Page 92 of Cemetery Boys

Finally, Rio nodded. “Come on.” He led the way around the shop, his heavy black shoes squeaking against the oily cement. A large set of keys jangled at his hip.

They followed, but Yadriel was already starting to regret this decision. After everything he’d heard about Rio—how he cared for and looked after Julian and his friends—he’d expected him to be, well … different. Friendlier, at least. The guy before him didn’t seem like someone who pulled a young boy out of a gang, or took in kids who didn’t have anywhere else to go.

Around the side, Rio unlocked a large chain-link gate. At the back of the building, there was a storage shed and sun-bleached canopy covering a gorgeous car. It was an electric-blue Corvette Stingray, according to the logo. Yadriel didn’t know much about cars, but he could tell it was old but meticulously taken care of.

Julian went right up to it, smoothing both his hands lovingly over the rounded hood. It was a strange shape, kind of like a clown shoe.

A rickety set of stairs led up to the apartment above the shop. Rio stopped at the bottom.

“Dogs stay out here,” he said in a voice so firm, it was clear there was no room for negotiation.

Yadriel turned to Maritza, alarmed.

“It’s fine.” She nodded, waving Yadriel ahead. More quietly, she added, “You’re fine.”

But he certainly didn’t feel fine.

He didn’t want to do this on his own. Luca was there just to get them in the door, and Julian was being unusually quiet as he lingered by the car. But Yadriel sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

Maritza settled herself against the Stingray.

“Don’t lean on the car,” Rio said.

She leaped back.

Rio started up the stairs, and Maritza settled for walking Donatello and Michelangelo around the small yard so they could sniff at rusty car parts and old tires.

Yadriel followed him and Luca up the stairs and into the apartment.

It was small. Much smaller than he’d expected.

To the right, the main room had a square table and three chairs, each of them a different style and wood. It was covered in envelopes and a set of car manuals. Against the far wall sat a flat-screen TV perched on a black-and-red tool cabinet. There was an old PlayStation and a handful of controllers, their cords twisted and knotted together. Facing it was a black leather couch. The cushions looked poufy, but the seats were cracked and the armrests were worn. There was a lumpy yellow pillow crammed into one side and a blue, scratchy-looking blanket with satin trim on the other. A floral comforter was tossed onto a green recliner in the corner, and more folded blankets sat in a precarious heap under the square window.

Straight ahead was the bedroom. Yadriel caught a glimpse of a room barely big enough to fit a mattress on the floor. Last one in, he shut the front door behind himself. There were two holes in the back at about knee height.

Luca sank into one of the chairs at the dining table, drawing one knee up to his chest. Rio turned left, into the kitchen. It was so narrow, Yadriel doubted you could open the fridge door all the way without running into the opposite counter.

Rio pulled a baking pan out of the fridge and snagged a fork from a drawer. “So, who are you?” he asked as he filled a mug up with water from the sink.

“I’m Yadriel,” he said.

Rio set the pan and mug on top of some papers in front of Luca. It was chocolate cake with goopy chocolate icing. Only one small piece had been cut out from the corner. His large hand thumped Luca’s chest, and Luca snatched up the fork and dove right in.

“I’m Julian’s friend,” Yadriel added, feeling pressured to fill the silence. While Rio wasn’t looking, he gave Julian a small nod. Julian edged around the room and disappeared into the bedroom.

Rio leaned back against the counter and folded his arms over his chest, hands tucked under his large biceps. He looked down his nose at Yadriel. “No, you’re not.”

Julian snorted from the other room, but it lacked his usual mirth.

“I’m a newer friend,” he corrected. He nearly added “from school,” but he knew better than to make that mistake.

Rio’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He said nothing and simply stood there, waiting.

“We were wondering if you’d seen Jules,” Luca somehow managed through a huge mouthful of cake.

Rio let his intense gaze stay on Yadriel a moment longer before looking over to Luca. “No, I haven’t. He left a few days ago.”

“You haven’t heard from him at all?”