Esmerelda (RAZORBACK MC NOVELLA #2)

2

EZZY:

I had the coffee cups in one hand, three on my fingers, and the pot in my other hand. I set the cups down, started filling it, smiled at the kid who was looking for his hot chocolate like it was going to fall out of my ear.

 "I will be right back with your hot chocolate." I told him and he nodded and looked around. I turned back around, heading to the counter, and I just was putting the whipped cream on it when I heard someone ask for a menu. "Yeah, give me two seconds." I told them before putting the can back, putting the small cup in my hand carefully. I went to the side of the counter, turning as I grabbed one of the menus.

I had it in my hand and as soon as I turned and hand it over, but I lost it for a second, spilled it down the front, the apron got most of it but it slid down my leg as well making me hiss. I was barely able to look at the man. He was the same one I had thought about for years... the same one that got me out of the s**t hole and into rehab with Chrissy and Sofia. He barely looked my way when I hissed, and then he looked down. 

I set the small cup down, going for a napkin when some were tossed down on the counter in front of me. “Thanks.” He took the menu I had set down after putting the napkins closer to me. I gulped, gabbed them, rubbed at my leg, and then grabbed the  hot chocolate, settled it and walked as I cleaned it up. I set it down for the boy and paused to take their orders, all of it was quick things from the kitchen so I told them it was going to be out fast and turned to put it in.

It was later in the morning, so while I was the only waitress in, at the top of the hour I would have Celia in here with me, she was a new girl, and I would train her on some stuff that she hasn’t learned yet.

I counted down the minutes until I saw the guy at the counter... the guy who rescued me look around. “Hi, sorry about that, are you ready to order?” I heard my voice going up to the highest tone in my waitress voice and I gulped.

“Just a coffee and a house waffle with bacon and soft scrambled eggs.” He told me and I nodded, I grabbed a coffee cup from under and the freshest pot and gave him enough.

“Do you need fresh creamer?” I asked knowing that most of the flavors were out of the small cup holding the creamer.

“No, thank you.” He told me and I gulped and licked my lips before looking to the counter and seeing the other tables things almost all up there, but there was enough for me to take a set now, and when the others were done I would take them right over. As I walked back and waited for the last plate I made sure to write out the guys order, shout it into the kitchen. I got the fourth plate, headed over, and I smiled and asked if they needed anything else while I was there.

Facing the counter I saw him drinking his coffee and tipping it farther so he could finish the cup so I moved in. “Another?” I asked him and he nodded before looking at me. “Did you need something?”

“I was supposed to meet someone who works for this place, but I guess he’s late.” He told me, I felt a little confused, the only guy here was the cooks or Marcus.

“What’s his name he might be in the back.” I told him as I filled his cup up.

“Marcus.” He nodded slowly and looked around like he was cagey and I just nodded.

“I will go tell him... what’s your name?” I asked, needing to know it, he had saved me, saved Chrissy and Sofia... the guy who I would never be able to thank enough.

“Travis.” He told me and I nodded before heading over to the back hallway where his office and the bathrooms were. 

I knocked on the door and heard Marcus’ call to come in. “Hey, your friend, Travis, he’s here and waiting.” I told him and gulped. He nodded slowly and finished something on his computer before standing  up.

“Thanks, has he been waiting long?” He asked me and I gulped.

“Kind of, he kept looking around like you were going to walk in so I asked if there was something else he needed and he said you, I mean he said your name.” I swallowed and smiled before turning to walk ahead of him. I smiled at the guy... Travis and watched Marcus walk up to him and sort of bro hug.

I saw the other table I had been waiting on signaling me that they needed me. I went over, getting them their check, ringing them up, smiling as they left a good tip on the table as I started to clear it. I pocketed it and turned to put things in the back. I saw his plate ready and grabbed it, placing it on the counter and smiling. “Do you want anything Marcus?” I asked and he rubbed his stomach as he looked at Travis’ plate.

“Maybe some bacon and eggs with my regular toast Ezzy.” He told me and I nodded before going into the back. As Travis ate, I cleaned the dishes and made sure to get going on the eggs and bacon for the boss man.

I was just getting him some silverware. I grabbed his extra napkins and walked out pushing the door open with my back side. “Ok... here you are, anything else? Coffee?” I peaked in Travis’ cup and saw he needed a refill so I grabbed it as Marcus said yeah.

“Ezzy...” I heard Marcus as I turned to head away from them since they were talking business.

“Yeah?”

“You know any place hiring?” He asked and I nodded. I worked with places all over the city, I knew when someone needed a new person in for the Spa I worked at, if they needed someone for the rehab facilities...depends on what kind of job they were looking for.

“Any place hiring ex-cons?” Travis asked me and I knew right away that if I told him the jobs I usually had on hand for new people where those kinds... it was going to be obvious who I was if he even recognized me.

“There is a rehab place that tries to make it easier to progress, they have you take a few personality tests to make sure you’re not going to take advantage as a security guard or a intake guy.” I told him and he worked his jaw and looked at Marcus before back at me.

“What’s the places name?” Travis asked me and I asked him to wait as I got the card from my purse.

“I can call them later after my shift and tell the hiring director to expect your call.” I told him and he nodded at me before focusing on the card. I would have offered to take him there personally if he needed it but today  had my afternoon off and I would be going to a meeting before anything else.

“Thanks.” Travis nodded at me and I nodded back before seeing the new girl walking in.

“Hi Marcus.” She waved at him and smiled at Travis and then at me before she went into the back to clock in.

“Tell me how she is going today, I’ve heard she hasn’t been picking things up fast.” Marcus told me quietly and I nodded back at him before looking right to the back to see when she would come out. I would give her a run down on slow service, what we did, how we did it... all of it.

TRAVIS:

I sat at the diner after the girl who gave me a card left. I was there for an hour, drinking coffee, I had a sandwich, and I was waiting for Razor to show up. I had been waiting for a meet up for two days and I understood he had kids and a club to run so I wasn’t going to give him any s**t.

I stayed there until I felt someone pull out the stool next to me. I turned and saw who I assumed was Razor, he lifted his chin and I did it back before leaning so I opened my chest up. “You’re Travis... Marcus said you wanted to talk about my chapter.”

“I do, I got in s**t in Vegas for not doing anything. I am not looking for more trouble. I don’t want to change a chapter just to get in more shit.”

“We cleaned up our act years ago. Almost 17 now.” He told me and I just nodded slowly. “we don’t run drugs, we are clean. You want in this chapter... why?”

“You just said it. You’re clean. Marcus vouches that you don’t do s**t that the last Prez I was under did. You don’t run girls, you don’t do drugs, you don’t do s**t that is going to land me back in prison for being part of it.”

“All true, now why would we want you?”

“Because Marcus and I... we do as we’re told. I do as you ask, I don’t start s**t, there won’t be s**t. I don’t come with drama or kids or women coming after me. I don’t need to join, but because Marcus is with you guys, he says its good, you say it’s good, I want to be with your chapter.” I told him and kept eye contact. Most men in the prez position would sneer and tell me that they didn’t like to be stared at, but Razor was sizing me up.

“You telling me if I asked you to sit on my woman at her job you’ll sit there and make sure she’s good?”

“If she’s in danger yeah. If I have the day off, yeah. You need it I am there.” I told him, that was the corner stone for our brother ship in an MC.

“What if we, I asked you to spy on someone’s first date.” He worked his jaw and I felt confused, he didn’t look old enough to have a teenager ready to date, but maybe he had a kid in high school.

“You’ll have to give me specifics. Am I going to prom? That won’t look too good.” I told him and he smirked.

“Perfect... you’re in. And I do need you to watch out for my god daughter. She’s got a date this Saturday afternoon.” He told me and I nodded. “You can come and check out the compound with me, my sisters are party planners, pain in the asses really, they like to throw parties for the new guys who join us.” He told me as he looked around before looking back at me.

“A party?”

“I don’t know, one of my sisters thinks it’s just a good excuse to have cake.” He shook his head. “My old lady likes being nice to the men too, she will probably find you and offer a dinner.”

“Should I take it.”

“If you want. You got a job already?”

“Not yet, I have a few feelers.” I told him and he nodded.

“Nothing comes through, we will start helping.” He told me and then nodded and jerked his head. I put the 30 in cash on the counter and headed out with him. Marcus would know what happened, and I just got to the bike I had and saw him a couple spots over.

“Follow me and we’ll get to the compound.” He told me and I nodded as I raised my leg and slipped it over. I was at home on my bike. Is as probably one of the few guys who had saddle bags and didn’t care if they looked weird when I pulled up.

We got there, no one was really around, and he walked in and I was just behind him. “Got a straggler?” I heard a guy ask as we got into his office. I saw the snake on his desk, it looked like it was a razorback like our emblem, and I liked it.

“Yeah, Travis. Travis meet Lucien.” I nodded, grabbed his hand and shook it as he looked up. “He’s offered his services to prove himself.”

“Services? For what?”

“Cami’s date tomorrow.”

“No s**t? And she doesn’t know him so she won’t even know.” Lucien stood and smiled at me.

“She is young?” I asked and he nodded.

“She’s just turned 15.” He worked his jaw and looked at Razor who laughed. “f*****g laughing because you think you have it so easy.”

“Date with a boy at 15...” Razor laughed out and I felt like I was missing out. “Dumb ass here walked right into giving her permission. She asked him when he started to date her mom, and then who was before that, and he went into a long list starting at being 12 when he was on his first date.”

“She’s smart and I hate it. She sat there, smirked, and said ‘If you were 12 on your first date, does that mean I can go on one this weekend since I am 15?” He used a high voice and I had to smirk.

“Where are they going?”

“Movies... lunch... boy is weird.” Lucien shook his head and I looked over his patch, then back to Razors and nodded slowly. “You willing to be just behind her so that f*****g kid doesn’t’ make a move?”

“I will.” If it earned trust, yeah I would.

“Good, I will get you a picture, let you know where and when that s**t is starting... we will be good to go, now we just have to make sure she doesn’t see you.”

“Got it.”

“Let’s get the rest of the s**t set  up and get you a room.” I sat there filling out the paper work and s**t that I needed to before getting my own room. I looked around, they had me in a room with a bathroom, a closet, and it was pretty chill. A dresser came with it and some outlets so I could get my own TV and s**t if I wanted it.

I sat on the bed and knew I needed to head out shopping for shit... but before that I needed to make sure that I had income before I blow my savings.

I called, the rehab place told me that because of the girl who recommended me, I had an interview and a few personality tests set up for Monday.

That s**t was good enough for me.I took off and got some s**t, sheets, blankets, regular supplies for my room. I got back and saw more brothers and made sure I made it a smooth transition as I met new brothers.

Once I had Marcus’ name they were relaxed and didn’t look at me like they were skeptical or anything.

I got to get the s**t on my bed before I heard a knock on my door.

I opened it and came face to face with a little woman holding out a cake.... or a pie?

I wasn’t sure because it didn’t look done.

“Hi, I am Tara.”

That made it all click. Marcus told me not to eat anything she gave me.... and that cake thing was one of those things, I was sure of it.

“Marcus’s woman right?” I asked still taking the cake as she offered it out.

“Yeah, and Ryan’s little sister.” She told me and I didn’t know who that was.

“I haven’t met a Ryan yet.”

“Right, Ryan is Razor’s real name. He usually doesn’t introduce himself.” She waved it off and I just nodded as it clicked in my brain.

“Did you need me to come down and share this with everyone?” I asked and she smiled and nodded. “Ok.”

If she was going to watch me eat this I was not going to be alone and the brothers downstairs... if someone said something, then we would all be good. I walked down with the thing in my hands and before I could set it down another girl took it from me and smiled before tossing it in the bin.

“He was going to eat that!” Tara shouted and I looked between the two girls and looked around to see brothers laughing.

“It was underdone, it was leaking from the sides. I told you not to take it.”

“It was fine! It was like a molten cake!”

“T you’re going to poison the man!”

“Baby, stop shouting at your sister.” I saw a guy come up to touch the one that took the cake from me and I just looked around.

“I am Sienna, my sister Tara is still learning baking skills.” She told me as she faced me and I just nodded.

“Marcus warned me.” I told her and she smirked and the guy behind her came around her.

“Bellamy.” He shook my hand and I nodded.

“Travis.”

“We’re going to have to go and buy you a welcome cake.” Tara sighed from the left of Bellamy and I just nodded slowly.

“You don’t have to do anything like that.”

“No point brother, they like cake and parties.” Bellamy tapped my shoulders and came to the side.  “Just smile and nod, that’s what we do.”

“Got it.”

I smiled, nodded, ate, drank very little, and I looked around as people came up and introduced themselves to me. I got to the end of the night, knowing names and faces and ready to just f*****g sleep. I had no buzz, I had no idea what else to do... and I was happy to feel a bit better in a new place.

As I walked up the stairs I knew it was a completely different space, I was safe, s**t around here wasn’t going to keep me up. I wasn’t worried about women downstairs being hit or raped... I just slept, and I started to have the weird dreams I used to have, this one skinny scared girl that looked like that Ezzy girl was in it too.