Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
She is Busted’s ol’ lady. She took off to travel and Diem said she was in Tennessee or something. Why is she here?
Why is she with Anna and Hollis?
Thoughts run rampant through my head.
“Who’s there?” Emmalee calls out from behind the door like she didn’t recognize us as quick as we named her.
“It’s Dia and Maritza, Emmalee. Can we talk?” Dia asks calmly, like this is some friendly visit and we aren’t looking for Karma’s son.
“Come in,” she invites, and I feel my heart racing. Please let him be here and be okay. Maybe Anna left him with her because she knew she had ties to the club? So many questions circle through my head as I enter the space.
It’s a small room with two queen beds, a little mini fridge, tv, microwave and what I assume to be the bathroom towards the back.
“Thank you,” Dia takes the lead, “we’re um,” she pauses, “sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no bother,” Emmalee responds quickly. I can’t focus on her demeanor because I’m staring at my phone confused.
“It says he’s here,” I whisper more to myself than anyone else. “I don’t understand why it’s saying here. Maybe a different room? But he sent the number seven, and this is where the location pinned him. Maybe it was supposed to be seventeen.”
I’m trying to think of what to ask Hollis so I can find him. To be so close and not have him with me is eating me up.
Emmalee stands in front of us. “I don’t understand. Why are you two here?”
I look up to her finally with tears in my eyes. “Hollis and I have a code.” I look around silently begging him to come out from a closet or wall or something. I don’t know. “Never mind, I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry we bothered you, Emmalee.”
Defeat consumes me. How can I be so close and yet so far at the same time?
“Zizi,” I hear his voice, and the tears fall as I look beyond Emmalee to see Hollis in the opening of the bathroom door.
“He’s here,” I celebrate moving beyond Emmalee and to him. “How? Where’s Anna?” I hiccup between tears closing the distance. “I’m here buddy.”
Seconds pass like hours as Anna yells, “The fuck you are!” She ushers Hollis out from their hiding spot with a gun to his head. His eyes are as big as saucers. Fear grips me in place.
I scream. It’s a gut wrenching, blood curdling, depths of my soul wail and I can’t control it.
“Oh my God, what is wrong with you?” Emmalee yells to Anna as I keep my eyes locked to Hollis.
“You three, sit the fuck down,” Anna orders and we all oblige. She has a gun to Hollis. It’s like I see it, but it’s not settling in. I’ll give her anything, do anything, I need him to be safe.
“What is going on?” Emmalee asks clearly not knowing who Anna is.
Honestly, not many in the club do. She’s never come around and after the divorce there is very little even spoken about her.
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” Anna says ignoring Emmalee’s question. “Why are you here, Maritza?” She snarls at me.
I don’t give her my gaze as I try to calm Hollis by my presence alone. What do I say? My mother always told us the only way to be free is to be honest. No guilt, no baggage. “I have a system for Hollis. Our code. If he needs me, he sends me the word. No questions asked, I use our app chat to pin his location and come to him. It’s for sleepovers mostly, but if he’s ever worried and needs me, he knows to use it.” There is no need to lie to her. Word or emoji, he knew what to do, and the plan worked because we are reunited even if it isn’t the best circumstances.
“Aren’t you fucking clever.” Anna remarks with the gun still to Hollis’ head. I will do anything to keep him safe including put myself between him and her bullets. “Always thinkin’ you’re a better mom than me. He came out of my body. I gave him life. You should remember that and know your damn place, Maritza Castillo.”
Tears fall down my face. I’m trying to keep it together for her son, but I’m losing the battle as she is clearly unhinged. I’ve never seen her like this.
Hollis is trembling but trying to be strong. “Momma, please don’t. I didn’t want you to get in trouble.” His truth, he lays it out there and she isn’t even touched in the least bit.
He loves her. He’s always loved her. She’s his mother, no one has ever tried to take that from her. He doesn’t want Dillon to find out and go off the rails that Anna broke the court order they agreed to in mediation.