Out of Control ✔

SEVENTH CHAPTER

Over a week had passed since Coco had been shot. The girl had slipped to the corner of his mind, the club had been keeping him busy. But now, when they were about to have a meeting with Adelita, the girl's face was the first image that crossed his mind. He was annoyed with himself because he wanted to see her again; the chemistry he had thought he felt so clearly, obviously hadn't been there. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left without saying anything.

As soon as they entered the rebel camp, his eyes began their search. If he had known her name, he could have at least asked someone about her. Then he would at least be able to know if she had returned safely. They entered the main tent, where Angel moved to give the bricks of coke to Adelita. Coco turned away, while he supported the cause it still didn't sit right that they had done this behind their President's back. But on the other hand, it felt even worse if they were to just sit back and do nothing at all. He was only half listening to the conversation, but after a few minutes he realized that Angel wanted to go over the plans some more with Adelita, so he signalled to his brother that he was going to check out the camp.

Lighting a cigarette, he worked his way through the camp, looking around, taking in every face that crossed his path. There were young faces everywhere; the majority of them with black hair, tan skin and a determined glint in their eyes. More than once he thought that he had seen her, but by the time he reached the edge of the camp his search had come up empty. In the end he turned and began to head down the narrow corridor again, leading to back, deeper into the rebel camp. With a sigh he stopped and leaned against the wall of the canyon, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.

Suddenly a pebble fell on his head. He looked up and recognized the person peaking out from one of the caves nestled between the stone. "Lookin' for me?"

His lips curled into a smirk. "Yea, you wish."

Gravel rolled down as she shimmied down from the ledge. A large gun hung over her shoulder; she'd been on watch. "How's your leg?"

Coco's glance traced her cute face with her large dark eyes, a suspicious frown forming as he took in her question. "Been without crutches since yesterday."

She nodded. "Good."

Coco leaned back, with his shoulders resting against the mountainside. "So, where'd you go that night?"

She shrugged. "Wasn't in the mood to play nurse."

Coco lifted the corner of his mouth. "Could have played some other way."

"With that limp of yours?"

"I'm very creative."

She laughed. "Yea, I don't doubt that"

"What's your name?"

"You don't like calling me Nightingale anymore?"

"Nah man."

As he lit up a new cigarette, she took it out of his fingers and took a drag. "Tough shit, cause I don't like Coco."

He watched how her lips wrapped around the cigarette and when she gave it back after a few drags, it tasted better than any cigarette he had ever had before. "Is Johnny Cruz better?"

"Cruz," she repeated, rolling the name across her tongue. "Sounds not bad, Cruz." He gave her a questioning look, waiting for her to reciprocate, but she shook her head. "You get to stick to Nightingale for now."

"C'mon, my buddies already think I made you up."

Suddenly her fingers stroked his cheek. "Then you can figure out how to tell them how real this feels," she whispered against his lips as her lips touched his lightly.

She wanted it to be a chaste kiss, just a tease. But as she went to pull back, Coco grabbed her wrist and turned her around, pressing her between himself and the mountainside. "Not so quick, Nightingale," he said with a husky voice, pressing his mouth against hers again. Her lips parted, his tongue slipped inside. His fingers grabbed her dark hair, as her arms made their way up and folded around his neck. It was a hot, passionate kiss that ended so abruptly that he stared at her feeling a bit dazed.

She freed himself from his grasp and wiggled out from her place against the wall. "Goodbye, Cruz," she whispered, her breath ghosting across his ear. Then as if she was a figment of his imagination she turned around, swung herself up onto a solid branch and disappeared a few seconds later into the shadows.

Just after he had lost sight of her, he saw Gilly and Angel appear from around the corner.

"Well?" Angel asked with a smirk. "Find your mysterious lady?"

"You just missed her, she left like a second ago," he answered, still feeling her lips on his. "Got the feeling she's scared of you man."

Angel chuckled. "Yeah sure, blame me, I'll believe you when I see her." He slapped Coco's shoulder. "C'mon lets get outta here, we've wasted enough time tryin' to track you down."