PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Thirty-Six (Ruby)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Ruby

We decided enough is enough.

Oscar is really gone and Alana is delusional enough to think he isn't. But every single one of us is next. Clearly it's impossible to take out Cuchillos and I'm delusional enough to believe she could have been taken out.

We shouldn't go on the run but we have no choice now. All of our lives are in danger. Alana sits in my room with me while I pack a bag. She's been hanging here since Spooky went missing and Mami just thinks he's off in Bakersfield and that Alana just really misses home.

"So where are you going to go for safety?" I ask Alana.

"I'm staying here." She says confidently. "I know there's going to be eyes on the family but if anything happens I can handle it."

"No you can't." I tell her. "I barely can handle it. I don't know if this mess is the one I made or if it was destined to happen no matter what but either way it's real and it's happening. Spooky is gone, I'm not saying that to be an asshole to you. But he is gone. Dead. Not coming back. Cuchillos probably chopped him to bits and is planning to mail you each part of him."

She shakes her head at me. "No. I'd know if Oscar was dead and trust me I feel it in my entire body that he's alive."

"He's dead."

"When Olivia died you were in the ambulance, do you remember that? Do you remember what you felt in the pit on your stomach? No one told you she was dead but you felt it. Because you love her. I love Oscar and I know he's not dead."

I stood there silently for a beat. Remembering how my stomach had clenched and felt like it was nothing but hollow. My entire body felt like I was merely a shell. That feeling hasn't gone away. I've simply learned to live with it.

I nod and Alana blinks at me.

"He isn't dead."

"Alright... So then where the hell could he be?"

"Bakersfield."

"Alana,"

"I'm serious. If he needed a safe place to hide out and away from Cuchillos he'd go to Bakersfield. He'd go to Ray." My sister explains. "Oscar found out that the Santos turned their back on Ray because Cuchillos told them to. She then threw him under the bus and that's why he was in prison all that time. He took the fall for her when it was her who should have gone to jail. That's when she started getting cops to work for her. Like Hammel. Which is why Oscar has finally opened himself up to forgiving Ray. Because he was never his choice to go down for Cuchillos. He didn't choose the streets over Oscar and Cesar. He tried to choose them but was stripped away from them."

"Have you even heard from Ray?"

"No, not in a few days. Which furthers my theory that Oscar is there. If too many calls from Ray come in to my phone and Cuchillos kidnaps me like the did you guys then she'll see that I keep getting calls from Ray and his number is linked to Bakersfield. She'll know that's where Oscar is."

"But why would Oscar dip if she's alive?"

Alana pauses. "I- Maybe to let Sad Eyez and Joker make their way into their new positions?"

"That's not how it works, Alana. Even I know that."

She takes her phone from her pocket and dials someone's number. She holds her phone to her ear and when she gets an answer she lights up. But I know it's not Oscar because she's not blushing.

"Hey... You heard from him?" She says before flipping it to speaker but putting the volume low so no one outside this room can hear anything.

"Nothing yet, mami." Sad Eyez's voice is cool as winter on the other line. "Joker and Smiley rode around all day looking for any sign of him and nothing. Leti checked the house and his car hasn't moved either."

"I'm with Ruby right now-"

"I know." He says softly. "I'm parked outside. Cesar's at the motel right now. We're going to figure this shit out. Cuchillos is still alive- I got a phone call from her last night. So unless Spooky is playing the long game..."

"Don't." She says in a plea. "Jose, please."

I never knew Sad Eyez had a name aside from the way I've always known him. I never heard his name or Joker's spoken before. In fact I started to realize I don't know anyone's names aside from their street names... Which means he trusts my sister enough to tell her his name.

"Cesar is in room 238. I'm headed back there in a few minutes to check on him. But don't fret, mami. This house is under protection and will have eyes on it constantly. Those are my orders. Word has been spreading quickly the monster that Cuchillos is and it's known that Spooky is trying to save us all. He's well respected and even more so now than ever before."

"Thank you..." Alana mutters. "Promise me you'll take care of Ruby? He's on his way to Cesar now."

"Yeah, I gotchu." He says softly. "I always got you."

Alana hangs up and then wraps her arms around me. Holding me tightly in an embrace that she hasn't done in a very long time. Tears stream down her cheeks and she kisses mine.

"I hated you when you were born." She admits. "I wanted a sister. Mario was happy to have a brother but I wanted a sister... And then you were so different than me. You were smarter than me and better at almost everything. People noticed you and liked you. I didn't have that until I found Oscar... To say I was jealous of you is an understatement. You had a group of friends who stuck by you always. I never even had one loyal friend. Not until Olivia..."

My mouth goes completely dry. "I know."

"And then Ray became my friend and he left too. It doesn't matter how but whenever I get close to someone they leave. Abuelo was my everything when I was little and he died. Mario left for college then came home and left again. It's an endless cycle. I don't want to lose you, mijo. It's not too late to get out of this life... Let me help you."

"You can help me but staying out of my way while I get Oscar back for you, okay?"

My sister stares at me. Only blinking and then she swallows hard. "Ruby I can't ask you to do anything like that. Not for me. Not for Oscar."

I hug onto her again and kiss her temple. "I lost the only girl that I will ever love. I know Spooky is the only man you'll ever love because you won't even call him Spooky. You only call him Oscar-"

"Because I will never see him as that version of himself. He's always Oscar to me. And he always will be."

I nod. "Right, so let me bring him home to you. Because we can't both be the fucked up kids that lost the only people they love, right? Mami and Papi would really go insane."

"Please be safe, mijo... Because I can't lose you more than I've already lost you."

That's the last thing my sister says to me before I whip my duffel bag over my shoulder and head for the door. Sad Eyez already left and another car is parked out front. I recognize the driver and the passenger. They're smiling and laughing and give me a nod when they see me.

I stop at Alana's car and reach into her glove box. She's an idiot for not locking it especially in this neighborhood. I take her gun and tuck it into my waist and make my way toward the motel where Cesar is.

Cuchillos better hope she's already dead because I'm going to find her and I'm going to kill her myself. She's the reason there had been so much beef with the Prophets. She's the reason Olivia is dead. And possibly Oscar now too.

I knew Cuchillos was a problem months ago but now? I have a personal vendetta against her. She's going to wish she never double crosses anyone a single day in her life. Especially not El Fantasma.