Page 83 of Cocky Jerk

They’re everywhere.

“Were you in on it too?” I blurt the question and he turns to face me. Unscrewing the cap from the bottle of Tequila, he straddles his stool and offers it to me. He’s about to stomp on what’s left of my heart, I’d be a fool not to drink his booze.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says as I knock back the tequila. It slides smoothly down my throat, so I take another sip.

Tig takes the bottle from me before I can get a third shot in and I sneer at him.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know what happened. He’s your cousin.”

“There are two sides to every story and I only know one,” he replies, setting the bottle on the counter next to his tattoo gun.

“Hey, I wasn’t done with that,” I say, pointing to the bottle.

“Yeah, you are,” he says, crossing his arms against his chest. “If you don’t want to be the one who does the talking, then I’ll do the talking and you do the listening.”

I didn’t come here for a pep talk; I came here so he could reveal all the horrible lies his cousin let me believe and I can finally be done with him.

“I knew you were special by the way he talked about you when he was here, that’s why I wanted to meet you myself. There’s not much that rattles Marco, but you shook his whole fucking world and on Saturday, he was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. He wanted it to work with you whether you believe it or not.”

“He used me to get to my father,” I snap.

“That’s bullshit, Antonia. Maybe that’s what your dad wanted to believe himself, but it’s not the case.”

That makes no sense.

“Why would my dad want to believe that?”

“Because it’s easier to point a finger than to take the blame.”

I let those words sink in and rack my foggy brain trying to recall if there was a time in my life where my dad owned his sins, but I fall short.

“Look, I don’t know your old man, but it seems like he’s made some choices in his life that are tied to some pretty big consequences.”

It wasn’t all that long ago that I thought the same thing. In fact, it was the argument I used against him when I got the job at “Ask Ida,” and I probably would’ve used it again had I brought Marco to the clubhouse as planned.

I won’t deny the fact my father is a man who has done more bad than good. He’s hurt people and torn families apart. He’s broken the law and gotten away with it more times than any one person should ever be allowed. But he’s my dad and while he’s made a mess of his life, it’s me who failed him.

“He made a career being a criminal,” Tig continues. “Prison might as well be his retirement plan.”

“Maybe so, but if I would’ve listened to him, if I would’ve stayed away from Marco—”

“He’d still be in a cell, only he’d be looking at fifteen years and not five.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The deal your father took was Marco’s idea.”

“My mother, his attorney, worked out that deal with the district attorney,” I argue.

“Your mother looked over the deal, sweetheart,” he reveals. “Listen, let’s say Marco didn’t go to work yesterday—let’s say you and him played hooky and stayed home all day. You think that’s going to stop the department from taking down a criminal? Every man with a badge would’ve raided that clubhouse regardless, and everything would have played out exactly the way it did. Except your father wouldn’t have asked to speak to Marco, and Marco wouldn’t have convinced him to work with the cops.”

He almost had me until that last line. There is no way in hell my father is voluntarily cooperating with anyone. Least alone, Marco.

“If that’s the story Marco told you—”

“Marco doesn’t lie to me, Antonia. If you would just hear him out, you’d realize he is the noblest guy you’ll ever meet. If you don’t believe me, ask your father.”

“My father would never agree with that.”

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