The porch was filled with neighborhood kids of all ages. Every weekend, she let the kids hang out hoping that while their parents worked, it’d keep some of them out of trouble. Casey Wallace, a teenage single mother who lived next door was leaving as I approached. When she passed close to me, I handed her some money, waving off her choked up words of gratitude. The father of her baby was in jail on the domestic violence charge he’d copped to after I’ve shown him why it was dangerous for him to hit a woman.

“Hiiii, Ryan,” Katie said from the east corner of the porch. She sat cross-legged holding a one-eared kitten Destiny had rescued. Katie was Destiny’s best friend and like my foster sister, a pain in the ass sometimes.

“Hey. Have you seen Juvante?”

“He’s talking to Mama Leena.”

The screen door flew open and Destiny came outside carrying two sodas.

“Thanks.” I took one from her hand.

“Ryan, give that back. That’s not for you.”

“Katie doesn’t mind.” I popped the tab and took a drink. “Right, Katie?”

Destiny bumped me with her shoulder and keeping her voice low said, “You better get in there.”

I handed her back the soda. Before I could reach the kitchen, I heard Juvante’s voice, raised and insistent, followed by Mama Leena’s I-don’t-believe-your-bullshit tone.

“Did you know about this?” Mama Leena asked me. She searched my face and when I didn’t answer fast enough, she wagged a wooden spoon that dropped a blob of mashed potatoes onto the linoleum. “She called me crying and carrying on. You’re going to do the right thing by her, Juvante. A man supports his child.”

“I told you it’s not mine!”

She held up her hand, shook her head, grabbed a paper towel and picked up the potato blob. Then she glared at me. “You boys think you can have sex with all these girls without consequences? I’m not talking about pregnancy alone either.” Her lips tightened. “You’re messing with these girls’ hearts every time you take something you don’t have any business taking because you know you’re not sticking around. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up creating more single mothers raising children.”

“Ma, come on. I told you. I never hit that. I swear.”

Mama Leena looked at Juvante for a long time and then thrust a platter of salad greens into his hands. “Take this to the dining room and tell Destiny to get in here and help you boys set the table. Cooper says he’s not coming by. Are Ryker and Zane?”

I shook my head. “Nah. I don’t think so. They went up to Illinois for the weekend.” She nodded, handed me a basket of cornbread and I followed Juvante. “You dog. You looked her in the face and lied.”

Juvante set the greens down and said, “I only hit it a little, but I know it’s not mine. I wore my raincoat. That girl’s like a revolving door. I can’t let her mess me over right before I sign up.”

We’d talked about him joining the military but I’d thought he was joking. “You? A Marine?”

“Don’t laugh. I look good with a bald head.”

“Shit. You’re serious?”

“Yeah. Four more years of schooling? Not for me. You know I hate it.” He raised one eyebrow and droned in a nasal voice, “Students, if you will check your brain at the door, you too, could develop a stick up your ass and become a professor like me.”

I laughed again, but what sucked was if anyone had the grades to get into a good college, Juvante did. Smart as hell with a high GPA. I couldn’t imagine not hanging with him.

Destiny came in carrying a stack of plates.

“Girl, you look so pretty,” Juvante said, licking his lips and smacking them loudly.

She banged the plates on the table and with a dismissive wave of her hand left again.

“Chanos came by the garage today.”

Juvante stopped staring at the door after Destiny and whipped his head around to look at me. “What’d he want?”

“Thinks I might know where some of his product from the warehouse is hiding.”

Eyes wide, Juvante hissed, “Are you fucking for real?”

“Yeah.”

He stroked his chin. “That’s bad news. Those little shits probably took that stuff.”

I nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking.” Anger burned in me at the potential consequences their actions could bring. “I’m going to beat their asses.”

“I’m going to help you,” Juvante promised.

After the table was finally loaded with food and Mama Leena said a prayer over it and ended with praying for all the missionaries in the world, the pounding beat of rap music outside the house shook the window.

Juvante and I looked at each other and rose at the same time.

“Sit down, boys. Clarke and Roman will be in shortly,” Mama Leena said calmly while spooning gravy over her potatoes.

I slid back down into the hard chair and a second later, Juvante did the same.

The rap music went silent.

“I smell something good!” Roman shouted and then appeared in the doorway.

I stared at his clean shaven face and didn’t see what I was looking for. When Clarke entered right behind him, that’s when I saw it. His blue eyes were red and glassy. His hair stuck up in different spots all over his head. Rubbing at his nose, he came around to the head of the table and leaned down to kiss the top of Mama Leena’s head.

She took him by the hand and held on when he tried to walk to one of the empty chairs. “Where have you boys been?”

His gaze darted around the table. “You know, Ma. Around.”

Her shoulders slumped and because she wasn’t one to sweep things under the rug, she said in a tone full of fear and fractured hope, “Have you been using?”

Clarke looked at Roman who ducked his head.

“You stupid sonofabitch!” Juvante launched himself at Clarke. His fist connected with the side of Clarke’s face and they both tumbled backward to slam against the wall. They grappled for a few seconds before Juvante sat on his legs, pinning him against the floor. He pounded on Clarke and the dull thud of his fists connecting with flesh filled the air.

Roman joined in the fight, punching Juvante in the back at the kidney line. At seventeen, he was built like a linebacker. He’d put a hurting on Juvante if I didn’t do something.

I grabbed Roman from behind around the waist and flung him toward the opposite wall. He hit it hard and slid to the floor. “Stay there!” I pointed my finger in his face when he shook his head groggily and tried to stand.

Clarke had his arms raised, feebly trying to cover his face. Blood dripped from one side of his lips and the skin underneath his eye was already starting to bruise. I doubted Clarke could top one fifty soaking wet. He was always getting his ass beat. Not because he was skinny but because he was stupid as hell. Always running his mouth or being somewhere he shouldn’t be. Tapping Juvante on the shoulder, I said, “Let him up.”

“I’m not through with him yet.” Juvante paused mid-strike and glared at Clarke.

“Yeah, you are. That’s enough.”

“Take it outside and don’t break any bones.” Sadness coupled with weariness coated Mama Leena’s voice.

I hauled Clarke up by the collar of his shirt and shoved him out in front of me, then went back for Roman. I looked at him and he angrily shuffled along with us until we were outside in the muggy heat.

Across the street old man Moore waved at us from his rocking chair. I nodded at him and followed my brothers around the side of the house to the garage, out of view of the street.

Chapter Five

TANA

“I saw a warthog,” Mark announced while I cleared the table after supper.

I was trying to rush things along so I could have time to get ready before Ryan arrived. I was riding with him to the party. He was always teasing me that I was late everywhere I went. Brooklyn had called to say she could make it to the party after all and knowing us, we’d start talking and then none of us would be ready to go on time. “Where’d you see a warthog?”