relax and know that tomorrow will be as dull as today. No men following me with guns to either kill or protect me. To maybe go to college and learn some more. Maybe go to a movie and eat popcorn. Go have ice cream in the park somewhere. Maybe… go a on a date? That would be awesome. Like maybe have a boyfriend? Put on makeup, get a sexy dress, and go out with him.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Normal things really. I mean I don’t want the misery anymore. The fear. The shame I feel about what my family does to innocent people.”

GTO sighed. “I just don’t know what to say to all of that, except all of those things are what we call…Freedom.”

Luisa paused. “Yes, that is it. To be free. I’ve never known it. I also was never allowed to get close to anyone before. At home, no one would come near me and I was never allowed out of the compound without a guard. So, I could never even kiss a boy, or a man. They were all too afraid.” She shrugged. “Then again, those men work for my family and I would never get out of the life if I got involved with one of them, would I?”

GTO shook his head.

“I mean I want to know what all of it is like. Have someone, be kissed by someone, have passion, know love. Have sex? Geeze. Why is that so hard?”

GTO sucked in a breath then whispered, “Honey, you might want to keep that to yourself. Someone might take advantage of that.”

She shook her head. “Not without my permission. I know how to defend myself.”

“Oh, yeah?” He looked down at her. “So what would you do if I tried to kiss you?”

“I’d probably let you.” She stared up at him now.

He cocked his head. “And why is that?”

She ran her finger down his chest. “Because maybe I want you to try and kiss me. You are different from the rest of the men here. I knew that from the minute I first saw you. You have kind, warm eyes for one.”

GTO groaned. He caught her fingers in his own and almost crushed them. “You need to be careful here. Don’t go around teasing men like this.”

Luisa suddenly looked determined. “You know something? I don’t think I am teasing. You’re the first man I’ve known that doesn’t want something from me. You didn’t hurt me, you even protected me but I see something in you I’ve never known before and I want to see what that is.”

“What does that mean?” he queried as he felt more than confused.

She shrugged. “I’ve had men come on to me but I knew that was only to get something for themselves. I knew it and they knew I knew it. You haven’t done that. You and these men have been straight with me, you haven’t tried to hide what you plan to do, and you haven’t hurt me.”

GTO shook his head, “That’s not how real men roll.”

“That’s just it isn’t it? That’s how the men I know roll.” She turned again to look out the window.

GTO watched her for a minute then he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe, you can have all of that now. The things you want to do and experience. After this is done.”

She dropped her head. “And maybe I will be dead tomorrow. Dead, after not knowing anything. Never having fun, never knowing love. Just misery.”

GTO placed his other hand on her shoulder. “I so wish I could give you all of that. I…”

Grabbing his hand, she turned around. “What? What were you going to say?”

GTO shook his head. “I’ve been free. I’ve done a lot of what you listed. I even had…” He took a breath and looked into her eyes. “But I’m not sure if having love is worth the pain when it is taken away.”

“That happened to you?”

GTO felt like he could talk to this woman, but he didn’t answer. He hadn’t spoken of his life before meeting his fellow MC brothers and he wasn’t sure he could do that even now. He stepped back from her. “Do you need anything? I bet you’re hungry.”

She bit at her lip and nodded.

“Let’s go and see what’s happening in the kitchen.” He took her hand and led her to the double doors.

They came into a huge kitchen.

Luisa marveled at it. It was all stainless steel, with many counters, a huge broiler, a large flat grill like restaurants used. Many cabinets and an array of cooking pans, strung up above them but within reach of anyone who wanted to use them.

“Hello,” a woman stepped from a side room with an armful of various food items. She looked older but she was very beautiful. Her long dark hair was in a braid down her back. She stared at Luisa with violet eyes.

Luisa stared back at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” The woman set all the stuff onto a counter. “I’m Peggy Sue.” She reached out her hand.

GTO smiled at her. “This is Luisa.”

Luisa stepped forward and shook her hand politely. “I didn’t know there were any women here?”

Peggy Sue smiled. “Yes, there are a couple of us, but…we females are way outnumbered.” She chuckled.

Luisa kept staring at her as she paled. “A-Are you…” Her voice faded away.

Peggy Sue raised her brows and waited for her to continue.

“Um, Python…” Luisa stammered.

Peggy Sue seemed to understand. “Yes, he’s my husband…” she paused. “Though, we were apart for a very long time. We are still married and we’re trying to look forward.”

Luisa looked stricken. “So, you…” She swallowed hard. “Are the one he said was tortured by…” Her hands shook and she stepped back. “I am sooo sorry. I really am sorry!” Tears now spilled down her cheeks.

Peggy Sue looked alarmed as she stepped forward and took her hands. “Its’s okay sweetie. You didn’t hurt me.”

“No, but my family did!” Luisa sobbed. “They hurt you! I swear if I had known…I-I would have helped you!”

Peggy Sue’s eyes rounded. “You’re…You are a Brago?”

Luisa nodded as she tried to swipe her tears away.

Peggy Sue looked a bit taken back and she paled a little. “Oh, my dear. You cannot blame yourself.”

Luisa sniffled. “I still feel the shame…”

GTO took Luisa’s arm, figuring this would be the last thing she needed right now. “You need to eat. And getting upset doesn’t help.” He wondered at this emotional outburst, as she had been so tough this whole time, never caring if she was hurt, never showing her fear. But here she was crying over Peggy Sue. “You have been in injured and you need rest.”

Peggy Sue nodded. “I will fix her something. Maybe take her to one of the spare bedrooms. Then I will send someone with a meal for you both… Okay?”

GTO nodded and scooped Luisa up, taking her out to the hallway. “No more walking on that foot either,” was all he said to Luisa.