Read Online Deuce's Dancer by Patricia Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Green
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prompted. "And?"
"Well…you know they died."
"You told me that, yes."
"Well, Manuel and Jorge were younger than me. Manny was two years younger, and Jorge was six years younger."
"Okay. And Ricky is about fourteen years younger. That much I knew."
"Right." She pushed a strand of hair off her face and pressed her knees together. "Manny and Jorge died in a gang fight."
"Accidental?"
Pilar shook her head, her lips tight. "No. They were in a gang war."
"I'm sorry." And he was. It must have been painful for the Peréz family to lose those young men so needlessly.
"That's not the worst part of it."
"Oh?"
"Ricky is in the gang now."
Fourteen years younger than Pilar made him fourteen years old. He was barely a teenager and he was busy endangering his life at every turn.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I'm afraid for you, Deuce. My family lives with this every day. A rival gang could come by our house and shoot us all dead anytime. And there's other crime. I'm sure Ricky has gotten into theft, maybe even drugs. I suppose…I suppose he might have killed someone."
It was an ugly picture, but it didn't make him care for Pilar any less. In fact, it raised his protective instincts to a new level. "And your father? Is he doing something about it?"
"He can't. Ricky won't listen to anyone." Her amber gaze went to his face. "He could have been so much more, you know? He could have gone places, done things. Ricky was an excellent student. But when Manny and Jorge died, it was like he had so much anger in him that he had to do something dangerous."
"He's trying to get back at the boys who killed his brothers?" Deuce knew that he'd have done the same thing, though his methods would have been different.
Pilar nodded. "I think so." She sighed. "But you see why you and I can't go on, right? If this kind of information got out…that your girlfriend had a gangster brother, and two others who'd died in a gang war, your career would be ruined."
"Hogwash."
"Don't you understand? I can't control Ricky. I can't make him stop. He'll end up dead or in jail!"
"Your brother cannot be allowed to dictate your life or your parents' lives, Pilar. The choices he makes are not your choices, and you shouldn't have to reconstruct your life to live in fear of his bad behavior."
"But, Deuce-"
He held up a hand to stop her, and patted his lap. "Come here, sugar."
"No. You don't understand."
"I don't much like you keeping this secret from me. You should know by now that you can trust me." Reaching for her, he pulled her into his arms. "I know you thought you were doing the right thing, but Pilar, if you don't trust me, we can't build a relationship. Have I ever let you down?"
She put her head on his shoulder, snuggling in. "No."
"Have I given you any reason to think that I'd run away like a coward, faced with this situation?"
"No. I didn't mean it that way."
"That's how it came out, Pilar. You expect me to drop you like a hot rock because of your family troubles. This is the second time."
She sniffled a little and he realized that his shirt was getting wet from her quiet tears. "I'm sorry."
"Do you actually want us to split up?"
Two minutes went by, and her silence was wrenching his guts. If she really wanted it to be over, there was little he could do. Finally, she shook her head.
"I want you to go stand in the corner and think about what you did. I want you to ask yourself, honestly, if there's anything else you want to tell me. I'm going to spank you for not trusting me, Pilar, but I won't add onto it if you have more you'd like to confess."
"I…I…"
He waited. "You what, sugar?"
"I don't want you to be mad at me."
Her hair was so soft under his hand and her slender body trembled slightly against him. She had to learn not to throw secrets in his face and expect him to run away. Punishment, in this situation, was going to be cathartic for her. Redemptive. He wanted the relationship to flourish, and was willing to show her by not
"Well…you know they died."
"You told me that, yes."
"Well, Manuel and Jorge were younger than me. Manny was two years younger, and Jorge was six years younger."
"Okay. And Ricky is about fourteen years younger. That much I knew."
"Right." She pushed a strand of hair off her face and pressed her knees together. "Manny and Jorge died in a gang fight."
"Accidental?"
Pilar shook her head, her lips tight. "No. They were in a gang war."
"I'm sorry." And he was. It must have been painful for the Peréz family to lose those young men so needlessly.
"That's not the worst part of it."
"Oh?"
"Ricky is in the gang now."
Fourteen years younger than Pilar made him fourteen years old. He was barely a teenager and he was busy endangering his life at every turn.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I'm afraid for you, Deuce. My family lives with this every day. A rival gang could come by our house and shoot us all dead anytime. And there's other crime. I'm sure Ricky has gotten into theft, maybe even drugs. I suppose…I suppose he might have killed someone."
It was an ugly picture, but it didn't make him care for Pilar any less. In fact, it raised his protective instincts to a new level. "And your father? Is he doing something about it?"
"He can't. Ricky won't listen to anyone." Her amber gaze went to his face. "He could have been so much more, you know? He could have gone places, done things. Ricky was an excellent student. But when Manny and Jorge died, it was like he had so much anger in him that he had to do something dangerous."
"He's trying to get back at the boys who killed his brothers?" Deuce knew that he'd have done the same thing, though his methods would have been different.
Pilar nodded. "I think so." She sighed. "But you see why you and I can't go on, right? If this kind of information got out…that your girlfriend had a gangster brother, and two others who'd died in a gang war, your career would be ruined."
"Hogwash."
"Don't you understand? I can't control Ricky. I can't make him stop. He'll end up dead or in jail!"
"Your brother cannot be allowed to dictate your life or your parents' lives, Pilar. The choices he makes are not your choices, and you shouldn't have to reconstruct your life to live in fear of his bad behavior."
"But, Deuce-"
He held up a hand to stop her, and patted his lap. "Come here, sugar."
"No. You don't understand."
"I don't much like you keeping this secret from me. You should know by now that you can trust me." Reaching for her, he pulled her into his arms. "I know you thought you were doing the right thing, but Pilar, if you don't trust me, we can't build a relationship. Have I ever let you down?"
She put her head on his shoulder, snuggling in. "No."
"Have I given you any reason to think that I'd run away like a coward, faced with this situation?"
"No. I didn't mean it that way."
"That's how it came out, Pilar. You expect me to drop you like a hot rock because of your family troubles. This is the second time."
She sniffled a little and he realized that his shirt was getting wet from her quiet tears. "I'm sorry."
"Do you actually want us to split up?"
Two minutes went by, and her silence was wrenching his guts. If she really wanted it to be over, there was little he could do. Finally, she shook her head.
"I want you to go stand in the corner and think about what you did. I want you to ask yourself, honestly, if there's anything else you want to tell me. I'm going to spank you for not trusting me, Pilar, but I won't add onto it if you have more you'd like to confess."
"I…I…"
He waited. "You what, sugar?"
"I don't want you to be mad at me."
Her hair was so soft under his hand and her slender body trembled slightly against him. She had to learn not to throw secrets in his face and expect him to run away. Punishment, in this situation, was going to be cathartic for her. Redemptive. He wanted the relationship to flourish, and was willing to show her by not
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