Read Online Blaze by Andrew Thorp King - Free Book Online Page B

need any rescuing. For now, she decided, harm’s way was going to have to give way to Diem’s way.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    LAREDO, TEXAS
    J uan Herrara belched. His large belly was full. Two big macs and large fries. Three beers. Time for a smoke.
    Juan inhaled the cigarette smoke slowly and exhaled with relief. His room was a mess. Nowhere really to sit. Just a mattress on the floor. Shit everywhere. Laundry, empty cigarette boxes, random electronics, wires, and a low rider bicycle with a missing front wheel. He sat on the floor and leaned his ass and lower back against his mattress, exposing his plumber’s crack. He was playing Call of Duty on the XBOX. Rap music filled the air. He could hear his mom and her drug dealer having sex in the room next to him. The walls were thin. He leaned over to turn up the music. Fucking whore.
    Juan really didn’t like the fact that his mom was banging a white guy. It was bad enough when other Mexicans were giving her dope for sex, but now Blanco was in the other room laying pipe. Not that he really cared that much. He hated her anyhow. She’d been a slave to heroin and anyone who could supply her with the drug for almost the entire eighteen years Juan had been alive.
    He could hear them getting louder. It made him sick. He banged on the wall. “Shut the fuck up!”
    They kept at it. Harder, faster, louder.
    Then he heard a crash. Glass breaking. His mom screamed. Blanco was yelling.
    â€œYou’re not finished yet bitch. You want your fix don’t ya? We’re done when I say!” Blanco shouted.
    Juan got up and ran to bust open his mother’s bedroom door. She was under the covers. Crying. Blood dripping down her face. Green pieces of a broken Heineken beer bottle shattered beside her.
    Blanco stared at Juan with raw anger. He lifted his arm and waived Juan away. “Get the hell out of here kid. This is between your mother and me. Go back in your room you fat shit.”
    Juan ignored him and shook his head in disgust. He didn’t even care if Blanco killed her. He just wanted them to both shut the hell up. He gave up on caring about her years ago.
    Juan’s mom wiped the blood and tears from her face with the bed sheets. “Just go back to your room honey. We’re okay, just a little fight baby, that’s all.”
    â€œWhatever, Mom.” Juan shut the door.
    Juan went back to his room. Back to Call of Duty. Back to the blaring hip hop. He cracked open another beer. He wished she would just die already. She doesn’t do anyone any good anyway. Lazy bitch. She don’t care about me or Marie. Juan took care of his sister Marie, not his mom. Now eleven, Juan had practically raised her. He’d do anything to take care of her. He treated her like she was his daughter. He prepared her lunch every day to take to school. He walked her home from daycare. Anything she needed, he’d get her. Even if he had to steal it. She recently began menstruating and Juan researched on the Internet what a parent should tell a young girl going through puberty. He gave her the talk. Then he stole her a shit ton of tampons and pads from the drug store. Thank God Marie is at Gramma’s tonight and doesn’t have to hear Mom banging Blanco and getting her ass whooped.
    Juan took another swig of beer. His prepaid cell rang.
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œWhat’s up? You comin’ with us tonight. We’re heading to the clubs. Gonna act up. Find some chicas. Fuck up anyone who gets in our way.”
    It was Angel, one of the neighborhood guys that Juan just began hanging with. Angel used to bully Juan. Used to beat him down in front of everyone. Humiliated the hell out of him. He once gave him a huge wedgie and ripped his underwear. Right in front of Juan’s sister. Juan couldn’t walk right for days. He couldn’t see right for days either. Angel gave him a huge black eye that day. It was one of many.
    â€œHell yeah I’ll