Page 44 of Tico

I’vebeenanervouswreck ever since Tico and the guys went into Church. He told me not to stress, but how can I not when they’ll be voting on if I’ll be allowed to help them or not. Plus, what if they say something that changes his mind about letting me be down there with Uncle Ryan, and later, when we deal with Dad and Scooter?

“Relax,mija(dear one), everything will work out.”

I pause my nervous pacing and look over at Sofia, who is sitting at a table not too far away. She sets her coffee mug down and pats the table next to her.

“Come tell me what’s troubling you,mija(dear one).”

I bite my lip as I look around the main room. Rochelle and Pyper are sitting on one of the couches, watching a movie on the giant TV mounted on the far wall and Jesse is stocking the bar. There’s no sign of the bunnies or any of the other Prospects. Exhaling shakily, I sit down in the chair next to her and my knee starts bouncing immediately. Swallowing thickly, I glance over at her, worried she’s judging me but all I see is understanding.

“It’s… I mean…I don’t think it’s something I can really talk about,” I say quickly but quietly. I’m in new territory with my concerns and feelings. Plus, I don’t know all the rules here yet. What if I say something that will later get me in trouble?

She hums and nods. “I understand better than you think,mija(dear one). Has Tico told you much aboutnuestra familia(our family)?”

“A little. He said his sister, Maria, is the President of the Royal Harlots MC in Kiel. Other than that, he hasn’t told me much yet. But then again, we just met yesterday.”

My cheeks burn at that. God. Has it really only been one day? Shit. Will Sofia judge me because of how fast things are progressing between me and Tico?

Sofia smiles gently, almost in understanding. Surprisingly, it derails my mini freak out.

“My late husband, Enrique or Trident as he was known to the club, used to be the President before my Tico. And before Trident, his father, Miguel or Chainsaw, was the President. That said, Tico wasn’t handed his spot in the club nor the President patch despite being raised in this clubhouse. He started like everyone does, even if they’re legacy. As a Prospect. He workedhis way up and eventually; he earned his Enforcer patch. A few years later, Trident wanted to step down from being President.”

Her eyes mist and her fingers tremble slightly around her coffee mug.

“No one outside our family knew the real reason at the time, but Trident…my Enrique…his health was slowly failing. Then came the heart attack last year that took him from us.”

I gasp and reach over, placing my hand on hers. I open my mouth to say something, but the words get stuck in my throat.

She gives me a watery smile. “My Enrique knew even before Tico did that he would make a good President. So did the rest ofnuestra familia(our family) and the club. He was voted in unanimously, and it was no surprise that he made Taco his VP.” She pauses as she smiles, a fond look on her face. “Those two have been side by side since pre-school. So,mija(dear one), what I’m trying to say is that I understand what you’re going through. If you haven’t already, you’ll come to hate the phrase ‘club business’ but I’m guessing what it means here is different from what it meant in the club you came from.”

I nod. “Most likely. At first when I came here, I was skeptical, but I knew Daemon wouldn’t have joined another club unless they were different from the one we grew up in. Yesterday proved that in more ways than one.”

Sofia gives me another small smile. “Here, that phrase is to protect us if something goes wrong. Think of it like plausible deniability.”

I pause as I let that phrase sink in. “That’s completely different from what I’ve—”

My voice trails off as the main door opens and two women step inside. Immediately, I can see the resemblance with one of them and I wonder if she’s Maria, Tico’s sister. She has curly, dark brown hair that’s cut short at her shoulders. Peeking out from under her cut, my gaze snags on some sort of circular tattoo shehas going over her chest and up over her shoulders. It’s intricate and it catches my artist’s eye. Then she turns and my gaze locks on her left arm. Her tattoo has vibrant butterflies going up and down her arm with a red background, and on her lower she has an image of a day of the dead woman. I raise my gaze and look closer at her face. She has a strong jaw like Tico but whereas Tico has chocolate brown eyes, Xochitl has Sofia’s gray-blue eyes.

“Mi hija(my daughter),” Sofia says as she rises. “It’s so good to see you again.”

The woman who resembles Tico smiles and walks toward Sofia.

“Mamá(Mom).”

They hug and then Sofia hugs the second person, talking quietly to her so I’m not able to hear what she’s saying.

Sofia turns back to me. “Ember, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Maria or Xochitl [SOH-chee] to her club and this is Poison, her Enforcer.”

Both women’s gazes roam over me and I fight not to shift nervously under their scrutiny. I’d worn a t-shirt and shorts today because I wanted to be able to move around easily as my body heals, but that means a lot of the bruises I gained last night and from when I fought Luna a few days ago are on display.

Maria, er Xochitl, cocks an eyebrow at me in question. “Domestic dispute?”

I shake my head but keep my chin held high. “No, I’m a fighter. I fought last night in Ice’s place and I had another fight a few nights prior to that.”

Something shifts in their gazes at that, and Xochitl gives me a look I can’t decipher.

“Damn,” Poison mutters as she looks me over again, but this time, I can tell she’s taking in more details.

Surprisingly, Xochitl smirks at me. “Good. Sometimesmi hermano(my brother) needs someone who is strong enough totell it to him straight.” She pauses as her smirk grows. “And kick his ass if need be.”