“Julieta, please calm down. Nothing has changed. I’m the sameguy who you fell in love with. I love you. What we have together has nothing to do with Barrio Logan.”
Her lip trembled. “And I’m the same girl. A bird can fall in love with a fish, but where can they live? I live here. With my people. I’m the fish. I’m drowning, Ramón. I’m drowning in you. I’m drowning in this restaurant, in my community. Everything was so clear to me before you came along. Now I don’t know what’s up or down. I’m traveling to Cabo, riding thousand-dollar bikes, staying in Coronado and La Jolla. It was beautiful, but it is a fantasy. It’s not reality. I don’t want that life. I want simplicity. I want to work hard and enjoy my family. I don’t want any tension. I just want to be happy.”
Julieta’s shoulders hunched; an anguished sob burst from her mouth.
Ramón wiped the tears off her cheeks.
Then he looked up. Tiburón was walking toward them, an angry scowl on his face.
“What the fuck are you doing here, rich boy? Why don’t you go back home? You’ve caused enough trouble. We don’t want you here. Oh, by the way. I quit.”
“I’m trying to fix this, Tiburón.”
“We don’t need your help. I strongly suggest you leave before I bash in that car window.” He pointed at the McLaren.
Julieta stood in between them. “Tiburón. Stop.”
“No, I won’t. Your father stole my tía’s recipe, you seduced my cousin, pushed her out of her restaurant, and now you are destroying my street.”
Mateo hopped out of the car.
Tiburón got in his face. “Get the fuck back in the car, boy.”
“I’ll go wherever I want,” Mateo roared.
Tiburón walked around the side and bashed in Ramón’s window with his foot.
Oh, hell no.
Mateo charged him, but Ramón held him back. “Let’s leave, man. It’s not worth the trouble.”
“That’s right. Fucking leave.”
Mateo pushed Ramón out of the way, and then tackled Tiburón, who proceeded to punch Mateo in the face.
Holy fuck.
Ramón raced down and kicked Tiburón in the balls.
Tiburón keeled over, clutching his jewels.
Julieta screamed. “Stop fighting! This won’t solve anything!” She turned to Ramón, her entire body shaking. “Ramón. Get out of Barrio Logan. And don’t come back.”
His shoulders hunched. “Julieta, please.”
“Just go!”
Ramón sneered at Tiburón, and Ramón and Mateo got in the car and left.
Ramón needed to fix this fast, before he lost Julieta and Barrio Logan forever.
Chapter Thirty-Three
It had been a few days since Ramón’s father raised the rent on Señora Flores. After their fight, Julieta still hadn’t returned Ramón’s calls. Ramón understood she was angry but didn’t appreciate her ignoring him. The people who supposedly loved him always shut him out.
Ramón met up at a bar with Enrique, Jaime, and Benicio, who shockingly showed up.
Enrique took one look at Ramón. “You look like shit, dude. Have you heard from her?”
