Paid for by the Cartel

Chapter Twenty-Two

     "Coco, can I talk to you?" Tinsley asked, walking into the garage from the office. She strode over to a makeshift poker table that was simply an overturned metal drum with an old car hood over top. Angel, Gilly, and Neron sat around a table playing cards. Coco had his feet kicked up on the table with his eyes closed, leaning back with a cigarette held in his fingers. He opened one eye slightly and turned his head to glance at her. They all looked over, curious and slightly amused.

     "¿Qué deseas? " Coco asked feigning indifference, trying not to show how curious he was. Tinsley was quiet for a moment, just staring at Coco. She wasn't sure what she'd expected but she thought for sure he'd started thawing a little toward her since their late night conversation in his kitchen. But it had been two months since she's seen him last and it seems that he still couldn't stand her. She glanced around the table before looking back at Coco.

     "¿Solo? " she said finally. He let out a harsh laugh and closed his eyes again, hanging his head back off the back of the chair. He didn't bother answering, just continued smoking. Tinsley rolled her eyes, annoyed that they were back at this bullshit again, "it's about Letty, pendejo," she crossed her arms. The card game stopped. Coco's eyes shot open and he snapped his head toward her. He was up on his feet in a moment, stalking in her direction. His hand wrapped around her elbow and yanked her around, dragging her along after him. "Yikes, pops." He stopped and spun on her, squaring up to her. She didn't flinch, just stared up at her. He hunched over and narrowed his eyes.

     "This is funny to you, eh? What about Letty?" he asked, shifting from foot to foot.

     "Relax pops, Letty's fine," Tinsley smiled, slightly amused the sudden change in demeanor.

     "You said this was about Letty. So you're a fucking liar now too, eh?" he asked, taking another step so close that their feet were almost touching. Tinsley's jaw flexed and she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

     "I thought we'd moved passed this and I knew it'd get your attentio-"

     "That's my fuc'in' kid, ah! O' course it got my attention!" he yelled, leaning down more till he could look directly in her eyes. His face was hard and closed off, his mouth curved in rage. But he didn't scare her.

     "It's about Letty, she's just not in trouble," Tinsley said, tilting her head to the side.

     "Tell me what you want so I can get back to work," he growled. 

     "Look, I'm sorry I freaked you out, but you really gave me no choice," Tinsley started. Coco rolled his eyes and turned from her. He was ready to leave her standing there when she spoke again, "It's about her birthday," she called finally. He stopped in his tracks and froze. The gravel crunched under her feet as she walked up to him. He still had his back to her but she knew she had his full attention, "She told me a few weeks ago that she's always wanted to see the ocean. And I wanted to ask your permission to take Letty to see the ocean for her birthday. I know she'd love for you to come, so maybe you could talk to Bishop and make it a club run. Letty always talks about how much the club is her family. I understand if the club is busy and you don't want her going three hours east, so it's completely up to you and Bishop. I haven't talked about it with anyone else. I didn't want to let her down if it didn't work out," she was rambling slightly, but she wanted to make sure she got it all out and she wasn't sure how long she'd have Coco's attention. Coco was silent for a long time. Tinsley waited for an answer until finally she realized that she wasn't going to get one. She looked down at her feet and kicked at the gravel, clearing her throat, "well, uh, piénselo, por favor," he heard her footsteps receding in the gravel until he was alone in the yard. He thought her question over and over in his head. Letty had told her once about seeing the ocean and she'd remembered that. She'd thought about it enough to come up with a plan and even included him in it. Even though he'd only ever been an asshole to her. He'd been trying to push her away so hard this whole time, thinking it'd be best for everyone but what if he was wrong. She didn't seem keen on being pushed out. She wasn't afraid of him; in fact, he seemed to amuse her. Letty trusted her and she looked out for Letty with everything in her being. She'd saved Letty's life more times than he could count. Shit, she'd fought an active shooter to keep him from getting to Letty. How many times was he going to make her prove herself before he trusted her?