Amos plucked a hot dog off the roller, putting it in a bun and handing it to me.
The officer continued looking around. “What about you?” he asked Cori. “Seen anything suspicious?”
“Nope. Just came in for some pretzels on my lunch break. I’m helping at the Center while Rosa takes care of some personal business.”
This sparked the interest of the first officer. “How’s Rosa doing these days?”
“She’s good,” Cori replied brightly.
“Well, tell her Officer Ripley says hello,” he said.
“Will do.”
“What about you, miss?” the second officer called to the young woman in the back. “Did you see anything happening in the store, or nearby maybe?”
The woman darted nervous eyes between Cori, Jayden, and the officers. “Oh…um…no, sir, officer, sir. I didn’t see anything. I just was minding my own business buying a Diet Coke.”
Damn. I wished the lady was a better actress, but at least she wasn’t giving Jayden up.
The second officer turned to Amos. “You got cameras?”
“C’mon, Dawson. Leave Amos alone,” Officer Ripley said. “Nothing happened here. I’m not trying to do extra paperwork because some guy got scared and confused a kid in a hoodie with an actual criminal.”
The second officer nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”
They shuffled out the door. Officer Ripley leaned back and mouthed, “Clean it up,” to Amos.
After the police car drove off, Amos flipped the sign on the door to CLOSED.
“Thanks,bróder,” I said to him, grateful that even though we hadn’t had anything close to a heartfelt conversation since I’d gotten out, our neighborhood bonds still kicked in when it mattered. “Can you take care of the gun?”
Jayden spoke up. “I need to give that gun back.”
Amos breathed out roughly. “I’ll give it back for you, kid. This is your lucky day. Your brother was my boy, and his crew owes me. Imma give the gun back and tell them to leave you the fuck alone. Your mom has been through enough. Why the fuck you tryna break her heart, acting like a little punk?” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, shaking his head once.
“I know, okay! I know!” Jayden exploded. “But when Alejandro asked, I couldn’t say no.”
Amos and I exchanged glances. Alejandro wasn’t someone to be messed with. But I trusted that Amos meant what he said, that he could get Jayden out of whatever he was into. I didn’t need to know the details.
“Listen.” I put a hand on Jayden’s shoulder. “No one knows better than me and Amos how hard it is to say no. But you’re gonna fucking have to. From now on. We all just put our lives and reputations on the line for you… Me, Amos, Cori…and this nice lady in the purple dress—”
“Mia,” the woman offered.
“And Mia. We all covered for your dumb ass. And we didn’t do it so you could keep making the same stupid choices.”
Cori stepped in front of Jayden, forcing him to meet her eyes. “Amos was right when he said you got lucky. Someone was definitely looking out for you. And now it’s time for you to step up.”
Jayden squinted at her. “Don’t get me wrong, Miss Cori, I like you. It’s dope you’ve been helping out at the Center and all. But with respect, what the fuck does a rich lady like you know about what I need?”
Amos reached across the counter and tapped Jayden on the back of the head. “Shut your mouth,pendejo. You don’t talk to her like that.”
Cori gave Amos a little wink—a wink!—before speaking firmly to Jayden.
“I know more than you think, Jayden. I know that if you squeeze the handle on the red slushy machine just right, some of the blue slushy gets mixed in. I know Amos puts these little squares of aluminum foil out on the counter so the addicts don’t steal the full rolls. And I know things around here have changed a lot, because ten years ago, the cops wouldn’t have shown up nearly as quick. I grew up in this neighborhood, too, in that shitty trailer park three blocks from the high school.” Jayden startled slightly, but Cori wasn’t done. “The main thing I know is that no good can come from you being charged with robbery today. No good for you, anyway. But you need to look at this turn of events, this intervention, as a kind of miracle. Because ninety-nine times out of a hundred, you’d be on your way to jail right now, getting ready to spend your twenties behind bars. But instead, all of us are going out on a limb for you.”
Jayden tried to look down, but she didn’t allow it. Arching a brow, she said, “Tell me you understand.”
His eyes were thunderous, but he nodded.
