As hard as Coco tried to make their shopping trip fun, Roxy was miserable the whole time. She couldn't buy things she really wanted, she had to look somewhat professional and her usual style was far from that.
"How can I make you smile?" He asked, his big brown eyes looking at her full of melancholy. "You want my get you something? I saw you lookin' at them Nikes."
"You wanna buy me something?" Roxy huffed, throwing the latest bags in the trunk of her car. "Buy me my freedom."
Disappointed at first, Coco suddenly realized that may be an option. If they ever got married she'd be free of Alvarez. It wasn't an immediate fix and not one to take lightly though so he didn't mention it to her.
"I can do dinner," he chuckled.
"I'd love it but I have to get Mateo," she said.
"We can all go," he offered.
Roxy smiled but shook her head. "You're sweet but no. I'm not really in the mood."
"You're gonna like working for Pena," Coco told her. "She's cool."
"I'm sure she is," Roxy huffed. "I'll drop you back at the clubhouse."
Coco was right, Pena was a pretty cool boss and Roxy found that out just three days after meeting with Alvarez. The first week and a half was a lot, and Pena was surprised she knew so little about the other side of her job.
"Bishop said you were raised in an MC," Pena mentioned one day at lunch.
"I was," Roxy nodded, "But when I was little they kept me in the dark and as I got older I didn't want to know," she laughed. "Guess I should have paid more attention."
"I'm sure you had different aspirations," Pena remarked.
"Yeah," Roxy shrugged. "Kind of."
They continued to eat in semi-silence, muffled phones and the sounds of a busy office came through the door but that was it.
"First weekend after your first full week of work. Any plans?"
"Nope," Roxy laughed. "I've never worked an actual full week, I'm kind of beat."
"After our meeting with Galindo you can leave early," Pena offered. "Sometimes I will need you during the weekends but usually it's just Monday to Friday."
"I feel like a big girl," Roxy joked. "You know, or maybe you don't, this wasn't my idea but thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate it."
"My pleasure," she said with a chuckle. "I'm going to assume you're not Bishop's actual niece?" Pena asked, stabbing a carrot from her salad and popping it in her mouth. "When he mentioned this arrangement he said my niece, but he never specified the relationship before when he talked about you."
Roxy smiled a little. "He called me his niece? That's sweet but I'm technically not. I dated his cousin's son and am the mother of the same cousin's grandson. With the clubs and all family is family, blood or not."
"You're lucky to have him looking out for you," she said somberly. "When you were in that legal mess in Arizona he was pretty torn up about it. I tried to help but I was basically powerless."
Although Roxy doubted it was on purpose, Pena was doing one amazing job of showing Roxy how much they cared about her. The teasing and tough love always made her feel like more of a responsibility than anything else.
"Bishop's a good guy," Roxy said quietly. "They all are."
She smiled as she gathered her garbage from lunch and tossed it in the bin. "He's one of the better ones," Pena added.
"I'm gonna grab a cigarette before we leave if that's cool?"
"Sure," Pena waved her off. "It was nice getting to know you, Roxy. Finally."
Roxy nodded, knowing what Pena was getting at and tried to soften her attitude and expression. "I'll work on my whole standoffish attitude."
Pena nodded. "It would certainly make for a more pleasant working environment."
Roxy left the office and hit the parking garage from the back entrance, using the always empty stairway as her get away. She didn't call Coco until she was almost half done her cigarette, she wasn't used to having someone around her at all times and she was dying for some quiet.
"Hey," Coco said quickly as he answered the phone. "How ya doin'?"
"Good," she laughed, "Tired but good. You?"
Coco looked around the yard and shrugged to himself. "Not bad. Want me to come by tonight?"
"If you're not doing anything," she said, "I'd really love that. We have to run to a meeting soon but I'll be home before Mateo is done so you can come over whenever."
"I'mma come over as soon as you get home before you pick up Mateo. I wanna get you alone," he said seductively.
"Johnny," she giggled. "It's been a long week hasn't it?"
"I'm not used to you working so much, full time and shit," he complained.
"Yeah, I miss those lunchtime quickies too."
"You got time for one now?"
Glancing at her phone for a minute, Roxy sighed disappointedly. "Sorry, babe, no time."
"You sound happy," he remarked randomly. "Maybe this was a good shift."
"Yeah maybe," she did agree but she didn't want to admit it, "I'll hit you up when I'm on my way back."
Roxy flicked her cigarette away and jogged back up the stairs to the top floor. She walked into Pena's office to see Miguel, Nestor and another man standing in front of her desk.
"Uh," she mumbled. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing," Pena said darkly. "Our meeting was changed...apparently."
Roxy pulled her phone from her pocket and recorded the conversation. It wasn't something Pena told her to do but Roxy didn't like the tension in the room so she did it as a precautionary measure.
The meeting did not go well. At all. When Galindo and his men left, Nestor winked at Roxy knowingly. He wanted to tell her about Esai, strictly because the tension between him and his men and the Mayans was at an all-time high. Miguel would never approve, in fact, he'd be furious because if their ties to Alvarez, so Nestor kept his mouth shut.
"Are you okay?" Roxy asked Pena. "Why did they just pull out? You've been working on that deal forever!"
"I know," she huffed. "You can go, Roxy. Thank you for your help today."
"Okay," Roxy said awkwardly. "Have a good weekend, Mayor."
"You too," Pena smiled sadly. "I'll see you Monday."
Roxy felt uncomfortable after the meeting so instead of going home, she went right to the yard to see Coco. He was out in the sun, sweat beading on his skin, in a Romero brother's shirt unbuttoned and Roxy was happy to see it. Some girls liked the leather, others loved their tattoos, but there was something about Coco in that green shirt with a backward cap on that Roxy swooned over every damn time.
"Hey," she practically sang.
Coco turned with a surprised look on his face and smiled when he saw her. "What are you doing here?"
"I didn't wanna meet at my place, kind of wanted to be out in the world."
When they finally reached each other, Coco threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward his chest for a kiss.
"Want a beer?" He offered as they strolled toward the office.
"Nah, I'm good," she said. "Pena was saying Bish was all upset when I was locked up. That true?"
He looked at her for a second and slowly nodded. "Course he was, we all were."
"I mean I know you guys were upset and shit but like, she said he was really torn up."
"Yeah," Coco said forcefully.
"Hmm," she sighed. "I dunno, I guess I didn't think everyone would be so upset."
"They were," Chucky said, popping up from behind the counter.
"Christ," Roxy jumped. "Chunky you scared the shit outta me."
"Sorry," he chuckled, "Getting more paper," he explained. "You're family. I'm family," he said proudly, "That's what Bishop said," Chucky added.
"Great, me and Chucky," she joked. "Are we the weird cousins?"
"You're my old lady," Coco said quietly. "Chucky's the weird uncle."
Roxy beamed at him. "I'm still pissed but maybe this was a good idea. I'm happy."
"Me too," he told her. "Thanks for staying, I know you didn't want to."
"I didn't but it was the best thing I coulda done," she told him. Tiptoeing, she whispered in his ear, "Now let's go find somewhere for you to fuck me with that hat and shirt on."
Coco licked his lips and led her out of the office, back through the stacks of metal, to a rusted, totaled out Camaro. Walking around to the passenger side, the door already off the frame, Coco chuckled as she pushed him down to sit and pulled up her skirt.
"Just a quickie," she whispered. "Okay?"
Smirking he nodded and patted his lap. "Sit, Mami."
Roxy straddled him, pressing her lips to his, and began grinding on him until they both heard a loud, and disgusted, groan.
"Ew! Seriously!"
They immediately knew it was Letty. Roxy fell to the ground in her haste and yanked her skirt back down while Coco just shook his head.
"Get outta here," he snapped.
"Gross," Letty grumbled as she hurried back from where she came.
"Jesus Christ," Roxy huffed. "How do we get caught by your teenage daughter and not my toddler?"
"Yo, Teo is respectful," Coco laughed. "Kid knocks on doors and shit. She just busts in everywhere."
"This makes me feel really old," she sighed. "The mood is so dead now."
"I'll meet you back at your place?" He said, standing up and helping her back to her feet.
"Yeah, don't keep me waiting and do not bring her," Roxy laughed. "I love you."
He kissed her sweetly and returned the sentiment. "Love you too, Rox."
Three Weeks Later*
"She's gone," Coco panicked as he stormed into the clubhouse. "Rox is fucking gone. Her shit is all there, osomething happened to her."
Bishop listened as Coco rambled on, detailing their evening and that morning, with growing concern. It was the same as usual, dinner with the kids, bed and off to work. Nothing was different and she was acting normal.
"Letty see anything before she left for school?" Bishop asked. "Did you check with Mateo's class? Is he there?"
Coco shook his head. "Letty said Rox was there when she left for the bus. The bitch at the front desk at Teo's school won't talk to me," he grumbled. "I'm not on the list."
"Who is?" Bishop asked seeing that Tranq was already on the phone making calls.
"They didn't tell me," Coco huffed.
"I am," EZ interrupted. "I pick him up sometimes, all the babysitting, ya know?"
"Go, now," Bishop snapped. "See if he's there and, if he is, you bring him back here. Immediately."
EZ left quickly with Angel and Bishop grabbed Coco, pulling him aside. "You guys been okay? Any fighting like you used to?"
With a deep frown, Coco shook his head. "Nah, since she started with Pena everything's been great. She's happy, Letty's been staying there. We're like a fucked up little family. I don't think she left, Bish. I know she didn't."
Bishop nodded and gave Coco a hug. "We'll find her. We'll bring her home. Come with me to talk to Antonia, maybe she knows something."