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There was an awkward pause. It was quick, but it was there.
“Yeah… Well… He’s still my brother.”
“They want payback. Marco and a couple of the other guys. They want to head over there tonight.”
“My dad was afraid of that. He’s making my brother sit outside all night and watch the place.”
“Really?”
“Really. What are we going to do?”
26
“Hey. So I’m on my way.” Romeo was walking to meet Marco and Benny. It was late and the streets of his hometown were dark and, for the most part, quiet.
“You sure this is a good idea?”
She was home, in her room. Sitting on her bed. Picking nervously at the frayed edge of her childhood blanket.
“No,” he said as he turned left onto Fourth and passed the DeadBolt Lock and Safe Company. The “o” in bolt was a lightning bolt, not an “o”.
“Maybe you and I should just stay out of this?”
“Someone’s got to keep the peace.”
“That might be tougher than it sounds. My brother is kind of a hot head.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
Another pause. This one filled with the nagging thought that this was going to be harder than either one of them hoped.
He tried to reassure her. “It’ll be okay.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay.” She breathed a little easier.
Romeo pressed, “I want to see you again soon, tomorrow.”
She did too. She really did. But what she said was, “Let’s just see how tonight goes. ”
A few minutes later Romeo found himself in an empty parking lot outside the permanently closed Buy the Way convenience store. It was a couple blocks southwest of Cap’s.
In the darkest corner, barely illuminated by the only still working light pole he saw Marco and Benny. They were hanging out, leaning against the grill of Marco’s car. A nondescript, hand-me-down, faded black, Honda coupe.
“There he is!” shouted Marco as he slammed the empty bottle of his third beer onto the ground. Smashing it into a thousand sharp shards of glass. Making the pile he started forty minutes earlier just that much bigger.
Romeo played it cool. “What’s up?”
“You know what’s up.” Marco grabbed another couple of brews and handed one over.
Romeo gave Benny a nod. “Hey Benny.”
“Hey,” said Benny, ever the conversationalist.
“So. What’s the plan?”
