Marcus repaired her car for parts cost.
She handled press calls when the club accidentally became news again.
When Sophie's class held a career day, she invited Diesel.
Marcus pretended to be insulted.
"You chose him?"
"He's an actual mechanic."
"I own a motorcycle shop."
"You mostly sit in the office."
Marcus stared at her.
"You're banned."
"You can't ban me. I have honorary status."
"You don't."
Sophie pointed toward a small patch on the vest hanging near the bar.
The club had given her an honorary DESERT KINGS FAMILY patch on her tenth birthday.
"You people created a monster," Marcus told the room.
Nobody disagreed.
For Sophie's thirteenth birthday, Marcus did not buy her a street motorcycle.
Elena would have killed him.
Instead, the club restored a small vintage trail bike for supervised riding on private property.
It had belonged to a former member's daughter.
Diesel rebuilt the engine.
Snake painted the tank.
Flash installed nothing electronic because Marcus did not trust him.
On the morning they revealed it, Sophie stood speechless.
The bike was deep red.
Rafael's favorite color.
A small metal plate near the handlebar carried an engraving.
PAY ATTENTION.
Her father's rule.
Sophie touched the letters.
"How did you know?"
Marcus looked toward Elena.
"Your mom."
Sophie began crying.
Marcus immediately became uncomfortable.
"Don't do that."
"What?"
"The crying."
"You gave me Daddy's words."
"I didn't give you anything. It's a motorcycle."
She hugged him.
Marcus looked toward everyone else.
"Help."
Nobody moved.
Snake pretended to wipe his eye.
Marcus glared.
Sophie pulled back.
"My dad would've loved you."
Marcus's expression changed.
"You think?"
"He would've argued with you."
"Definitely would've liked him."
She laughed.
They taught her slowly.
Helmet.
Protective equipment.
Throttle control.
Braking.
Balance.
No road.
No showing off.
No passengers.
No shortcuts.
When Sophie stalled the engine for the sixth time, she kicked the dirt.
Marcus called from the fence.
"Motorcycle's not mad at you."
"I know."
"Then stop getting mad at it."
"I know!"
"What would your dad say?"
She glared.
"Don't use him against me."
Marcus smiled.
"Fair."
She tried again.
This time, the engine stayed running.
Sophie rode twenty yards.
Stopped.
Looked back.
Her face was pure joy.
Elena cried.
Marcus pretended he had dust in his eyes.
Years passed.
Sophie became interested in law around fourteen.
At first because she wanted to understand the trial.
Then because she became fascinated by what had happened before it.
Why tenants had so little power.
Why workers feared reporting injuries.
Why prosecutors needed certain evidence.
Why witnesses required protection.
Why some crimes were easy to suspect but difficult to prove.
Marcus bought her a used law dictionary.
She hated it.
"Nobody talks like this."
"Lawyers do."
"That's the problem."
At sixteen, Sophie volunteered with Elena's housing organization.
At seventeen, she helped translate tenant-rights materials into Spanish.
At eighteen, she earned a scholarship.
The night before she left for college, she stood alone inside the clubhouse.
Most people had gone home.
Marcus found her staring at the purple-crayon drawing.
"Nervous?"