Sinner's Son (Savage Sons Motorcyle Club) (23 page)

I felt like I could handle pretty much anything, and it felt good.

I forced myself to get back to my schoolwork while I anxiously watched the clock and waited for Luke to return. I'd called Maria back and told her that help would be on the way soon, and she'd given me the name and address of the person she'd convinced to take her in. All I needed now was to get Maria's picture and cell number in Kate's hands, and I'd feel better. I knew that I wouldn't be completely at ease until I knew Maria was safe, but I was doing everything I could.

By mid-afternoon, I couldn't wait for Luke any longer. I wrote him a note that explained that I'd left to meet Kate and get her more information about Maria. I figured I'd explain the entire situation to him when I got home, rather than trying to figure out how to say it all in a note. I left the note sitting next to his cell phone, and I headed out the door.

When I got to the federal building, Kate was standing in the parking lot, leaning against her car. I parked near her car and got out.

"Thanks for meeting me here," she said. "I know it's not convenient, but I need to scan and send that picture securely, and I can't do that from anywhere but here."

"I'm happy to do it."

She led me inside, and we ended up in her office. She waved me toward a chair and I took out the picture of Maria holding Nadia that she'd decided to include with the letters that Moses had written her.

"This is Maria and Nadia. I'm sure you understand why I want it back."

Kate looked at the photograph. "Of course. She was beautiful. And it's such a shame what happened to her daughter."

"It's a tragedy, but I'm glad that the men responsible are going to pay for their sins. Maria's still beautiful, you know. Just sadder than she was when that picture was taken."

Kate looked up at me from the picture, her eyes steely with determination. "Krystal, I owe you an apology."

"You don't owe me anything. Just get Maria out, and we're even."

"No," she said. "I want ... I need to say this. You're right. I underestimated you, and I used you. I should have known better, but I was so focused on Luke's potential as an informant that I was blinded to the fact that he and you and even the members of the Savage Sons are human beings and deserve respect. When you said what you did about black and white, it reminded me of a piece of advice that someone gave me not long ago. It's easy, sometimes, to lose sight of the whole reason that I became an FBI agent. It's not just about my career. It's about doing the right thing, making the world a safer and better place."

I just nodded. I didn't need to rub it in that I'd seen through Kate's schemes.

She continued. "I'll be honest. I'm out on my own here for Maria. There are other agents involved who don't think she's a wise use of government resources, and it's possible that I'm going to be censured for pushing this forward. I'm making that choice, though, because it's the right thing to do. Through the INS, I've gotten provisional approval for asylum for Maria Alvarez, and there's a man at the U.S. Consulate in Juarez who's agreed to go get her and bring her in so that she's under our protection. She'll be safe at the consulate for as long as she needs to stay until we can sort out the paperwork to bring her into the U.S."

I sighed in relief. "Kate, that's wonderful. I appreciate your putting yourself on the line for this, but if anyone deserves it, Maria does."

Kate sent digital copies of Maria's picture to the INS and to the man at the consulate, working late in order to go get Maria. Kate and I sat in her office and waited for the hour-and-a-half that it took for the man to leave, locate Maria, and bring her in. When she was finally safe and I talked to her by phone, I felt so relieved that I just burst into tears as soon as I hung up Kate's desk phone.

Kate looked a little shocked and uncomfortable, but she handed me a box of Kleenex and waited until I'd calmed down before she said anything.

"Krystal? You okay?"

I took a deep, shuddering breath and exhaled slowly before I answered. "Yes, actually. I am. This may be more information that you want, but I know what it feels like to feel worthless, and that's how Luis and Don Roberto made Maria feel. Knowing that I could help her and knowing that if I didn't, then no one would, made me feel like I had a purpose. That's a good feeling, and I'm just relieved that it's all over."

I looked down at my cell phone that had been sitting in my purse, and I realized that I had three missed calls from Luke and a series of increasingly worried texts. "Kate, thanks again. I need to get home now and let Luke know that everything's okay. After all the mess with Luis, he worries if he can't get me on the phone."

"That's understandable. And thanks, Krystal. Luke's a lucky man, and I think you'll be happy together."

We left without much more discussion, and I called Luke from the road, assured him that I was fine, and promised to tell him the whole story over dinner. I was glad he'd told Sable we'd stay in. I needed a meal and the comfort of Luke's arms.

W
hen we sat down to the table at church, Joker's chair was still left empty. At some point, I knew we'd have to vote on new leadership, but that mattered less to me than the news I had to share with the group. Sally started the meeting with an update on Joker -- which wasn't much, considering that he was still in jail and unlikely to go to trial for another few weeks at least. I didn't care about him, but the other guys seemed to. I was silent through the discussion.

"Other business?" Sally asked.

Several hands went up around the table, and Sally pointed at Nate, on his right, to begin.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a stack of fuckin' bills to pay and no money in the bank. We need to talk about how we're gonna fix that."

The rest of the men around the table nodded their agreement.

"Suggestions?" Sally asked.

I raised my hand, and Nate snorted. "Unless you're gonna share that inheritance your parents left you with the rest of us, I don't wanna fuckin' hear it, Luke."

I'd just about had it with the hostility. "I was going to update you on the progress with the dispensary, but if you don't want to hear it, that's fine."

Sally glared at Nate. "Go ahead, Luke."

"Well, I've gotten the hearing moved up to next week. We should have the license then, and we can get the use and occupancy permit the same day. If people are ready to pitch in, we can be in business by next weekend."

"What do you mean by pitch in?" Sally asked.

"Well, we'll need to move what inventory we have into the space and get it merchandised. We'll need to scan everything into the computer system so we can ring things up, and we'll need people to cover shifts once we're open. It's all in the business plan I gave you copies of. We decided that the hourly rate to start is twelve dollars per hour, and at that rate, we should see dividends within a year."

Before I'd even stopped talking, I saw most of the eyes in the room glaze over. All but Nate's, of course.

"Wait a minute. You expect us to work in the shop? For twelve fuckin' dollars an hour? I can't pay my bills on that."

"I don't understand the problem. I gave you all the business plan a long time ago. It's all spelled out in the plan."

Sally looked at me and shook his head. "Luke, I guaran-goddamn-tee you that not a one of these guys read your business plan. You'll be lucky if it didn't end up as toilet paper."

The guys laughed and Johnson spoke up. "I didn't know we'd have to work in the shop. This ain't what I signed on for. I ain't gonna be a little shop girl."

I was ready to explode. "Are you fucking kidding me? How the fuck did you expect this to work? Nate, I know you've been helping Sable with the plants, but the rest of you -- did you really expect to make money for doing nothing?"

Sally took a deep breath. "Luke, I'm gonna be honest with you. Most of us weren't really for the dispensary in the first place. Joker leaned on us, and we voted it through, but it was your old man who pushed for it. You've worked in an office, been stuck behind a desk for a living, but that ain't us. I move that we take another vote on Savage Bud."

I was dumbfounded. I sat without saying a word while every member in the room but me voted to abandon the project. Since I now knew that they hadn't read the business plan, they had no idea how much money and time I'd invested in the venture, and quite honestly, I didn't think it would matter if they did. If they wanted out, then they could have it.

"Done. I won't mention the shop again. Nate, I'll pay you for the time you've spent on the plants, or you and Sable can work it out in product." I was seething inside, but I didn't want to let it show. "I have one more..." I thought for a second. "Two more things to say. First, Maria Alvarez, the woman whose daughter was killed by Don Roberto's cartel, will be coming to Colorado. I plan to offer her a position at the shop, and if any of you cares enough to see her and offer your regrets for the trouble that she's been through, she'll be staying with me and Krystal until we can get her set up in her own place."

Chuck had a big grin on his face. "Is she bringing any of her girlfriends with her? It's been too long since I've seen a senorita."

The laughter and crude comments around the table made my second comment even easier.

"And the second thing is that I want out of the Savage Sons."

The room was silent until Nate spoke. "You gonna go run your mouth to the feds about us, rat boy?"

"Nate," I said, trying hard to keep my tone even and calm. "I could have had you arrested a dozen times. You should know by now that I'm not after any of you. I have one more day's work with the DEA, and that's all about the cartel. Just for your fuckin' information, I insisted on immunity for every one of you ungrateful fuckers, and I'm fuckin' tired of being treated like a traitor. Someday, when you're old and free, rather than rotting in a jail cell, you'll realize what I did for you. What Moses did for you. When Moses was alive, he saw the path to destruction plain as day. The Sons would have ended up dead or in prison, and he wanted to change that. I offered you a legit way to make money, and you spit in my face. I'm out."

I stood up and took a few steps toward the door before I turned back around to address the group. "I don't want to leave on bad terms. I'm pissed right now, but I'll never betray one of your secrets, and I'll welcome any help you want to give if you want to earn a little money at the shop. I've learned a lot from you -- how to be stronger and harder than I ever imagined I could be. I've learned about the limits of loyalty and when it's right to follow my conscience. Krystal and I are getting married at Christmas, and I'd love to see you there. Other than that, I'm out."

I took my cut off, hung it on a hook by the door, left the room, and I never looked back. I knew that I would miss aspects of the MC, and I was grateful that I hadn't taken the final step of becoming a full member -- the step that would have made it nearly impossible to ever walk away. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd have had to do to prove myself to the group, and I was surprised to realize that I didn't even care. Sable had been right all along. I didn't fit. I was different.

I knew I'd always be grateful for the time I'd spent with the Savage Sons, and I didn't think I'd get rid of the Harley. The freedom of the open road and the idea that a group of people would always be there to back you up had been irresistible to me, but as it turned out, that wasn't actually reality. The truth was that my father had led the group into businesses that hurt other people. Moses had decided that he couldn't do it any longer -- couldn't watch his brothers sell meth, sell women, and ruin people's lives. He had done what his conscience had told him was right, and I had to do the same.

I took a long, scenic way home, and I enjoyed the sunshine and the wind on the ride. I felt lighter without the cut, and I realized that the relief I felt was because I knew I'd done the right thing. I was finished trying to be someone I wasn't. As I turned into the long driveway to the house I shared with Krystal, I knew that there would be days that I missed the thrill of a long ride with men who don't give a shit what anyone thinks of them, men who could fuck random girls and roll out to the next town. I got it. I'd done it. But that wasn't what I wanted anymore. I'd seen the way that Krystal had blossomed once she was out of the culture that treated her as nothing more than a piece of ass. Whether she and I had a daughter or a son, I didn't want them to grow up believing that you should live your life just by taking what you wanted without regard for the consequences.

Would I miss it? Yeah. Was it worth it to leave? Absolutely.