PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Forty-Four (Oscar)

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Oscar

Two Days Later

October

I didn't know where else to go or who else to turn to about any of this. I can't risk Alana catching even a whiff of the fact that I'm terrified that shit is going to go down. Ruby isn't safe if anyone even opens their mouth. Cops that worked for Cuchillos won't forgive him if they find out it was him.

Those cops work for Sad Eyez now and that can be a good thing. But even he doesn't trust them. He knows where their loyalties still remain and the moment they test those remains and find out it's Cuchillos? Fingers are going to start pointing.

They'll point to me. They'll point to Sad Eyez. They'll point to Cesar and to Joker. They'll point to Ruby and hopefully they never point to Alana.

She's innocent in all of this.

I decided enough was enough and I needed to double down on protection. I met up with Sad Eyez and he could hardly look at me. Which isn't like him at all. I have a feeling he heard about Cuchillos and not from me.

"Why are we doing this, Spooky?" He crosses his arms. "What the hell do you want? Word on the street is you're leaving Freeridge. You're done with all of us."

"Family until the end." I remind him. "You always have a place in my home you know that. No matter where my home is you can walk in at any time. Is that why you're not even looking at me? Come on Jose... We go back to kindergarten."

"And you're leaving. Did you forget who stuck by you when everything went down? Who protected your girl for three years? Who spent day and night with her to make sure no one would hurt her or try to claim her? Fuck, Spooky. It was me. I did it all. And this is the thanks I get? You're just leaving?"

"I'm not 'just leaving' I told you that you are welcome in my home always. I'm not leaving for a while- we haven't even bought a damn house yet. Where is this coming from?" I ask and try to trace back who knows about us wanting a house. Who knows that we want to leave Freeridge. Cesar wouldn't have said anything so it had to have been Ruby.

Sad Eyez clears his throat then lights up a smoke. Taking a drag of it and holding the pack out to me. I shake my head and decline.

"Oh? You quit this too?" His voice is full of hurt. My best friend since we were kids- If he heard from Ruby the plan to buy a house and move then I understand why he feels this way right now. "This ain't right, mano."

"Did Ruby talk to you?"

He nods as he takes another drag. "Yep. Told me you're going to buy a house and open a restaurant and that you're leaving all of us behind. For good. Fuck you, Oscar."

"No." I put my hands up in defense. "I mean yes that's the plan but nothing is in motion yet. We're not looking to move until the summer when Cesar is ready for school and we know what he'll be doing. And we want to go to Brentwood so it's really not that far."

"Ruby said you were leaving the state." He blinks and his face softens. "He did a whole lot of talking about the plans between you and Alana..."

"Did he tell you what was found."

He lifts a brow and shakes his head. "No? What are you-"

"Cuchillos."

A long pause of silence that haunts the air between us. "He didn't say a word about that. Why wouldn't he tell me that? I'm his damn boss. I'm the one in charge. Why did no one tell me a damn thing?"