Page 105 of Alonzo

“Did you ever, just once, ask Tara if she needed your protection?”

“What?”

“Ask her, Alonzo. Just once. And see what she says. She might surprise you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - TARA

News travels fast on Dumas Street. Here’s how I know that. I’m in Lonnie’s cottage fighting with him for maybe five minutes and by the time I get back over to Belinda’s cottage Tony and Mr. Dumas are both there with Johnny, Diablo, Chek, Creepy Wendy, and Jesse. Mr. Dumas is talking to Belinda in the kitchen while Tony is sizing up Vann like he’s about to kick his ass.

Johnny stops me with a hand up as soon as I enter the cottage. “What’d he say?”

“What did he say?” I laugh. “Fuck him.”

“No. Listen to me, Tara.” Johnny has a thing for sneering my name. And you know what? I’m kinda getting tired of that. “We need him to pull this job off. He can’t just go pout like a fucking idiot.”

At which point Jesse offers to go talk to Alonzo. Make him see the light.

I have zero fucks to give about Jesse Boston any more. In fact, I’m done here. “Vann,” I say, walking over to him and getting in front of Tony. “Are you planning on going home any time soon?”

“Uh….” Vann starts looking around like these people control his decisions.

This kinda pisses me off too. “Don’t look at them, Vann. They’re not in charge of when you leave.”

He grabs me by the arm and pulls me into one of the bedrooms. His, I presume. He even closes the door. “Listen, Tara. It’s not them. It’s Belinda. I’m not leaving without her.”

“What?” I do one of those blinky head shakes to let him know I find this to be absurd. “Vann. This is her home. She’s not going back to Colorado. And she’s not interested in you, OK? We both think you’re too young.”

“I’m not even young. I’m twenty-five.”

“It’s not even the point anymore. She met you as a nineteen-year-old kid. And I met you as a twenty-three-year old. That’s the age you’re always going to be.”

“That’s not even fair.”

“Boo hoo.”

“Jesus Christ, Tara. What crawled up your ass? Even if Belinda feels this way—and I’m not convinced—I’m not leaving her here. We’re like… best friends.”

“I’m her best friend, not you.”

“So you should stay.”

“I’m done here. I’m done with all of it. I want to go home.”

He shrugs and opens the bedroom door. “Well, I’m not leaving without Belinda.” Then he walks away.

I stand there in the doorway chewing on my thumbnail. Then Zach whistles loudly. “I just got a text from Luke. He’s on his way home.”

Tony opens the front door. “Let’s take this over to my house, people. Zach, you go next door and handle Luke. And whatever you do, you do not tell him anything.” Tony growls that through his teeth. “I’m fucking serious. He stays out of this.”

And then everyone is on the move. I glance at Belinda, wondering if she’s getting involved in this insanity. But she’s hugging Mr. Dumas. When they part, he’s smiling down at her and she’s wiping a tear from her eye.

Yup. She’s staying. And I don’t blame her.

Mr. Dumas leaves with his boys and the Bostons, but Belinda stays behind. Once the screen door closes and everyone makes their way across the street, the whole cottage instantly goes quiet.

“So,” I say. “I guess that was good news.”

Belinda nods. But it takes her a moment before she speaks. “He showed me where my mom is living, Tare.”