Chasing Trouble (Lorica Series #2)

Chapter Two

"Dad! How can you be so stupid? I've been working my ass off and I told you to stay put in the RV and you didn't listen!" Esse scolded her father through the telephone. They were at the visitation room, a window panel separated the two of them and they were talking through the corded telephone.

"I'm sorry, mija. I just don't want you to suffer working like that anymore," he said with an apologetic tone. Esse gritted through her teeth then took a sigh. "It's been a month and they haven't put me in trial."

"You're going to be stuck here, Dad. We can't afford a lawyer! We don't have the money!" she said. What she has right now isn't enough for her to bail her father.

"Times up!" the guard shouted while looking at them.

"Just . . . be careful, okay?" Terry said to his daughter.

Esse scoffed. "You're the one who needs to be careful, Dad." Then she placed the telephone back to its place with a heavy force. Her father put down the telephone gently with the inner corners of his eyebrows angled upward and the corners of his mouth turned down. He knew that his daughter was mad at him because of what he did and he didn't blame her. He just wanted to help her.

Esse stormed outside the jail. She found a spot where she can be alone. She took a cigarette from its wrinkled box then lit it up. Her alone time was ruined when a man in a suit stood beside her.

Esse scoffed then glanced at the man. "I'm not in the mood to do errands."

"You will not have a choice." The man spoke. His hair was neatly combed back, he was wearing eyeglasses and he looked around in his twenties. "Come with me if you wanted to get your father out of jail."

He piqued her interest and wondered how this man would help her bail her father. Without having any more doubts, Esse followed the man and a black BMW car stopped by the road. An older man in a suit stepped out of the vehicle and opened the car's door for her. They stepped inside and sat on the backseat. The guy with the glasses sat beside her. The door closed then the older gentleman went back to the front seat and drove the car. 

The man gave her a cold bottle of beer which is the same brand that she always drinks. She was impressed that he knew what was her preferred beer.

"Thanks," she said as she received the bottle.

The man nodded then darted his eyes at the front window of the vehicle. "My name's Ciro Lorica, I'm a lawyer from California. I can help you with your father's case but that is after you do this favor."

"And that is?"

"Bring my brother home."

She gulped on her drink then glanced at him. "Sure. But paying my father's bail is a hell of a big price to bring some drunk person back to his family."

"It was not from the club or bar. He was in Los Angeles and it was a lot harder than you think," he said.

Her nose crinkled. "I'm sorry but that was a bit far. I only take errands within the city."

"Take it or leave it?" Ciro said as he showed her a credit card on the palm of his hand. Esse knew that she had to do this mission or she would not see her father for ten years. Plus, going to Los Angeles isn't a bad idea. But how can she live and survive there on her own? She grew up in Missouri and she haven't gone to a city with a lot of possible s*x offenders and people would take advantage of her skills and possibly get her into a s*x s*****y.

But Esse doesn't have to worry too much about this. Maybe going into the city is not a bad vacation.

"What's with that card?" she asked while staring at the card on the man's palm.

Ciro didn't answer her and just stared at her. Then she realized that she has to take it from his palms because he was probably feeling tired from holding it for a long time.

"You can use the credit card to survive in the city. Use it wisely," he said.

"Okay. What if I went on a shopping spree?" she teased then the man just stared at her deadpanned.

She knew that she couldn't get this man into laughing. "My brother's name is Calibre Lorica. He goes by his name "Calibre, the gun." Look for someone named Beretta and she'll be the one to bring you to him."

Esse scoffed while chuckling. "How can this be so complicated? But, oh well. I'm up for it," she said arrogantly.

"It is hard, since my brother is too stubborn to persuade me," Ciro said then he handed her his business card which contains his name and business phone number. "Call me later. I'll give you more of the details through a phone call." Then the car stopped.

Esse got off the vehicle then it left. She walked to the campsite and went inside their RV. Then packed up her things and get herself ready for an airplane flight. She talked to the RV park campground manager, gave him the keys of the RV and told him that she'll be taking a vacation.

She arrived at the airport with a luggage at hand. Rode the airplane for the first time, looked through the small window, and admired all the clouds and the beautiful view of the city. 

The plane arrived at Los Angeles and Esse rode a taxi going to the city. Bright and colorful lights were everywhere and she could hear a lot of noises because of the cars honking, the people's shoes and their conversations. Crowds of people walking everywhere on the sidewalks and pedestrian lanes. There were some people lying around on the grounds, asking for a penny.

Everything got her overwhelmed because she hasn't been in a city in her entire life. Then she remembered that she had to meet with someone named Beretta. She went to a specific small restaurant which was indicated along with Ciro's instructions. She took her orders and began eating at a medium pace because she was starving.

After she finished her meal, a woman in her twenties sat in front of her. She has mexican features, has a lip earring, full tattoos on her arm, her straight hair was black with straight bangs covering her short forehead. Her round eyes were covered with smokey eyeshadow, almost the same as hers.

Esse found the woman attractive that after she wiped on her mouth with a tissue, she smirked. "I assumed you're Beretta since you sat in front of me."

Her expression remained stiff. "Yes. Pretend that you're a lesbian and come with me at the bathroom," she whispered then she stood up. Esse raised her eyebrows as Beretta took side glances at her, giving her attractive stares, which she didn't expect for her to do. Esse stood up and followed her. She couldn't deny it but she was liking every side glance that this woman was giving to her.

They barged in the small women's bathroom kissing torridly that made the other girls inside left awkwardly. When they were gone, Beretta stopped kissing Esse then checked every toilet stalls to see if someone was still left inside. Esse held on to her lips and couldn't help thinking that she enjoyed every moment of her kiss.

"I was enjoying it," Esse said as she licked her lip. But Beretta didn't go along with her playful attitude. She glanced at Esse, still wearing the serious expression on her face.

"You have to listen to me carefully. We are not just people who you can mess up with. And we can't just do things recklessly. Everything must be in secret and make sure no one is listening and following us."

"What?" she asked then she chuckled. "Dude, I don't know what you're talking about."

"His brother didn't tell you, huh?" she said then she lifted her shirt up from her abdomen. It was a tattoo of a calibre gun with 9MM written below it. Esse's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced back at the woman.

"We're from the biggest mafia group called Nine Double Em."