Page 62 of No Merciful Corruption

“Karina, stay out of it.”

Then he slams the door shut.

What ensues after is chaos.

I’ve never heard Alejandro scream the way he is right now as he berates his brother. He speaks at such a mind dizzying speed that he could be talking in Mandarin for all I know. It doesn’t sound like English or Spanish, just rage in the form of language. Diego attempts several times to get a word in but his argument is drowned out by his brother’s fury.

All three of us scurry to the kitchen window that overlooks the backyard. Right now, the patio chairs, table, firepit, and grill are all covered but the back light is on. Manhattan backyards aren’t very big and so when Alejandro starts pummeling his fist into his brother’s face, there aren’t many places for Diego to go. He fights back but there’s little vigor behind it. All he does is try to deflect his brother’s advances but Diego isn’t actually trying to get Alejandro to stop. Either he’s accepted his fate, been bested in the fight, or might actually deserve it.

Not all of the snow has melted from last month’s storms so when Alejandro throws a hit and Diego deflects it, he loses his balance and the two of them tumble into a bed of weeks’ old snow and ice. Watching them spar sends the wheels turning in the back of my mind.

“Dee, do something,” Karina holds onto my arm. “He’s going to kill him.”

I look at her. “I’m not going to do a damn thing.”

She purses her lips and glances out the window. Alejandro and Diego are arguing, throwing back expletives in Spanish so vile I don’t even know what half of them mean. But I know they have to be ugly because Diego’s eyes widen into ocean blue saucers and his brown cheeks flush with sincere humiliation. He pushes Alejandro back—appearing genuinely offended—but his brother punches him again and he falls against the tree.

Karina attempts to leave her spot by the window but I grab the back of her shirt. “You stay out of it.”

“They’re going to kill each other!”

“And if they do, I’m sure it’ll be your fault.”

Her fists clench at her sides but she says nothing.

“Maybe we should intervene,” Lyss suggests. “Look, Diego is already bleeding. I think that’s enough.”

Just as she says it, Alejandro manages to get out from under his brother and delivers a blow that busts Diego’s bottom lip open. He pushes Diego off him and they roll around in the ice and snow for a second longer before getting back to their feet. Despite making halfhearted attempts to deflect his brother’s blows and reach an amicable, verbal agreement, Diego takes a beating from Alejandro.

Screaming from outside makes Lyss gasp. She watches in horror as Alejandro throws Diego against the stone wall separating my outdoor space from my neighbors’.

Karina tries slipping away once more but this time, my grip on her arm is unyielding.

“You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.”

Her eyes well with tears and she thrashes against me. “Let go!”

“What the Hell is going on?” Lyss demands.

“What’s going on is that my cousin has no idea just how royally fucked she is.” I release her arm and Karina glares holes into my skin. “Diego’s the baby’s father. Isn’t he?”

* * *

“I could kill him.”

Alejandro flinches as I press the ice pack against his left cheek.

“La próxima vez que lo vea, lo voy a matar.” He hisses and flexes his right hand. “No sé cómo puedo tener un hermano tan estúpido. Tan irresponsible…and selfish! Fucking reckless.”

He’s been on this tangent for the past hour.

“Just wait until Abuelo finds out about this.”

“Snitch,” I tell him.

He springs up in bed. “No. Wait until I tell our mother.”

Part of me wants to laugh. No matter how old siblings get, they always know there’s nothing like the threat of telling mom to put the fear of God in someone.