Miss Bala

Chapter 21: Little, Big Chapters

"They're jamming us. Seven-figure bail, no court date, it's bullshit." Gemma was talking with their lawyer, Rosen

"Apparently they have security tapes. Women and children running for their lives." Rosen brought up. He read through more of his paperwork then Gemma spoke up.

"They got no protection in there." She shook her head and exhaled loudly.

"I know."

"What about a bondsman?" I asked. I was trying to help her. My brain trying to think of how we can loop whole this whole thing to get them out of something that's very serious. Or at least that'll buy us some time.

"You'd need 300k to get them all out."

"I can post the house." Gemma thought outloud.

"Ours too." I said.

"I'll start making a few calls." Rosen got up, reaching into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

After he excused himself outside, Gemma let out a frustrated sigh and walked upstairs.

I closed my eyes for a minute, with everything going on, I was feeling a little nauseated.

After taking a few minor deep breaths, I opened my eyes again and nearly screamed as Poyo was standing a few feet in front of me.

"Sorry." He casual said. He didn't sound any type of way so I couldn't detect how he was feeling right now. Since he's been back, I've been avoiding him. I mean, I left him for dead, what could I possibly say?

"You can stop tiptoeing around me. I'm not going to say anything."

I didn't say anything and he continued.

"Trust me, when I seen you were here, I was angry. But then I thought about the situation you were in at the time. I would have did the same thing."

My brain still couldn't think of anything to say, and now I felt awkward.

"I will have to kill you if you hurt him though," he exhaled, "I haven't seen him like this in a long time. Despite him sitting in jail right now."

I let out a small laugh at that last sentence. I know he's only saying all this for Lino but it was still something. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole.

"Thanks Poyo.."

"It's no problem, I guess." He shrugged, trying to act like a 'badass' again.

"So you good?" He changed the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"That breathing shit you were just doing."

"Oh, yeah. Just the whole situation with the guys, I'm just feeling a little stressed.

Gemma came downstairs right when Ivan came through the door. I had forgot about him for a second.

"Hey sweetheart." Gemma greeted, kissing his cheek and patting his shoulder.

"Hey gem, hey guys." He have a wave towards us.

"How's your new ball?" Poyo brought it up best as he could without laughing, but failed anyways.

"It's good, feel like a new man." Ivan seemed pretty content as he smirked to himself.

Alvarez walked in from one of the side hallways and must have already heard the conversation cause he came in asking Poyo, "is it gay that wanna see it?"

"Gay curios."

We all started laughing.

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Rosen told us later on that day that the guys couldn't be released on a bondsman. All we had to do was wait on a trial date.

Lino did reach out though. He said he was fine even though at the moment, they were working on getting protection on the inside. Zoebelle sent out the word to his Aryan prison friends to take care of any Las Estrellas member.

"Here you go." Gemma parked the car in front of my work. I really wasn't feeling up to it right now.

"Thanks Gemma." She insisted she'd drive me but I still thanked her.

I headed inside and started getting right to work, hoping the hours would go by fast.

Through the day, in the middle of a clients session. I started feeling nauseous again. I tried the deep breathing again, while also trying to be discrete about it at the same time.

"Are you okay?" One of my coworkers came up. Guess it didn't work.

"Can you-," Deep breath, Gloria. "Can you take this? I gotta step out."

I walked out to the break room. Now it just felt like I was having a panic attack. I focused on my breathing. Once I got that under control, I couldn't hold back and ended up throwing up in the trash can.

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Last night, Lino called again on one of the cells they were able to get ahold of inside. He told me he's gonna need a lot of my help to get some stuff done on the outside. Him and Jóse told this to everyone who wasn't locked up with them. Now I'm on my way to work. I was requesting some leave time, but I had to go to the lady I punched, about a little over 3 week

With the paper in hand, I walked into her office. Her face was all better. I guess that's the good thing.

"I need you to, uh, put this through." I handed her the paper in my hand.

"Leave of absence?" She read out loud, scanning the paper.

"All the paperwork is there." I confirmed.

"For how long?" She flipped through the pages.

"10 months." I answered a little too fast.

She looked at me and sighed, "I saw what happened yesterday. Panic attack?" Her eyebrow raised at me.

"Not sure, it's never happened before." I replied, shrugging it off as no big deal. I just needed my approval so I could leave already.

"Dropping out for 10 months, it'll hurt your paycheck."

Obviously.

"Maybe you should take a few personal days. Think it through." She continued.

"Why do you suddenly care?" I genuinely wanted to know.

"Unlike your very heated response, my actions against you weren't personal. I was protecting this place. Same reason I'm telling you to rethink the leave."

She handed me the papers back and walked out.

It didn't make sense to me. She's checking up on me, having suspicions about my sudden panic attack but still wants to stay here at work.