Rico walked into Manny's, the bell on top of the door ringing as if let everyone know of his presence. Kim looked up from stocking the shelves long enough to notice the baseball bat in his hands. "Where's Mario?" He asked her, sounding bored.

When she didn't answer, he swung, nearly missing her head as she ducked and screamed, knocking a row of chips off the shelves. "You ready to cooperate now? Bring your fucking brother out here now!" He ordered, his whole demeanor shifting in a flash.

She quickly scurried to her feet and hastily backed up, her eyes not leaving him. "Mario!" She called out, scared shitless. "Mario get out here!"

Mario quickly jogged over from the back room only to stop short when he sees who's there. "Rico..." he breathed out. He shoved Kim behind him and took a step forward. "What's up-"

Rico swung his bat again, this time whipping it across Mario's face. Kim screamed as she watched her brother fall to the ground. She moved towards him only to be threatened by his bar again. "Don't you fucking dare help him," he hissed. "Matter of fact," he rushed towards her now, his hand wrapped around her throat as he pushed her against the wall, "this is your fault too," he squeezed, making her choke and she clawed against his hands.

"Stop! Stop!" Mario pleaded as he got up again. "She got nothing to do with this!"

Rico watched her struggle for a few seconds more before letting her go. She weakly fell to the ground, coughing and crying as she tried to breathe again. Rico turned around to face Mario again, shoving his bat towards one of his friends before attacking Mario again, grabbing him by the collar and holding him up against his face. "Look at me," he shakes him, gesturing towards his face. He had a couple of scrapes and bruises on his face as well as a busted lip. "You think people in this neighborhood gonna respect me now that they now that some puto gringo did this to me? Huh?!" He yelled.

Just then, the bell chimes again, signifying the other person's arrival. But Rico was so caught up in his rage that he didn't even notice. "I thought told you-"

"What the hell?!" Jessica exclaims at the mess in front of her. Mario was bleeding, Kim was on the floor crying, stuff was tossed all around the floor and Rico had her cousin in a death grip. "What are you doing?" She rushed over to Kim, taking her into her arms. She saw the handprints around her neck and gasped. Did he choke her? "Honestly Rico, I️ knew you were loco, but I️ didn't think you were insane!" She stands up to him now.

Rico shoved Mario aside and quickly reached out, painfully gripping Jessica by the hair. Jessica struggled against him but it just caused him to hold on even tighter. "Don't you fuck with me right now," he hissed in her ear. "You know I️ could kill all of you right here, right now, and nobody would even know," he threatened. "I️ should kill you," he reaches into the waistband of his jeans and pulls out his gun again, holding it against her face. She whimpered as he moved it from her jaw, down her neck ending in the valley between her breasts. "But killing you would be such a waste of a pretty face," he concluded, finally letting her go. She took a couple steps back, finally feeling like she could breathe again. "So here's what I'm gonna do," he says. And before anyone could see it happening, Rico points his gun...and shoots.

Jessica screams as Kim falls to the ground, clutching her bleeding abdomen. "No!" She rushes over and hold her head in her lap. "No, no, no," she presses her wound, applying pressure. She looks in horror as her hand stains red. "Kim! Kimmy!" She cries.

Mario rushes over as well, looking his younger sister in the eyes as she struggles under them both. He looks over at him in a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger. "She's innocent in all of this!" He yelled at him, standing up to him. Rico pistol whips him across the face, making him fall to the ground again, making Jessica cry harder.

"Stop! Please!" She begs. Kim's eyes flutter shut as she passes out from blood loss. "I'm sorry! Rico I'm sorry!"

"Now you're fucking sorry, huh?" He tells her, making her flinch back. "Guess I've been too soft on you, needed to do something to get your attention huh?" He said tauntingly. He then looks down at Kim. "Get her to a hospital, geez," he scoffs, heading towards the door. "Jessica" he called out, making her look up at him all teary-eyed. "I️'ll be seeing you," he winked before walking out, leaving her to call 9-1-1.

* * * *

Jessica knocked on the hotel room door, impatiently waiting for Nate to answer. When he did, she tackled him into a hug. "He shot her!" She exclaimed tearfully, crying into his shirt.

Nate's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "W-What?" He stuttered, taking a step back to face her. "Jess, what-"

"Rico shot Kim," she tells him, making his jaw drop. "He did it to make me and Mario pay. Now she's fighting for her life in the hospital," she cried against him. "I️ can't- I can't do this anymore Nate. I️ can't," she wailed as he quickly shut the door behind him. "We can't see each other anymore," she says tearfully.

"We can figure something out-"

"No!" She yelled. "Don't you get it? There's nothing else that we can do!" She covered her eyes. The tears seemed endless and she could not stop crying. Nate pulled her closer by her wrist and she cried into his chest. "Who knows who'd he go after next. Mario? My mom? You?" She choked.

Nate rubbed her back soothingly. "And there's no way we can go to the police?" He asked.

She fiercely shook her head "no". "They're corrupt. He pays half of the force to work for him," she tells him.

"Jesus...I️ really fucked up, didn't I️?" he cups her face in both of his hands as he pulls her close to him, resting his forehead against hers. "I️ don't deserve you. You don't deserve getting hurt like this," he whispers softly.

She shakes her head, not wanting to speak because she knew she'd choke on her words. Wrapping her arms around his neck, She moves to kiss him in the heat of the moment. He hesitantly returns the kiss, before pulling away. "Jessica-" but before he could say anything else, she kissed him again, harder this time. He pushes her down into the mattress, getting on top of her, but he breaks the kiss once again, staring down at her. "Hey, hey, hey, are you sure about this?" He asks gingerly.

"I️ just wanna forgot," she states softly, reaching out and caressing his long hair. "Just for one night Nate," she whispers into his lips. She picks her head up and meets his lips halfway, pulling him against her again.

He doesn't as any more questions and neither of them want to talk any longer. This night is about feeling.