Chapter 34

8 a.m. Monday

Andy hoped he'd find Rico still on the corner but the guy was gone. He had seen the kids off to school and now he was back in bed, Andy figured. The majority of Rico's business came after the sun was down for the evening.

He re-entered the building he'd left only 45 minutes earlier and walked to Rico's first-floor apartment. Tomas, Rico's top lieutenant and enforcer, opened the door and gave Andy a questioning look.

"Why are you here, Andy?" he asked.

"Is Rico around?" Andy wondered. Tomas was loyal and he was tough. He was not smart.

"He's sleeping," Tomas told him. "What's wrong?"

"It's Lupe," Andy said.

"Nothing better have happened to Lupe on the way to school," Tomas said. His voice was even but there was menace in his eyes.

"Nothing happened on the way to school," Andy answered. Like the kids at Lupe's school, a person couldn't show fear around Tomas. Andy knew without a doubt that Tomas would wipe up the floor with him in a fight but he didn't flinch or back away. "It's happening at school. There are a lot of things going on that Rico needs to know."

"What do I need to know, Andy?" Rico said as he walked shirtless from a bedroom. Andy saw the scars from a life spent on the street and the garish tattoos that decorated his chest and arms. "Tomas, Andy is a guest. We should invite him in."

"Sure, Rico," Tomas said, stepping out of Andy's way. Andy knew when he stepped through the doorway it was because Rico wanted to be in total control of the situation. Just as he suspected, Tomas stepped to block Andy's exit as soon as he closed the door.

"Sit down and tell me about what's happened," Rico said in a genteel voice that didn't match the look on his face. "Did something happen with Lupe on the way to school?"

"Nothing happened on the way to school," Andy said again. He kept his voice even because he didn't want anyone's temper to get the better of him – particularly his. "It was at school where the problem lies. There is a group of kids hassling her. I saw it and walked her into the building. You know how the teachers are. They saw it start and then turned their backs. I got her into the building and told her I would pick her up at 3:45. I told her to stay near her friends all day and to walk in crowds. I also warned the principal what might happen if something were to happen to her."

"This is not something I've heard from Lupe," Rico noted.

"Come on, Rico," Andy said. "She's trying to become her own person. She's not going to come to you with every little problem. I know you don't want to hear this but you're over-protective when it comes to her."

"I disagree," Rico said. "But I can see where you might see it as such."

"I don't see it that way," Andy countered. "She sees it that way. Look, this group of shitheads, I explained life to them when I left. They recognized me as the 'white boy' you put off limits so a few of them listened. But one of them flat-out told me – in front of the principal – that he would sexually assault Lupe either at school today or on the bus on the way home."

Rico's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"These boys, did you recognize them?" he asked.

"I didn't but Lupe said they live a couple of blocks down," Andy replied. "They called themselves Jacks so I guess they're affiliated with the Kings. They're black so that makes sense. Lupe told me that they weren't in the gang but wanted to be. I would guess they're 14 or 15 years old. I couldn't do much on school property."

"No," Rico said firmly. "You are not to jeopardize your future over this. I want you to tell me that you understand that."

"I'm not going to let her get hurt," Andy said firmly. "If I have to make a choice between my future and watching her get attacked, well, I can make a new future for myself."

Rico's dark eyes bore into Andy's for a long moment but neither man looked away. Finally, Rico nodded.

"In that instance, I would expect nothing less from a man like you," he said. "Regan said that you beat up three boys your own age to protect her. If it comes to it, can you protect Lupe from this group this afternoon?"

"Yes," Andy said with a grim nod. "I told her to wait beside the security guard. He's old as hell but he has a radio to call the police. She's not to leave the building until I pull in and meet her at the door. I've thought about this. I'm going to give her my keys and tell her to run for the car if trouble starts. It's an automatic so she can at least drive away – I hope. I told her a couple of other things. I told her if someone tries something today, to kick them in the nuts and take the suspension. I'll square things with the scholarship committee. I give you my word on that, Rico."

Rico nodded again and smiled slightly.

"And I told the kids that were giving her trouble that she was your niece," Andy said. "I know it's a lie but I thought it served a purpose."

"It is possible that she is my half-sister," Rico said without emotion. "I don't know for certain. My father was out on parole for a few weeks and he always had an eye for the young ones. Her mother was only Lupe's age when she got pregnant."

"Damn," Andy said, shaking his head.

"I have convinced myself that she is my sister," Rico continued. "It is the same way that I've come to wish that you and I shared a mother. It is why I view you as a brother, Andy. I know you're late for school but I want you to hear me. I know you're leaving for a better place soon. I'm happy for you. But if you need something you think I can provide, I will provide it without question. That goes for your mother, as well."

Andy nodded at the sincerity at the man's voice.

"The same is true for you or the rest of the people here," Andy said firmly.

"No," Rico said. "I will accept on my behalf and on behalf of those I trust. But most of the people here are takers. They will use you for whatever they think they can get and then toss you aside. The word I put out about you and your mom, that was to protect you from the people in this building as much as those outside of it."

Andy found himself smiling. It was something he'd figured out a year earlier.

"Now you need to get to school," Rico said, standing. "You have done well coming to me with this. I know you can handle it by yourself but I would prefer you not. I'm taking Lupe's mother to get her transcript today. I am not permitted on school property but I will be nearby. If things get bad, I will violate my parole willingly. Tomas, I want you to take some men and talk to the Kings' leader. If you need to show him the necessity of enforcing the rules on his people, you have my permission. Come on, Andy. I'll walk you out."

"Do you want me to drive you and ... Lupe's mother to the school?" Andy asked. He realized that he had no idea of the woman's name.

"That's kind," Rico said, "but unnecessary. She won't roll out of bed until 10 or 11. She is one of the people who would take you for anything she thought she could get. She is too lazy to even work in the strip club. You just pick up Lupe from school and we will attend to the rest of it."

Andy nodded his agreement. He couldn't very well disagree with Rico. He had pressed his luck too far as it was. Rico extended his hand to Andy when they reached his car. It was something he had never done before.

"You are a fine man and one I'm proud to consider a brother," Rico said. "I meant what I told you."

"Thank you, Rico," Andy said. "I'm honored to be your brother. You're a good man who's doing the best you can. I've always known that, I think."

Andy drove away and looked back in his rearview mirror. It suddenly dawned on him that Rico was willing to die to protect Lupe Fuentes – and, indeed, it might come to that before the day was through.

"Fuck," he said to himself.

12 p.m. Monday

"Where were you this morning?" Elizabeth said as she sat down at the lunch table beside Andy. Seconds later, Chris Grant joined them.

"I was wondering the same thing," Chris said. "I waited around until second bell looking for you."

"I had to take care of a few things," Andy answered noncommittally. He had spent the morning trying to think of some way to look after Lupe – and Rico and his gang. He had come up with nothing.

"Like what?" Elizabeth pressed.

"Personal stuff," Andy said, turning his attention to Chris. He fished out his phone and opened the folder with the photos he'd gotten the night before. "Take a look at these."

Chris flicked through the photos and smiled.

"Where's the last one?" he asked. "They told me all three of them took one."

Elizabeth intercepted the phone on the way back to Andy.

"Jesus," she said, her eyes wide. "You can see Joy's ass in this picture."

"I heard the one Regan sent was even better," Chris said with a laugh.

"Are you OK with what you found out last night?" Andy asked.

Chris shrugged.

"They told me I couldn't be identified in any of the pictures," he said. "So I'm not worried about it."

"I was told the same thing," Andy agreed. "Still, it's not right to do that without telling you beforehand."

Elizabeth's head jerked from the pictures on Andy's phone to Chris and then to Andy.

"What are you talking about?" she asked urgently.

"None of your business," Andy said firmly. Elizabeth looked like he'd slapped her. She thought everything was her business.

"She doesn't know?" Chris asked incredulously.

"No," Andy said. "As I said, it's only her business if you want it to be. It was none of my business either but I was brought into it without discussion."

"No, it's cool," Chris replied. "They told me that Elizabeth heard the whole story. Well, what they said on Sunday morning is what happened. And there are several pictures documenting the event."

"No shit!" Elizabeth said. She was happy on two fronts. It killed her that she didn't know everything about everyone – and she was excited to learn that what she'd heard on Sunday was true. "Man, that must have been some night!"

"It was ... entertaining," Chris said.

"They told me that he totally rocked their world," Andy confided. Now that Chris had confessed, he saw no reason not to give him crap about it.

"They rocked each other's world more than I rocked anything," Chris said. "I've seen dozens of porn movies where a guy takes on two girls. It's a lot harder than it looks."

The conversation came to an abrupt halt when Abby Barnes sat down beside Chris. She had waited until Elizabeth was around because she knew the news would be all over school in an instant.

"I just wanted to tell you that I met someone over the weekend," she said dramatically.

"Oh, good," Chris cut in. "I was going to have to break our date Saturday anyway. I'm glad that your dress won't go to waste. The truth is, well, I met two girls this weekend. I've decided to ask them to our formal. I'm sorry, Abby. I'm glad there won't be hard feelings."

He turned away and missed Abby's mouth dropping. Elizabeth had closed her eyes and was biting her lower lip to keep from laughing.

"You're not subtle, Abby," Andy said. He was the lone occupant of the table even looking at the girl. "Half of the school knew you went out Friday looking for someone you could ask to the dance so you could drop Chris. Don't look surprised that word reached his ears and that he took pre-emptive action. He meant it when he said he's happy that your dress won't go to waste. But I want to warn you, things will go pretty badly for you and your date if you pull any more shit."

Abby sneered at Andy.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" she asked.

"He's the only one nice enough to warn you," Elizabeth said, leaning across and staring hard at Abby. "Personally, I didn't plan to do that. I was just going to destroy you when you fucked up. But Andy's a lot nicer person than me, I guess. So do yourself a favor: Listen to what he told you. Go to the dance, have fun, let your date bang the ass off of you, whatever. But leave Chris and his dates alone. That's not a suggestion. Consider it the law of the land. OK?"