Lightning: Soldiers Of Hades MC, #4

“I want her to pay for the death of my dad,” Nala finally spoke up again. “I didn’t know it at the time but he had cameras set up all over the house. He had the evidence of who killed him.” She shuddered and Lightning’s arms tightened around her. She could feel the heat from his body surrounding her and she thought it felt so good. “When I opened the safe he had written me a letter. He knew what she’d been doing for some time. Long enough for any feeling he had for her to die. He figured out she had been using him the whole time but he didn’t want any trouble. He had to think about Paco. He didn’t figure she would take him but he couldn’t risk it. He was his father and he took that job seriously.” She paused and added, “In the papers, I found a DNA test he had done on Paco. The test told him Paco was his son. I had no idea there was ever any doubt on dad’s part but he loved that boy just like I did. I was more of a mother figure than she ever was.”

Lightning snorted. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”

“Well, if you have this evidence we can turn that over to the DEA too, and when they do find her, she’ll be charged with his death as well.” Cobra pointed out. “She’ll spend the rest of her life in prison.”

“We have to find her again first,” Nala informed them. “I don’t trust her and if she realizes the DEA is hunting for her, she’ll go underground and won’t be seen again.”

“Who were the two men with her this morning?” Cobra wanted to know.

“She called them Loca and Luis.” Nala frowned as she thought about them for a moment. “They seemed very familiar with her but I don’t think it was romantic familiar, it was more the way it would be between a brother and a sister.” Then she shrugged. “I always thought she was born here but I could be wrong about that. I do know she was of Spanish decent but that doesn’t seem to mean much anymore.”

“We can do some digging and try to find out if she’s on the visa rolls,” Python told her.

“We can also bring down so much pressure on the cartel that they either turn her over to save their own asses or they end up putting a bullet into her brain,” Cobra suggested. “Either way, she’s done for.”

“First thing we do is we go after the other two places they’re making their filthy drugs.” Python growled. “Now that we know they’re there, we’ll watch them and figure out how to get in. Then we’ll blow their places up. That should send a message to the cartel that we’re not fooling around here.”

“It could also bring them around to notice you and they wouldn’t fear striking back,” Nala warned them.

“We know all that, sweetheart.” Python nodded. “And we’re prepared for this war. We can be as vicious as the cartel.”

“That’s a little scary,” she whispered.

“But that’s only against the cartel,” Lightning assured her. “We live by a strict code otherwise and we don’t abuse our women and children.”

“That’s the rule we live by here,” Cobra assured her as well. “Those who can’t respect that rule don’t usually stick around.” He shifted in his seat. “We are going to need to see the paperwork your dad kept and anything you found when you began tracking Monica.”

She nodded. “I figured you would. Actually, my house isn’t too far from here. I can go and get it and bring it back.”

Cobra shook his head. “I’d really rather you didn’t do that. If Monica is here or either of the two men she was with this morning and they see you, they wouldn’t leave you alone. They would kill you on sight and I’d rather that didn’t happen.”

“You and me both,” Nala muttered under her breath. “I can tell someone where to find it then, and they can bring it back here.”

“That would work the best I think.” Cobra nodded.

Nala gave them the information they needed to find the paperwork she’d hidden in the house. Then she wished them good luck.

When Cotton asked her what she meant she smiled and told them about her neighbor, “Old Jack is quite the character. He watches over the whole neighborhood and keeps the order. No one backtalks him. Old Jack would chase them off his lawn and several times, he took a broom to the worst of the boys that harassed the other kids.”

“How long since you’ve been home, sweetheart?” Python asked.

“It’s been a couple of weeks now,” Nala admitted. “I got a message about where Monica might be and I just had to find her again.” She shook her head. “Paco believes his mom is just lost, he has no idea why she walked out on him.” She hung her head. “He still believes in her and I won’t take that away from him. I just can’t, he’s lost so much already. As much as I hate her, I can’t do that to him.”

“Was she any kind of mom to you, girl?” Python asked.

Nala shook her head. “My dad married her because she was pregnant but she hated me from day one. She put me down every time my dad wasn’t around. I was so happy for him because he finally had that look in his eyes again.” She shook her head. “But it didn’t last long. I think he found out what she was doing. It broke his heart but he stuck it out because of the baby. When Paco was born, he fell in love with him. He was such an easy baby to love. The hardest part of his baby years was shielding him from the hate his mom had for us. She didn’t come home very often but when she did, she upset the entire household.” She looked away briefly. “It was almost a relief when she left again. I know it broke my dad’s heart each and every time he watched her walk out the door but she never once looked back. I know because I watched her leave.”

“How did your brother take it?” Cotton wanted to know.

“He took it as well as my dad did. He cried himself to sleep every night for a week. I know cuz he came into my room every night. I’d hold him while he sobbed.”

No one said a word and the silence grew.

When Cobra dispatched two of his men to pick up the stuff from Nala’s house they brought back a little surprise with them.

Ole Jack lumbered into the clubhouse with a grin on his face. A grin that grew when he saw Nala and Paco sitting at one of the tables. “Nala Statler, you little bit,” Jack called out.

Paco heard him bellow and he ran toward the older man.

Jack held out his arms, caught the young boy, and hugged him tight. “Hey little man, you been taking care of your sister, boyo?”

Paco nodded. “You bet your booty, I have.”

Jack smiled and touched his forehead to Paco’s. “Been missing you, little man.”

“Missed you too Jack,” Paco whispered. “Can you keep a secret?” he whispered.

Jack looked into his eyes and nodded. “I can. What’s up kiddo?”

“I have to go live with my mom now,” Paco told him. “If I don’t, she said she will hurt Nala.” Tears filled his eyes. “She said just like she hurt my dad. I can’t lose Nala, the way I lost my dad. I hate my mom but if I don’t go with her, she’s gonna hurt my Nala.”

Jack just wrapped his arms around the boy. He looked over at Nala and shook his head.

She came right over and asked, “What’s wrong, Paco?”

Jack looked troubled as he answered for him, “He says his mom told him she wanted him to live with her. If he didn’t come, she would hurt you the way she hurt his dad.”

“That was our secret and you aren’t supposed to tell secret.” Paco pushed Jack’s shoulder.

“There are some secrets you shouldn’t keep secret, little man,” Jack told him sharply.

Paco’s tears fell down his cheeks. “But she said she would hurt Nala and I don’t want her to do that. Don’t you understand?”

Nala took a deep breath and cupped her brother’s small face in her hands. “I wouldn’t let her hurt you, Paco. If you don’t believe anything else, you better believe that. But I couldn’t let you go to her either. I would fight her if she tried to take you away from me. I love you. You belong with me and don’t you forget that.”