Little Secrets

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Waking up the next morning I hear Angel's phone ringing. Kissing his lips softly, he kisses me back and I say "Your phone is ringing." He reaches over and answers it. "Yeah...shit...okay...meet you there." he says before ending the call. He gets up and starts getting dressed. "Club calls." I say. "Something like that." he says and I look at him confused. He sits down beside me and says "This stays between us. You can't tell anyone." he tells me and I nod. "I won't." I say. "Me, Coco, Gilly and my brother have been helping a woman named Adelita. She's heading up the Rebels. The people who are left as orphans because of the Galindo Cartel." he tells me. "How dangerous is it?" I ask. "If the club finds out, dangerous. Just helping with little things with her right now." he tells me. "Okay. Just be careful please." I tell him. "I will. I love you Riley." he says. "I love you Angel." I whisper against his lips.

That night, I still haven't heard from Angel. I see the guys come into Vickie's and Angel comes out the back door and to my door. Walking in, I go to hug him and he barely hugs me. "What's wrong?" I ask. "Nothing. Just tired." he tells me. "Yeah. Okay." I say. "You hungry?" I ask. "Nah. Just want to lay down." he tells me. We head to the bedroom and he heads to the shower. When he comes into the bedroom, he gets into bed and turns the light off. Turning his back to me, I snuggle up to him and he barely responds so I let go and turn with my back to him. I lay there awake for a bit and can't sleep. I get up and head to the kitchen for something to drink and just sit there staring into my drink when I hear him at the doorway. "Hey." he says. I don't look up. "Hey." I say. He moves to sit next to me and goes to take my hand. I let him but still don't look at him. "I'm sorry." he says. "Don't be. You said you were tired." I say as I take my glass to the sink. "I'm not tired." he tells me. "Oh." I say but don't move from the counter. "Um, are you wanting to go to Vickie's? I mean, if that's what you want, you should." I say as I look down at my hands. "No baby. Just something happened." he tells me but doesn't come close to me. "With Adelita?" I ask and he says "Yeah." I stand up straight. "Oh. Well, maybe you should go." I tell him as I head to my bedroom. He grabs my hand and says "She kissed me." I nod and say "You should go." I tell him. "I stopped her. She's been playing me. Telling me she has feelings for me and shit. And until you, I believed her." he tells me. "Angel, just go. Please." I say. He gets up and kisses my cheek before getting his clothes on and walking out the door. I fall to the floor and sob. I should have known better.

The next morning, I am still sitting in the floor, leaned against my bed just in a daze. "Riley? You here?" I hear Vickie's voice. She comes into my bedroom and sees me. "What happened? Angel came in and went to one of the rooms, alone. You two have a fight?" she asks. "Doesn't matter. This was all a mistake." I tell her. "I'll be back later." I tell her. I grab my jeans and put them on and get my keys and head out the door. I drive around for a while and drive out to the middle of the desert. I don't get out of my car. I hear my phone ringing again and it's Angel...again. I finally answer. "Hello." I hear him sigh. "Hey baby." he says. "What do you need Angel?" I ask. "I came by your house and Vickie said you took off. Where are you?" he asks. "I'm safe. What do you need?" I ask. "I need my Old Lady to come home so we can talk this shit out." he says. "Not your Old Lady. Callie can help you." I tell him before hanging up. My phone keeps blowing up with calls from Angel and Vickie. I finally answer Vickie. "Can you all just leave me alone? I just want to be left alone." I tell her. "No. Get your ass back here and talk to him." she tells me. "Nothing to talk about." I say and all of a sudden Angel is on the phone. "Baby please come home. I promise baby, I belong to you. Period." he tells me. "This was why I was so scared to let you see me. This was why Angel." I tell him. "Baby just come home...please." he begs. "Fine." I say before ending the call.

I pull up to my house and when I walk inside, the only one there is Angel. He gets up and pulls me close to him. Tilting my chin up, he kisses my lips softly and says "Baby, you're the only one that I want." I shake my head and pull away and say "For now." He shakes his head and says "Listen to me. I don't want anyone but you. Ever. In the morning, we're going to her campsite and I want you to go with me. I want her to see that we are together and that I don't want her. Please." he says. I look into his eyes and see tears. "Okay. Just please promise if you change your mind..." I start. "I'll never change my mind mi reina."

The next morning, we get up and dressed and head out for me to meet Adelita. We pull up to the campsite and when she walks over she asks "Who's this?" Angel looks at me and then her and says "My Old Lady Riley. Bebita this is Adelita I was telling you about." I hold out my hand to shake hers and say "Nice to meet you Adelita." She shakes my hand and says "Same." before glaring at Angel. We see a little girl walk up and Adelita looks at her and tells her "Get out of here. Now." I look at the little girl and see she's scared. I stop her. "What's your name little one?" she looks at Adelita and then me and softly says "Mouse." I kneel down and ask "How old are you mija?" She doesn't look at me but says "Ten." I look at Adelita and ask "She one of yours?" Adelita nods and I ask "Why were you yelling at her?" She looks at me and says "She's clingy." I look at her stunned and say "She's a little girl. This age, they need that mother figure." Adelita rolls her eyes and I tell Mouse "Head on Mija. I'll see you again soon." She hugs me and runs off.

After Angel talks to Adelita, we head back home and as soon as we are in the truck, Angel says "No one has been able to get Mouse to speak." I nod and say "She just needs a mother." as I look out the window. I feel Angel lace his fingers with mine before kissing my knuckles. We head back to my house and the we all sit in my living room and Angel is holding me closer than normal. "What did she say to you?" Coco asks Angel. "Told me that I have to choose. I have to either choose her and her keep the secret that we're helping her or I choose Riley and she goes to the club." he tells them and I pull away from him. "Angel." I say. "I have a plan. Thought about it on the way here." he tells us and we all listen. "We go to the club. Tell them that she came to us for help and we took that as a way in to see what she was planning. Tell them that she has Galindo's kid and then Bishop will want to take it to Galindo. Galindo will want to take them all out." Angel says. I look at him and he sees it in my eyes. "I'll protect her." he tells me. "Bring her to me." I say and they all look at us confused. Angel looks at them and says "Mouse." They nod.

A little later, they take it to the club, like planned and Galindo wants to take them all out. Angel tells them that one of the kids is coming home with him and Galindo agrees because Angel helped find his son. A few hours later, Angel walks in the door and Mouse is with him. "Mija." I say and she runs to me. "Hey Bebita. I got you." I tell her softly. I look up at Angel and he walks over and kisses me softly. She looks up at us and ask "Can I call you Mami?" I nod and kiss the top of her head. "Galindo is getting his lawyer to draw adoption papers up for her." he tells me. "Thank you." I say and he kisses me softly.

The next day, we are called to Galindo's house. "I have the papers here, all you have to do is sign them." he tells me. I go to sign the papers and Angel says "I want to sign them too." Galindo looks at the lawyer and he says "Would be easier to push through if you were married." I look at Angel and he nods his head yes. "Okay then." I say. The lawyer says "Give me an hour." and we nod. As we are sitting and waiting, Galindo says "I want to thank you again for helping find my son." he tells Angel. "I've done a lot of things in my life but no child is a bargaining chip. That shit ain't right." Angel says and Galindo nods. An hour later, the lawyer comes back with a marriage license and a priest. Twenty minutes later, Angel and I are married and we have signed the adoption papers for Mouse. She wanted to keep her name so we are now Riley and Mouse Reyes.

We head to the clubhouse and when we walk in, Bishop asks "Everything okay?" Angel smiles and says "I want you all to meet my family. Riley and Mouse Reyes." he says and they all look at us shocked. "This why you saved her?" Hank asks. "Yeah. Riley wanted her safe. Adelita treated her like shit." Angel says. "Well, Papi, let's get some drinks flowing." Bishop says and we all head to the bar. Mouse sticks close to me and I lean down and whisper "You're safe Mija. These people are our family." She snuggles into me and Coco's daughter Letti walks up and asks "You want to play some pool? I can teach you?" She looks at me and I nod. She nods at Letti and walks over to the pool table with her. Angel leans down and says "I think she was abused." I look at him and say "God I hope not. Maybe I'll see if I can talk to her in the next few days. See what she will tell me." I tell him. When it's time to head home, we head back to my cottage and Angel and I put her to bed. "Good night Mija." I say. "Night Bebita." Angel says. "Night Mami, Papi." she says and we both smile. When we head to bed, he says "Tomorrow I want to take you and her to meet my Pop." I nod and say "Okay baby. Thank you again for saving her." He kisses me softly and says "I could tell you were going to take her in the minute you spoke to her." I snuggle into him and say "She's my kid." He tilts my head up and says "Our kid." before hovering over me and finally claiming me as his wife.