Blood & Water

Chapter 9

Carrie and Joey spent just shy of a week at Angel's and none of them had ever been happier. Even the baby seemed more pleasant and slept better but that was due to his mother's improved mood, he was feeding off her joy and contentment as children usually do. Everyday the boys seemed to get more comfortable around each other and Angel's paternal side was beginning to shine as he got to know his son.

They had a routine when Joey got up, Carrie brought him into bed with her and Angel while she fed his first bottle of the day, and they spent that twenty minutes, give or take, lazing around together until the baby fell back to sleep, followed by his parents, for another hour or so.

"I don't want to go back," Carrie said sleepily.

"I know," Angel agreed, "But you can't stay up north forever," he winked.

"He already asked when I was coming back," she groaned. "Said he's staying somewhere close to his office so the house is empty." Carrie sensed his tension. "Hey, come on," she said softly.

"I know," he finally sat up in bed. "Thought it would be easier now but it's harder."

"Soon," she promised him. "There is something I have to tell you, though, Angel."

He looked over his shoulder at her. "What?"

"The DEA is actually looking into the cartel, or I think," she added to keep it as vague as possible.

"What?" He asked again this time more emphatic. "How do you know?"

"Snooping," she said, which wasn't a total lie. "I can ask, try for more information."

"Too obvious," Angel shook his head. "This is bad."

"I know," she whimpered.

"It's even worse with this," he jabbed his finger into the mattress between them, "On Galindo's radar."

"That's why I had to tell you," she said. "I'm scared, Angel."

He turned, laying on his stomach now, and looked at her. "Nothing is gonna touch you or our son," he said, his hand on Joey's chest.

Silent, her face clearly presenting her horror, Carrie nodded.

"I want you to stay one more night," he told her. "Okay? I don't want you going to that house alone when you're like this."

"You can come with me," she suggested.

"I can't," he shook his head. "You know that's too risky."

Carrie nodded. "Okay. I'm taking the day off. Can you?"

"I can't," he groaned, "But I can go in late," he added with a wink.

Beaming, the fear and stress dissolving almost instantly, Carrie leaned over the baby and kissed Angel. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After the baby was asleep again Angel and Carrie jumped into the shower, together, and got dressed to head out to breakfast. The passed week had been a fairy tale, generally, and they were trying to squeeze every last second they could before real life returned. That included shower sex, breakfast, a walk with the baby and more sex, a quickie in the kitchen, before Angel had to leave.

"Have a wonderful day," Carrie said as she kissed him. "I might look at places today before I go back."

"Yeah?" He smiled. "Let me know what you find."

"One income or two?" She asked hesitantly.

"Two," he said quickly. "Don't be stupid, mi dulce, we're finally doing this."

--

Almost as soon as Angel arrived at the yard, Chucky was informing him that Bishop and Alvarez needed to speak with him. He'd been there all week, everything felt fine and he thought they all moved on from the Carrie bombshell but it seemed he was wrong.

He walked in the room to see Bishop and Alvarez staring at him. Angel swallowed hard and said a timid hello before taking a seat when they asked him too. He looked at each of them for a moment, silent, before speaking again.

"What's up?"

"Galindo has a request," Bishop said sadly. "We weren't sure he was going to push for something, that's why I didn't say shit this week, but he needs-"

"Assurance," Marcus said, interrupting Bishop's sugar coated words for the stark reality of what they were facing. "Galindo wants you to kill Kevin Jimenez."

Angel leaned forward, a shocked look on his face, and let his jaw hang open before he could process what he'd been told. "Galindo wants me to kill a fed to prove what? He can trust me? What's this shit been then? The protection runs, the dresses, the shit in Base Town?"

"It's not about trust," Bishop said. "It's about Carrie."

"What about Carrie?" Angel asked furiously.

"Killing the husband guarantees there's no revenge for her leaving him or that she has no easy access to fuck us and him if you piss her off enough," Bishop said firmly.

"She wouldn't," Angel said staunchly. "Bish, I know this girl, she's been around forever, she knows how it works, she wouldn't."

"You need to make Galindo believe that," Alvarez said ominously.

"Angel," Bishop huffed. "What's better, making sure Galindo has no reason to go after Carrie or trusting that either she won't open her mouth, he won't get bad info or the feds won't eventually come after him? That's a lotta danger for her."

"Dealing with Jimenez keeps her safer," Alvarez said, using Carrie as a final push for Angel to simply agree so they could all put it behind them.

Angel slumped down in his chair. "I fucking hate this."

"I know," Bishop said sympathetically. "You keep her safe and you learn a goddamn lesson, we shoulda known about her two years ago. This can make it right."

Nodding, Angel got up and pushed his chair in. "Alright. I'll deal with it."

"You have a week," Alvarez informed him, "But I wouldn't wait till the last minute." When they were alone again, Marcus looked at his younger cousin with concern. "Think he'll do it?"

Bishop nodded despite wondering if Angel's unwillingness to hurt Carrie, even if it was to save her, would do more damage to them all. "I'll make sure he does."