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He pulled back to look into the face of his handsome nephew. “You’ll have to. I’m going to be killed the minute your mother sees me.”
*****
Sel waited for his parents to drive to Dante’s trailer. He sat on the steps to the small porch and pet Ming, who adored getting scratched behind her ears. “Ming, you make sure you bite my mother if she goes for a gun.”
Blaine came out of the trailer right then. “Sel, she won’t shoot you. I hope.”
Sitting with Sel, Blaine sighed and said, “Indio.”
That was a shock to him. He tried to play it off with, “What about him?”
“Don’t act like I’m dumb. I was in love with a dangerous man more than once. I was your age or a year younger.”
“I remember Uncle Troy,” he said, then shook his head and whispered, “Sorry. He was never really my uncle.”
“You grew up with him. I understand.”
Sel remembered the man, how he towered over Antonia and Sel, scowling unless the other grownups were around. “He never liked me or my sister. I never liked him. I still don’t know why my father trusted him.”
“They grew up together. He was like another brother to Antonio, but finally, when Antonio saw him for what he truly was, all that ended. Thankfully. Then, well, your dad felt a lot of guilt. For Dante, for me, for Devin, too. But even though he felt bad for me, he let me know, didn’t really mince words, that if I ever hurt his brother, your dad, I’d be dead.”
“Damn. That’s harsh.”
“Scared me. It did, but I was already in love with Dante. Terribly so. It makes me think, though. What would I do for those I love? Anything. That includes you, Sel.”
In a not-so-subtle way, Blaine was telling him he’d hurt Indio himself if Indio hurt him. “I like him, Blaine, but I don’t know if he likes me. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’ll be the judge of what I worry about.”
The SUV approached, and Blaine kissed his cheek before heading into the trailer. Selestino stood tall, not shrinking in on himself. He had to stand his ground.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, Sel watched his mother opening the door so she could get out and run to him, blonde hair flying backward, her eyes leaking tears. That shook his resolve, as did the hug she gave him as she collided with him. “Sel! Sel, my boy, you’re okay. You’re okay, thank God, you’re okay.”
His father was next. Antonio growled in his ear, “I wish you were still small enough to put over my knee.”
“You never did when I was young enough, Dad.”
“I should have,” he laughed. After he pulled back to look over Sel’s face, he said, “You look okay. Maybe a little more mature.”
“Maybe I am.”
They all went into the trailer and the two brothers squared off, but then Antonio went to Dante and hugged him. “I know this wasn’t your fault. Thank you for getting him out of there.”
“Wasn’t me. I just hired the ones who perform the miracles.”
When Antonio turned his eyes back to Sel, he knew what was coming. “Son, sit down.”
“Dad, I already know. Bennie…he told me. I know I’m the one that will take over the family, but I already knew that. I’ve always known Dad. I’m ready to learn, which is why I wanted to come here.”
“To…your uncle?”
Sel said, “Dad, I love you, respect you, and more than that, I admire that you stepped back and let Dante run things while you were a dad to me and the other kids. Dante’s been running things, and I’ll learn from him. I’ll also learn from you.”
Patting his face, Antonio said, “Fucking punk.”
Selena hugged her son on the couch while they visited with Dante and Blaine. His mother kept kissing his cheek, squeezing his hand.
Antonio was trying to be all business, but he, too, kept looking over at Sel, like he had to keep assuring himself he was really there.
