Page 57 of Cemetery Boys

Yadriel bit back his knee-jerk reaction to say “It’s okay,” because it wasn’t. It didn’t change what his dad had said. If it had been a mistake, his slip of the tongue was more telling than his apologies.

Why did Yadriel always have to absolve people of their guilt? He didn’t want to be understanding. He didn’t have it in him to be forgiving this time.

His dad’s words went unanswered as Diego’s and Sandra’s voices floated to them between the headstones.

Yadriel heard his dad exhale a sigh.

“We’re having dinner tonight,” he said. “Home before it gets dark, okay?”

“Okay.” There was a long moment before, finally, his dad forced a weak smile, turned, and went back to Diego and Sandra.

Yadriel waited, feeling his heart beat out the seconds in his chest, before the three finally headed back toward the house.

Quickly, Yadriel turned and knocked his knuckles against the lid of the sarcophagus. “Julian!” he said in a harsh whisper. “You can stop hiding—”

Julian fell through the stone, landing hard on his back. He scrambled away, letting out a strangled yelp as he batted at his arms and legs. “Is it on me?” he demanded. He looked ridiculous, twisting his neck this way and that to check himself, for cobwebs or bone dust, Yadriel wasn’t sure what.

“There’s nothing on you,” Yadriel told him, trying not to laugh.

Julian’s chest heaved up and down, pulling against his white T-shirt. He had a horrified look on his face as he stared up at Yadriel, dark eyes wild. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “That was disgusting—”

“Get up, we gotta get out of here before someone sees us,” Yadriel told him, heading for the gate.

Julian rushed to his feet and chased after him, brushing off his arms as he ran. “It was dark and it smelled and I touched something slimy—” Julian broke off with a violent shudder. “Holy shit, I don’t know how long that body’s been in there, but clearly not long enough!” His face contorted in disgust. “Why couldn’t it have just been a skeleton?”

“It takes like eight to twelve years for that to happen,” Yadriel told him as they rounded a columbaria.

Julian shuddered again, letting out a shaky breath. When he caught up, Yadriel could feel him staring.

“What?” he snapped between clenched teeth, feeling raw, his nerves exposed.

“That was awkward,” Julian stated plainly.

A surprised laugh bucked in Yadriel’s chest at Julian’s complete lack of filter. His unabashed honesty was blunt, but it was also refreshing to not deal with pretense.

“Yeah, it was,” Yadriel agreed. The towering gate groaned as he opened it and slipped through.

Julian opened his mouth, and Yadriel fully expected a slew of questions to come pouring out, but Maritza saved the day.

“The hell took so long?” She stood by the stone wall, a hand on her hip and scowling. The boys flanked her.

Julian backpedaled several steps, his palms held up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

The “boys” were two seventy-five-pound pit bulls. They sat on either side of Maritza, their large, square heads coming up to the middle of her thighs. With cropped ears and silvery-blue coats, they sat still, looking more like stone gargoyles than dogs. They wore wide leather collars around their necks and harnesses that attached to a belt around Maritza’s waist.

“We got hung up,” Yadriel answered before addressing Julian. “What, are you afraid of dogs?”

“Those are not dogs!” Julian declared, pointing.

Yadriel rolled his eyes and turned. “Donatello, Michelangelo!” he called. Immediately, their jowls dropped, tongues happily lolling.

“Like the Ninja Turtles?” Julian asked, still hovering at a safe distance.

“No,” Maritza snapped, shooting him a glare. “Like the Italian Renaissance artists, pendejo.” She stumbled as they both surged for Yadriel.

Julian held up his palms. “Yikes, my bad.”

“Like I’d name my beautiful dogs after some dumb cartoon turtles,” Maritza groused.