They rode back to Angel's place, the house he shared with a guy he barely knew named Gilberto Lopez, and immediately Coco made a call.
"What are you guys going to do?" Poppy asked Angel in a hushed tone.
Angel looked at her with a shrug, "I don't really know. We need some more information from you though, we need to know what we're dealing with."
"Like his crew?"
"No, like the deal between you, Jimmie and Luca," Angel didn't want to ask so bluntly.
"Oh," she lost her calm. "Luca's family lent Jimmie money, he couldn't pay it back so he offered them me. I thought I was going to be sold, literally sold, but Luca liked me or something. I was happy, like I hit the jackpot, but sometimes I think I'd rather have some goddamn freedom while being pimped out."
"Sometimes?" Angel asked, drawing his head back. "Poppy," he shook his head, "Sorry, Alice, you gotta know what you want here."
"I want out," she nodded, "I don't want him but being handled is all I know, I don't..." Poppy clammed up. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Bishop told her as he walked into the house.
"Jesus," Poppy huffed. "They got you roped in too?"
"They're kids," Bishop gestured to Angel, "They don't know what they're doing."
"Hey fuck you, man," Angel said, hiding how offended he really was. "You're lucky we let you help," he added jokingly.
"Listen, Poppy," Bishop said, turning serious, "We just gotta know what you think Luca is gonna do? You ever try to leave before?"
Mournfully, she nodded. "Sent his dad's guys after me, picked me up and brought me back to the apartment. He uhh, he also said he killed my dog but I think he dropped him at that shelter by city hall."
Turning his nose up, Angel scoffed, looking at Bishop. "Big difference between killing a dog and dropping it at a shelter."
"Why don't you think he killed the dog?" Bishop asked what Angel was dancing around.
Poppy shrugged, "He's not a real violent guy."
"Stop protecting him," Angel said with anger.
"No, really," she said earnestly. "He loves animals. I don't think he'd do it. I don't think he'd hurt an animal like that."
"Yeah? How badly has he hurt you?" Bishop asked darkly.
"It was bad," she said with a whimper. "I went back to Jimmie after that, I told him what happened."
"What did he do?" Angel asked angrily.
"Sent me back to him, made Luca's dad set Luca straight. He hasn't gone that far since," she shrugged a little.
Poppy could see the look Angel and Bishop shared, the disgust and anger they felt was so strong even she could feel it.
"I'm gonna go have a talk with Jimmie," Bishop announced.
"I'll swing by and help her pack her shit," Angel said.
"Where am I gonna stay?" She asked looking back and forth from Angel to Bishop.
"I have a room," Bishop said quickly. "Don Quixote over here probably wants you with him but, you stay where you wanna be. Wherever you feel safe, no pressure about anything from anyone."
"I feel a lot of pressure right now," she said.
"Sorry," Bishop gave her a little smile. "Take your time deciding, we're safer than a hotel."
