Picking up where we left off, it's still that very same week. It's Thursday evening the night before Luke should be expecting Margot's men to come collect the cash. Luke hangs out in his motel room that has been paid up till the end of the month by Rufus. His Dad is there along with his newly revealed long lost brother Baz and Peter, who has insisted he can help out even though Luke is not too happy about it.
Baz, Eva, and Peter have just showed up. Baz hands out beers and gets back to helping Eva. Luke on the other hand is throwing a fit about Peter not respecting his wishes for him to stay out of it. "I told you not to fucking come here.", Luke mumbles and swigs his beer.
Baz chooses to avoid Luke for now and help Eva out, he has been steaming mad all day after he found out everything. Finding out you have a brother has been a major shock to him. "Is that everything out of the car?", Baz asks Eva. She nods as she sets the bag down on the table.
"I don't give a fuck man, I want to be here.", Peter pushes back. He has kinda been avoiding conversations with Willow, since she now has it in her head she really wants a baby. Plus he does miss getting into trouble with Luke. It's always been what the two bonded over throughout the years. "It'll be like the old days."
"Fuck the old days..", Luke spits out. "We don't need you, go back home to Willow, or wherever the fuck you spend your nights now." Luke is hot, all these things culminating together have his head spinning.
"Yeah you do! I can help man, let me be there when these goons show up. They don't know who I am, that gives us time to swoop in and stop these fuckers."
"He has a point.", David says as he lounges in the motel bed. "Luke, you don't know these sons of bitches like I do. We need all the help we can get."
"No!", Luke adamantly blurts out after swigging down his beer again.
"It's a good idea!", Peter says getting a little defensive with Luke as the three of them try to work out a plan. Baz meanwhile continues to help Eva with the food she brought. This might be a long night. "These guys don't know who I am! So let me be the decoy."
David continues to lounge back in the freshly made bed, it seems the motel maid came and tidied the place up while Luke was gone. "I think it's a good idea. I dunno why you're so opposed to it. We need a fourth man anyways. Four against two is much better odds."
"Are you fucking kidding me?!", Luke protests. "He doesn't need to be here. I don't fucking want him here. Baz can be the fucking decoy. It's the least he can do since this shit storm is all his fault."
"They know who Baz is, that is not gonna work.", David says. "Unless you know someone else who is willing to stick their fucking neck out for you, Peter is all we got right now son." Luke sighs, knowing his father is right. "Is this cause you found out he was fucking your mother?"
Luke looks shocked and puzzled to hear this, "How...How did you know?"
"Your mother told me what happened.", David pauses. "You need to forgive her son, she misses you." Even though David and Cynthia never stayed married the two kinda kept in touch over the years.
Luke scoffs and stutters, how dare his father try to give him advice after being absent nearly his entire life. "Fuck you!...", he blurts, anger building again like it did earlier when Rufus was here. "I...I...don't need your advice."
"We need Peter and you know it. C'mon Luke man the fuck up!", David pushes. "We don't have time to dwell on this fucking high school drama queen shit you're doing."
"I'm the one who has the most to lose out of all of you! My business, my family, my wife! So yeah, I'm fucking pissed about all of it!", Luke shouts. "Then to top it off, I found out my new employee is my fucking brother! So yeah, maybe you should all stick your fucking necks out for me, cuz you all owe me!"
David just smiles and laughs, "That's the spirit! Fight for that pretty red head she's a keeper, son. Definitely not a fucking whore like your mother."
Luke glares at him like he wants to just choke the life out of his father right there as he lays back on the bed all calm and collected. He knows, how his mother is, but talking about Laura makes his blood boil "Sick bastard.", he mumbles. "I need some air...", then pushes past Baz and Eva, as he walks towards the motel door.
"Luke, what the hell man...", Baz blurts as he bumps into the couple. Luke just turns to look at them as he sees his father and Peter turn to watch him storm off in a huff. Luke needs to grow up, yeah he has got a lot going on right now, but he definitely needs to take a deep breath, calm down, and put his big boy pants on.
"Luke get your ass back over here!...", David shouts.
Luke quickly looks at Baz, "Sorry, I just need some air...." Then opens the doors and shuts it behind him.
"I should probably go talk to him.", Baz tells Eva. "We haven't really said two words to each other since he found out the truth about everything."
"Then go talk to him.", Eva replies. "He needs to understand that you didn't intend for him to be dragged into this, and that this is all one big misunderstanding."
Baz takes a deep breath and lets it out, "You're right, better to do it now and get it over with. I'm a fucking idiot for thinking this plan would work." He shakes his head in disappointment, knowing his mother is probably ripe with anger for the amount of trouble he has caused as result of all this. "I might as well be a dead man after all this is over..."
"Baz, your mother will get over it.", Eva replies not understanding the wrath that his mother might bring down on him or Eva for double crossing her.
"Babydoll...She will punish me somehow...", Baz says his voice trailing off too afraid to finish the thought. Then breaks away from her touch to follow Luke outside.
After Luke had stepped outside he grabbed his phone from his jeans pocket to see if he had any calls or text messages from Laura. Nothing...The door opens and shuts behind him and he hears Baz speak as he continues to have his back turned to him. "I don't blame for being angry, but I never meant for you to be pulled into any of this. The reason I didn't tell you who I was, was to protect both of us and Eva as well."
Luke scoffs, as he listens to the irony of his words. His brother sounds just like him as he tries to justify his lies. "Yeah?...", Luke sarcastically replies. "Welcome to the club seems everyone here likes to keep secrets."
"You know David is right, we need Peter's help.", says Baz.
"You call him David?", Luke asks perplexed assuming his brother has had more of a relationship with their father than he ever did.
"Usually, yeah...", Baz replies. "Why?"
Luke shrugs his shoulders, "I dunno I just thought that...Whatever it doesn't fucking matter.". He mumbles feeling stupid for even saying anything at all.
"Listen that man in there was never a father to me either. I mean, I knew who he was, and he came around often to do business with my mother. But that was basically it...", Baz explains.
Luke nods in understanding, "So you really think we need Pete? You can't do this yourself?"
"All I know is whatever shit went down between you two is no where near as bad as what is coming if we don't band together, but I'll respect your wishes if you want me to do it instead."
Luke nods, "That's why Hayden showed up looking for answers."
"Exactly! If Lorenzo is in town then he is for damn sure stirring and tripping up their radar. He does all the major dirty work for my mother, and if he comes in tomorrow...Sees me. I'm either a dead man or a severely injured one. Lorenzo doesn't play around."
Luke nods again in thought as he mulls through the two different scenarios in his head. Baz has a point. It is better to keep this all hush, hush having him out there will ruffle feathers for sure. "Yeah last thing I need is Hayden coming around again...Last few times we were lucky."
"It's clear, you and Peter have a history with that detective, which is all the more reason to let Peter in on this. Because if this Hayden guy does come sniffing around again we can all have our stories straight and Peter will not feel compelled to say anything to the cops."
"Peter would never do that...ever!", Luke adamantly replies.
Baz raises his eye brows in a questioning manner he is not completely sure what happened between the two, but whatever it was must have been bad,
"He had a relationship with my mother, since we were 18...Lost his fucking virginity to her. I overheard them talk about all this shit to each other one day. It was fucking disgusting."Luke explains, embarrassed by it.
Baz laughs, "That's it? That's why you don't talk to him?"
"He's like a brother to me! And for twenty years that shit happened right under my nose.", Luke doubles down.
"And what about that Rufus woman you know I've seen her with David and recently too.", Baz adds.
"Yeah I know...", Luke mumbles. Realizing his family is one fucked up tree. Now tacking on an actual brother who has a mob boss for a mother. The door creaks open and David pops out.
"What do you want?", Baz quickly turns his head to ask him.
"I came to bury the hatchet with my boys. I come bringing a peace offering." He holds out the bag of homemade sweets that Laura gave him earlier today. "Your old lady gave me these before I hit the road. She's a damn good cook, shit that was some good food." he grins remembering just how delicious that home cooked meal was.
"Bribery is not gonna change my fucking mind...", Luke says.
"This is not a bribe son. I'm fuckin' serious. We need to put all the bullshit aside. Margot is a heavy hitter she is not one to fuck with. We need to get a plan in motion. Even though Baz is her son, if she does not deliver justice on her end, then whatever Cartel she is in business with will come after him. I know I'm a shitty father, but this is where I draw the line." David shakes the bag, "C'mon now, seeing may boys together is making me kinda proud that you two turned out all right despite it all. Coopers are fighters, and we need to work together if this shit is gonna pan out in our favor."
"If this sentimental B.S. is just a scheme to save your own hide then say it...", Baz tells him knowing how manipulative his father can be. "I already told Luke I'm willing to do what he asks if that is how he feels."
"It's fine Baz. We can bring Pete in on this, you're both right we do need him and we need to work together.", Luke reluctantly admits.
David nods and smiles, "Good it's settled then.", as he opens the bag and hands them each a cookie.
"Shit, this is good.", Baz blurts as he chews on the cookie. "Your wife actually made these?!"
"She has a culinary degree. In fact she had plans to open her own little bistro, but got pregnant with Phoenix. Now she does small catering jobs." Suddenly Luke feels years of guilt wash right over him for all the horrible things that have happened to Laura over the years just because she chose to follow her heart and stay with him. He thought he could escape all the insanity of his life and start fresh here but clearly his past is never gonna let him go. Now Laura and the boys are dragged into it.
"You hit the jackpot marrying that girl...", David says.
Luke sighs, "That's if we stay married. She is fucking pissed right now. I've been on edge all week trying to keep them safe, but not telling her the truth just made it worse."
Baz heads over to the door, "Speaking of wives, I should go check on Eva...I think it's best if she stays close tomorrow. I don't want Lorenzo finding her."
"We'll be there, in a minute.", says David. The two of them hangout for a moment. After Baz shuts the door behind him David speaks again stepping up onto the sidewalk. "Hey you care if I crash here tonight?"
"No it's cool...I guess.", Luke shrugs, feeling the weight of the day and this entire week hitting his shoulders like a ton of bricks
"For what it's worth we'll get this shit all settled so you can get back home to your old lady.", David pauses. " You know, I thought keeping Baz a secret from you and your mother was for your own good. Turns out secrets have a way of really shooting ya in the ass...but I think you know what I mean."
Luke nods and hopes his father is right. Because keeping secrets from Laura has only made things worse. Luke sits and lets his mind drift off again, shit could really go sideways if they do not handle this right, and the last thing he wants is to put his family in danger.
David chugs down his beer before the two head back into the motel room. They need to finish talking business.
