continuous smooth movement, he removes a gun from his inside jacket pocket and blasts Jefe in the chest. At the same moment, his guards take out Jefe 's two men who are in the room with us. One of them is Lobo, and I see his eyes look at me in desperation as he falls, blood pouring from his mouth. The whole thing takes less than five seconds.
At the sounds of gunfire, my natural reaction is to move for the floor and then the door. It’s kept me from getting shot several times, so I figure why screw with what works. This time though, my father's hand on my shoulder and the commanding tone in his voice keep me motionless.
"You stand, son, while these scum take the floor like they're meant to. You're no lowlife gangbanger, Juan. You're royalty, and today, you take your place at my side. 5 El Príncipe de Los Santos Mexicanos ." He turns away from Jefe 's body and looks me in the eye. "Welcome home, mijo ."
----
1 Lo siento = I’m sorry
2 Ahora = now
3 Patron = boss, group leader
4 Policia = police
5 El Principe = the prince
A BUELA leads me down a hallway to the private rooms of the house and knocks on a door. It swings open and there stands a pretty girl about twenty-one years old, dressed to the nines in skintight, black leggings, spike-heeled pumps, and a hot-pink, satin bustier.
"Who's this?" she asks Abuela as she picks at one of her fingernails.
" 1 Gracias a Dios , Guapo 's home," Abuela answers. The girl's eyes dart up. "And this is his girl, Angel."
I watch the girl's face fall, and I’m instantly struck with jealousy. Was she his girlfriend before he went to prison? Did Juan have someone waiting for him to come home?
"Hey," the girl says cautiously. "I'm Destiny. You, uh, want to come in?"
I look at Abuela for confirmation, and the older woman nods. We all three walk into the bedroom, and Destiny points to an overstuffed chair in one corner.
"Have a seat."
"Destiny will take good care of you, Angel." The older woman smiles at me. "You stay here, and you don't let nobody in. Guapo will come get you soon. Don't be scared, yeah?"
I reply, “Okay.”
Destiny smiles at Abuela . "Don't worry. I'll make sure we stay put."
"Good girls," she answers as she leaves, closing the door behind her.
I turn to look at Destiny, feeling unbelievably awkward. "So, um, thanks for letting me hang out here." Then I take what I realize is my first full breath in nearly an hour.
"Sure. No big thing," Destiny answers softly. "Juan's in trouble. They're taking him to my dad."
"Your dad?" I swallow. Hard.
"Yeah." Destiny looks up almost apologetically. "The boss man, El Jefe . That's my dad."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She sighs. "So, you're Juan's girlfriend?"
My lips turn up into a small smile at the thought. How I’d love to be Juan’s girlfriend. It sends shivers through my whole body. But I answer truthfully. "I don't exactly know what Juan and me are."
"You known him long?" Destiny asks.
"My whole life."
"But you were never around before. I mean, before he went in, all those years he was here in the RH. Where were you?"
"He ran away from us. From me and my family. He was my brother's best friend while we were growing up," I explain. "Then his mother got deported and he disappeared. We looked for him, but he never got in touch again."
"What about when he went to Huntsville? You visit him there?" Destiny pursues.
"No," I answer, sadness leaking into my voice. "And I should have."
"It probably don't matter much. I went to see him and he wouldn't agree to the visit." Destiny shrugs, continuing to pick at her nails as she flops down on the area rug at the foot of her bed.
"Really? He wouldn't let you visit?"
"Nah. He didn't want to see me, I guess. My boyfriend, Pretty Boy, he visited a couple of times, and some of the other guys when they had jobs Juan needed to do. But he wouldn't see me."
I watch Destiny, certain there’s more to the story than she’s telling me. There are feelings floating in the room like wisps
At the sounds of gunfire, my natural reaction is to move for the floor and then the door. It’s kept me from getting shot several times, so I figure why screw with what works. This time though, my father's hand on my shoulder and the commanding tone in his voice keep me motionless.
"You stand, son, while these scum take the floor like they're meant to. You're no lowlife gangbanger, Juan. You're royalty, and today, you take your place at my side. 5 El Príncipe de Los Santos Mexicanos ." He turns away from Jefe 's body and looks me in the eye. "Welcome home, mijo ."
----
1 Lo siento = I’m sorry
2 Ahora = now
3 Patron = boss, group leader
4 Policia = police
5 El Principe = the prince
A BUELA leads me down a hallway to the private rooms of the house and knocks on a door. It swings open and there stands a pretty girl about twenty-one years old, dressed to the nines in skintight, black leggings, spike-heeled pumps, and a hot-pink, satin bustier.
"Who's this?" she asks Abuela as she picks at one of her fingernails.
" 1 Gracias a Dios , Guapo 's home," Abuela answers. The girl's eyes dart up. "And this is his girl, Angel."
I watch the girl's face fall, and I’m instantly struck with jealousy. Was she his girlfriend before he went to prison? Did Juan have someone waiting for him to come home?
"Hey," the girl says cautiously. "I'm Destiny. You, uh, want to come in?"
I look at Abuela for confirmation, and the older woman nods. We all three walk into the bedroom, and Destiny points to an overstuffed chair in one corner.
"Have a seat."
"Destiny will take good care of you, Angel." The older woman smiles at me. "You stay here, and you don't let nobody in. Guapo will come get you soon. Don't be scared, yeah?"
I reply, “Okay.”
Destiny smiles at Abuela . "Don't worry. I'll make sure we stay put."
"Good girls," she answers as she leaves, closing the door behind her.
I turn to look at Destiny, feeling unbelievably awkward. "So, um, thanks for letting me hang out here." Then I take what I realize is my first full breath in nearly an hour.
"Sure. No big thing," Destiny answers softly. "Juan's in trouble. They're taking him to my dad."
"Your dad?" I swallow. Hard.
"Yeah." Destiny looks up almost apologetically. "The boss man, El Jefe . That's my dad."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She sighs. "So, you're Juan's girlfriend?"
My lips turn up into a small smile at the thought. How I’d love to be Juan’s girlfriend. It sends shivers through my whole body. But I answer truthfully. "I don't exactly know what Juan and me are."
"You known him long?" Destiny asks.
"My whole life."
"But you were never around before. I mean, before he went in, all those years he was here in the RH. Where were you?"
"He ran away from us. From me and my family. He was my brother's best friend while we were growing up," I explain. "Then his mother got deported and he disappeared. We looked for him, but he never got in touch again."
"What about when he went to Huntsville? You visit him there?" Destiny pursues.
"No," I answer, sadness leaking into my voice. "And I should have."
"It probably don't matter much. I went to see him and he wouldn't agree to the visit." Destiny shrugs, continuing to pick at her nails as she flops down on the area rug at the foot of her bed.
"Really? He wouldn't let you visit?"
"Nah. He didn't want to see me, I guess. My boyfriend, Pretty Boy, he visited a couple of times, and some of the other guys when they had jobs Juan needed to do. But he wouldn't see me."
I watch Destiny, certain there’s more to the story than she’s telling me. There are feelings floating in the room like wisps
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