The room smelled of alcohol, tobacco and sweat and the lights were low as Cardi B's I Like It pumped through the speakers at full volume. Bishop, Angel, Coco, Creeper and Gilly sat around their usual table, laughing and relaxed, with one special guest in attendance, Happy Lowman.

"Oh, he's so handsome, what's his name?" Roxy sang in a whisper into Happy's ear from behind.

He jumped a little, her plan to scare him working, and turned quickly. His scowl instantly flipped into a smile when he saw her grinning from ear to ear

"Rox," he said with a deep, raspy laugh. "You work here?"

"I do," she laughed.

"You're stripping?" He asked, his smile fading.

"I'm actually just a shot girl tonight," she pushed him to sit again and whispered into his ear, "I only dance on Saturdays."

He looked at her again, very clearly disapproving of her employment and turned to the Mayans. "You guys let her work here?"

"You think we got control over her?" Gilly laughed. "We just don't come in when she's up there," he gestured to the stage. "Bish hates it," Gilly said teasingly.

"Marcus know?" Happy asked Bishop.

"No," he grumbled. "And he's not gonna."

"Ain't gonna hear shit from me," Happy said. He watched as she bounced around serving drinks and flirting wildly with the mostly male clientele.

"You don't talk to her?" Coco asked him.

"Sometimes," he shrugged.

"I don't think Hap's a big talker," Angel joked.

The conversation ebbed and flowed and at one point Coco slipped away from the table when most of them were distracted. He passed Roxy and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along with him out the side fire exit.

"Hey," she smirked. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You know he was coming?"

"No," she shook her head. "Did you?"

"I figured when they said someone was coming from SanWa," he said dismissively. "You look good," he spoke low, inching closer until he had her against the brick wall.

"I know," she said seductively.

Coco ran his tongue from her clavicle, up her neck and along her jaw until he found her lips.

"You coming by later?" She asked him as their kiss ended.

"Yeah, as soon as I finish up with your homeboy."

Roxy rolled her eyes and instead of a kiss goodbye she bit down on his lower lip and rubbed her hand along his crotch.

"I'll be waiting," she said before slipping away.

Later That Evening*

"Hey, E," Roxy said with a smile as she entered her apartment. "Everything good?"

"Great," he said. "Like always, he's a good kid."

She smiled and nodded. "Thankfully he's more Alvarez than Teller."

"You'd know more about that than I would," he shrugged. "Need anything else?"

"I'm good," Roxy said as she hugged him. "I really appreciate it."

"You got it," he gave her his usual broad smile. "Have a good night," EZ added on his way out of the apartment.

He took the stairs, bounding down them swiftly, and as he stepped out of the lobby doors he saw Coco leaning against a parking meter.

"I hope you're here for her and not me," he groaned.

"You're alright, Prospect," Coco laughed, flicking his cigarette into the gutter. "I'm here for her. Mateo sleepin'?"

EZ nodded. "You gotta stop being so weird around that kid."

"Kids don't like me," Coco shrugged.

"I think you're just scared El Padrino's grandson won't like you."

Coco scowled and gave EZ a shove. "I ain't scared."

"What happened?" EZ asked quietly. "To Esai, I mean."

Shaking his head, Coco made his way to the lobby doors. He could see Roxy watching them from the window, eavesdropping but also growing impatient.

"Story for another night," he said, swinging the door open.

"Bye, Ezekiel," Roxy said, startling him from above.

"Bye Rox," he chuckled.

She turned away from the window just as Coco entered the apartment. Immediately she could see he was tired, the way he walked, dragging his feet, and the bags under his eyes were the biggest giveaway.

"Rough night?" Roxy asked quietly as he kicked off his boots and hung his kutte and keys up.

"Kind of," he said vaguely, plopping on her couch.

"Talk to me," she offered. Climbing behind him she began to knead his tense shoulders. "Come on, Johnny," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Family shit," he sighed.

"Oh baby," she cooed into his ears. "I know that pain."

"Think the problem is my family ain't dead," he said, trying to be as sensitive as possible.

Roxy nodded. "Guess that does solve a lot of my shit but when they were alive there was mounds of it."

"You consider Happy family?" He asked her.

"Yeah," there was no hesitation or doubt. "When shit went down and my brother went off the rails he was there, even more than the others."

Coco knew Happy felt beholden to Roxy, she didn't need to tell him he was the most supportive Son, he had already seen it.

"How 'bout Alvarez?"

"Oh yeah," she spoke with less sadness, "He's great. He's the closest thing I have to a father."

"Sometimes I wanna just wipe away that shit, the blood ties, and focus on the club, you," he sighed. "But I can't."

"I don't suggest murdering your mother then driving into a semi," she said somberly. "Okay?"

Feeling her body tense he reached up and drilled her hands. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she huffed. "I gotta remind myself that you guys aren't him, you're not Esai, and that most likely I won't be left alone again."

"Back in the alley I thought we were gonna have a different kind of night," he said, hoping to lighten the mood.

"You're the one who started this conversation," she said, moving down onto his lap. "So, what's the deal?"

"My little sister," he said, "She's been throwing my name around and it's stirring shit up," Coco said as he tapped his chest. "Her and Celia just moved back and I don't know," he shrugged. "It's got my brain in overdrive."

"I didn't even know you had a little sister," Roxy said. "I'm sorry you're so upset, baby."

"Yeah," he pulled her into his chest.

"You wanna go take your mind off family?" She suggested with a wiggle of her hips.

"Nah," he sighed. "I just need some fucking sleep."

Roxy climbed off his lap and pulled him to follow her toward the bedroom. "Be quiet," she whispered as they went by her son's room.

"How's he doing?" Coco asked her once they closed her bedroom door.

"Mateo?" She asked, quickly pulling off her short shorts and slinky top. "He's great," Roxy beamed. "Happy kid, doing good in pre-k, healthy, can't ask for much more."

"He ask about his dad?" Coco was too deep in his head about Letty to be gentle about Roxy's son's father.

She tensed and didn't answer right away. "He's starting to notice now that he's around so many peers and he's getting older. He hasn't asked yet but he mentions other kids' dads a lot."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," she assured him. "Wanna take a shower with me? Wash some of that stress away?"

Smirking, he followed her toward the bathroom and pushed the heaviness in his head and heart away for another few hours.