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“You could’ve stopped him.”
“And then what? Forced Javi to go tell his parents I kidnapped their child? Make them get the authorities involved?”
“You could’ve done something!”
“And then what?” I try to take her hands but she pulls away, putting distance between us.
“And then he’d be safe and not stuck with my asshole brother and my piece of shit cousin.”
“What about your parents? Do you think they’d let this go? He’s their son, Marisol.”
“Since when did that fucking matter?!” Frustrated tears stream down her face. “Since when did they care?”
“I don’t know,” I say softly, not advancing despite how badly I want to comfort her. “But he made his choice. He knew staying would only cause more trouble, especially now that your parents are getting involved. Before, when they didn’t care, he could’ve stayed as long as he wanted.”
“You’re supposed to be some powerful crime lord and you can’t even protect a fifteen-year-old kid,” she snaps viciously.
And I feel it in my chest. The kick straight to my heart. Because in so many ways, she’s right. I couldn’t protect Dario back in the day and I can’t protect Cruz now.
The difference is Cruz made his choice. I would’ve backed him and kept him here, purely because Mari wants it, but that’s not what he chose. Cruz went with Javi on his own, and I can’t fault him for that.
He’s allowed to make hard choices too.
Even if they hurt.
“I didn’t want this,” I say, staring down at the floor. I hate the way she’s looking at me, like I’ve failed her. “I was going to back you, but Cruz went anyway. I’m not going to abandon him, Mari. I swear to you.”
“Good.” She turns her back. “My family is so fucked up, you know that? Bunch of fucking monsters. I hate them so much.”
I reach for her, but she storms away. I watch as she disappears down the hall and I clench my jaw at the sound of her slamming our bedroom door.
She’s angry. I get that and I can’t blame her for it. But there’s a hollow ache in my guts as I slip my phone from my pocket and call Nico.
“What up, bro?” Nico sounds out of breath. “You want in on the grave digging? I’m already down a couple feet but—”
“There’s a problem.”
He sighs. “There’s always a problem.”
“Marisol’s brother went back home. We need men on him right now. Good men with the full authority needed to keep him safe, no matter what.”
“That’s some serious shit.”
“I’m aware.”
“Why the hell did he leave?”
I tell him the situation as quickly as I can. When I’m done, Nico only laughs bitterly.
“Leave it to the Escalante to be even more fucked up than we are,” he says. I hear his shovel stab into dirt. “Alright, I’m on it. I’ll handle this myself.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“It’s not your fault, you know.” His words reach me from very far away and I don’t know who he’s talking about. I hear Dario’s final words. The darkness of the woodshed. His cold, stiff body in the morning, and Dad’s moaning sobs of bitter grief. “The kid made up his own mind. Can’t fault you for that one.”
“Yeah, well, explain that to my wife.”
“She’ll come around.”
