I pushed the metal doors open and entered the chilled room lined with fridge chambers for bodies. A old man was in the middle of an autopsy but he put the scalpel down as we made eye contact.
"C3." He said as he pointed to the fridges.
I nodded my thanks and opened the door and pulled the tray out to reveal a black body bag. I unzipped the bag to reveal two smaller duffle bags. After checking the contents were all there I pulled the bags out and slung them over my shoulders.
"Hey Francis, any chance of passage for two?" I asked the man who was elbow deep in intestines.
"Anything for you Lily. Just let me finish up here. The office is free." He replied.
I led Nestor next door to the Morticians office and sat on his couch putting the bags at my feet. I kicked one towards Nestor and he opened it to reveal a cache of guns and ammunition.
"Can we trust him?" He asked me.
"Francis? Yes." I said with certainty. "I'm sorry I got you into this Ness."
I put my head in my hands and felt him sit next to me. He pulled me into his lap facing him and raised my head to look at him.
"Don't. Don't apologise." He kissed me softly. "You're worth it."
I looked into his eyes and the intensity set my body on fire. I kissed him back hungrily, feeding on the passion until a knock sounded on the door.
"Ride is here."
I climbed off his lap and we both took a bag each to the garage. Backed up into the loading dock was a tinted hearse with the back door open. Two black body bags were laid out on the stretchers, open and waiting for its occupants.
"I hope you aren't claustrophobic." I looked out the corner of my eye at Nestor.
"No, but it's also not my idea of a good time."
I laughed as we climbed into the bags and zipped them almost all the way up.
"Romero brothers scrapyard please." I yelled from the bag to Francis.
We rode in silence and I closed my eyes in the already dark bag. There was so many things that I needed to organise. I couldn't simply run like I would have two weeks ago. I had a baby, my nephew, depending on me to find him. And Luisa, she needed my help too. This wasn't about me anymore, I had to protect the people I cared about from the people I called my family.
I didn't notice we had arrived until Nestor unzipped my bag and blinded me with light. The back door was already open and a group of the bikers were standing there watching me climb out of the body bag. I held my hand out and Nestor pulled me up and out the door. I handed Bishop the letter I printed in the mortuary office, a copy of what I had sent to the orphanage.
"Angel needs to get to the Children of God Orphanage in San Diego with his birth certificate or passport and this letter. If Potter catches on before Angel gets there they could move him elsewhere." I looked around the motley crew of men before focusing back on Bishop. "Can I speak with you and your VP alone? I'll be right back Francis."
Bishop, his VP, Nestor and I entered the room we were in last night and the door was closed behind me. The VP introduced himself as Taza before we all sat at the table. I pulled a tablet from the duffle bag and placed my palm on the screen to unlock it and handed it to Bishop.
"What is this?" He asked.
"An opportunity. I have shipments of drugs arriving weekly inside imported cars from Japan. They go to ports all over the world but the men who were in charge of collection from the San Joaquin River in Stockton will no longer be of use to me.
If you can discuss the proposition with your Chapter up there and they take over the distribution to my dealers, I can open San Diego's port for you and solve your current problem."
"And what problem is that?" He asked.
I didn't know if he was bluffing or truly thought with all the other information I found on their phones I wouldn't find this.
"That if you want to take over the gun distribution for the IRA, you need a port. You can't afford to lose this chance." I sat back and crossed my arms with a smile. "You can still work for Miguel, I'm not after exclusivity. You can even keep the cars that come in. Think of it as a bonus."
"And what about the Bratva in Stockton?" Taza asked.
"They have no reason to stay there anymore. I doubt they are still there now."
Taza and Bishop stared at each other for a while before Bishop nodded to me.
"I'll talk to the boys in Stockton and they will have to vote before getting back to you." He said.
"Perfect." I clapped. "Now how much product did the Bratva jack?"
"$2.4 million worth." Taza replied.
"And your cut?" I asked.
"15%"
I grabbed the tablet and typed away before Bishop's phone pinged. I had deposited the cut they lost because of me, $360,000, to him.
"Call it goodwill. Let me know when you have an answer for me." I shook their hands and left the room.
"Does my brother own them or can they work apart from him?" I asked Nestor as we hopped back in the hearse.
"Nah, they are only really used for protection runs. Shouldn't be a problem but he would want a heads up."
I zipped my bag up again and told Francis to head to the Galindo residence. I zoned out once Nestor gave him an address. I'm so fucking tired. I tried to think what the most likely form of attack the Bratva will send me and figured it would be brute force. The gyms would be watched and my property in New York too.
They didn't know I actually produced the MDMA or where in Japan so that was safe. I ran almost everything through cryptocurrency so that too was safe. I had a passport in my duffle bag that no one else has seen the name of and birth certificates matching. It broke my heart, to loose the name that connected me to my son and husband. To be a Sokolova now would be a death sentence, they will be on the lookout for it especially.
The scrapyard had been fully fenced and sheltered with high walls but here at the Galindo's there was only chain links. Ws couldn't risk being seen so Francis reversed up to the front door and wheeled the stretchers into the house.
"What the hell is this? Who are you?" I heard my brother ask.
"Relax old man. It's Nestor and I." I said as I unzipped the bag and saw Nestor sit up at the same time.
"Your sister is fucking strange Miguel." Emily complained.
"Little Dita should shut her mouth before it gets shut." I said to her while looking at Miguel. "Your office."
I walked past him and went straight to the office and sat in Miguel seat. Marcus walked in with the other two and they all sat down in front of me. With the help of Nestor we ran through the recap of the last 24 hours, excluding our relationship.
"Marcus, could you assist in the talks with the Kings?" Miguel asked him.
"Done. That income would breath a new life into the M.C." He replied before leaving to make the call.
As soon as the door closed Miguel looked between Nestor and I. I held his stare as he crossed his arms until he turned to his friend.
"I thought you didn't like her like that?" Miguel asked with an eyebrow raised.
Nestor smiled at me before looking back at my brother. "Hard not to Mikey. She's amazing."
My heart beat like a jack rabbit, I felt a blush spread over my cheeks and I worried about Miguel's reaction.
"Mhmmm." Miguel sighed. "You can stay here if you need. I wanted to ask you for some advice on the poppy fields later too. Go clean up first and we will talk later."
When we left the room Nestor slipped his hand in mine with a smile and I happily returned it.
"I think that's the most civil conversation I have ever had with him." I said in disbelief.
"It's amazing what happens when everyone stops keeping secrets." He said laughing.
"Shut up." I said as I elbowed him softly. "Nessy-boo."