And Back Again

Chapter 17

"Angel, no!" Felipe shouted from behind Angel and Zara, praying he could stop the inevitable, but it was too late. Jimenez was dead, sprawled out on the floor with a bullet in his chest.

"Oh my god," Zara began to panic, her head aching from the sound. "Oh my god, Angel. Wh-what do we do?" She was almost yelling due to the ringing in her ears

"You go," he blurted out. "Go home. Get a shower. Go to bed. I'll deal with this."

"I'm not leaving you," she said.

"Angel," EZ said ominously as he finally got back on his feet.

"You just killed a federal agent," Felipe said.

"Z, lock the door," Angel said, growing paranoid.

"I'll text Bastian," she said. "He can help."

"He's the whole reason this shit happened," EZ spat.

"No, you're the fucking reason this shit happened," Zara sneered.

"What happened?" Angel asked as Felipe pulled the blinds down along the front windows. "What started this shit?"

EZ looked at Zara with wide eyes, fearfully begging her to keep the secret.

"Tell him EZ," Zara said.

"Tell me what," he hollered.

"Ezekiel made a deal," Zara mumbled. "The DEA let him out so he could get information on Galindo."

Angel looked at his little brother, his face twisted between sadness and rage, and shook his head.

"You made a deal?"

"Angel," EZ huffed. "You and the club are protected, nothing is going to touch you."

"It's all over me," he growled, "And Z, and the club. You-you fucking played me. You lied to me!"

Angel punched EZ in the face, sending him back against the case again.

"Angel," Felipe said authoritatively. "Stop."

Rather than throw another punch, Angel looked at his father. "Did you know?"

"I did," Felipe nodded.

"Angel," Zara whimpered, growing dizzy. "Don't."

"You told me you were all in," Angel said to EZ. "You wanted the life, you wanted to be a part of something. You said you missed me."

"I'm sorry," EZ said with sincerity. He felt tears well in his eyes but he refused to cry. "Angel, I did miss you, I'm sorry."

"FUCK YOU," Angel barked.

"Gabe and Leary are on their way," Zara announced. "Angel, not now. Not here."

"I told him to take the deal," Felipe announced. "I wanted him to have the life he was meant to have. The life he worked so hard for."

"The golden boy," Angel hissed. "You wanted him to take the easy way out of his fuck up even if it meant me catching a bullet," Angel glared at his father. "They're not gonna believe I didn't know about this, that I didn't help him. I really am that fucking stupid," he snapped.

"Angel," Zara said urgently. "We should go."

"We'll finish this," Angel said threateningly as Zara pulled him toward the back exit. "Me and you."

"Gabe and Leary are coming, Bastian said to meet him at the construction site," Zara said hurriedly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, grabbing her to get a good look.