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“I know we said we would talk later about college, and I promise you that I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, but I want to go to college, Dad. I want to become a dentist.”
“A dentist? Why? Your teeth are perfect!” he proudly proclaimed to the entire dress shop. No doubt, they were all more than aware of her father’s pride in her since he took every opportunity to talk about her to perfect strangers.
“Yes, Dad, my teeth are perfect because of a dentist. I’d like to help others have perfect teeth as well.” She tried to kneel in front of her father, but the ridiculous ballgown was preventing her from doing that. Instead, she took his hand in her own. “I appreciate everything you do for me. Really, I do, but I want to do this. My grades are good enough for scholarships, and I can graduate from high school a whole year early.
“Please, Dad. This is really important to me, and I know it would be really important to Mama had she lived. I’ll be the first Vacarro in our family to attend college and graduate. I’ll wear the ballgown and go to the party, but please, let me do this,” she pleaded.
Hector Vacarro stared at his beautiful daughter. She had his soft caramel skin and her mother’s green eyes. Her beautiful mother that had died giving birth to her. She was his only child, and he wanted her to have everything, but he wanted her to have everything in her own backyard, not at some university on the other side of the country.
Londyn wasn’t aware of the dangers of his business, and he wanted to keep it that way. Naïve to the world, he’d been able to shield her from most things outside their small area of Houston. To most, he just looked like a small businessman in the Latino community of the Second Ward in Houston. But to those that knew him well, including the Houston Police, he wasHector Vacarro. Leader of one of the most feared Latino gangs in the south.
He helped his brethren in Mexico cross the border illegally and find work. If they couldn’t find work, he put them to work collecting protection payments from the surrounding businesses. He directed everything. Gang violence. Gang fights. Drugs. Crime. Everything.
Years ago, he’d made a deal with another leader that their children would one day marry. The Perez family was nearly as powerful as his own, and Juan Perez was already demanding that Londyn Vacarro spend ‘quality’ time with his son, Cisco. Cisco Perez. A psychotic, entitled young man who would, in all likelihood, destroy his daughter.
Staring at the pleading look in his daughter’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse her.
“Alright,” he nodded. “Attend the party, finish high school, and you can go to college.” She leaped toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, Daddy!”
The party was everything she knew it would be. Over the top. The cake was a seven-tier layer cake that had her favorite flowers decorating the sides. The food, a mix of her favorite Mexican dishes and some of the plentiful seafood of the Gulf Coast, was spread out on a half a dozen tables.
Seeing her father’s business associate, Juan Perez, her blood stilled. That would mean his lecherous son would be near. Four years older than Londyn, he believed he was truly God’s gift to women, except most of the women he spent time with could only be described as loose women. She felt the cold, sweaty hand on her back and turned.
“I think we need to dance, Chica,” said Cisco, trying to behave older than he was. He gave a swarthy smile, winking at her, and she fought back the bile rising in her throat.
“Oh, hi,” she said, taking a step back. “No, thank you.”
“You need to get used to my touch, Londyn,” he grinned. “You’re going to be my wife one day.”
“Not in this lifetime,” she said, backing away from him. “I’m going to college, and I won’t be marrying anyone.” Although he was only nineteen, at this moment, he looked very much like his father when angry.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, gripping her arm. “You’ll do as I tell you when I tell you, and if you don’t, you’ll pay the consequences.”
“Ow! That hurts! Daddy!” she yelled.
“You can call for your daddy all you want, but he won’t protect you when you’re mine,” he said, jerking her arm hard.
“What’s going on here? Let my daughter go,” said Hector, shoving Londyn behind him. “Who do you think you are, touching my daughter in such a way on this day of all days?”
“You need to let your daughter know we have a deal,” said Cisco. “A deal you and my father made a decade ago. She’s going to be my wife, and she will do what I tell her.”
Hector realized that he’d waited too long to speak to Londyn. She stared at him, horrified, and then looked back at Cisco.
“Daddy?” she whispered.
“We’ll talk about it later, Londyn. For now, Cisco, leave my daughter alone. She’s allowed to have a life and go to school. She is still under my protection and control.”
“Not for long,” he sneered, walking away with his friends.
“Daddy?” she whispered, reaching for his shoulder. “Protection and control?”
“Londyn, just get back to your party, honey.” He was dismissing her. Dismissing her just like he always did when he didn’t want to talk about things she wanted to talk about.
“No. No, tell me you didn’t agree to this.”
“Londyn, it’s a long story, but our families will need to be combined, and you’re my only child,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s the way things are done, and I did make a deal with Juan. I’m allowing you to attend college, Londyn. Be happy with that for now.”
