Blood & Water

Chapter 2

The steaks Angel saw in the fridge when he was there last were purchased by Kevin, as a cover when we was meeting with Felipe, and they were on the table for dinner Tuesday night. She couldn't tell Angel her DEA agent husband had purchased them, that he'd been around the shop with Felipe and EZ, so she lied and she hated it.

"How was work?" Carrie asked Kevin, hoping for some information.

"Fine." He was abruptly. "Stressful."

"Need some outside eyes or ears?" Carrie offered. "I can listen, Kevin."

Looking up from his plate he forced a smile for her. "It's too much."

"Is it your cousin?" She asked boldly. "Ezekiel?"

"I'm scared for him, Car," Kevin sighed. "He needed to get out, the deal was the right thing for him to do, but they're losing patience."

Placing her knife and fork down she leaned her chin on her hands and looked at her husband. "What does that mean?"

"They want more, faster, and if they don't get it," Kevin sighed.

"They'll break the deal?" She asked, truly surprised.

"Yeah," he huffed. "They gotta use something to get more and if he doesn't bring it there has to be consequences."

"What would happen if they did that? If they broke the deal?"

Kevin pushed his plate away. "EZ goes back in, they figure out he made a deal to get out in the first place."

"And he's at risk," she sighed heavily. "Right?"

"Yeah," Kevin looked truly distraught. "We weren't close for years but when we were younger, you remember, his mom and my dad got everyone together all the time. He's a good kid, I was just trying to get him some of his fucking future back, he doesn't deserve this shit."

Carrie listened intently, agreeing and nodding along with him. "I know, honey, I'm sorry. I remember all the holidays and parties." It was her father-in-law and Angel's mother that inadvertently helped Carrie and Angel fall in love, she remembered every family occasion for that reason.

"When I was promoted, I stopped going around, I knew better with Angel and the club, but they're family, they're blood."

"You'll figure it out," she said with a sad smile. "You always do."

Kevin nodded and, although he pulled his plate closer again, he didn't eat he just picked at his food. Carrie let him stew, instead turning her attention to her son who sat happily in the highchair with a few toys.

"I'll clean up," Kevin said, leaving the table with his plate. "I need the quiet."

"Okay," she handed him her plate. "I'm going to take the baby out for a short walk. He always sleeps longer when he gets fresh air before bed."

"I'm sorry," he said sadly. "This isn't fair to you, or to Joey," Kevin said as he stroked the child's curls. "I don't want to turn into my old man."

"Then don't," she said quietly. "Maybe you should leave the DEA, you could practice law again, Kevin."

"I have to see this through," he said and Carrie knew he did. "I get EZ out the other side of this and then I'm done."

Carrie nodded and kissed his cheek, "I'd like that." And she would, that was not a lie. As much as she loved Angel she loved her husband as well and she was a realistic woman, she knew where her future was and it was not as an old lady with the MC.

Getting Joey in his coach she strolled the neighborhood, lost in her own thoughts about EZ now, and decide to call him. It only rang twice before he answered.