Contaminated (14/?)
Angel Reyes x OC Lara Barrera Losa Ezekiel Reyes x OC Frankie Loza OC Lara & Dad!Bishop Losa
30 Day Fic Challenge (21/30)
A/N: Diving back into this world!! also apologies again for falling off posting these!
For a refresh, all the chapters are in the below link!
Chapter Index
TW: 18+, mentions of death, murder, blood. Angst, looooot of angst
Word Count: 3.7k
Contaminated Taglist: @est1887 @minimel-fics @spnaquakindgdom @nessamc @alienstardust @mrsstevenbuchananstark @hinagiku0 @lyly00 @drabbles-mc @lilac-tea-time @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @danzer8705 @trhett21 @keyweegirlie @kmc1989
Angel fucked it up. It wasn’t necessarily his fault, it was something embedded into his DNA, into the Reyes blood. But even besides that, the situation between Lara and him was complicated at best. She was the club president’s daughter. Their relationship was a secret. She had something going on that was clearly bleeding into the club that she never wanted to bring up or talk about. Then with Angel, being apart of what was bleeding into the club from the club's side and him not being able to talk about that, it was inevitable that the two of them would crack under everything against them.
“You gonna tell me what happened?” Frankie was pouring a cup of coffee as Lara sat at their kitchen bar table drinking her own as she turned pages of her book.
“With?” The girl didn’t bother looking up but it was clear she wasn’t really retaining the information on the book she was flipping the pages of.
“Don’t box me out. I know you and Angel are fighting.” Frankie was following Lara’s suit, not looking at her as she poured sugar in her cup.
“We’re not fighting.” She slammed the book closed and looked up at Frankie.
“Right.” Frankie looked up with a straight smile.
“In fact, there’s not a ‘we’re’, it’s over. Angel and I are done.”
That made Frankie frown. “Wanna tell me what happened?”
“You weren’t exactly the founding member of our fanclub.” Lara had an attitude. “Why does it matter?”
“Contrary to belief, my feelings had little to do with the relationship and more to do with the fact that my best friend was hiding it from me, but again, I’ve come around to understanding why you did, and again as your best friend, I care about you and your feelings.”
Lara sighed with her eyes closed. “I’m sorry, I’m cranky.”
“No?” Frankie faked shocked. “Couldn’t tell.”
“The inevitable happened.” Lara waved her hand as she fell back against the chair. “All the fucking club secrets, I deal with it enough with Bishop, but with Angel? It’s–” Lara paused not sure the word she was looking for.
“The same feeling?” Frankie was now sipping her coffee after she finished that statement and her eyes were looking up from the warm liquid to meet Lara’s eyes.
“Yea, exactly.” Lara sighed. “I tried to push past it but last night I just, snapped. We fought and I ended it.”
“How’d that go?”
Lara rolled her eyes. “I told him I couldn’t stand this–him, his lies, we had sex and then I broke up with him.”
“I’m sorry– you had sex and then broke up with him?”
“Weak moment, he was standing there, and we were all angry and I just kissed him.”
Frankie nodded her head to the couch hoping Lara followed which she did. Lara sprung off the floor and dove onto the couch, face forward and screamed into the cushions as Frankie tucked her legs to her chest and settled into the couch with a chuckle and sip.
“You know what the worst part is?” Lara turned her head so that she could see Frankie, blowing the piece of hair covering her face out of the way.
“Hm?”
“He was shocked when I broke up with him, like he wasn’t expecting it.”
____________
“So we banged and I’m about to light up my cigarette and she just says she’s done and that we’re over.” Angel’s voice was muffled as he stuffed his mouth with the breakfast burrito.
“She said she couldn’t stand the relationship. What about that makes you think she wouldn’t have been breaking up with you?” EZ was leaning against the counter in Angel’s kitchen.
“I don’t know–maybe the fact that she slept with me after?” He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
EZ smirked. “You’re an idiot.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Angel was standing, tossing his plate into the sink before he turned around to look at his younger brother.
“I told you not to fuck it up.”
“I didn’t fuck it up, how did I fuck it up?” Angel’s voice grew louder. “She knows there's shit with the club I’ll never be able to tell her.”
“She’s been budding heads with Bishop about the same shit, it was only a matter of time that it was going to affect you.” EZ was peeling back his own foil wrapped breakfast burrito.
“And you couldn’t like have given me a warning?” Angel’s eyebrows raised while EZ chuckled with a full mouth.
‘Man, you really are an idiot.”
__________________
“I’m such an idiot.” Lara was still groaning into the cushions of her couch. “I’m gonna have to deal with both Bishop and Angel now.”
“Speaking of, I think your shit is going down soon. Hank texted me that we both should be at the clubhouse in like an hour after templo.” Frankie was looking at her phone.
“Yea, Bishop texted me last night.” Lara’s muffled voice made Frankie frown.
“Before or after your fight with Angel?” Her curiosity seeping into her tone.
“Before.”
“Mmmmmm.” Frankie nodded her head as everything pieced itself together.
“What?” Lara was sending daggers to her best friend.
“Just makes sense is all. I’m assuming you asked Angel for details and he refused to give them and you spiraled.”
Lara shot up, her body now sitting on the couch instead of laying horizontal. “Am I that predictible?” The whine in her voice already knowing the answer. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right choice, ultimately, I can’t do secrets. I need full disclosure. It never would’ve worked.”
“I think you knew that going into it.” That was what Lara loved and currently hated about Frankie, she was always honest. “Self-sabotage is the Losa family trait.” She was standing up now, her finished coffee cup in her hand, and phone in the other.
“I feel like I owe you a co-pay or something.” Lara was slouched now on the couch.
“Add it to my tab.” She was walking to the kitchen as she called out. “C’mon, get ready, we gotta go.”
____________
“C’mon, we gotta go, we got templo.” EZ waved his phone and the message he got from someone in the club.
“Since when do you get templo messages, prospect.” Angel was searching for his own phone.
“It’s an all hands on deck thing, I’m not gonna be at the table, just there to do what I’m told.” He smiled in a way that earned him a shove but Angel was too preoccupied to care to follow through on it.
“So what do I do when I see her?” Angel was making his way to his front door.
“I don’t think it matters, Lara is gonna do what Lara is gonna do.” EZ was grabbing his keys and meeting Angel.
“So you’re saying she’s going to be a dick to me?” Angel stood in the entry way as EZ just laughed and patted his shoulder as he squeezed by to walk out the front door.
___________
“So I’m just supposed to be a dick to him?” Lara was looking over at Frankie who was in the drivers seat.
“I never said that.” She lifted her hands in innocence as she pulled into the dirt lot of the clubhouse. “I just said when you’re a dick to him, no one is going to notice, it’s not like you weren’t like that with him for years.”
“What do you think’s going down with The Calavaras?” Lara changed the topic.
“Surprised it took you this long to ask.” The noise from the rummaging of her bag almost drowned out Frankie’s voice.
“I’m dreading it, that’s why. Almost as much as seeing Angel.” The rummaging was being replaced by a thud which was Lara’s head against the headrest.
“I think that shit’s going down tonight.” Frankie turned to Lara and extended her hands to grab hers. “I think after this, you’ll be able to stop looking over your shoulder and put that horrible horrible memory behind you and move on.”
“Move on?” Lara was squeezing Frankie’s hands back.
“Move on.” Frankie nodded.
“I thought I moved on.” Lara took a deep breath. “And then that asshole showed up.”
“You’re in the home stretch.” Silence overcame them both for a minute while they stared out at the shed that had an assortment of junk from each one of the guys and that’s when Frankie’s eyes fell on the oil stained rag that reminded her of the blood stained clothes Lara had when Hank brought her to her place all those years ago. “You know what I said that night is still true, right?”
I’m sure he deserved it..it’s usually you or them.
“I just feel like I attract it, all this death. It’s linked to me.” Lara still had had head against the passenger seat's cushion.
“Its the life, babe. The life we didn’t choose, but nonetheless it’s our life.” Frankie had pulled her hands away now, but still was staring at her intently.
“Funny thing is, Frankie, I did choose it, again and again, I just keep getting pushed out.”
Before Frankie could answer her best friend there was a tap at her window. She quickly turned to see her father. With sympathetic eyes she turned to Lara ready to leave her with some words of encouragement but she was already getting out of the car so Frankie did the same with a sigh. Lara was waving to Hank and then making her way to one of the couches on the club’s porch leaving Frankie to talk with her dad.
“Everything alright?” Hank picked up on some tension.
“Time will tell.” Frankie’s arms crossed before she moved her gaze onto her father’s. “Need anything from me?” Frankie understood the ins and outs of the club life, that she would only be given the information she needed, nothing less and certainly nothing more. It helped that she was who she was and she could accept it, living life on the outside didn’t bother her because she had a life on the outside. Lara on the other hand, her life on the outside consisted of trying to find a way in. Frankie couldn’t blame her, with everyone she’d lost over the years, it only made sense she was trying to fill that void with the last familial bond she had.
“Nope, just you here, will let you know if that changes though.” Hank was tossing his hand over her shoulder. “Chucky brought in donuts if you’re hungry.” They were slowly walking to the middle of the lot before Taza was waving down Hank to come inside. “I’d grab one quick, before the rest of the guys get here, they’ll murder them.” He was laughing as he left Frankie to enter the clubhouse.
As the sound of motorcycles filled the air, both Frankie and Lara turned their attention to the gate, they knew a few minutes were going to pass by before they were rewarded with knowing who it was as they weaved through the path that led people from the Romero Brother's scrap yard's front entrance to the clubhouse.
As EZ and Angel’s bike appeared at the large green gate, Lara sunk into her seat a little more and prayed this went by fast and painless.
“Brought you a breakfast burrito.” EZ was opening his side compartment and grabbing a to-go bag so he could hand it to Frankie who was still in the middle of the lot. At this point Angel had cut his engine and began walking towards the clubhouse.
“Thanks.” Frankie grabbed the bag and placed a quick kiss to EZ’s lips before turning just as quickly to watch Angel and Lara.
“This should be interesting.” EZ followed Frankie’s stare.
“I’m wondering if we should take cover.” Her arms folded as she intently watched.
“That bad you think?” EZ looked down at Frankie with a frown.
A scoff mixed with a chuckle left her mouth. “I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”
As Angel reached the top of the clubhouse stairs his eyes fell on Lara and all he did was nod in acknowledgement before entering the clubhouse.
“That wasn’t bad.” EZ frowned in acceptance.
Frankie looked back over her shoulder, her eyebrows meeting over the bridge of her nose practically. “You’re lucky you’re pretty you know that.”
“Always judged for my looks, never my brain.” EZ faked being hurt, the line clearly being a lie since EZ’s brain was one that could be studied with his smarts and photographic memory. With a squeeze to Frankie’s shoulder, he began jogging to get inside the clubhouse with everyone else.
________
The door opening alerted Lara immediately. Frankie had gone inside to eat with Chucky and leave Lara to her thoughts, it was obvious the girl wanted some time alone. But truthfully, time alone wasn’t what she wanted at all, she wanted to know what was going to happen. There had been no incident since the run in with the Calavara's patched member who knew the man she killed and the follow up note to really set in the scare, but that didn’t mean things weren’t happening that she wasn’t aware of. This was now a club issue, The Calavaras and The Mayans, not just a Bishop, Lara and Jesse issue. Although, thinking back, Bishop had enlisted the club’s help the minute he got involved, Lara was just naive to it since she saw it as her Uncle Hank, not a club president’s protector.
Some days, Lara would go back and remember it all. The screams, the cursing, the blood. The coldness she felt as she sat there in the mess that she caused. She’d even go as far back as to remember why it happened, how the man treated her, why she ended up with him to begin with. That’d force her back even further, to one of the most painful things to happen to her, losing her brother, which ultimately brought Bishop to push her away too. Push her right into Jesse’s arms. That’s what she’d convince herself at least, but deep down, she knew that it was on her. She knew exactly what she was doing, and in all honestly, she thought the word would get back to her father and he’d come and snatch her by the arm and force her away from the Calavaras. But that never happened, and instead she just stayed because it was comfortable, it was the closest she’d ever get to her father’s life.
Bishop on the other hand, always blamed himself. It’s what he was currently doing as he spoke to everyone in templo.
“You’ve all been gracious enough to take this personal vendetta I have with The Calaveras on as your own, I know I’ve left out the details of why and what, but your trust in me is something I’m greatly appreciative of. Hopefully, this shit will be done sooner than later, I know living on edge like this isn’t good for anyone and it’s taken away from our other business. Again, for you guys to take on my mishaps as your own, I can’t repay you for that.”
“We’re a family, Bish. We got you.” Coco said as he inhaled his cigarette.
Bishop nodded and continued. “Got intel late in the morning that The Calavaras are going to be moving scripts from Lodi down to Tijuana, large shipment, probably stopping over in Dogwood to steer clear of any unwanted buzz. When we get that layover confirmed, we’re moving in. I want every Calaveras dropped, I want the charter to cease to exist.”
“We gotta be concerned about any blowback? Knocking off a whole charter seems risky.” Gilly asked, hands folded on the table.
“Mayans have history with The Calavaras, not a good one either, Mar–Padrino has given me the green light, did us the favor of making any calls. Other charters are on board. Sons, Bastards, even some of the local crews.
“We got to be worried any of those crews are gonna tip us off?” Angel was fidgeting with his lighter, staring down at it as he asked his question.
“With the beef these guys have with the Calaveras, I’d doubt it, we’re basically doing the dirty work for everyone.”
The group nodded. “I called templo to let this group know this, the next alert won’t be for templo, it’ll be to move, I’m gonna need everyone to stay close for the next week until we get a date.”
Everyone nodded again, some vocalized their acknowledgement. It was then Bishop slammed the gavel down and stood up along with everyone else.
“Angel can I talk to you?” He called out which made Angel’s heart start beating a mile a minute.
Did he know? Was he going to punch him? Kick him out the club? No, he wouldn’t have read him in on what was going down if that was the case. Or maybe he did because he wanted Angel to die for hurting his daughter. But he hadn’t meant to hurt Lara, if anything Bishop should be proud he hadn’t caved and told Lara club details. These were all the thoughts that were going through Angel’s head as he approached Bishop.
“Gonna need you to brief little bro in on this. Need all the extra hands we can get.”
“Huh?” Angel was confused for a moment until he sat with what Bishop said for a few seconds. “Oh yea, sure, I’ll brief him on our way out.” Angel nervously nodded.
“How is she?” Bishop asked more at a mumble now.
“Lara?” Angel’s heart picked up again.
“Yea, I know I’ve put you with her a lot, it’s because if I put Hank or Taza she’ll have a fit, Coco would just get high and Gilly would be glued to that fuckin’ playstation they have all day, with you, I know even if she gives you lip you can take it, and just mind your business after the back and forth.”
“Oh yea, no, it’s no issue, Bish, happy to help.” Angel scratched his head nervously.
“So, how is she?” Bishop was reaching in his pocket for his cigarettes.
“Uhm,” Angel thought how to respond, “pissed.” Angel tossed his head back and forth. It was definitely not a lie.
Bishop chuckled a bit and tapped Angel’s arm with a quick mumbled ‘thanks brother’ and began to walk by him until Angel stopped him with his next sentence.
“Think she just wants to know what’s going on, I can tell she isn’t a fan of being on the outside since this situation seems personal to you.”
Bishop nodded, his face falling into an annoyed frown. His frustration wasn’t at Angel, but it did annoy him that he was the one telling him what he already knew.
________
Bishop made his way outside, searching for Lara in the lot but when he caught her slouched on the couch he took a few steps closer to her. He didn’t make eye contact with her, just stared off into the lot like it was a beautiful landscape he was taking in.
“It’ll all be over in a couple of days. Maybe then me and you can get a cup of coffee, talk things over.”
That was his outstretched hand, his olive branch, his peace offering.
Lara closed her eyes and waited for more, more detail, anything of what it would be. When it was clear Bishop wasn’t going to be speaking anymore she stood up and walked over to the stairs and did the same as him and stared out without giving him so much as a glance.
“When it’s over, you can tell me where you want to ship me off to." Her eyes still not daring to look at him as she paused for a minute before continuing. "Let me know who's watching me today, so I can tell them I’d like to go home.”
“Gonna have Taza take you, you’ve been pissing Angel off.” Bishop’s tone went back to frustrated simply by the girl’s reply. Little did he know that comment opened up way more in Lara than he knew.
“Excuse me?” Her head snapped to Bishop, her glare practically burning into him now, completely opposite from before. “Pissing him off?” Her eyebrows raised in shock before she scoffed and made her way to Frankie’s car to wait.
Angel was soon walking out of the clubhouse and making his way over to his bike before Lara swiftly stepped in front of him and muttered to him.
“You told Bishop I’m pissing you off? Really? That’s how you’re gonna handle this? Run to MY dad? What, are you fucking five?” She barked at him.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Angel raised his hands in innocence.
“I hate when you play fucking coy, what the fuck is your problem?” She was practically pushing him. “Grow the fuck up Angel, we broke up,” that part of the sentence was whispered but very pointedly, “if you want to get back at me, drop off a box of my stuff to my house, push up on one of the club hang arounds, unfollow me on shit but don’t use Bishop to get back at me.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about Lara.” He was trying to walk past her but she kept stepping in front of him.
Bishop had been watching from the steps, Taza joining him shortly after the fuse got lit between the two.
“What’s their deal?” Bishop frowned, taking in the scene in front of him.
“I don’t know but she seems pissed.” Taza was laughing. “Want me to break it up?”
“Yea, take her home, and don’t tell her she looks pissed, I think that pisses her off.”
Taza laughed again but agreed and quickly moved to not only take Lara away from Angel but also home where she could be freely pissed off in her own space. And while he did, Bishop took a minute to look at Angel who looked distressed, which wasn’t normal for him after a Lara encounter, he was usually snapping back at her and brushed it off his shoulders soon after. But before the gear in Bishop’s mind could keep turning over for answers, the door opened and Frankie came out laughing with Chucky leaving his mind to process what he saw later.
