From A to Z - Angel Reyes

Chapter 26

"How is she?" Angel asked with a weak voice.

Holly sighed heavily. "Oh honey, I'm sure you know she's not doing too well. How are you?"

"Works been...hectic...so I've been distracted."

"Small miracles," she chirped. Holly heard Angel inhale, as if to speak again, so she cut him off before he got the chance. "You want details, don't you?"

"I do," he sighed.

"I'm sure you'll be relieved to hear she's not crying much anymore," Holly explained, "She's angry now. I can't look at her without getting my head chomped off."

Angel chuckled sadly. "She's brutal," he said wistfully. "Who's she mad at?"

"Herself, the world, me, you," Holly guessed. "I don't know."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," he grumbled. Looking down at his hand he shook his head. "I fucked up my damn hand cause of that shit."

"Angel," Holly chided. "I'm worried about you enough, don't make it worse."

Angel smiled sadly and felt his eyes burn with tears. "Thanks Holly but you don't have to worry about me."

"I do," she said with a crack in her voice. "She loves you, I've never seen her love someone the way she loves you, and that means I love you. You're a good man, you made her happy, you love her, you care," she sniffled. "How could I not love you?"

Swiftly, Angel slipped out of the clubhouse before anyone could see him begin to cry. Holly was sweet, he liked her a lot, even loved her, but right then her words did nothing but make him miss his own mother.

"Shit, Hol," Angel forced a laugh.

"I know," she whimpered, "I'm sorry. I know this has been hard on you sweetheart but she's been talking about going back and if she does I need you or your brother to look out for her. Please."

"She's coming back?" Angel asked incredulously. "It hasn't even been two weeks," he added.

"I know, I think I'm too much or not what she needs right now," Holly's confusion and shame was clear in her voice. "I don't know how to help my little girl."

Hearing her break down crushed Angel and destroyed all the work he'd done to compose himself as he walked through the mountains of scrap.

"I'm sorry, Holly," he told her, unsure of what else he could say to her. There were some muffled words and the sounds of Holly moving the phone around for a moment.

"Bob wants to talk to you. I'll be in touch, honey."

"Alright," Angel was grateful to have the emotional tension broken. He waited quietly until Bob spoke.

"Angel, how are you son?"

"I'm alright," he said. "I heard Z is a mess."

Bob groaned, "She is." He paused then cleared his throat before speaking. "She's been talking to that new guy Nestor a lot. I don't like him."

"You're not the only one," Angel huffed.

"I'm not an idiot. I know you're not some blue collar scrap yard worker," Bob said confidently. "I saw they found Josh Campbell dead, it's all over the news. Somehow, I don't believe some group of Mexican terrorists killed him."

"They're not terrorists," Angel corrected Bob. 

"And they didn't kill Josh?"

"Why? Do you think I killed him?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Angel scoffed. "Where's this going?"

"I know who you are, Angel, I know who the Mayans are, and I know who this Nestor asshole is. There is a very fundamental difference between you two though, one I could see immediately."