After another long day at work, Izzy was in the office cleaning up before heading out. She stood in front of the building, waiting for her Uber to show up, when her phone wouldn't stop ringing. She answered EZ's call, "Hello?"
"Izzy, you off work?"
"Yeah. Heading over to Nails' place in a minute. What's wrong?"
"Coco's dead."
Izzy took a deep breath, "What? When?"
"Sometime last night."
"Jesus. I'm so sorry. God, Letty and Hope-"
"That's why I was calling. Figured I'd see if you were there with them-"
"Yeah. I'll, uh, I'll-I'll stay with them after I grab something from Angel's place... EZ-"
"Yeah?"
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I'll call you if... when I know more."
"Okay. Be careful."
"Yeah. Thanks."
After arriving at Nails' place, she stood outside and ran her hands through her hair... thinking about everything she'd heard from the Sons in Charming about a war. She wondered, what charter was involved in this? Was her Uncle?
"You okay?"
Izzy flinched, her heart racing, and took a deep breath, finally noticing Felipe standing by his truck.
"Yes? No?"
"Well... let's go inside?"
The front door opened and they watched a panting Nails exit the house with blood running down her thighs.
"Shit." Izzy ran up to her, Felipe following.
"I think the baby's coming." Nails said, clenching her eyes shut in pain. They helped her get in Felipe's truck and headed to the hospital. Nails was exhausted, in pain, as she leaned against Izzy and explained how she was trying to finish painting the mural in the nursery by herself.
~ MAYANS ~ ~ MAYANS ~
"What about Sons, huh? Retaliation for that hit in Berdoo."
"You fսcking idiots did that months ago against my orders. Why would they wait to hit us now? Charming knows I'm back in the fold."
"Well, Happy is the type to hold a grudge, Padrino."
"Me and Happy... we got no issues. You got something to say?"
"Fսck Happy. And fսck every Son. I don't trust any of them. A brother got hit, a Santo Padre brother. I don't even trust everyone at this table." EZ was angry as he glared at the opposing side of the table.
"Wait, what the fսck you trying to say, mοthеrfսckеr?" Canche glared right back, scoffing, "Shit. Listen to you... talking like you ain't fucking his niece, huh, one of those gring-"
EZ, remembering Canche pointing a gun to the back of Izzy's head and how scared she looked, flew across the table and grabbed his cut, swinging his fist and hitting him across the face as hard as he could. Every member jumped to their feet as their Pres screamed, banging his gavel on the table. Canche was held back, ordered to sit the fuck down, and everyone took their seats. EZ watched Canche wipe the blood dripping down his face, continuing with their previous conversation, despite the tension, "No one from Yuma got hit."
"Yeah, they fսcking did. The pipe bomb, your fingerprints all over it. Blood of four brothers on your fսcking hands... and you want to talk about trust?"
"No one from Stockton got hit. Where's Dondo?"
"Accusations have consequences."
"Enough!" Alvarez put an end to their fighting before dismissing them.
~ MAYANS ~ ~ MAYANS ~
They anxiously waited in the waiting room while being given no new updates about Nails or the baby. Felipe called Angel, repeatedly, while Izzy called and texted EZ, telling him to tell his brother to come to the hospital. Neither heard a response. Izzy sighed, looking down at the time on her phone.
"Got somewhere to be?" Felipe asked, approaching her.
"I was gonna go check on Letty and Hope." She told him, "Coco... he died."
"Go." Felipe nodded, "Check in."
"But-"
"I'll call if I know something, or hear from either of my sons... who don't seem to be talking to me."
"I'll be back." Izzy squeezed his forearm, "I'll come right back. If you see her-"
"Yeah."
"Thank you."
Izzy hurried out of the hospital parking lot. She borrowed Felipe's truck and headed back to her temporary home.
"Hello? You okay? Is Hope around? You hungry?"
"You brought me chicken nuggets. Am I six?"
"I got you a cheeseburger, too."
"He would have hated to see it this way."
She sat outside the house in the truck and took deep breaths, tears already in her eyes as she imagined how upset both of them were. All of the overwhelming emotions from the day were getting to her. She sucked back her tears, wiped her face, and walked up the driveway. The sun was setting and it was getting dark. As she entered the living room, she heard a quiet, "Hey," and found Letty sitting on the sofa. Izzy rushed forward, grabbing her friend, pulling her into her arms.
"I'm sorry." Her voice cracked, as she started crying, feeling Letty hug her back just as tightly.
"Where have you been?" Letty sniffled.
"The hospital. Nails- the baby-"
"Are-are they okay?"
"I don't know. I don't-" The sound of the toilet flushing, and the bathroom door opening, interrupted her. The watery smile fell from Izzy's face as she watched Angel walk out. He noticed Izzy standing there, nodding, "Hey, so... I'm gonna go..."
Izzy turned to Letty who blushed and avoided her gaze, looking down at her lap, standing up with tears falling down her face, "You! You motherfucker!"
"What?" Angel held up his hands as Izzy rushed forward, "What?!"
"Do you know where I've been?!" Izzy screamed, slamming him back as hard as she could, watching him stumble into the wall behind him, "You fucking prick!"
"What?!" Angel shouted, stunned when Izzy's hand connected to the side of his face.
"Your father and I have been at the hospital with your pregnant fiance, trying to get a hold of you, calling you, and you've been here?!" Izzy's face was red with fury as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Having sex with your dead best friend's daughter?! You stupid, stupid- you fucking piece of shit!"
Angel nor Letty had seen Izzy this worked up before. Angel stuttered out a panicked plea, warning her to back off, as Izzy continued her assault on the man. She slapped him, shoved him, berated him with a bright red face, fury eyes, and hurt in her throat. Angel stormed off, out of the house, and the sound of his motorcycle speeding away was heard. The front and screen door were wide open as Izzy ran her hands through her hair, crying, "Letty."
Letty sobbed, shaking her head.
"Letty." Izzy repeated, through clenched teeth.
Izzy pulled out her cell phone, calling Felipe, as she hurried back to his truck and speeded all the way to the hospital. When she arrived, Felipe was standing out front, shaking his head.
"What?"
"He showed up. She didn't want to see him. He caused a scene, they threatened to call the police, he went back home. She's still waiting for discharge papers." He explained.
"The baby?" Izzy asked, her face dropping as another sob came out, "I-I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
She handed the car keys back to him, "Does- did he tell you where he was?"
"He mentioned he fucked up again. Was upset."
"Oh, I bet he was." She laughed, bitterly, "He was over there- at Co- he was with Letty. Cheating... with Coco's daughter. She was so upset, he could have- he shouldn't-"
"Jesus Christ."
"I feel... I can't go back to that house tonight... and I don't want-"
"I'll take you to get your car and then you can come to my house tonight." He told her, "Maybe you should call in tomorrow."
"Yeah. Yeah. Thanks."
"It's nothing. C'mon, querida."
~ MAYANS ~ ~ MAYANS ~
No one in Felipe's house slept, no one in Coco's house slept, and Angel sure as hell didn't sleep. Izzy laid on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, wondering where Nails was. She hasn't heard from her since seeing her at the hospital yesterday, but she couldn't blame her. She had no idea how she'd react in that situation either. She felt so bad for her, but knew there was nothing she could really do. Nothing she could really say. She ignored her Uncle's calls, she ignored EZ's calls. She had texted her manager and used up a sick day, intent to stay on the couch and stare at the ceiling. And that's exactly what she did.
When EZ arrived at his father's home, after a crazy day, his father greeted him as he came in through the back door into the kitchen. They spoke a few words to each other, but when Felipe tried to change the subject to anything besides Izzy, EZ left the room and refused to listen. He walked into the living room and saw Izzy laying on the couch, turned on her side, a blanket up to her neck. Her long, wavy hair almost touched the floor. He noticed her cell phone lying on the arm of the couch and cleared his throat, "You do have your phone with you. Huh."
She didn't move. Didn't even look at him.
"This is where you've been?" He asked.
Izzy closed her eyes, sighing.
"Like Angel didn't tell you." Izzy whispered, lowly.
"Tell me what? He didn't tell me anything. Seems like no one is."
"I'm fine, EZ."
"No, you're not."
EZ picked up her phone, holding it in his lap, as he sat down on the arm of the couch, looking down at her, "Talk to me, Iz."
He ran his fingers through her soft hair, grinning when she shoved his hand away. She sat up and pushed the blanket off of her, "Coco's dead. Letty's not okay. Hope's not okay. Your brother's not okay. I mean really, really not okay. You seriously haven't talked to him?"
"No."
"So... what? You guys didn't talk at all today, but you were together, right?" At his confused stare, Izzy grabbed her phone from his lap and unlocked it, handing it back to her boyfriend.
EZ glanced at the bright screen, seeing a news article about the hospital shooting. When he saw the security guard's name, that Angel killed, he clicked off the article and tossed her phone on the couch by her.
"You got nothing to say?"
"No. There's nothing to say."
"Okay." Izzy stood up, "Club business. I get it."
"Yeah. Club business." EZ raised his voice.
"I mean, Jesus Christ-" She ran her hands down her face, "In broad fucking daylight? You do realize I work right next to a hospital like that, right?"
"Like you said..." EZ looked into her eyes, "Coco's dead."
"Why did all of this have to happen now?" Izzy closed her eyes, "The second I decide that I want this- that I wanna come back- you're in a fucking war and-and people are dying-"
"Hey." EZ stood up, pulling her close to him.
"This wasn't supposed to happen." She cried, her voice cracking.
"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He promised.
"It's not supposed to be like this."
"I know."
"It's not fair."
"I know."
"They were so happy, it was annoying. He really loved her, y'know? He was sober and he was happy. And Letty..."
"I don't wanna sleep away from you anymore." He changed the subject, surprising her, "I want us to start looking at places again, okay? I mean it. I want us to be together and I know it feels like everything's fucked up right now, and maybe it is, but I'm glad you're here. I am."
"Will you be- will you tell me when you're going out of town? When you're not gonna make it home?" She asked, tears in her eyes, thinking of a heartbroken Nails.
"Hey." EZ wiped her tears away, kissing her, "It's me, bebita. Of course."
"Okay." Izzy held onto his jacket, noticing his bruised knuckles, "I don't know what's going on between you and your father, but you need to apologize to him and forgive him. I'm serious. He's not gonna be around forever and the last few days have been really shitty. He's hurting too. He misses you."
"I'll talk to him."
"Now." Izzy waved him off down the hall where his father had retreated to his bedroom during his visit. EZ knocked on the door, "Pops?"
Izzy folded up the blanket and put it on the couch while she sat and waited for EZ to come back out. She received a text from Letty, "Coming back?"
When EZ did return, she had him drop her off at Coco's house where an angry Letty told them about how Angel showed up drunk and got beaten up by Gilly who was visiting. EZ left, tracking down his brother. Letty tried to apologize to Izzy, but Izzy told her she had nothing to apologize for. She ordered a late dinner for the three and sat at the kitchen table with Hope. They sat in silence, thinking of Coco.
"I can almost hear his loud ass laughing." Letty said, smirking.
"He'd be sitting in front of the tv." Hope smiled, sadly.
"'No I don't want that. Get me something else,'" Izzy mimicked his complaining, making them all crack up laughing.
[a/n: rip coco. you were so loved. </3 😔]