Free J Roars by Emily Eck

nodded. “And? What are you doing now?”
    Waiting. I was fucking waiting, waiting for shit to pop off in Missouri and the brothers, led b y Fret, to take out Burns, his brother Nick, and any of the three left over brothers who didn't choose the right side, our side.
    “What happens after the Delmarco family takes over?” I thought that question was for José, but Elle was looking at me.
    “It won’t be my business at that point. Once Burns is gone and the MC is clean, what the Delmarcos do is on them. I’ll just be a mechanic and motorcycle aficionado.”
    “Is this why you insisted on coming with me, José?”
    “He shouldn’t have brought you at all,” I growled.
    “Like I had a choice, she was coming with or without me.”
    “You could've stopped her.”
    José laughed. “Elle ain’t no bitch. She’s gonna do what she wants, regardless of what anyone tells her. You should know. The best I could do was come with her. She’s here because of you anyway, because of the mess you’ve made of her, because you fucking broke her. If you hadn’t come around, none of this would be happening and she’d be safe. So if you’re gonna point fingers, point them at your damn self.”
    That was it. I was tired of this punk ass bitch telling me what was up with me and Elle. He didn't know shit about what we had. He wished he did, wished he had her, but his ass didn't. I did, and would fight for her. I was a madman, jumping out of the rickety folding chair, knocking it to the ground. I was ready to attack when Elle got in front of me. Her presence, her light, held my feet in place, but it didn't keep my mouth closed.
    “You think you know so much!” I yelled at José. “You think I don’t know you want her? That you think she is your sun, your heaven, your sky? She’s mine, and you better realize that shit quick.”
    “Whoa. What is he talking about, José?” Did Elle not realize how he felt? Was it not clear to her he was in love with her?
    José stood up and glared at me, ignoring Elle's question. “Fuck you. My cielito wouldn’t be dealing with drugs cartels. She’d be safe. Something you can’t give her. You think this plan is gonna work? It might, but you don’t know shit about Los Zetas or how shit operates on this side. There’ll be blowback, one way or another and I just hope I’m not visiting Elle's grave when that happens.”
    He stormed out the door, leaving Elle and I both speechless. What. The. Fuck. I hung my head as Elle moved around the apartment. How did we go from a sex induced bliss to this?
    I was pondering this when Elle shoved a shirt filled with ice into my hand. “Put this on your eye. It’s swelling.”
    After reading something in a book, Elle took her clothes off and slipped into bed. I was a stunned by her silence, expecting José's abrupt exit to leave me with an Elle full of questions. Instead, she motioned for me to join her in bed.
    Once I had her body wrapped around mine I asked, “Are we starfishing what just happened?”
    “No. No more starfishing, but I can’t handle anymore tonight. I haven’t slept right for months, but I think tonight I will. We can talk in the morning. Better yet, you can plan on us talking in the morning.” She nestled in closer to me, and I adjusted myself to envelope more of her with my frame.
    “I love you.”
    “I know,” she murmured, pulling a total Han Solo on me. I didn't care. Despite the shit that had just gone down, I was the one her limbs were intertwined with, and honestly, I didn't give a fuck about José, only the woman next to me. I drifted off to sleep and it was filled with images of a woman who I no longer had to stare at a broken phone to catch a glimpse of. All I'd have to do is open my eyes in the morning. I fell asleep with a smile.
    ******
    I woke up before Elle, and like the creeper we've already established I am, I stared at her sleeping form for longer than would be considered normal. I could give a fuck, though. I'm