Loving you is easy!

Chapter 1 (Edited)

*Picture of Emmalina above*

As I approach the Romero Brothers Scrapyard, I take a deep breath. "This is it. I can do this," I tell myself as I park my car. After I park, I take a few deep breaths to prepare myself for what's to come. I get out of my car and look around to see there's a tall fence around the yard and there looks to be a person in a tower playing gatekeeper. I begin walking towards what I believe is the clubhouse in the photo my mother showed me. An attractive man with a long goatee and a bald head stops me as I approach the front steps. "Can I help you?" he asks, casting a dubious look at me. "Uh, yeah, I am searching for Che Romero. I believe you call him Taza," I respond, looking at him nervously and tucking some of my long red hair behind my ear. "We do. He's inside. What do you need him for?" he asks, crossing his arms. "It's personal, and I'd like to tell him before anyone else," I say, tapping my thigh with my thumb. "Okay," he says as he turns and enters the clubhouse. "Thank you," I respond with a shaky smile, wiping my clammy hands on my jeans-covered legs. I take a few more deep breaths and nervously tap my fingers on my thigh while waiting. A few minutes later, I hear a herd of people approaching, so I look up to see an older-looking man with long black hair and a beard in front, followed by the same attractive man, and a few more. I take a tiny step back as I face all these men with harsh expressions. "Can I help you?" the elder, long-haired man inquires, casting a dubious look at me. "Uh yeah, are you Che Romero?" I ask hesitantly, move from foot to foot beneath his piercing stare. "I am. Who are you?" he inquires warily, crossing his arms across his chest. "Uh, my name is Emmalina Rose, and I'm your daughter," I explain uncomfortably. "Who's your mom?" he inquires, sceptically. "Amelia Marie White," I respond with a tiny smile, remembering my mother. "I never knew about you," he replies, his eyes widening in recognition and nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I know you didn't, but my mother mentioned you all the time. She begged me to wait until she died to find you," I continue, reaching into my purse, pulling out a photo of them together, and handing it to him. "Can I keep this?" he says with a faint smile, gazing lovingly at the photo. "Of course you can," I answer with a smile, pulling a manila envelope from my handbag and handing it to him. He places the picture in his kutte, takes the package from me, opens it, and his eyes widen as he reads what's inside. "How did you find me, then?" he wonders as he returns the envelope. "My mother told me to start here to see if you were still here. She remembered this is where she met you before I was born," I reply, returning the envelope to my handbag and gesturing to the picture in his kutte. I sniffle back the tears that are gathering in my eyes as I remember my mother. My father approaches cautiously and pulls me into a hug, as the dam breaches and I begin to cry. As we part from the hug, he gently lifts my chin, meeting my gaze, and whispers, "Well, I suppose we have some lost time to make up for," wiping away my tears with a soft smile. I grin and nod at him. He turns us around to face the other guys behind him. "Well mija, these are my brothers Gilly, Bishop, our president, Angel, Riz, Creeper, our road captain, and the prospect EZ," he says, pointing to each one. "Hi," I say with a smile. When Creeper smiles lightly at me, my cheeks turn a crimson red. "How come we never knew about you?" Angel inquires, which results in a whack on the back of the head from Bishop. "Well, my mother was afraid when she found out she was pregnant with me, so she ran. We didn't go that far, though. We lived just an hour away. She mentioned my father every day, but she made me vow I'd wait until she died to discover him. She also didn't tell me his name until the day before she died," I say, smiling at him. "Oh, she wrote this for you as well. She made me promise that if I found you, I would give it to you. She said it'll explain everything," I tell my father, turning to face him. I dig into my bag again, pull out a white envelope, and give it to him. He smiles at me as he takes it from me and begins reading it. I turn back to the boys as I hear, "How did your mother die?" I look at Angel again since he asked. "She had stomach cancer. She knew she was dying, so she asked me swear to be by her side until she passed. She was convinced that I'd abandon her to die alone so that I might find my father," I tell them with a sorrowful smile. "Would you have left her?" Creeper elbows Gilly in the gut after he asks. "No, I would not have. She raised me as a single mother, and I never wanted for anything. She was my best friend, therefore no, I would not have abandoned her when she needed me most. She was the only one I had my entire life," I add, smiling at him. "Well, then, welcome to the Familia, sweetheart," Bishop says, smiling at me. "Thank you guys," I say, smiling at them as well. "Let's head inside and you can tell us about yourself," my father says as he places the envelope in his pocket, so I agree and join them into the clubhouse. We approach a pub, and behind it is a man with prosthetic hands. "Sweetheart, this is Chucky, he helps around the clubhouse, and this is my daughter Emmalina," my father adds as we take a seat at the bar. "People just call me Lina," I answer, smiling at him and extending my hand for him to shake. "Well, welcome, Lina. Do you want a drink?" he asks, smiling at me and shaking my hand. "Just a water, please," I respond as I return his smile, and he nods before turning to grab me some water from the fridge. "Why don't you drink?" I turn around to see who asked, and it's Creeper. "I prefer to be in charge of my actions and I dislike vomiting on myself or having hangovers. I also had a negative encounter when drinking. You?" I inquire as I see his water bottle. "I'm five years sober, darling," he says as he stares at me with worry. "Congratulations. I understand how difficult things is to overcome," I add, smiling at him. "What's your bad experience, Princess?" he asks, looking at me seriously. I stare down at my lap and say, "I was raped while out drinking with one of my friends." He cups my cheek, his eyes filled with empathy, and whispers, "You're a survivor, Princess. Many don't make it through." I smile at him and reply, "Thank you, Creeper." He smiles at me and wipes away the rest of my tears before anyone notices. I flush at his smile since it makes him look even more attractive. "So tell us about your life, sweetheart," my father says as he approaches up behind me again, so I hastily wipe my eyes and shift my gaze away from Creeper. "Well I'm 26 years old, I was an administrative assistant for a construction company, and I lived with my mom until she passed away," I say to him as I look him in the eye. "So, where do you live now?" I hear Riz ask. "I got an apartment in town after I sold the house," I add, looking at him. "Why'd you sell the house?" Angel asks. "It was the house my mother raised me in, and I loved it, but it felt strange to be there without her, so I sold it when she died," I reply, smiling slightly as I glance at him. "Well, you're welcome to move in with me if you don't want to pay rent. And, if you like, I can offer you a job helping out here in the office," my father says with a smile, so I lean over and embrace him tightly. "I would really appreciate that, Dad. Thank you so much," I say, looking up at him with a mix of joy and gratitude, his smile growing wider as he meets my eyes. "Here's a key to the house and directions, so you can leave whenever you want," Dad adds as he offers me the key and a piece of paper. I smile and nod as I place what he handed me in my purse, a broad smile on my face. About 10 minutes later, music begins to play and half naked women start coming in. I realize that a rowdy party is about to begin as more people walk in and out. I'm uncomfortable, so I grab my bag, walk outside, and find a quiet area away from the crowd. "Hey, Lina. What are you doing over here alone?" I hear a question from behind me, so I turn around and smile when I realize it's Creeper. "Oh, I became overwhelmed and my anxiety began to spiral while I was inside, so I went outside to find a peaceful area. You?" I ask, gesturing to the seat next to me for him to take. "You disappeared, so I wanted to make sure you were okay," he adds as he sits next to me. I smile at him and say, "Thank you for that Creeper." He smiles broadly at me as we sit in comfortable silence, the air filled with unspoken understanding. "So, Creeper, tell me about you," I offer, breaking the silence. "My real name is Neron Vargas. I'm 30 years old and have been the Mayans' road captain for about five years," he says, looking at me. "And before the Mayans?" I ask, smiling at him. "I used to steal and chop cars for money with Angel," he admits, looking me in the eyes. "Okay," I answer, looking him in the eyes. His smile widens as we settle into a comfortable stillness for a moment.