Chuy is standing in front of me, in the middle of a circle of about fifteen guys. My cousin Enrique isn’t here, but Marco is. And a couple of other guys from school. He’s also rounded up some of the guys who were around when Alex was in the Blood.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen, Luis,” Chuy explains. “Mis vatos and I are gonna take you in the back room and kick the shit out of you for thirteen seconds. When it’s over, you’re in.”
“Can I fight back?” I ask.
“No. If you even attempt to, our punches will be harder,” he says, not missing a beat. “This is to break you down before we build you back up bigger, stronger, and tougher. Like a stallion, ese. When we’re done, you’re a Latino Blood.”
“Let’s get it over with.”
“Damn, you are like Hector. That crazy motherfucker was as impatient as you are,” Chuy says.
All of them lead me to a room without any windows. I notice dried blood stains on the floor. I should be scared, but I’m not. Marco catches my attention. He’s excited, like my jumping in will raise his position in the Blood.
A few of the OGs stand behind me, probably making sure I don’t get last-minute jitters and escape.
“You ready?” Chuy asks.
I nod. A deep rage simmers inside me, desperate to be unleashed. I don’t know how much longer I can hold it back.
Chuy grabs my chin, his fingers digging into my skin. “Your face reminds me of Alex,” he says. “I enjoyed bringin’ him to his knees when he jumped out. What sweet revenge this is gonna be.”
I pull myself out of his grasp, but the second I’m free Chuy’s iron-hard fist flies in my face. He must have a ring on, because something sharp slashed my cheek.
“One,” he says, gloating over the obvious damage.
“Two,” I hear him call out. The rest of the guys start closing in. I quickly shield my face with my hands and arms. It’s hard keeping them up when, blow after blow, my body aches and wants to crumple to the ground.
“Three.”
A blow to my side makes me want to cry out, but I don’t. I hold it in. I can handle anything, even this. I want to fight back, but Chuy’s words are in the back of my head. Our punches will be harder.
“Four.”
Marco clocks me in the jaw when I move my hands for a split second. I taste blood, but don’t have time to dwell on it as I struggle to stay upright. I’m waiting to hear the number thirteen. It’ll be over at thirteen.
“Five.”
One of the guys kicks the back of my knee hard. I stumble to the ground. I’m on my hands and knees now. I’m trying to stand, but can’t. I get kicked hard in the stomach.
“Six.”
I manage to stand up. Each blow feeds the restless fire inside me. I can handle this. I can handle anything.
“Seven.”
I have my hands covering my head again, but I don’t think it does any good. A kick to my back makes me wince. I’m losing energy fast.
“Eight.”
Block it out, Luis. Block out the pain and think about something else.
Think about Nikki, the girl who stole your heart and ran away with it.
“Nine.”
These guys fight like pros, though. They fight as hard and rough as Alex and Carlos. If Nikki were here, would she care that I was being beaten?
“Ten.”
I think it’s almost done. I don’t know. I’m trying to stay strong but the constant blows and kicks are threatening to break me down, just like Chuy warned. My body has been hit so hard, I think one of these guys must either be wearing steel-toe shoes or has been specially trained for kicking. No. I won’t let them win. I’m in charge of my destiny, not them.
“Eleven.”
Please let this be over soon. I feel my body going limp, and I can’t hold in my rage any longer.
I don’t hear the number twelve. Chuy has stopped counting. The bastard is just standing, prolonging the beating. The fact that with each blow I’m stepping into the LB and out of Nikki’s life forever is too much to take.
Fuck this game Chuy’s playing. I start swinging, ready to bring down anyone who dares to get near me.
“Shit,” I hear someone yell after I punch him.
I bring two more down while some OGs are trying to pin me to the ground. Chuy is standing off to the side, enjoying this. He’s got a cocky grin on his face that needs to be wiped off, right now.
I deck two more guys and squirm out of the grasp of the OGs and go after Chuy. I want nothing more right now than to unleash my fury on him. He swings at me, but I’m faster. My fist connects with the side of his jaw. He flies back, and I get brief satisfaction while four of the OGs grab my hands and twist them behind my back.
Chuy is bleeding out of the side of his mouth. He doesn’t bother wiping it off … instead he licks it like a bloodsucking vampire. I may not get out of this alive, but at this point I don’t give a shit.
“We have a little miscommunication, pequeña mierda. You seem to think you’re runnin’ this show. Maybe you forgot that I’m the boss here. Not you. You think you could replace me?”
“Yeah,” I mumble.
He punches me in the gut and I double over, but the guys holding my arms like a damn vise straighten me back up.
“Wrong answer. I’ll ask again. You think you could replace me?”
I take a deep breath, force myself to ignore the piercing pain my body is in, and look up. “Yeah,” I say.
He punches my face, this time harder—if that was even possible. My head reels in pain.
“Wrong answer. I’ll ask again. You think you could replace me?”
I try to open my eyes wider, but I can’t. I do the best I can, though, through the haze. “Yeah.”
He punches me in the gut again. He might have broken a rib, ’cause I felt something crack.
“Wrong answer. I’ll ask again. You think you could replace me?”
It’s done. I lost Nikki. I lost NASA. I lost everyone else. The only thing I have left is my father’s legacy as a hardass who never backed down until he was dead and buried. I’ll hang on to that legacy for as long as I can.
“Sí.”
“Delgado, get me an electric shaver,” Chuy orders. “And a screwdriver … a sharp one.”
“Why?” Marco asks.
“Just do it, you stupid little fuck. If you don’t want to end up like this pendejo, do it.”
Chuy’s next blow to my head is the last thing I remember before I black out.
When I come to, I’m lying on the cement floor.
“¡Felicitaciones!” Chuy says as he crouches beside me. I catch sight of the gold rings on his fingers. “You’re one of us now.”
I just want to lie back down right here on the floor and sleep until my body stops screaming out in pain.