leader, Paseo, doesn’t want to deal with us anymore because they have to pay a steep price. He wants to keep all of the money.”
“ So they attacked us so that they could wipe out the Black Wings? So they’d have more money?” It was all beginning to make sense to me.
“ Well, that’s only part of it. About a month ago, one of the guys was driving a suspicious vehicle. A large cargo van. It’s not their style and that’s not how they normally ship. We stopped them before they got too close to Area 51 and discovered that they were child trafficking.”
“ Child trafficking? Like selling children?”
“ If you want to call it that. They were selling young children to strangers for sex. We might not be completely on the up and up, but we do NOT stand for child sex slaves!” He said as he pounded his fist into the table.
I could see that he was getting visibly angry just thinking about it. Still, I had to know more.
“ What happened when you found the children?” My stomach began to turn as I thought about those poor children being sold for sex.
“ We made them let the children go. I called Storm and told him where we were at. He met us on site with his work van and took all of the children to an Indian reservation. We also told Paseo that it was going to cost him.”
“ Did he pay? Maybe he doesn’t have the money and that’s why he’s trying to kill you guys.”
“ No, not yet. We told him that he could not bring anymore drugs past Area 51 until he pays up. The Black Wings also delivered a strong message that we will not stand for child trafficking.”
“ What did you do?” I asked in a whisper. I was beginning to worry that I knew too much.
“ We destroyed all of their drugs after the children were safe. The cartel is not happy about that so now ‘La Familia’ is in deep shit on both sides of the border.”
“ This is a little too much to take in. You’re scaring me Shadow. What if they kill us?” My head was swimming as I tried to take in all of this information. Maybe I shouldn’t ask any more questions.
“ I’ll protect you. Now and forever. I promise.”
I smiled at him and asked, “Promise?”
He kissed me on the forehead and told me to get some sleep. We were going to have a long journey ahead of us.
Chapter Three
Morning Love
Not long after daybreak, I rolled around in bed—tossing and turning is more like it. ‘Where was Shadow?’ I wondered. Still exhausted from the day before and unable to keep my eyes open, the battle of sleep finally won. I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
A few hours later, I could hear Shadow singing in the kitchen. That man had a voice from heaven. I would never get tired of listening to him belt out tunes; that is, if we stayed together forever. No one had ever said that we were anything official yet. I didn’t ask and he didn’t say. The thought had crossed my mind more than once. I wondered if he had the same thoughts as I.
Coffee! I could smell freshly brewed coffee and the sweet smell of hickory bacon sizzling in the pan. I climbed out of bed and made a quick pit stop at the lady’s room before heading to the kitchen. I stole a glance in the mirror as I passed it. I looked rough. Rough was a nice way of putting it, actually. I looked like I hadn’t brushed my hair or bathed in days. My makeup was a mess.
“ Tara?” Shadow called from the kitchen.
“ Be right there”, I answered as I tried to tame down some of my wild hair before leaving the restroom. After I finally won the battle of locks with my hair, I tried to fix my makeup and at least wipe away my raccoon eyes.
“ Come on, Tara, we don’t have much time.”
“ I’m coming” I called as I shut off the bathroom light and turned toward the kitchen.
I could see that Shadow had been up for quite a while before I crawled out of bed. He cooked us breakfast, plated it and
“ So they attacked us so that they could wipe out the Black Wings? So they’d have more money?” It was all beginning to make sense to me.
“ Well, that’s only part of it. About a month ago, one of the guys was driving a suspicious vehicle. A large cargo van. It’s not their style and that’s not how they normally ship. We stopped them before they got too close to Area 51 and discovered that they were child trafficking.”
“ Child trafficking? Like selling children?”
“ If you want to call it that. They were selling young children to strangers for sex. We might not be completely on the up and up, but we do NOT stand for child sex slaves!” He said as he pounded his fist into the table.
I could see that he was getting visibly angry just thinking about it. Still, I had to know more.
“ What happened when you found the children?” My stomach began to turn as I thought about those poor children being sold for sex.
“ We made them let the children go. I called Storm and told him where we were at. He met us on site with his work van and took all of the children to an Indian reservation. We also told Paseo that it was going to cost him.”
“ Did he pay? Maybe he doesn’t have the money and that’s why he’s trying to kill you guys.”
“ No, not yet. We told him that he could not bring anymore drugs past Area 51 until he pays up. The Black Wings also delivered a strong message that we will not stand for child trafficking.”
“ What did you do?” I asked in a whisper. I was beginning to worry that I knew too much.
“ We destroyed all of their drugs after the children were safe. The cartel is not happy about that so now ‘La Familia’ is in deep shit on both sides of the border.”
“ This is a little too much to take in. You’re scaring me Shadow. What if they kill us?” My head was swimming as I tried to take in all of this information. Maybe I shouldn’t ask any more questions.
“ I’ll protect you. Now and forever. I promise.”
I smiled at him and asked, “Promise?”
He kissed me on the forehead and told me to get some sleep. We were going to have a long journey ahead of us.
Chapter Three
Morning Love
Not long after daybreak, I rolled around in bed—tossing and turning is more like it. ‘Where was Shadow?’ I wondered. Still exhausted from the day before and unable to keep my eyes open, the battle of sleep finally won. I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
A few hours later, I could hear Shadow singing in the kitchen. That man had a voice from heaven. I would never get tired of listening to him belt out tunes; that is, if we stayed together forever. No one had ever said that we were anything official yet. I didn’t ask and he didn’t say. The thought had crossed my mind more than once. I wondered if he had the same thoughts as I.
Coffee! I could smell freshly brewed coffee and the sweet smell of hickory bacon sizzling in the pan. I climbed out of bed and made a quick pit stop at the lady’s room before heading to the kitchen. I stole a glance in the mirror as I passed it. I looked rough. Rough was a nice way of putting it, actually. I looked like I hadn’t brushed my hair or bathed in days. My makeup was a mess.
“ Tara?” Shadow called from the kitchen.
“ Be right there”, I answered as I tried to tame down some of my wild hair before leaving the restroom. After I finally won the battle of locks with my hair, I tried to fix my makeup and at least wipe away my raccoon eyes.
“ Come on, Tara, we don’t have much time.”
“ I’m coming” I called as I shut off the bathroom light and turned toward the kitchen.
I could see that Shadow had been up for quite a while before I crawled out of bed. He cooked us breakfast, plated it and
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