Deck held himself like a statue. Even if I could convince him that Chi-chi hadn’t technically raped me, there was no doubt he’d tried to, and that he’d gotten in a good hit before I’d beaten him up.
“Get up!” Deck shouted.
Although clearly still in pain, Chi-chi managed to swing his legs over the edge of the mattress.
“What you gonna do?” he asked, lifting his ass just high enough to pull his pants over his hips, buttoning them with swagger.
Deck’s answer was to grab Chi-chi’s arm, forcing him past me and out of the room. Chi-chi struggled to move, but Deck held him up, perp-walking him through the main room with one hand as he held the bat with his other. At the door to the trailer, he threw Chi-chi down the three entry steps onto the ground. I attempted to follow, but my foot screamed at me. Deck caught me limping, and his eyes narrowed.
My mom’s bedroom door flew open, and she came out, somehow clothed in jeans and a long-sleeved tee. Aaron followed.
Deck leaped over the steps and onto the ground, spitting on the brown grass next to Chi-chi. “Get up! Get up and fight me like a man!”
I grabbed some flip-flops and hobbled to the doorway. Mom and Aaron stood next to me. Eliazar emerged from the passenger seat of Deck’s car, yelling, “What the fuck is going on?”
Chi-chi maneuvered into a hands-and-knees position on the ground. “Oh hey, little guy,” he said to Eliazar. “Did you have fun with Bash?”
Eliazar froze.
“Shut your fuckin’ mouth!” Deck hissed.
“Chi-chi?” Aaron called out, looking stunned.
Chi-chi raised his eyebrows at Aaron, followed by a subtle tilt of his head. I caught the gesture, instantly on alert. Aaron hesitated before reaching behind himself, enough time for me to stick my hand in the back of his pants and grab the gun hidden there. I leaned back onto my good foot and pointed it at him.
I’d never held a gun, but I’d seen enough of them on TV and around the neighborhood to make my stance look convincing.
Aaron raised his hands as Chi-chi shook his head and mumbled, “Useless gringo.”
Deck spared me an approving glance before turning to Eliazar. “Check his car.”
Eliazar went to Chi-chi’s car and found a gun lying on the passenger seat. Chi-chi really didn’t think much of my brother to have left it in his car.
“Give me the gun, Cori,” Deck said.
I stumbled down the stairs and gave it to him. He handed it to Eliazar, who still held the one from Chi-chi’s car.
“Take these and toss them somewhere, okay?” Deck said sternly to Eliazar. He looked back down at Chi-chi. “We’re going to do this without guns.”
“I’ll handle it,” Eliazar said solemnly. He shoved both guns into the back of his pants and walked away, heading toward the main road.
Aaron made a motion like he was going to come out of the trailer. Deck extended the bat to him. “This isn’t your battle. Stay up there or you’re going to feel this across your back.” He turned his murderous eyes to Chi-chi. “Just like Bash did.”
Chi-chi’s cocky facade faltered. He dragged himself to his feet.
“Alright, baby Decker, I’ll play. You wanna fight me? ’Cuz you’re mad I fucked your girl? Showed her what a real man feels like?”
“Deck, he didn’t—”
“It’s okay, Cori. I saw the blood. I’m going to make this right.”
Stupid, frustrating man. I loved him for wanting to avenge me, or whatever, but I needed him to listen.
Except I knew him. He’d already been manic and single-minded when I ran into him earlier today, when he’d asked me to find Johnny. Something had clearly happened with Eliazar and that Bash person. Now this.
“Get up and fight me!” Deck screamed at Chi-chi. He tossed the bat to the dirt.
“What do you think’s gonna happen,pendejo? You think you’re gonna beat me up and that’s the end of it? You’re dead, you hear me? Dead.”
