decided to go back to women?”
“Kaige!” Sally glared at him.
Tom pretended to plug his ears. But he grinned while he did it.
“Just kidding, Salome .” The bastard knew she hated her full name. “Everyone in the fucking apartment knows how good Al is. They weren’t exactly quiet. Jesus. Could you guys at least have the decency to wait until a respectable hour to make that ruckus? Some of us need our beauty sleep.”
“Clearly.” Carver looked down his nose at Kaige and plucked one of his dreads from the bunch. “What you’re getting ain’t working, buddy.”
Kaige took a half-hearted swipe at Carver. The bickering could easily have deteriorated into a scuffle if Roman hadn’t stepped in and separated them.
“Thanks.” Eli swallowed hard. “I’m glad we’re all together because what I have to say is going to be difficult. Especially for one of us.”
Alanso went white as a sheet, impressive given his darker skin, when Eli looked in his direction.
“Careful, son.” Tom put his hand between Alanso’s shoulder blades and leveled a serious stare in Eli’s direction. “You sure you want an audience for whatever bomb you’re about to drop?”
“Yeah. This isn’t…personal…about me and Alanso, I mean.” He cleared his throat.
“Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of them.” Al looked up and down the line of mechanics. “It’s not like I won’t tell them right after anyway.”
Despite Eli’s reassurance, the gang seemed on edge as they positioned themselves between Cobra and Alanso.
“I wish you’d all give me a little fucking credit. I’m not going to ditch him. Not today and not ever. Who could walk away from a guy who’s your best friend? And more?”
Alanso swallowed hard and nodded. “ Loco, but I believe you.”
“Truth is, Al. No one could leave you.”
“Tell that to my mom,” he sneered.
“I would.” Eli handed Alanso the letter. “I tried, actually. But I’m sorry, Alanso…she passed away.”
“What?” He might have stumbled back if Tom hadn’t been there to catch him or the rest of the Hot Rods didn’t crowd in closer to lend their support.
Mumbles raced through the team as Alanso read the paper, which wobbled like a wheel at the end of a bent axle in his grasp.
“It says she never made it to Cuba.” Sally couldn’t restrain her tears as she related the official history in much nicer phrasing than the version Alanso digested. Those clinical descriptions would probably be branded into his brain for life.
Eli crossed to him, putting his hands on Alanso’s shoulders as he finished discovering the details of an event that was ancient history.
“I guess they didn’t believe her when she said she had a child. That she’d left her son at daycare in the morning so she could work. They thought it was an excuse because she couldn’t produce any proof. No papers or pictures. How stupid!” Sally swiped the back of her hand under her nose and sidled closer, laying her cheek on Alanso’s knotted biceps.
“They took her by van to Florida to deport her.” Eli took up when the rest of the Hot Rods looked to him for more information. “Along the way the car broke down. In the middle of the night. They said she was distraught, hysterical, about her baby. The guards didn’t listen. And when they took everyone from the vehicle on the side of the road, she ran. In the dark.”
“She fled into the highway,” Alanso finished reading in a monotone that scared Eli. He crumpled the letter in his fist, then finished on his own. “Was struck and killed instantly by a passing car. Not a drunk driver. Just some poor bastard on his way to third shift. The judge ruled no fault. None but her own.”
“Oh God.” Tom squeezed Alanso’s shoulder from behind. “I’m so sorry, kid.”
“Al.” Carver reached over and put his palm on their friend’s bald head. He rubbed it before stepping aside and letting the other Hot Rods near.
The rest of
“Kaige!” Sally glared at him.
Tom pretended to plug his ears. But he grinned while he did it.
“Just kidding, Salome .” The bastard knew she hated her full name. “Everyone in the fucking apartment knows how good Al is. They weren’t exactly quiet. Jesus. Could you guys at least have the decency to wait until a respectable hour to make that ruckus? Some of us need our beauty sleep.”
“Clearly.” Carver looked down his nose at Kaige and plucked one of his dreads from the bunch. “What you’re getting ain’t working, buddy.”
Kaige took a half-hearted swipe at Carver. The bickering could easily have deteriorated into a scuffle if Roman hadn’t stepped in and separated them.
“Thanks.” Eli swallowed hard. “I’m glad we’re all together because what I have to say is going to be difficult. Especially for one of us.”
Alanso went white as a sheet, impressive given his darker skin, when Eli looked in his direction.
“Careful, son.” Tom put his hand between Alanso’s shoulder blades and leveled a serious stare in Eli’s direction. “You sure you want an audience for whatever bomb you’re about to drop?”
“Yeah. This isn’t…personal…about me and Alanso, I mean.” He cleared his throat.
“Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of them.” Al looked up and down the line of mechanics. “It’s not like I won’t tell them right after anyway.”
Despite Eli’s reassurance, the gang seemed on edge as they positioned themselves between Cobra and Alanso.
“I wish you’d all give me a little fucking credit. I’m not going to ditch him. Not today and not ever. Who could walk away from a guy who’s your best friend? And more?”
Alanso swallowed hard and nodded. “ Loco, but I believe you.”
“Truth is, Al. No one could leave you.”
“Tell that to my mom,” he sneered.
“I would.” Eli handed Alanso the letter. “I tried, actually. But I’m sorry, Alanso…she passed away.”
“What?” He might have stumbled back if Tom hadn’t been there to catch him or the rest of the Hot Rods didn’t crowd in closer to lend their support.
Mumbles raced through the team as Alanso read the paper, which wobbled like a wheel at the end of a bent axle in his grasp.
“It says she never made it to Cuba.” Sally couldn’t restrain her tears as she related the official history in much nicer phrasing than the version Alanso digested. Those clinical descriptions would probably be branded into his brain for life.
Eli crossed to him, putting his hands on Alanso’s shoulders as he finished discovering the details of an event that was ancient history.
“I guess they didn’t believe her when she said she had a child. That she’d left her son at daycare in the morning so she could work. They thought it was an excuse because she couldn’t produce any proof. No papers or pictures. How stupid!” Sally swiped the back of her hand under her nose and sidled closer, laying her cheek on Alanso’s knotted biceps.
“They took her by van to Florida to deport her.” Eli took up when the rest of the Hot Rods looked to him for more information. “Along the way the car broke down. In the middle of the night. They said she was distraught, hysterical, about her baby. The guards didn’t listen. And when they took everyone from the vehicle on the side of the road, she ran. In the dark.”
“She fled into the highway,” Alanso finished reading in a monotone that scared Eli. He crumpled the letter in his fist, then finished on his own. “Was struck and killed instantly by a passing car. Not a drunk driver. Just some poor bastard on his way to third shift. The judge ruled no fault. None but her own.”
“Oh God.” Tom squeezed Alanso’s shoulder from behind. “I’m so sorry, kid.”
“Al.” Carver reached over and put his palm on their friend’s bald head. He rubbed it before stepping aside and letting the other Hot Rods near.
The rest of
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