She Will be Loved

Ch. 24 Differences

Juice didn't sleep that night. He was physically exhausted from the ride over to Tacoma, exhausted from shaking hands and being social with the SAMTAC brothers, and exhausted from cleaning all of SAMCRO's bikes when they got there, yet he still couldn't sleep. His head was swimming with thoughts of Angela that he just couldn't shake. She'd been in Oakland again. Why? Who was there? What were Happy and Koz so concerned about that they wanted him to monitor her every move? Angela had grown up in Oakland; it shouldn't be unusual for her to be there visiting her friends or even her Ma and Aunt. Except she hadn't been at her Aunt's house. She'd been at some park deep in the heart of what he now knew was Mayan territory. What was she doing there?

He got off the creaky cot he'd been given to sleep on and went to his backpack, grabbing his laptop again. Rubbing at his eyes, he started it up, and opened the tracking program he had downloaded as he sat back down on the edge of the cot. Angela was still in Oakland, but at an apartment complex now. He checked the address and found the apartment complex's website. With a little digging, he was able to find a list of people who currently lived there. He felt a little relieved when he saw Paulino's name listed along with a Rosa Diaz, a name he knew because Angela kept telling him about her best friend. So she was probably with one of them and not with one of the dozen other names listed there...including Esai Alvarez.

Why did that name sound so familiar to him? He knew the head honcho of the Mayans was Marcus Alvarez; could there be a connection? He'd heard the Sons talk about Marcus a few time, but he hadn't see the guy or any of the Mayans just yet...so why did the name Esai sound so familiar? It wasn't a very common name, so where had he heard it before? Against his better judgement, he did a quick background check on Angela.

And that's where he found it. The connection. Two Minor in Possessions in her record. In both cases, she'd been arrested with Esai Alvarez. That's where he'd heard the name. She'd mentioned she'd gotten arrested with her douche bag ex-boyfriend named Esai. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. Angela was in the middle of Mayan territory for the third time in three days. She'd been distant, elusive with him. Turned him down when he'd asked her to hang out. And that damn hickey.m. Had she rekindled whatever romance she'd had with Esai? Juice's mind was reeling. Had he lost his one chance with Angela? Thrown it away by following what Jax had advised? He felt like he was going to be sick. 

Slamming his computer closed, he fell back ono the cot. He rubbed at his eyes, silently hoping he was wrong. Maybe Angela was just with Lino and Rosa, and all of this worrying was for no reason. It had to be. Why would she give Esai another chance? It didn't make sense.

An idea came to his head; if he told Hap and Koz about it, they'd see to it that she stayed away from that Mayan asshole. Except...she'd be pissed. So pissed, it might push her right to Esai just to spite them. That and she'd most likely find out he was the one who told them. She'd never trust him again if he ratted her out. He couldn't do that to her. Not if this was something she wanted. It wasn't worth losing her trust if it made her unhappy.

He sighed softly, reaching out for his phone. On a whim, he pressed the speed dial button that would connect him to her. It rang for what seemed like forever before she answered. "Juice? Is everything okay?" she asked in a rushed whisper. He heard a door close behind her, and he wondered if she'd walked outside.

"Oh um...yeah. Just...wanted to check in. See if everything was goin' okay. You bein' home alone and all..." he baited, wondering if she would answer him truthfully.

"I'm actually not at your place," she replied on a breath. "Stayin' at my friend's place out in Oakland. Didn't really feel like bein' alone."

God, he wished he could've stayed home. He'd been so excited to go on this run, yet now, there was no where he'd rather be than at his place with Angela. "Yeah. Kinda wish I coulda stayed over there now. All I been doin' here is meetin' people and cleaning computers and Harleys."